Along the borderline

For a wolf, Jack seemed friendly enough.  He’d always heard about them as dangerous and how they were cruel and killed coyotes for no good reason.  Was it because he was a pup or were some wolves ok and some not ok?  For a pup these were large questions with far too many paths to think along.  Regardless, this one was friendly.

“Well, you gonna change your coat color when ya get bigger? I bet ya folk aren’t planning to bring ya food forever.  I hunt for myself.  I ain’t got anyone to bring me a meal.” The words were said proudly, not mentioning the size of his current prey or the fact he also ate all manner of things aside from what needed hunting.  Those were minor details that didn’t need to be known for the moment.

“No!” Echo answered for Nico the moment Calico suggested going to the ship.  “No.  No.  No.” With each 'no' the magpie poked Nico’s head with his bill.   How was the bird to keep the child alive if he was fooling around with wolves?  Didn’t he understand puppy wolves had parent wolves in the area?

Nico thrashed his head, reaching up a paw to swat away the annoying friend.  “Stop it, stop it you, alright, alright.  I get it.”

The bird quit pecking the moment Nico agreed. Fluffing its feathers in what appeared a sigh of relief.

Nico wanted to go to the ship and he was fairly certain it was a bad idea.  Still, the wolf was offering so it would be ok right?  Was he some coward to run when no one was threatening?  Nico imagined Echo sitting up on his head expecting him to turn around.  “What’s a ship?”  Nico couldn’t even bring anything to mind, there were no hints that came to him from this strange word.  “Is it something fun?”

Stepping over the invisible line, common sense clearly left behind, the coyote pup followed the wolf.  Echo took flight, the magpie swooping overhead with the cry, “no no no no.  On your own!” The bird flew away out of sight.  Nico watched, jaw-dropping for a moment as the magpie flew out of sight.  Shoot, he’d really upset it this time.  Nico’s brow furrowed but a glance to Jack and he nodded, “I wanna see the ship!” whatever that was.  Echo was bound to come back eventually, right?

"Niko"