Proud of Your Boy

Epilogue ~ Making You Proud ~

Part TWO 

Note: Thanks to a fan of the story, I have decided to add something within the story (and something at the last part too!) to help show the real inspiration for writing this story in the first place. Thanks and I hope you enjoy the second-to-last part of Kodi’s journey!

By the way, the names of the other dogs on Kodi's mail team are Homer, Tango and Michel. They'll be more important in the final part than this one, but those are just my names for them so don't steal those names! Thanks.

- Juuchan17

 

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About several minutes had passed before the young lead dog let out a moan after making his long descent from the mountain path. A light blanket of snow covered his dark red fur; a breeze blew a dusting from his coat, tickling his nose and causing him to let out a quick sneeze. His eyes slowly opened, his vision was blurred for a couple of moments before suddenly clearing so he could survey his sudden change of surroundings.

The flat, rocky ground around him was covered in white, almost as if the area remained forever winter. He felt rather heavy when he attempted to rise to his feet; his legs and joints made slight cracking sounds while he stood up. The red dog looked up the cliff that he had descended from and let out a long, silent gasp of shock; he knew he was lucky to be alive. The cliff was lined with jagged rocks and cascades of snow-covered stair-like areas, almost resembling smaller cliffs attached to the side of the mountain. 

Ah, my head . . . Aah! He began to collapse back onto the ground as he took a couple of steps, but couldn’t maintain his balance yet; an almost stinging pain went through his legs when he landed back on his stomach.

Oh man! Wha-what happened . . . to me? Where’s the team? Where am I? 

Ah – aah-CHOOOO!

He let out a sneeze of chilly cold air and a slight sniffle as his memories of the event suddenly returned back to him. 

Wait . . . I remember now . . .

I . . . I fell . . . down the cliff . . . . The team . . . they’re still up there . . .  or they’ve finished the race without me . . . . Oh, no . . . . The hard truth of the situation finally hit him. 

I’ve failed them, Dad . . . The plane will beat us and it’s all because of me . . .  Our jobs are gone for sure now, and . . . and it’s all my fault . . . . A tear fell from his eye as a long sigh blew from his lips.

I’ve failed everyone . . . . 

“Aahhh-wooooooooooooooooooooooooooo . . . .”

The red quarter-wolf’s ears pricked up at the familiar sound. He didn’t have the strength to speak, but many thoughts circled within his head. 

Who is it? Who’s there? That voice doesn’t sound like anyone I know of . . . .

Suddenly, his head turned to the direction of the voice; his eyes looking into the scene where a gust of snowy wind blew and the voice was audible yet again, with the exact same power and beauty as the first.  

 “Aahhh-wooooooooooooooooooooooooooo . . . .”

Where are you? I can’t see you in all of this snow . . . . 

The burst of flurries ended, revealing the creature that made the harmonious cry. It was a large dog-like animal with a coat as pure white as the most perfect snowflakes that were softly floating from the skies above them. Its long-haired fur of ivory flew in the motion of the wind’s breath as it towered over the reddish-brown quarter-wolf like a mountain overshadowing a lush valley below, glaring at him with thin, sharp eyes of piercing yellow. He gazed up into those eyes in both awe and fear. Never before had he ever seen such a creature before in his short life of almost four years that could ever compare to what was standing in front of his paralyzed body.

You . . . you’re so beautiful . . . Why are you here? Who are you? 

Wait . . . are you here to save me?

The lupine, who spoke not a single word to the young pup, seemed to understand his internal voice and shook its head without a trace of emotion at all. 

He let out a sigh as his now-forlorn expressions spoke silent words of despair to his new white companion.

Oh . . . well, there’s nothing more to live for then . . . You should just leave me to die, since you’re not here to save me . . . Farewell . . .

The snowy wolf knew it had no other choice to get through to him. It let out another howl as the young hybrid lamented in his silence, closing his eyes and placed one of his large paws over his face, accepting his failure as a leader. 

“Aahhh-wooooooooooooooooooooooooooo . . . .”

A few seconds passed before a second howl joined the other. This new cry was deeper, more masculine than the previous one, but just as lupine as the original voice . . . and when it hit the husky-mix’s soft ears of burgundy, he gasped, moving his paw and lifting his head in shock and disbelief. 

“Aahhh-wooooooooooooooooooooooooooo . . . .”

No . . . could it be? 

The sight of the immense white wolf with a much smaller grayish-brown dog beside it made the pup sit up without much difficulty.

D-d-d-dad? 

His vision again went blurred as he tried to make out the smaller howling figure in front of him, but over a couple of quick moments, it cleared, surprisingly showing that his thoughts were true – it was him. His brown eyes widened, astonished by the fact that yet again his father had appeared before him.

Dad? Dad, please! Talk to me!  

As if the wolves could hear the pup’s inner voice, they stopped their howling and looked at each other. The smaller half-breed gave the large white one a longing look, as if he were asking for permission to speak. The other wolf gave the young burgundy quarter-wolf a quick glance and then looked back at the smaller brownish-gray beside it, slowly nodding its perfectly sculpted head, still without a trace of expression. The father returned the gesture with a wide smile, glad that it understood his feelings of wanting to communicate to his youngest son once again, and walked happily towards the one who missed him just as much. 

Thank you . . . Mother . . . 

The red and white pup attempted to stand on all fours so that he could run to meet the very familiar wolf-dog, but his legs, weakened by the fall, still weren’t able to hold up the entire weight of his body; he collapsed in front of the storm of white, just as the shadowy gray figure of his patriarch arrived by his son’s large paws.

The husky child felt embarrassed to even be seen by his father looking like this – he was so close . . . victory was within his reach, and yet he faltered only hours to the finish line. He had failed at being a leader, while his own father had succeeded the same year that he was born. That was what he had always known . . . everyone in town knew that his father was a true hero who successfully led his team home . . . something that the three-year-old felt like he would never be. Again, he covered his face with his paws – for once, this was one time that the son wished that his role model hadn’t showed up. 

“Son.”

The deep yet soft tone of the half-breed’s voice began to fill the air around the two males as they shared the close area all to themselves; the larger white lupine had mysteriously disappeared, leaving them alone, as if knowing that Father and Son needed some moments . . . perhaps it knew that the wolf-dog that gazed up at it with those hopeful red and yellow eyes only moments ago was the quarter-wolf’s only hope of survival now. 

“Son?” the half-breed repeated his call, hoping his husky child would show himself to his own father just like in the old times.

“Go away, Dad,” The muffled voice of the young son murmured from the ground with disappointment echoing from his tone of voice. “I . . . I can’t do this anymore. I . . .,” A stream of tears tricked down his closed eyes as he sniffed out two words that gave the father a shocked expression for a moment. “I . . . I-I’ve failed.” 

The wolf-dog looked down at the pathetic sight of what was his youngest son, who once was so small yet so encouraging to keep trying his best to succeed in whatever challenge stood in his way. Now his once runty son, now three – almost four – was growing up: his head was as low as it could go; his tail, bushy and two-toned in burgundy and ivory, covered his hind legs, hanging in shame; and all of that confidence that once beamed from his smiling face was all gone, vanished into the darkness of despair and defeat. For a moment, the brownish-gray half-wolf had a soft smile, realizing what was truly wrong with his son – for once, Kodi was learning what the agony of defeat felt like, for it was an emotion that he never wished to feel . . . .

For a moment, unknown to the young pup, he was growing up. 

“Kodi . . .” his father bent his head down to dry his son’s salty tears, attempting to comfort and somehow encourage him once again. “I’m here for you, Son.” At the sound of his voice against his dark red ears, the red pup turned them towards his father’s voice. “You know I’ve always been here for you.”

Kodi sniffled then began to reply softly. “ . . . but why do I feel so alone, Dad?” He sniffled again. “You have no idea . . . what I’ve been through today . . .” Sniffling once more, he turned to the patriarch with a thin stream of tears drying against his white cheeks. “Just when everything was going my way, . . . the world crashes down in front of me . . .” He began to sob, causing his father to approach his son with curiosity. As Kodi cried, his voice grew loud, near the point of cracking. “I was so close to getting our team home first, but then . . . but then . . .” 

The wolf-dog caused Kodi to gasp as he nuzzled his son. The warmth of his touch calmed the young pup as his father spoke. “Oh,

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