Quests

The day started like any other for Che, Rutherford, and Seith, with them arguing and laughing around the large farmhouse while their Tokotas hung around in the shadows.

Rutherford was preparing some oversized bird, naked with weird smelling bread going inside it.

Denver's ears pricked as his handler stuffed the funny bird, laughing with the other ranch hand and owner, dripping soggy bread all over the countertop.

“What do you reckon that that is?” Denver asked his mate, who shrugged.

“No idea,” Seyton admitted, “this is my first time in the house.” Denver snorted at Seyton's honesty.

The pair listened intently as Halahhi, the small red toki, snoozed beneath Seith's feet, when her handler's voice spoke.

“Didja hear what’s been happening in town lately?” Seith asked, sneaking his hand down to pet Halahhi’s head. She sat up as Seith scratched in between her ears.

“No, what's going on?” Che asked, sitting up more straight.

“Someone's dires got out and have been eating people's feasts.” Seith said as Rutherford rolled his eyes.

“We've had dires here at Broken Arrow for years and have never had a problem with them. I think someone's tryna give them a bad name.” Rutherford snorted, “must be a toki. They're the true troublemakers.” Che laughed as Rutherford put the bird in the oven.

“Listen, I'm just repeating the info I overheard.” Seith raised his hands in defense.

"Oh, so you overheard that?” Che asked, sputtering as Rutherford shot Seith a glare.

“I was in the store, buying that turkey, and the clerk said something about it.” Seith defended himself as his ranch hands burst into laughter. Denver's eyes grew wide, his pelt began to itch with the thought of snatching that turkey just to prove Rutherford wrong.

Denver sniffed the air as the bird began slow-roasting in the oven, as the trio of handlers began preparing side dishes for the large festivities. He stood up and stretched, letting out a loud yawn.

“Oh, big stretch,” Che cooed at him and Denver found himself being scratched by Che and Rutherford.

“You smelly boy,” Rutherford teased, as Denver glared at his handler.

“Get him outta here, we've got food cooking,” Seith’s stern tone rang through.

“Kick her out first,” Che nodded at Halahhi, who was sleeping peacefully at her handler's feet again. Seith growled as he shook his head. “That's what I thought.”

Denver’s mouth began watering as the scent of the cooking bird, sides, and pies surrounded him, drooling on the floor. Rutherford rolled his eyes,  Denver's collar, and began leading him outside into the living room.

“If you're gonna drool on the floor, you can stay in here.” Rutherford patted his head before walking away.

Denver slid down onto the floor, huffing in displeasure, resting his head on his paws.

“Look what you've done,” Seyton licked Denver's ear, “got yourself kicked out of the kitchen.”

“I know, I thought maybe I could be sneaky.”

“Sneaky dires don't drool on the floor,” Seyton laughed and Denver flicked his ear at him.

The pair of black Tokotas stared into the kitchen as the beginnings of the fall harvest was kicked into high gear. Che stood up from his chair and began cooking over the stove as Seith kicked back in his.

“Tell me more about these rogue dires you overhead.” Che inquired of Seith, who interlaced his fingers behind his head.

“Are you ready to listen?” Seith teased, and both ranch hands nodded. “The clerk said some pair of dires have been raiding unsuspecting festivals and harvests, eating everything they see.” Seith continued, “Now, call me dense, but that does not sound like a Toki could do all that damage.” Rutherford shrugged.

“We've never had Tokis on the ranch before, so you don't know them all that well,” Rutherford argued, “we have had dires on the ranch for as long as I remember.”

“He does have a point, Seith. Tokis are like lap dogs, good for in-house work. The dires we have, on the other hand…” Che teased, glancing over his shoulder at Denver, who's ears perked.

“He's like a draft horse. Ever met a horse who ate you out of house and home?” Rutherford defended his own dire. “You've got it easy,” he paused at Che's death stare, “kinda.”

Denver began to doze off in the doorway when a very loud alarm rang, waking him up. His ears were pricked, his nose sniffing the air with so much intensity, hoping he'd catch the band of feral dires. Seyton licked Denver's ear again, settling his mate.

“Hey, turn that timer off!” Rutherford called as he pulled the now cooked bird out of the oven. “Think it's done?” He asked as he poked it with a kitchen knife. Che shrugged, and Seith hopped up to help his struggling ranch hand.

“Oh, boys, no one said your person was very smart,” Che mused to the sleeping pair. Denver chuffed at Che's comment.

Not before long, the whole meal was done and the fancy plates were brought down from the top shelf. Seith popped a funny smelling bottle and poured three glasses of the bubbly clear stuff. Denver looked at Seyton, who shook his head. The bonded pair still laid on the floor when Halahhi hopped onto Seith's chair. Denver's claws scratched the floor as all three handlers’ backs were turned. Halahhi silently placed her paws on the table, opened her jaws to snatch the cooked turkey. Denver barked in shock, how dare she? Does she not have any common sense?

Rutherford glanced behind him and saw the red Toki standing on the table, her paw in the bowl of corn.

“Halahhi! Get down!” Rutherford shouted as she grabbed the closest thing to her, a turkey leg. “No, spit that out!” He reached down to grab the leg back but Halahhi was much quicker than him and dashed through the living room where Denver and Seyton were sitting.

Denver sat up as the small Tokota dashed through the threshold where he was able to grab her by the scruff of her neck. Halahhi thrashed around, swinging her paws wildly, but Denver simply stood up and walked her back into the kitchen. Seyton followed, to be the back-up for his mate and the flailing Toki. When Denver placed her on the ground, Seyton placed a paw on her tail, so he could feel if she tried to bolt once all four paws were on the solid ground. Halahhi huffed around the stolen turkey leg as her capturer stood above her.

“Look at her,” Che poked Seith, “found yer thief.”

“I spent all day cooking that turkey!” Rutherford’s voice was harsh. Halahhi dropped her head, the leg still clamped in her jaws, her white paw covered in corn kernels. “Drop it.” Rutherford commanded and Halahhi reluctantly released the leg.

“Might as well split it,” Seith shrugged, looking disapprovingly at his Toki, “it's got her drool all over it and you won't want to eat that.”

Rutherford’s upper lip twitched in anger and Denver's ears flicked back in fear. He had never seen his own handler so mad. Seyton sat with his chest puffed out a bit, clearly unphased by Rutherford's anger.

“Fine,” Rutherford growled. “I suggest we just give them the other leg too, no sense in keeping it if we only have one.” He grabbed Halahhi's muzzle and she shied away into Denver's chest fur.

Che picked up the bowls for the Tokotas and made the trio their own bowls of turkey and sides, as the handler's plates were made up.

“Enjoy, boys, you deserve it.” Rutherford called as he began eating his own meal.