Chapter 1 + 2
CHAPTER 1: THE DOG AND THE CHEETAH A lone survivor of lions’ wrath, a solo dog needed new mates. Allies of spots and of blackened backs, were with whom she was bonded by fate. Black and brown and white is her coat, her kind is the most distinct. Her whole pack dead, and less dogs to befriend –– the distinct is becoming…… extinct. –––– Song of the Packless Dog It was a bright afternoon over a South African savanna when a cheetah was scouting about with ten unusual companions of his. Whereas most male cheetahs form coalitions upon nearing maturity with two or three or so other male cheetahs, typically including littermates, this cheetah had been found orphaned with no siblings near him nor in proximity to his nest. He was too young to have been able to follow his mother whenever she searched for prey, and one day, she went on what turned out to be her final hunt. The vulnerable cub was well-guarded from predators. Much waiting was done for his mother to return,...