Story

The Path Forward.  With the cool, wet mountain breeze gently nudging us forward we ventured deeper into the woods, completely enchanted by the hidden secrets kept out of reach behind the forest’s foggy veil.  We watched as the shadowy evergreens danced in and out of view, fighting the consuming white haze.  Darting up the path, Rogue slowly faded away out of sight.  Seconds felt like an eternity in the cold, lonely solitude of the alpine forest.  The soft thumping of her paws atop the worn boulders that littered the trail pierced the silence, overpowering the rhythmic creaking of the trees as they swayed back and forth in the mountain air.   Gradually the pitter-patter of her footsteps disappeared into the distance.  Then I heard it, the faint hollow beating of a drum.  Utterly Confused, I shouted out for my partner's return, quickening the beat of the drum.  As her black silhouette grew closer, a gust of wind whipped through the trees revealing the culprit.  Prancing back and forth atop a decaying wooden bridge, Rogue’s face lit up with excitement, each jump into the air sent her right back onto the bridge with the sound of a beating drum.  I couldn’t help but laugh, what a ridiculous dog.