L.B.t.H - Part 5

     Richard sighed heavily, leaning against his axe for chopping wood. Even though it was a chilly morning, the work and strain for chopping firewood had cause Richard to slip off his shirt, revealing his torso which thinly rippled with muscles. He wiped his brow and sat down on the chopblock. He panted slightly, and then decided that this would be enough wood to last the family for a while. He loaded up his morning of work into a cart, and slapped his horse on the rear.
     The mare, Richard's mount named Oakheart, nickered and surged forward. The wheels of the cart squalled as they too began to move. Oakheart didn't even strain to pull the load, and that's why Richard admired her so... she had better stamina that any other horse on the Moonclaw ranch. And that's why the family got so much money with other nearby ranchers wanting to breed their work stallions with her for powerful offspring; Oakland mothered ten colts and fillies already.
     Richard sighed as he put Oakheart back into her stall and rubbed her muzzle. "That's my girl."
     Oakheart cooed and rubbed her face against the side of Richard's.
     "I love you, too, Oaky." The young man laughed as his horse nipped at his hair. Richard said good-bye after feeding all the horses and locked the stables good and tight. He leaned against the barn door and sighed, then made the somewhat long trek back to the house.
     A sound caught Richard's ear. A low gravelly growl. He looked over and say a pair of yellow eyes staring at him. Richard started to reach for the pistol on his hip when, what looked like a starving, mangy dog, lunged at him and sank it's teeth into Richard's arm.
     He howling in aggony, but managed to reach the pistol and held it up to the dog's head and fired.
     The dog released Richard, only because most of his jaw had flown off, and slumped to the ground in a bloody, gory heap.
     Richard studied the animal more carefully. It wasn't really a dog after all. It looked more like a wolf or... something more man-like. He simply couldn't place what it was. Richard wrapped his arm up in his shirt and dragged himself into the backyard. Maximus was already trying to head out the back gate with his hunting rifle.
    "Are you okay, boy?" Maximus looked at Richard.
    "I got bit; I'm okay. Have Ma get the first aid kit." He slumped down at the picnic table as his father handed him a mock first aid kit and a needle and thread.
    "I'll keep your siblings inside while you do this." Maximus roughly spoke as he went back inside.
    Richard removed the shirt and wiped down the bite mark with a damp cloth. He pulled a couple of broken teeth out, and then proceed to swear and sew it shut. After what seemed like hours of stitching, he wiped the blood off his arm and headed back inside.

    Raiven toddled up to Richard after supper, carrying an old teddy bear with her. "Here, Mr. Bear always help me feel bedder when I get an ouchie." Raiven tried her best to put her teddy bear on Richard's lap, but he fell over and rolled onto the couch.
    "Looks like Mr. Bear is sleepy," Richard chuckled and picked Raiven up, "but I think my little baby-doll will help me, too."
    Raiven giggled and hugged Richard tightly.
    Soon, Matthias and Sheila, too curled up around their brother.
    "Okay, you three... what of mine did you break?"
    Sheila replied, "Nothin', can't we just be sweet on ya?"
    Matthias giggled. "We got something for you."
    Richard raised an eyebrow. "... What is it, then?"
    Matthias reached into his pants' pocket and pulled out a pendant. "This tooth is from the mutt that bit you; Pappa and Sheila made it, an' I cleaned up the fang."
    Raiven grinned from ear-to-ear "An' they said that I can put it on you!" Raiven carefully took the necklace from matthias and attempted to clasp it, but did with secret help from Sheila.
    Richard smiled. "Thank you... all of you." He wrapped his arms around the four of them the best he could and sighed happily.
    Sara and Maximus watched from around the corner; they looked at eachother and smiled, sharing a brief kiss. "We did good." Sara smiled.
    "No... we did great. Richard's going to be a great father one of these days."