We have run for a day and through the night. The Rise hunting-degree^ is almost complete. We are all exhausted and filthy. I have not had provision in 2 days, and I am feeling more feeble than I should. I am out of practice of maintaining this pace, this long, without provision. At least it would not be unexpected for a provider to find it harder than trained warriors. We are entering HQ. I haven’t smelled it in nearly a quarter-season^. The smells of Sweetment^ are overwhelming, strangely sour and full of dog-life. I am taken into a military den-complex. We travel deeper and deeper into the earth. Diggers have been hard at Service digging these deep-dens. I assume pack is preparing for needing to contain some dogs for a while.
Eventually, we reach what is obviously to be my den. I enter and find dried provision. I devour it immediately. It is a piece of small-game provision. I recognise the taste of rodents we haven’t smelled in at least a fifth-season. I wonder if it is something I caught. Other than a guard at a pinch-point many lungelengths away, there is no-dog within hearing or scent range. I might as well sleep. I will be more use to Honest having rested a little.
(( Hello, my Soil and World. )) My stomach flips. Where is she that she can reach me? Oh, I don’t care. The sore muscles, the hunger (not sated by old, dry, meagre provision), the loneliness are gone. The scent of my soul is here.
(( Oh, there you are. I have missed you more than Soil misses the Sun. )) As I pack-speak, I open my mind to the pack-bond, trying to feel her.
(( Soon enough my spots, we will be able to be together for a few moments. Honest will be with you soon. )) I smell confusion in the sentinel. He is determined to do his Service well. I hear him challenging whoever approaches him.
“I was told not to let any-dog lower than 3-notches past.” The replying, familiar voice brings calm to my mind,
“This dog is to be interrogated by 4-notch Bulky Rise this zenith. She has sent me to establish what kind of case this is. Here is her scent-mark.” A moment while the guard verifies the scent of Bulky Rise.
“Very good. She is in the deep-den at the end of this passage, follow the smell of confusion and provision and you’ll find her.”
(( Don’t need to follow my nose; I know exactly where you are. )) Feeling Honest in my stomach feels almost as good as Generous. Almost. His footsteps approach and he enters. I want to groom him so much it hurts. He replies without me sending a thought, (( I know. But you know we can’t. It is great to smell you. ))
“Cunning Runt^ Set, do you know why you were brought here?” He begins the interrogation the guard is expecting, while we converse through a tightly closed pack-bond^.
| (( It is great to smell you too. What’s going on? Braggart Set? )) | “I have no idea. The Rise who arrested me said I was not for-Pack, but I have no idea why any-dog would think that.” |
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I try to sound indignant. I just want to relax and speak freely with my pack-bonded. The bond may have started as a Service obligation but Honest has been genuine den-pack for more cycles than the trainees have lived. | |
(( Yes. We obviously had no idea Amiable First Eyes Set was capable of that kind of savagery. This pack proves surprising over and over. I needed to pass on the plan that Sweet-Pack Guider^ Sleek Runt Rise has put forward. )) | |
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He smells me.
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| “Well seeing as you seem oblivious, I will explain what has been observed. You will listen until I am done and then you may defend yourself.” |
| (( Thanks. )) | “Understood.” |
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Trust Honest to smell I need this great kindness! I let myself be talked at in stomach and voice.
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| (( They want to leave. We need to ensure that they are too nervous to attempt to grow their forces too much. A lot of noses are suspicious at the moment, only increased by there being a mysterious runt-maker in Pack. We need to lead this pack from within… )) | “You have previously shown old-fashioned attitudes relating to separateness of Set and Rise. Your provision-pack guider has reported some not for-Unified-Pack sentiments. Certainly, you are entitled to your feelings and it is appreciated that for providers this is a particularly abrupt change. Nevertheless the potential corrupting influence of these sentiments on those younger is not to be ignored. Though none of that is the reason we think you might not be for-Pack…” |
| (( …We have been encouraging you to lie low in the separatist-pack so that you gain the least suspicion. Sweet-Pack Guider Sleek Runt Rise wants you to gain promotion within this pack. The sooner we can find out what they are planning the better. It is risky to have brought you in, but we are hoping to grow you an impressive reputation with the separatist-pack…))
| “…It is suspected that you put your pack in danger on several occasions while on this provision trip. This includes, attempting to hunt elk^ with a dramatically small pack, losing track of two pack members for a night while provisioning, repeatedly keeping late degrees that impacted your pack’s ability to serve together, sending only 2 dogs to the collection point and allowing a pack-member to kill a deer calf, impacting provision numbers next cycle…”
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| (( …They are planning this big event. We want to ensure it is an event we can control if they are able to execute it but still feels suitably violent for the separatists. Ideally it will keep them busy for as long as possible, minimising their potential to grow a pack. So, we thought you could have observed something while in custody that might shape their plans…)) | “…While these could all have been coincidence, we take threats to Pack security seriously and not-for-Pack dogs are appearing on Sweet-World. You will be interviewed by a scent-scientist trained at detecting deception. If you can convince her, you will be considered for-Pack and allowed to return to Service.”
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(( That’ll be me. )) I feel a shimmer over my body. Time alone with Generous. We could possibly even legitimately touch. The thought makes blood rush to my ears. I should be listening to Honest.
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| (( …I’ll let ye have that in a cent^. Suggest they take Soil from Set comfort-units to seed dissention in Pack. Access to Soil could be offered to future recruits (that we’ll ensure they don’t get). It should keep them busy for at least a season. We can claim it all back once the threat is neutralised. Most dogs aren’t opening their comfort-units yet so it might be possible for us to return it without Pack knowing. Tell them you got past our best scent-scientist and that you heard some-dogs have had their comfort-units broken into. Apparently, high-notches are worried that it might destabilise Pack. Even if they eventually do a big event, we have their focus on something relatively gentle on Pack in the long run. )) | “I’ll show this scent-scientist that I’m for-Pack. I might miss the old ways, but I have never shirked my Service. The Rise-pack is bigger and better trained. That’s just a series of coincidences. The scent-scientist will find me honest since I am telling the truth.”
My excitement at seeing Generous almost makes me project too loud and too clearly, like Resilient Rise does. |
| (( I understand. I think Pack-Guider Sleek Runt Rise may have overestimated the Pack-control we will have if even one comfort-unit is found empty. It might serve. I will try to persuade them. Will I be “released” in time to join Still Runt introducing our new recruits? )) | “Hmm. She will come in a degree.”
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I am cautious questioning Pack-Guider even in a tight pack-bond. Though Honest, Generous and I have frequently questioned Pack-Guiders and high-notches in our den in Soil. It is not the same here in the sweet-soil of this flowery world. He strolls down the passage and has a mumbling conversation with the guard while we finish communicating.
(( You will be released after Generous has “interrogated” you. You should go straight to your den. I agree, Pack-Guider is planning with assumptions that could be applied to Soil-dogs on World but not out here. Good luck. I have missed you so much. I look forward to this separatist movement being over and we can get on with standard surveillance. If we can ensure the compound is sealed, then we could have a very nice few cycles before returning to World. ))
(( I hope so too. I have missed you. Good Service with the recruits by the way. ))
(( Have a nap before she comes. You won’t regret it. ))
And he is gone. I reach out to Generous, but she has closed the pack-bond. I fall into deep-sleep.
I do not sense anything until I am woken by Generous’ scent all over me. I roll where I am. That only releases an earthy scent. Generous is there, sitting quietly. I have no idea how long she has watched me sleep.
(( Not long. )) A dog who can finish my thoughts. I have missed her. Her pack-comms skills are overgrown enough to not maintain two conversations at once any more. I am glad we can be two dogs, without the weight of Pack on us. She lies down, nose to nose with me and we whisper to one another. Any dog listening will think it is a quiet interrogation.
“How have you been, scent of my soul?” Such a big question.
“I have been serving Pack, so I have been content. The last quarter-season has been slightly less grim, but it seems like it is only going to get more grim from here. How are you? How are your new trainees?” I am desperate to hear about her life. She chucks,
“Hardly trainees anymore. We have learned a lot about the climate here, along with plant and animal observations. We are feeling confident we will be safe within the compound until we can return to World. There is plenty of provision, quite a few we don’t have on World.”
“We have been hunting elk larger than anything I have smelled on World.”
“Exactly. Also, there are high levels of oestrogen^ in the atmosphere here. We anticipate this potentially impacting Heat. It is has had no impact yet but several dogs are leaking higher oestrogen than we would expect.” I haven’t heard her speaking science in so long.
“That’s interesting.” A flood of content washes me away into a Pack-mud. “Hearing about your Service is like being on World again. Tell me about your research, and your pack.”
“Well, we got our first anomalous readings as soon as Determined Set was out of seclusion. We noticed male provision here has oestrogen levels that on World would suggest all provision are female…” As she begins to tell me, I let my head drop. She knows the risks as well as I do of us actually touching but she softly grooms my face. I relax and let her be First Eyes. “This started us on a trail of study as to why this was occurring. We found that there are a number of plants that induce the release of oestrogen in mammals.” I am barely listening to anything beyond the sound of her voice anymore.
“Cunning Runt Set, you are free to go” I start awake, smelling of Generous. I realise the Cunning Runt Set this guard is expecting would scent relieved, so mask my horror and try to summon up some relief.