[T] HU Lits

Denver yawned, stretching his jaws wide as the sunlight shone across his liver face. The den in the barn was crowded with the other large dire, Jackson. Denver, woke his son up by brushing his tail across his son's shoulders. The blind and deaf pup lifted his head, his cataracts searched blindly. Denver nudged his son to his paws, led him out of the den, and licked the top of Jackson's head.

"Where are we going?" Jackson asked, tilting his head in sheer curiosity.

"Hunting," Denver replied, flinching as he remembered Jackson couldn't hear him. "We're going hunting today. Hopefully catch a squirrel or two." Denver sighed as Che, Jackson's new handler, opened the barn door and gave the pair of dires a cheerful greeting. Che came into the barn with his bow and quiver secured to his back, ready for a hunting party with the large Tokotas. Denver chuffed at Che in greeting.

"Mornin' boys! Ready to go hunting today?" Che placed his hand on Jackson's blue halter as he clipped a lead rope to it. "Come on, Denver, you're invited too." He cheerfully called Jackson's father. The large black dire rose to his paws, following his son and his son's handler.

The three of them walked for quite some time, Denver felt the sun on his back, soaking up the warmth as the pair of Tokotas and Che walked into a clearing deep in the woods. Che laughed at Denver. "Like the weather?" Denver chuffed in agreement. Jackson's ears pricked forward, the blind deaf pup bristled in fear, inhaling deeply. Che stopped beside his Tokota and Denver scanned the thick undergrowth. A low growl came from a nearby thicket. The three of them tensed.

A wild hog wandered out of the thicket, grunting as he foraged for food. Jackson let out a growl, Che patted his shoulder, attempting to calm him but the boar heard the growl that escaped Jackson's throat.

Denver growled, his much deeper than Jackson's. The boar whipped around and scored his tusks across Jackson's ribs. Che dropped the lead rope, a bit of fear flared in the human.

"Denver! Help!" Che called out to the father. Denver wasted no time in engaging with the boar. Che grabbed Denver's neck fur and mounted the large dire. Denver bared his teeth at the attacker. Jackson flatted himself to the ground, whimpering in pain from the score on his side.

"Come on, Den. He's gonna kill Jackson," Che whispered in Denver's ear. Denver growled at Che, in thanks for reminding him. Denver lifted his front paws off the ground and made several good swipes at the boar's thick head. The dire racked his claws across the boar's eyebrow, blood dribbled out the wound in a steady flow. "Good job, you've got this."

The boar slashed at the dire as Che notched an arrow in his bow. Che took aim at the boar and the Tokota side-stepped the counter attack. The arrow left the bow and just barely missed the boar's ear, which seemed to make the wild hog more angry. The hog made violent attacks towards the pair. Denver dodged and parried the attacks. Che notched another arrow as the large dire dove towards the large hog, landing a hard bite to the boar's neck, which seemed to do nothing to the boar. Denver rounded on the boar, facing the boar's backside.

Che was able to land an arrow near where Denver bit down on the boar's neck. The boar let out a squeal as it turned to face him. 

"Jackson, go! Run!" Denver howled and painfully Denver wished Jackson wasn't deaf. Che gripped Denver's neck fur, almost telling him yelling to his son was pointless. The handler and dire unanimously planned an attack on the boar. The large dire lowered himself to the ground and lunged at the boar. If Denver was going to defend his son, he'd gladly lose his life doing so. The boar snarled as the dire pounced onto its back. Denver kicked wildly with his back paws, his claws raking the thick pelt of the hog. Che hocked another arrow, waiting for the hog to get out from under the large dire. The hog thrashed his tusks at the dire, trying to harm the dire.

"Leave, now!" Che growled, more at the hog then at Denver. The boar flicked an ear defiantly. Denver growled and Jackson's yips came from a little bit in front of Denver. Jackson's fear scent wafted to his father's nose. The pup was terrified and the Tokota and handler knew it. Denver stepped back, creating distance between the battle and Jackson. Denver knew that fleeing from the fight would end his son's death, and he figured Che had the same pit in his stomach. Che pressed his fist deeper into Denver's fur, telling him to press on in the battle. The only way the three of them would make it alive would be if the boar died.

"Now," Che whispered and Denver lept off the hog, who hobbled. Denver narrowed his eyes at the wild hog, telling the pig everything he needed to say. Che lifted the bow up and nailed the boar square in the chest. The large hog squealed in pain as he collapsed onto the ground. The scent of metal rose to the air so the hog let out one last sigh. Che slid off Denver's back, his legs wobbling as he moved towards the boar.

"Good boy, Denver." Che let out a heavy sigh and Che nudged the boar with his foot. The boar laid limply in front of Che and Denver. Denver felt like he too could lay down for a day or more. "You've done so well, Denver. I know I couldn’t have taken down the boar myself." Che praised Denver, petting Denver's head.

The pair stood quietly until a shriek of terror rang out in the clearing.

"Dad?! Dad?!" Jackson howled, "Dad, where are you? I can't smell you! Dad?! Are you there?" Jackson's voice cracked and Denver's heart lurched. Denver looked over at Che, almost asking for permission to comfort his sobbing son.

"Go on, he needs you, let him know you're still there for him." Che nodded and Denver nodded to Che. "I'll clean this hog and we'll bring this back instead of some squirrels." Che winked at the large dire who let out a chuff in amusement.

"Dad?!" Jackson howled and Denver leapt to his son, licking Jackson's ruffled fur, trying to calm him.

"It's okay, Jackson. It's okay." Denver whispered to his son. "I'm here. I'm okay." Denver lapped at his son's face who began to whimper softly. Jackson hiccupped as he calmed down, his sobbing relaxing in his throat.

"Dad, you're okay?" Jackson asked and Denver nodded against his son's cheek. "Did you win? Is the boar dead?" Denver nodded again.

"Yes Jackson, yes we did." He whispered to his son. 

Che rolled the pelt of the deceased hog up and began cleaning the best parts of the hog. Che whistled to the two dires and they rose together. Denver led Jackson to Che, who clipped the lead rope back to Jackson's halter, and hand fed the pair bits of the hog that wouldn't be worth bringing back to the ranch.

Jackson was more nervous eating the hog, simply because he couldn't see what Che was trying to get him to eat. Denver wasted no time munching happily on the hog. Che laughed as Jackson eventually ate happily, swiping his pink tongue around his flecked face. Che hopped on back onto Denver's muscular back leading Jackson back to the ranch. Denver preferred to have his son next to him, so he could guide him better but Jackson seemed just as happy to follow Denver and Che.

When the trio made it back to the ranch, Che was so excited to tell the story of Denver's battle with the boar. Denver was embarrassed when his mate, Seyton, nudged him with his elbow. Jackson sat next to his father as Denver told his mate all about how he defended Jackson from the boar. Jackson blinked blindly.

"Weren't you scared?" Seyton asked Denver, who shook his head.

"No, have you seen me? The boar was shaking in his pelt." Denver smirked as Jackson lowered his head before speaking.

"I think I was smelling your fear scent, Dad," Jackson seemed to reply. Seyton erupted into laughter as Denver lowered his head in embarrassment at his son's quip.

"Shush you," Denver scolded.

"Oh, are we sure he's actually deaf?" Seyton teased, "I'm crying, that's so funny," Seyton wheezed.

"I'm sure he's deaf," Denver shot his son an angry look, as Jackson stared ahead, "I'm not sure he's blind either."

Jackson looked over to his father. "I can feel your breath on my pelt." Jackson retorted to his dad.

Seyton leaned into his mate, Denver licked the top of his head, grateful for his happy little family. Denver laid down, resting his head on his paws. Seyton rested his head on Denver's back. Jackson sat patiently next to his fathers.

Laughter came from the ranch house as Che reenacted the fierce battle. Rutherford's voice came the loudest to the three Tokotas. Seyton's ears flicked at his handler's voice. Seith's voice rang out, seemingly trying to keep peace between the two handlers. Jackson laid down next to the two black Tokotas and the trio snoozed happily.