other black. He still couldn't tell if they were his because Melody was those colors too. Nonetheless, he stared at them, emotionless. He heard Elizabeth talking to Rodney when he came home a short time after Cobalt did. Or rather Elizabeth was crying.
"I couldn't do anything!" Elizabeth said crying now in her husbands arms "She kept yelping and the pain was over whelming for her. The doctor has just arrived and already left, he was to late to save her" She sobbed again "There were to many pups in the litter and she was so small! Only two out of 11 lived!"
Elizabeth noticed Cobalt watching them sadly. She bent down down to pet him but he was trembling with anger and sadness he didn't let her get close.
"Cobalt want to see your two daughters?" Elizabeth asked wiping the tears away and holding the door open. She had removed the two pups from their mother's body and they were warm in towels close to the fireplace but still in a safe distance.
Cobalt stared blankly at the two girls at his feet. They were cleaned now and were a shade brighter than before. But he still couldn't tell who's they were. One looked almost exactly like Melody, he noticed, and at that point he had to look away. That pup made him angry and depressed that he basically ruined Melody. Lying to her...killing her son...leaving her...not protecting her from Hank...and he caused her death. Whether he impregnated her or whether Hank did, this litter killed her. He killed her. He killed her, when all this time all she did was love him.
He walked out of the room and from that moment on, he didn't look at the pups. He didn't look at anyone. His days were spent laying in his and Melody's room or he was out visiting her grave, which doubled as their second litter's grave. Even when the pups were old enough to walk, they would approach them, and he would not acknowledge them. He would simply leave. Rodney couldn't even get him out to train, or to run, something he enjoyed doing. Iron was even less help. Elizabeth would pet Cobalt for hours, but Cobalt still did nothing. He was too depressed. Too guilty about Melody and how he treated her and everything.
She didn't deserve her fate. Most people looked down on the more popular types in town, but she was good at heart. And only he knew for certain.
~~~
Rodney tied a rope around Cobalt's neck one morning. "Come on, boy." Rodney said sadly. Cobalt slugged after his master, who took him into town. There was an honest-looking burley man standing next to a plane. He looked at Cobalt peculiarly, removing a cigar from his mouth.
"This is your prize race dog?" the man asked. "Looks a little down in the mouth, eh?"
"Yeah, he won me second in this past year's race. He was close tho." Rodney exclaimed. "But now he...just won't do anything for me. So I'm thinking an entirely different environment will do him good."
"Eh, what do I care. I'm just the deliverer." the man laughed. Rodney chuckled. He knew the man was a good one, but he was still sad about letting his dog go. "Here's Dom's money, Rod. I'll get your dog to him safe and sound."
"Thank you. Dom will pay you."
Cobalt was put in the plane with the man and they flew far away. Further than Cobalt went to race. It was definitely further north. Or further west. He couldn't tell because he fell asleep several times. When they landed, Cobalt woke up again. This place was different. It was still snowy, but it reeked of dogs. When he got a good look around there were dogs everywhere. All of them were surely teams and oddly enough this made Cobalt excited.
Cobalt was then given to another man, who he figured was Dom. His new owner smiled down upon him like he knew him forever and pat him on the head. He spoke in a tongue Cobalt didn't understand, but Dom sounded nice enough.
The two of them and five other dogs with them boarded a train nearby. They were going to race, Cobalt knew. He did this before with Rodney. None of the dogs talked to Cobalt, which made him rather sad. Did they know of his cruelty?
~~~
They ran the race, which wasn't nearly as exhilarating as Cobalt expected. When they lost the race, the dogs still didn't speak to him, which made Cobalt even sadder, thinking that it was his own fault. He didn't see who won the race, but he didn't really care. One rainy night after the race, in a barn where all the dogs were kept, Cobalt lay in a corner thinking about Melody again, until his thoughts were interrupted by an old grey-nosed malamute with a deep-throaty voice.
"That was some pretty nice racing you did out there." the malamute said. "I wouldn't think less of a fellow malamute."
"I didn't win the race, old man." Cobalt said, finding it weird using his voice for the first time in a long time. "Besides, I'm only half malamute."
"Ah, but for a mutt, you sure can run. I'm sure you'd do better alone, eh?"
"Maybe. But I haven't been better off alone since my girl died."
"Oh...I see...Well, if its worth anythin'" the old one continued, sounding sly. "I know something, er, someone who'll help you with your loneliness." Cobalt looked at the old malamute. "If you're willing to enter an all-for-one race against some other dogs."
What was this old man up to? What was in it for him? Sure Cobalt would win some company, a mate, judging by how suggestive the malamute made it sound. But what would the malamute gain? But he was an old-timer, how harmless could he be? "Who's this prize we're talking about?"
The malamute nodded and grinned. He motioned his head towards the door and walked towards it, urging Cobalt to follow. He did, and looked through the door into the misty night. There was a vehicle across the street and in the vehicle was a caged husky. Sure enough it was female.
"Quite the catch, eh?" The malamute snickered. "You win this race, the pretty female is yours, and you can do whatever you want with her."
Cobalt didn't really like how this guy talked about this female. He reminded him of Hank, but he refrained for biting him just the same. This female must be won. "I'm in." Cobalt said, hopefully.
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