The Dog Dynasty

Sadie was a Tibetan Mastiff. Her Black and brown fur looked just like a trunk of an old tree. When she would run, guarding the flock of sheep, the fur would dance just like a field of daffodils in wind. Her relation with Hughes family when her grandmother, Molly, was rescued by then 14-year old Gregory. He and Molly started going to graze sheep. While the sheep satisfied their appetite, she would sit by his side with her ears listening to every step on the fallen leaves. Then she would run on the hills with him and led the flock when their rennet pouches were filled. Gregory would walk behind the flock. Molly grew up just as massive and magnificent as her mother would have been. During the last year of her life, Gregory lost his parents. That night she kept sitting by him and until he gained strength to leave his house, she would go to graze sheep alone. That was when she got pregnant with Sadie’s mother, Bella and also got pneumonia. A week after giving birth, she died, leaving Bella under Gregory’s custody.

Bella was browner than her mother. She seemed to have some golden hair when she would run among the balls of wool. Gregory used to run his hands over her fur that would relax her. He raised her like his own child to him after Molly’s death. She would put her head on his belly when he would go to bed, to tell him to caress her fur. By that time Gregory had also domesticated rabbits. Bella loved to run after them. It was only because of her that he was able to come over his parents and Molly’s death. The sheep too welcomed her as their new guard, though sometimes she way too friendly for being a protector. Her ears were hidden under her long fur but she didn’t care about her surrounding much. She was more into living in the moment. When she was twelve, she gave birth to Sadie- after meeting neighbour’s Mastiff who later became an army dog- which seemed to have given her maturity as she no longer rested her on Gregory's head before sleeping but rather give her warmth to her daughter; something she couldn’t get from her mother. But one day, after Bella was asleep, she walked to his room and rested her adult head on his protruding belly. Half asleep Gregory started brushing her coat, dreaming of when she was little and just how fast time had passed. By the next morning, Bella had died from a heart attack. Gregory buried her next to her mother.

Sadie was more like her grandmother than her carefree mother or disciplined father. She was wild. Anyone who would dare to have a look at the flock of sleep would have to bear her anger. Gregory had got rheumatoid arthritis from his mother by the time Sadie matured and hence found it difficult to trek up the hill to graze sheep. So she would have the responsibility to protect them from wolves. He had realised he couldn’t raise another child and hence had made up his mind to sterilise Sadie the following summer but as wild as she was, she might have sensed his thoughts and hence became the only one to give birth to a boy in three generations that spring. Gregory was surprised and knew he would only be a burden on the child whom he named Axl but with time, he forgot his disability and found new hope in him. Axl started staying sick after autumn. One such winter day, Gregory took him to the hospital, leaving sheep with Sadie. When he came back they weren’t in their shelter. Carrying Axl in his arm, he started looking at hills. A few sheep hadn’t gone far and were taken back. There wasn’t much hope for finding the rabbit and sheep. Gregory couldn’t spot Sadie even on the snow-covered landscape until he looked near the shelter. The blood had stained the snow and the stains followed the trail made by dragging of the animal. He stayed outside for a week, believing Sadie would come but his suspicion turned outright. That day wolves had attacked her and she must have freed the sheep for protection but sacrificed herself in the deed.

Axl grew up to be the blondest of his dynasty. Gregory had grown old and arthritis had limited his movements. Wolves were howling in still winter night. Gregory decided he should get the sheep in but as he stood up from his bed, he got a painful spasm and he tumbled down. Axl went out and Gregory heard a series of loud barks and howls. He got up and lighted a log of wood. When he got out, he found Axl standing amidst flock with the wolf lying on his doorstep, covered in blood. Even after Gregory died, Axl protected the flock in the wild.