mother remained unfound.

“Mom! Momma! Momma where are you?” Mocha ran around the back yard helplessly as her mother remained unfound. 

“Mocha, there’s something I must show you.”

“Mocha, there’s something I must show you.” 

Mocha whipped around. It was Lucky, her father.

Mocha whipped around. It was Lucky, her father. 

“Daddy! Have you seen mom?”

“Daddy! Have you seen mom?” 

Lucky took a deep breath. “Come. I have something to show you.”

Lucky took a deep breath. “Come. I have something to show you.” 

Mocha, worried and confused, followed her father to the front yard. Mocha sniffed the air. It smelled of the big scary mechanical dogs that roamed the street…and…blood.

Mocha, worried and confused, followed her father to the front yard. Mocha sniffed the air. It smelled of the big scary mechanical dogs that roamed the street…and…blood. 

As they continued to walk, Mocha froze. There was her mother. Dead as a doorknob. Mocha felt her blood run cold. “Daddy…”

As they continued to walk, Mocha froze. There was her mother. Dead as a doorknob. Mocha felt her blood run cold. “Daddy…”

“Mocha…your mother is…I’m sorry. I loved her much. I can’t believe…” As Mocha watched her father stare down at his paws, sadness showing all over him, she felt tears run down her cheeks. Her mother was dead. How could this be? Why now? Why when she was going to break the good news about The Pack? Why?

“What is taking you so long to simply say goodbye?”

Mocha whipped around. It was the Wolf Dog. “It’s my mommy. My hero. She’s gone!”

The Wolf Dog’s harsh eyes began to soften. “It’s okay. You don’t have to say anything more. I understand. You don’t have to come if you don’t want.”

Mocha looked up at him. “No. I am coming.”

“Mocha, I hope you found what you were looking for. I hope you end up being the greatest leader that ever ruled The Pack. This is what your mother wanted. I hope she is finding my loyalty to her satisfying. I find now that I was never good enough for her.”

“That’s not true, Dad. She loved you very much. I know that. And she still loves you.” Mocha told her father, and after a moment’s hesitation, lead the way into the forest.

“Good-bye!” Lucky barked behind her. “I love you! Come and visit some time, okay?”

“I will!” Mocha barked over her shoulder before disappearing into the bushes.

 

 

Three

Not For Me

 

Mocha entered a large cave. A big English Setter was inside. He wasn’t sleeping, but he wasn’t awake.

“You must be the son of Star.” The English Setter said in a deep voice.

“No.” Mocha barked.

“Then who are you?”

“I am Mocha. Daughter of Star.”

“Daughter? Ha! You must not be the one then. Send her back, Nidge.”

“Yes, Smith.” Nidge dipped his head and began to nudge Mocha away.

“Stop this! My mother died today and I came here because that’s what she wanted! She was looking forward to me becoming the leader of The Pack! She was so happy for me! And now she’s dead! And I will not fail her!”

Smith signaled Nidge to stop. “Well said, Mocha.”

Mocha shook herself. “I will not fail her.”

Smith nodded. “You will not. You will rule this pack. I will train you.”

Mocha gave a bow to Smith. “I am honored.”

Smith smiled affectionately. “No, leader, I am honored.”

Mocha found herself speechless.

Smith giggled. “Come now.”

 

The hours of the night ticked away. Mocha couldn’t sleep. Her training was hard, but she was eager for more, in which she knew would come in the morning. Her head was whirling with thoughts of her leading the dogs of The Pack into battle.

As Mocha waited eagerly for morning to come, her hunger grew. She soon couldn’t stand it. She got out of her antelope-skin bed and darted through the cave. She soon found a large pile of meat. She didn’t know where to start. There was so much of it! She decided just to take a steak. She gobbled it down in a blink of an eye.

Licking her snout, Mocha headed down to the place where she slept. She noticed that The Pack’s quarters was quite active at night. Many of the dogs there were working or nursing pups. She also noticed how many pups there were. The dominate male must not be the only one with mating rights… Mocha muttered. or there wouldn’t be this many pups and pregnant females…that’s not normal…

Mocha also noticed that many of the females were hard at work. Fixing things and patching holes in the tapestries along the hallway walls. She knew this was normal female work, but she couldn’t help but think they deserved to be put at a higher rank. The females were the ones who created all the males on earth! How could anyone deny them?

Mocha continued on her journey to her sleeping quarters. When she reached her bed, she collapsed onto it. She fell asleep immediately, now that she didn’t really have anything to do.

 

 

Mocha stalked around Smith. The two dogs’ eyes were locked in combat as they circled each other for a few brief moment, and then leapt into the air.

Although Mocha was very tiny, she was an amazing fighter. She dodged every move Smith made, except for one, in which she seemed to never be able to ovoid. It was a blow with his hind leg. It always hit Mocha in the neck, sending her flying backwards. She could never ovoid it, it was always a random blow, and was always well-thought-out.

“You are doing very well, Mocha.” Smith told her after their training. “I think you are ready for you ceremony.”

“Ceremony?” Mocha was puzzled.

“The one where I pronounce you leader.”

“Oh.” Mocha was still puzzled. “So soon? I don’t know if I’m ready…”

“Oh, trust me, Mocha, you are ready. And I’m surprised. You went through training and mastered everything except for one skill-that only I use-all in one month.” Smith barked. “I am very proud of you. And judging by the color of your coat, and by your skill, I have come to a conclusion:

You are a very special dog, Mocha, a Golden Yorkie. We only get a Golden Yorkie every thousand years. You were special the second you were born. You were small, am I right?”

Mocha nodded.

“Then it is official. You are a Golden Yorkie. And my leader.” Smith bowed in respect.

Mocha smiled. “Thank you, but I’m not leader yet. And what if the others don’t except me? What if I’m not good enough for them?”

“It doesn’t matter. You’re good enough for me.” Smith said, and nudged her affectionately.

“Thank you, Smith.” Mocha said. She knew that it would seem as though Smith were her brother from this day forward.

But she still had doubts. She didn’t know if she would be able to live through her first battle. She wondered if she would even live to lead The Pack into her first battle. A shutter ripped through her at the thought of “her pack” killing her before her first battle.

“Is something wrong?” Smith asked, as if to read Mocha’s mind.

“No.” Mocha said. “Nothing.”

“Okay.”

 

 

 

 

Mocha walked into the dark hut made of sticks and banana leaves. It was a well organized place, a feast table, a large podium, and a large group of dogs huddled beneath the podium.

 

“We all gather here today for a festival known as The Golden Yorkie’s Praise. We will be attending to this festival today in honor of Mocha, in whom is our new leader, and a Golden Yorkie.”

Mocha looked up, surprised to here her name come from the speaker’s mouth. But she kept her eyes on a young male Yorkie next to the speaker on the podium. He looked about her age, although he was a bit bigger.

“Mocha, will you please step up to the podium.”

Mocha was roused from her daydreaming when she heard her name. She quickly ran through the crowd and up the steps to the podium.

“Please, dip your paw in the ink.” The speaker gestured toward a little bowl filled with navy blue ink. Mocha dipped her paw into it. “Please press your paw onto the parchment in the space it says: Signature.”

Mocha pressed her paw firmly on the line. She lifted her paw and gave it a lick. The ink tasted horrible! She shook her head.

“The Golden Yorkie has signed the contract! She is now the leader of The Pack! Mocha, will you willingly give your life for any endangered pack member?”

“Yes.” Mocha barked.

“Will you feed them your share of food when there is not enough food to go round?”

“Yes.”

“Will you guide them in times of trouble, give them wisdom when they need it, and fight to the death for them?”

“Yes!”

“Then it is official. You are now the leader of The Pack!”

To Mocha’s surprise, the crowd cheered. She was relieved when the cheering died down and the dogs began to return to their quarters.

A little tired herself, Mocha began to retreat to her quarters, where she knew a little dish of food would be waiting for her. She trekked down the hallway and opened the door to her room. She saw that her bed had been made and her sheets changed. She saw something else in the room. On a little desk near her bed, was a note. She rushed over and unfolded it.

She read it aloud to herself:

Dear Mocha,

It’s Smith. I have to go away for a while. I left today, and had no time to say good-bye. I’m sorry I missed your ceremony, but I have a mission to accomplish. I will be back in two days. The mission can’t be mentioned to you or to anyone until I return.

See you soon!

---Smith

Mocha sighed. What would she do without Smith? She had no clue what to do as leader, she had told Smith she wasn’t ready. She decided just to eat her food and go to bed.

 

 

 

 

Mocha eagerly awaited Smith’s return at the edge of The Pack’s territory. She had followed Smith’s sent to see where he had exited the territory.

Mocha eagerly awaited Smith’s return at the edge of The Pack’s territory. She had followed Smith’s sent to see where he had exited the territory. 

After about twenty

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