Lost? No way, I'm exploring!

[GB]

GB nodded in response to the question, both questions. If it hadn't been for Weed several of them would not have made it; perhaps all of them. Yet the quick thinking had saved both soldiers of Ohu, the young Leader and Jerome from the same fate -- or similar fate -- that Kaibutsu had suffered. "All of them survived, though it took us a short while to find Weed and Jerome. They had gone further downstream. Thankfully." Then had come the giant machine of the humans and Jerome telling them he would not return to them.

"For a short time, we had peace after that." A very short time. Peace was a fleeting thing, in GB's experience. No sooner did they gain it than it was snatched away from them. He had had what he thought was a kind of a peace with Nero before he found Weed. Once Kaibutsu had been defeated, they had a peace before word of Hougen capturing Gin and John had reached their ears. Once Hougen had been defeated... well, now they had it. For how long, though, GB wondered?

He wouldn't burden Minnow with that little pessimistic detail. It was clear that he was growing but was still young of spirit and mind. GB liked other dogs to be well prepared and not so trusting but he couldn't completely damper the spirits of one. Besides, the cycle might break. There might never be another war in his time. It was possible.

"For awhile, it was just Jerome, Kagetora, Ken, Weed, Mel and I. We waited for his father, Gin, to return. One day, though, Akame, one of Gin's generals, showed himself completely depleted and exhausted. He came to report that the Leader and John had been captured by Hougen. Hougen was the ruler of the Alps at the time but he wanted more." Here was the underlying factor that an older dog like GB understood. He had seen it, lived through it. He knew that dogs could be greedy and mad. He knew they could be brutal.

Minnow had not yet met anyone like that to mar his image of life. The Setter hoped he would never do that but he knew it would happen. Some canine, somewhere, would take away the childhood perception and replace it with an adult's. It was just a matter of when he ran into a dog that was less than moral.

[Minnow]

Minnow didn't know what to say. He just listened, staring with huge blue eyes. He couldn't imagine falling from a cliff, into a river, and surviving. It was insane! Insane? Where did that word come from? I've never thought anything was insane in my life! Not that his life had been very long, of course, but still. The enormity of this story seemed to wake something up in him. He was still kind-hearted, good-natured Minnow. The light of things just seemed a bit... different.

Minnow had only ever known peace. Unless he dug in the master's garden... then he'd get yelled at. Minnow's eyes lit up at the memory. He wanted to laugh. The master would always screech at him. He couldn't help it, though. He wanted to dig a hole to lay in.

Though he was brimming with questions, Minnow kept his mouth shut and just listened. A leader that wanted more? More of what? Why did he want to hold John and Gin captive? Poor Minnow. He didn't really understand it all. He was sure his brain had never worked this hard in his life over these sorts of matters.

Minnow had no idea how far Akame had run, nor how long. He tried to picture it all, but it was mentally exhausting. The poor young dog had lived a cushy life for quite possibly too long, at least, that was what Minnow was beginning to think. I'll get better! I know I will.

"GB," Minnow couldn't resist a question any longer. It was torture. "If Hougen was already the leader of the Alps, what else did he want?" The idea that someone might want to rule the entire world didn't occur to Minnow.

[GB]

Ah, well.... um," GB hesitated at the question. It was hard to explain what Hougen wanted. He wanted power and to be a legend, he wanted dogs and humans alike to fear him, he wanted vengeance and he wanted to have his brand of fun; he wanted to fight and wage war, to take females just because he could, to have everything of the best for himself. Hougen was a taker. He wanted and wanted and wanted and nothing would satisfy him. Even if he'd succeeded in his mad scheme of taking over the land, of making the humans practically surrender to him out of fear, it wouldn't have been enough. "Everything," the Setter finally decided on. "He wanted everything. The world and all that was in it."

The black and white dog gave himself a brief shake. He could have gotten it all, or at least most of what he wanted. Weed had been close to defeat numerous times. Even when they had retaken Gajou it could have all gone wrong. They were lucky. If Hougen had won and taken over, the best that any of the Ohu soldiers could have hoped for would be an honorable death. Hougen was cruel enough to try and keep them alive though. Look what he'd done with Gin and John for the longest time before John fought his last battle and before Kyoushiro saved Gin.

A slow sigh escaped from his muzzle. There was no use mulling over thoughts like that. It hadn't happened and they were all safe. Yes, there were some problems. There would always be problems. Ohu and Gajou seemed secure, though, and as far as GB knew there had been no major disturbances such as another dog trying to take over from Weed. GB gave himself another shake before offering a smile to the younger dog.

"It's a lot of story to take in, isn't it?" There were so many parts of the story GB was even leaving out! Yet he knew it was a long one. Weed's story truly did span back all the way to Riki and Shiro. Even with much of the story omitted they could be here for hours. Still, GB had a sense of pride in the tale that he had taken no small part of. He could see the words had an effect on the young mix. Minnow might not realize all of the importance of the story but he was entranced, that was for certain. The way of life for the Ohu soldiers was not one for every canine but GB had a feeling Minnow might end up begging to come and see the land and the monument that featured so prominently.

[Minnow]

"Everything. He wanted everything. The world and all that was in it."

Minnow blinked, uncertain of exactly what it meant. Rrrr. I don't understand why he would want the world... It was at this point when Minnow wished he hadn't been so sheltered. House dogs lived such simple lives. It was easy to see why the year and a half Minnow was still as naive as a puppy.

He scratched at the ground for a moment, staring at his white paws, and then looked back up at GB. "Yeah," Minnow nodded. "It's- it's amazing. But it confuses me, GB. I don't understand why anyone would want the world..."

Minnow shook his head. He thought about his mother again. He wished the humans hadn't taken him away from her. He had so many questions. Did she know anything about this? And what about his father? Was it possible that he had run into these dogs? I wish I knew his name, then I could ask GB...

"My mom was a racing husky," Minnow said suddenly. "I don't know who my dad was. She always seemed sad when she spoke of him... I wish I knew why. I never even thought about it until now." He wondered why now, of all times, it was bothering him. He supposed it was because he wished his father was someone special.

Minnow looked past GB. The night was turning gray and he yawned unexpectedly. Minnow's ears grew hot with embarrassment and he ducked his head. This was more than he had ever done in his entire life.

[GB]

GB sighed a little at Minnow's admittance. It was hard for the young to understand that kind of greedy selfishness, the dominance and the way things had played out. It was also hard for someone who was innocent and good to understand it. Even the older dogs of Ohu who were less than innocent really understood the need to grab and hold and dominate the way that Hougen had. It was a dangerous way to live and harmful to just about everyone. In the end, it had destroyed many dogs and Hougen himself.

"I think it's good that you don't understand. It's better to not understand that way of thinking than to understand, or worse, accept it." Accepting something meant allowing it. In GB's mind, something like Hougen could not be allowed again. The dog had been a tyrant and the world didn't need another one of those. Just like the world didn't need another Akakabuto or Kaibutsu.

The Setter's ears pricked just slightly as Minnow spoke of his mother and the unknown father. It was the trial of many younger dogs; those owned by the humans were taken away from their mothers and rarely ever met their fathers. Wild dogs often met both of their parents but, at the same time, problems often befell their parents; sometimes the father left right away, sometimes the mother and father abandoned the puppies, sometimes accidents happened. It was a lucky puppy that had both parents for their entirely too short puppyhood.

"I can't answer that one for you. There are lots of reasons to be sad," GB offered. It wasn't exactly a comforting thought. Minnow's father could have just been taken away or he could have been hurt or even killed. There was an infinite number of possibilities. If he had a name, perhaps GB could have told him that his father was a famous soldier of Ohu but he didn't have that to offer nor could GB identify every dog of Ohu that ever was.

A chuckle escaped from GB's muzzle before he could stop it as he turned his gaze back on Minnow and caught the trail end of a yawn. It was a lot to learn in one day; that there were wild dogs out here, to meet one, to be warned that the world could be dangerous and hear tales of famous dogs. It was no surprise that Minnow might be a bit overwhelmed and tired.