A Dog's Curse (Goddess and EvaRose)

Right... Left... Left... Three years passed since he first came to the farm with dirt and mud stuck in his white fur, making him look like a common stray, of which he was not. No, this large dog was not a stray. Absalom, as they came to call him (but not without getting some inspiration from the hound himself) was a purebreed. The dog was huge, about as big as a Great Dane but with too much fur on him to actually be one. It turned out that he was an Irish Wolfhound, bred to hunt down wolves while being big and mean enough to do so. It was odd that he was so nice to the family even though he was meant to be an aggressive hound around strangers. Instead, he was always nice to them, listened to everything the humans said and did exactly as he was told. Which is what he was supposed to be doing now.

Instead, the hound was herding the sheep like he wanted to, growling and snapping and barking at the sheep to make sure that they moved in the correct direction. He was currently leading them to the meadows where they would graze on grass while he sat on the hill with his master and watch them. His master. Since when did he become used to referring to another man as his master? It seemed so odd to think of, but Absalom did not allow his thoughts to linger on the subject for too long. Instead, he stood back to look at his handiwork by watching the livestock as they began to eat from the green grass.

A little up and away was the main area of the farm. It was where the house and barn were located along with a pen to house the sheep, making it safer for the animals if there was a storm of any kind. Such an event occured once in the last three years, and they didn't lose a single animal. It was what made Absalom's master keep the dog in the first place, taking it to a pound like his wife wanted him to.

Turning away now, the hound started back up the hill to sit down and let the animals be in peace while they ate and to watch over them as was his duty. It was spring, bigs were building nest, groundhogs coming out of their holes, and the local pack of wolves had pups to take care of. At least, that's what he got out of the territory markers that they left around. Just thinking about those things caused the dog to growl, showing two rows of sharp, white canines that were ready to sink into whatever enemy he needed to face. Even now, after so many years, Absalom harbored a deep hatred for wolves. As he neared the top of the hill, his upper lips lowered to hide his canines and the hound relaxed as he turned walked onto the porch, barking loudly in hopes of attracting attention. He needed his breakfast.

RE: A Dog's Curse (Goddess and EvaEose)

Hiding her freckled face from the sun with a straw hat, Jane made her way back home after all of her chores were done. She'd milked cows and checked the fields for weeds, already used to getting such things done early to have the rest of the day with her nose in the books. Farm life was all she knew, and with her being the only child, it was expected that she would end up marrying someone who could keep the farm together, but she dreamed of visiting big cities and having all sorts of magical adventures. She knew that would never be the case, of course, but her rides into town, into the local library or book shops, always gave her the hope that there would be more magic to her life than dirty farm work.

"Would you get your ass here, Jane? You don't want the food your mother made to get cold, now do ya?" James Johnson, Jane's father called from the house porch as the young woman walked into view. The man was tall and well built, used to hard work and the bright sun, his skin darker than his daughters through sun exposure, but they both held the same freckled look. His eyes, gray and narrow, were hers in color, though hers were wider and adorned by much longer lashes, hidden by thick-framed glasses. She also had his same hair color, though you could barely tell because of his receding hairline: both father and daughter shared brown hair so dark, it almost looked back. There was no doubt, physically at least, she was her father's daughter, hence her name. He'd always wanted a boy instead to name after himself, but all in all he was a protective father. "Look here, kid, Absalom came here before you did! You should follow his example!"

"He's a dog, dad," Jane sighed, dragging her feet into the house, giving the dog a slight glimpse as she passed by him. She couldn't help but smile at the sight, though: his fur so white, his height so tall. He really was a majestic breed, but she never did dare get too close. "And he's probably just hungry!"

Chuckling and knowing she was right, James gave his daughter a playful push. "That dog is smarter than most men I know! Aren't ya, boy? You hungry? Got some beef bones to curb your appetite! Come here!"

"Don't bring him into the house" came a voice from the kitchen, Danna Johnson, who was already putting the pots she had just cooked with to soak on the sink and was getting ready to make some nice stew for a few days. Her hair was al lighter, almost golden shade of brown, her eyes brown, and her skin far more fair for spending far less time outside. She was strongly built, broad shoulders, strong back, wide hips, but she had an abundant chest and a bit of a belly, and her legs were stocky. Danna had once taken better care of herself: she was leaner, more delicate, and took better care of herself, but all that care went into making sure Jane could look good and get a husband as soon as the girl turned 15, not like James minded. Because of that, Jane remained leaner, even if her arms were showing definition because of the hard work and her breasts seemed to be developing as abundantly as her mother's.

"I know, I know, woman! You're so picky!" James said, tossing the bone to the ground as he grinned, putting a hand to Absalom's head. "You're a good dog, aren't ya? You wouldn't make a mess! I'll convince her at some point, you'll see!"

RE: A Dog's Curse (Goddess and EvaEose)

The lovely scent of the fairer sex drifted to Absalom as his master's offspring approached the house yet again. She smelled of fresh milk and vegetables, but her true scent was hidden beneath that and only seemed easier to catch a whiff of right now. It was the oddest thing. He never was so interested in the scent of a female human, but hers was the one that seemed to catch his attention for the past year. In his eyes, she was a lovely young lady who only grew prettier and seemed to smell better with every day that went by. It took two years for his mind to drift from the thoughts of a dog and to that of a male human. It was a wonder that he wasn't being protective over Jane yet.

So, she was now one of the two humans that he would listen to without problem, and that was only because he liked her scent. In his eyes, she wasn't as dominant as her father. Actually, if the entire family were a pack, Absalom would think of Jane as a potential mate. Geez, if he were human... Human! he thought to himself with a scoff as he watched his master and the man's offspring. All he did was sit there and listen to them, hiding his envy for the humans and their freedom to do whatever they wished. When he was asked questions, however, the hound barked excitedly and leaped to his paws with a fast-wagging tail.

Then came THAT woman's voice. She was the one person in the family that Absalom despised. Since the day that he arrived on the farm, the woman had a thing against him and seemed to think that he was as filthy as a pig. Of course he wouldn't make a mess in the house; well, he wouldn't do it on purpose. The hound stood still as the man patted his head, feeling a swelling sense of satisfaction over being appreciated for his hard work. To show that, he tilted his head back and licked the man's hand softly; were he a untrained animal, he would have rose up and licked the man's face. A few seconds later, he was laying on the porch and biting into the bone with his canines and starting to break through to the marrow as he had for most of his life. His tail wagged behind him while Absalom stared down at the herd. As always, he sat in front of door and did not dare try to step into that house.

RE: A Dog's Curse (Goddess and EvaEose)

With a final glance from from the curious young lady and a pat on the side from his master, the family headed inside to eat, leaving Absalom with his bone. James was quick to devour his food, while his wife took a bit longer, with Jane leaving a bit of meat on the side of her plate, feeling pretty full with the eggs and bread and coffee. The family was mostly jovial, their talk casual about the day to day chores. Danna talked about how proud she was of Jane, how pretty she was becoming, and how suited she was to becoming the farm head.

"Yeah, she better be!" James muttered, looking over his daughter with a sigh. His normally stern face showed concern. "Are you sure you can stay alone while we're out on business? Two weeks can be a long time! Danna could stay with you, you know!"

"Dad, I'm already going to be 18!" she retorted with a sigh, pulling her hat off and pushing her hair back. She was just as nervous as he was, but she wouldn't miss a chance to have a bit of freedom, either. "I can handle it! I already know how to do all the chores we need."

"Let her prove herself James, it'll be good for her to get a sense of independence," Danna assured, pulling her daughter closer. "She's a strong girl, and we'll be at a phone call away! Not to mention I have the Jefferson's looking out for her!"

"I don't like that Jefferson boy!" James said through gritted teeth. "I was that age too, I know what he wants and he's not getting it from my daughter!"

"She has to grow up too, you know!" Danna insisted.

"Not with him," Jane giggled, in agreement with her dad, as usual. She didn't feel the need to be close to a man, to have someone limit her. Not everything was about her being a woman, she wanted to be her own person. Not like she could tell her parents, of course, her dreams of the big city would break their hearts, and she knew that the farm needed taking care of.

"See?" James sneered. Going over to the door, James leaning on the door frame to check on his dog. "Hey, Absalom, you take care of Jane, got it, boy?"

Instead of the usual barking response, what followed the question was a low, threatening growl as the huge hound stopped chewing his bone. The art of a successful hunt was technique and the direction of the wind. Fortunately, Absalom was downwind at the moment as a rough scent alarmed the wolfhound and sent a rush of emotions through his body that sent the creature into his feral state. The creature rose to his paws and stared down the hill to look a little way beyond the sheep and to the trees just beyond his own territory. That's right, he made sure to mark the area around his master's land as his territory but it did nothing to deter animals from attempting to prey on creatures that could not defend themselves. His ears moved back and his muzzle wrinkled to show off the sharp canines. Without giving so much as a bark, Absalom bounded off the porch and galloped down the hill. Before he reached the bottom of the hill, five figures darted out of shrubs and to the herd of sheep. Wolves. Five of them.

Absalom could barely think as he raced through the herd his loud bark making the creatures start to run and separate from each other. The wolves tried to move with the herd, the alpha clearly signaling to his pack as he rushed at one group. Absalom followed by running through the sheep and to the wolves as the predators tried to cut one sheep from the rest of the herd. Before the farm animal could be attacked, the wolfhound shoved the alpha wolf down to the ground easily. He was larger than any wolf, so that only made it easy as he bit the alpha in a feral attempt to hurt the wolf. The others did not run away, however and turned to Absalom to fight back. The hound lifted himself from the alpha before the rest of the wolves could reach him, leaving the other male with nothing but a bit to the leg that almost broke bone. Growls and sharp barks kept the wolves at bay, and so did the size of the hound of course. The alpha wolf rose to try and run, but could not get away before receiving another bite from the hound.

By then, Absalom was straining to breath, his chest heaving as his heart pounded to pump blood to where it needed to be. The hound kept barking and growling, however, trying to drive the pack back though the wolves did not look like they were about to back down.

It wasn't the first time Absalom reacted like this, and James already knew what it entailed. It'd been far too long since he'd lost an animal thanks to that dog and the farmer was going to make sure it stayed that way. He dashed back into the house in search for shot gun. "Stay inside, keep Jane safe, get the handgun!" he barked, giving Danna a strong look, to which she understood and nodded, looking for a weapon of her own.

"Master's coming Absalom!" he yelled, following the direction his hound had darted off to, keeping his eyes peeled. Wolves were dangerous enough without catching him off-guard. The gun he held was not the most powerful thing, but a blast of pellets should be enough to send the wolves running. He didn't need to kill the animals, just wound them and scare them enough for them to not come back for a good while. James was panting as the animals came in view, but that didn't stop him from having his defenses ready. Putting the shotgun to his shoulder, he shot a warning shot, close enough to barely hit the wolves but not wanting to risk his dog. He had but 5 bullets, he wanted to make them count!

While James was off fending off the wolves, Jane couldn't help but look out the window carefully, looking to see if she could catch sight of her father or their dear bloodhound. The anticipation was always such a killer. Danna had the handgun at arms reach as she got warm water ready for any wound, and a good chunk of bandages. "Get away from there, Janie, let your father take care of it! Here, hold the gun!"

Jane moved away from the window and did as she was told. She had been taught at a yong age how to handle one, but she had never really shot one directed at a living target. She held the gun tightly, her heart racing in anticipation, her eyes at the door. "Daddy will be okay, right...?"

The carnal thoughts, the desire to spill blood and assert himself as the alpha male within his territory were the only thoughts on Absalom's mind as he growled and snapped at the alpha wolf. It only seemed fair that it was the alpha male he hated most, the male who dared to lead his pack into another canine's territory and jeopardize the well-being of creatures and humans he felt the need to protect. The more Absalom breathed in their disgusting scent, the more he stopped thinking and went on pure instinct. Every time he came into contact with wolves, it was like this. However, even after so much time, the hound remembered there being one wolf whose presence he enjoyed and death he mourned. Oddly enough, he also remembered killing her.

The wolf finally was able to attack the hound as Absalom turned at the wrong time and received a sharp bite in his right side. Before the wolf could sink his canines in, however, a loud blast sounded that alarmed the fighting creators. The pack was already starting to rush into the forest while the alpha was just letting go of Absalom. The dog did not move from where he stood and was busy watching the alpha as he ran into the forest after the rest of his pack.

Now that everything was done and over with, the hound turned to his master and limped towards the man. There were bite marks in his side, ones that were not too deep but still made the dog bleed. It was obvious given that Absalom had white fur. Instead of worrying about himself, the hound sniffed at his master to check the man for any signs of injury and whined softly as he nuzzled the man. The creature stared up at his master while his wagged and his mouth open so that his tongue could hang out. It was time to relax, with the wolves gone, his master and the rest of his charges safe from the vile creatures.

Sighing with relief as the beasts ran into the forest, James went on one of his knees to inspect his dog, still keeping a wary eye out but ruffling his fur affectionately. He would rather lose a sheep or two than his dog, considering him a part of the family. He had no idea why this animal was so smart and well-trained, but he saw him as a gift, as someone looking out for him and his family, and he wasn't about to let that slip off his fingers. "You did good, Absalom, you did good," he whispered at him, passing his fingers close to the wounds to see how deep it was. "Don't you worry, Master will take good care of ya." A smile crept up on his face, noticing they were only surface wounds. "Let's get you home, alright?"

He got up, picking up the dog in his arms with beastly strength, chuckling. "Are you getting heavier, kid?" he teased, grunting as he began to make his way back home. Still, he kept glimpsing back to the area, knowing that it'd be best to put some traps in the borders, lest they attack while he and Danna were out. Two weeks could be way too long a time to be away from the farm, and he was having second thoughts about the business meeting.

From the house, Jane let out a gasp of relief as she saw her father in the distance, leaving the gun down and opening the door, running out to meet them. Danna gave a slight complaint but sighed, coming out and making sure to bring the gun with her, but staying on the porch, still pleased to see her husband safe from harm. And, cynical as it may be, she smiled as she saw the dog covered in blood at the distance. Every fiber of her being hated that beast, and she didn't even know why.

It felt a little odd. Finding himself carried by a human of all things, especially given his size, Absalom never thought the day would come. Still, here he was with that feeling of weightlessness as the man carried him towards the house. The huge hound had no control over where he was going but trusted the man to neither harm him nor steer the dog in the wrong direction. Absalom was not worried and trusted the man, but he turned his head around to look back at the sheep anyway. The animals were moving into a tight knit group yet again and starting to graze as they had just a few minutes ago. Yeah, the sheep were safe and Absalom could relax.

A loud sound reached his ears, however, a howl filled with the promise that this was not the last time they would see those beast. The wolves would return, maybe not today but someday. Like his master, Absalom was worried that the wolves would return during the next two weeks, when it was just himself and Jane at the farm. He had to protect Jane too, from wolves and that male human that was spoken of at the table earlier. He wasn't about to let some human "help" Jane grow up, especially that boy. Absalom lowered his head down and just let it hang while his wagging tail hinted at his hidden glee.

Jane was appalled at the sight of Absalom. She was no stranger to blood, but the thought of the poor dog she was so fond of being wounded by wolves was never a good sign. Making a U turn, she made her way back home to collect the warm towels and the bandages, while her father still struggled with bringing the dog home. By the time she'd gotten everything, James was already at the porch, setting down the dog. She brought forth a bucket of warm water and some cleaning cloths, examining Absalom throroughly as he left her father's arms.

"Don't worry, Janie, he'll be fine!" James declared, giving the dog a good rub on the side. "You deserve a juicy steak today, buddy! Just like that! Don't worry, I'll get right to setting traps so those bastards don't come back too soon, got it?"

Danna also came out the door, rushing to James as the blood on Absalom stained his shirt, giving him a quick check. She was quick to discuss the details of the attack with James and the two were soon talking about what traps to make and where to put them. They had both seen their share of animal attacks, and the man was not one who wouldn't trust the words that came out of his wife's mouth, well, so long as they didn't disagree with him.

While the two had their back and forth, their freckled daughter took care of cleaning the dog's wounds. "I bet you were very brave, weren't you?"

Absalom stretched out as soon as he was allowed to, giving the female room and the ability to efficiently cleanse his wounds. A steak did sound good, but his eyes were currently on the bone that he left on the porch earlier, still hungry but unwilling to move from the young woman. He wanted to enjoy this treatment for as long as he could. In all truth, Absalom was not without offspring of his own, all of them dogs that were taken in by humans and that could not share his intellect. If it were not for his own need to mate with a female, than Absalom would have stopped having pups after the first litter was born and he found out that they were not as smart as he. They were, in all definition, nothing more than dogs. As the years passed, however, Absalom continued to fight for dominance over any females around him who were in heat until no male was able to breed a bitch except for himself. His methods of asserting dominance over males was a bit... unconventional, but worked each time.

Torn from his thoughts, Absalom lifted his head to looked back at Jane, giving a growling bark in response as though trying to say that he was always strong. The entire time that she was near him, his thumped against the wooden porch as he tried to wag it. Diving into his memories did not come without consequence, for between his legs there was now a bit of red flesh. It was just poking out from his sheath, not enough to truly notice if he were in a different position but, with him on his side and his fur being so white it was that much easier to see the beginning of the dog's erection. The hound was not still for long and turned his head around to sniff at Jane, taking in her scent once more the same way that he did with her father every few days. He committed it to memory since he cared about the two. If the day ever came that they were lost, he wanted to make sure that he could find James and his daughter.

Jane concentrated on cleaning the dog's wounds, on adding some salve, her focus making it take a bit longer than it should have to notice the dog's erection. As soon as she did, blood flushed her cheeks and she shook her head, almost whimpering, "Put that away, you! That's improper!" She couldn't even bear the sight without feeling embarrassed with the whole situation.

Danna and James were now getting tools and traps, they were too preoccupied to watch the situation. Sooner rather than later, while the morning sun was still on their side, they began setting the traps. Hopefully this would keep the wolves off for a while, or at least would give warnings about their advances.

Absalom looked at her for a moment and tilted his head, inwardly chuckling as her knew very well what she was talking about. His tail continued to wag as he shifted slightly towards the girl and gave her the slightest nuzzle on her knee, not hard enough to push her though it was enough to be felt. Of course, with a father like hers and a dog like Absalom gaurding the perimeter at night, it was possible that she never caught a glimpse of the genitals of a male. His erection could not shrink back into his sheath on command of course, but he also wasn't sure what would happen if his master caught a glimpse of it either. So, he tried not to think to much of mating. Instead, the wolfhound rose to his paws, claws clicking against the porch as he stepped to where he left his bone. His paw kicked it slightly before he laid down and started to chew on it yet again. His white canines showed each time, sharp and ready to bite into another wolf if need be. Ready to protect his master and the man's offspring.