The market was deserted. A second look revealed an old dog nearly the same color as the sun baked stone. He was lying in a barrel, next to the fountain, head resting on his paws. Nothing disturbed him: not the sun, nor the heat, not even the wind as it spread the dust more evenly across the stones.
“Where can I find Dogenes?” asked the clan leader.
The old dog opened one sleepy eye. “You can find him in an old wine barrel next to the fountain in the marketplace,” he said.
“Thank you,” said the clan leader and turned away. Then he checked himself. He looked over the fountain, the barrel, and finally to the old dog inside. “Are you Dogenes?” he asked.
“I am that I am,” said Dogenes. He took the opportunity to scratch himself vigorously, dislodging a flea. “Mutt, astronomer, and philosopher: tell me your problem, and I will give you an answer.”
The clan leader still looked doubtful.
Blaze stepped up. “We accept your counsel if you can answer this question: why should we listen to an old dog in a barrel?”
Dogenes seemed to weigh the question in his mind. Stepping out of his barrel, he said: “Look left and then right. What do you see?”
“Streets and houses,” replied Blaze.
“And no smoke from the chimneys? No bartering or gambling? I’ll tell you what it means: no dogs!” pressed Dogenes. “This place is a sham of the empire where no poverty and no crime exists. In fact, hardly any dogs live here. Only the Magi and a pawful of slaves and soldiers. Without the Magi, this place would fall, and the United Diamond Dog Empire with it.”
Five dogs looked about. The whole place was eerily quiet. It was Blaze who broke the silence.
“What of you?” asked Blaze.
Dogenes said with a smile, “I remain and remind the emperor of a world beyond his walls. My presence is a thorn in his side, a stone against his house of glass, and yet I remain. Now come, tell me of your problem, and I will answer.”
The clan leader motioned for the two grown dogs to stand beside him. “I am growing old in years, and my ability to lead the clan is coming to an end. Before you stand my two best dogs, Blaze and Rim, both talented and skilled in their own craft. How do I choose who is best to lead the clan?”
Dogenes looked from one to the other: from the slim Wolfvonus to the thick grey Pitbullton, who had much in common with a tree stump. He looked at the smaller two dogs accompanying them, both a spitting image of their respective parent. Then he looked up at the sun, and then to the deserted streets.
Finally he addressed his audience. “What you seek is for one dog to follow the other without strife. If you name one over the other, the lesser will strike down his superior or divide the clan. Let me tell you this: regardless of what happens here, if the winner fares poorly in affairs of the clan, the lesser will rise against the chosen.”
“Then so be it,” said the clan leader with a sigh.
Dogenes raised his paw for silence. “Far be it from hopelessness! I propose a contest to determine your immediate heir. The winner will need cunning, speed, and strength in order to win.”
“What is this contest?” asked the clan leader.
“Each dog will face the other in unarmed combat. Beyond that, they can do whatever they please. When the sun goes down, the last dog standing will be clan leader. If both dogs are still on all four paws, then you split your clan between the two.”
Blaze and Rim looked at one another.
“I accept,” said Rim with a grin and a hungry look at his opponent.
Blaze bit his lip. “Tell me, Dogenes: although we must face each other in unarmed combat, what can we do beyond that?”
“Anything your mind can come up with,” he said and reached over and tapped Blaze on the forehead for emphasis.
The former glared at Dogenes but finally said, “Then I accept as well.”
________________________________________________________________________
The two dogs were a stone throw’s distance apart, watching, waiting. Dogenes, self appointed referee, occupied the center. He raised one paw, carefully watching the shadows shrink beneath him. They would start at the appointed time of high noon.
Blaze ignored Rim as he stretched out on his back, stretching one leg and then the other. He smiled as his joints popped in unison. The heat was picking up, and any creature with better things to do was sitting in the shade. Sweat dripped from Blaze’s brow.
“Are you going to win, dad?” asked Ember. He stood next to his father, a worried expression on his face.
“It doesn’t really matter,” said Blaze. At Ember’s puzzled look, Blaze continued: “Either I win, or we divide the clan. Rim has little in the way of administrative skills. I suspect that in a few years, we will part ways.”
“So are you just going to give up?” asked Ember.
Blaze eyed his son. “Never give up,” he said. “‘Giving up’ is for fools and cowards. They are little better then feed for prey. Remember, there is more than one way to win a battle and not every battle do you have to fight.”
Ember stared at his father with something closely akin to hero worship.
“Now go join the clan leader in the shade,” said Blaze.
Ember scampered off, joining the clan leader and Rim’s son under an overhang. The young diamond dog looked to his counterpart. The young Pitbullton was eagerly dancing from paw to paw.
“My dad’s going to beat your dad,” he taunted.
“We’ll see,” said Ember as he turned to watched his father.
Blaze was now washing the top of his head with a wet paw.
“My dad is going to get yours with a right hook, and then check him left, and then smash him into the ground, and then the fight will be over.”
“Hush,” said the clan leader. “There will be plenty of time for that kind of talk after the fight. For now, stay with me, or I will smack both of your behinds so hard you won't be able to lift your tails.”
“Yes, sir,” the two pups answered in chorus.
“Go!” shouted Dogenes and jumped out of the way. Rim charged, his lumbering stride eating up the distance. He gave a mighty roar.
Blaze looked up from his bathing. He watched Rim approach for several seconds, then turned and ran down an alley between two buildings.
“Ha, he runs like a coward,” called the Pitbullton pup. “Get him, dad! Chew him up and spit him out!”
Ember kept his thoughts to himself.
Rim skidded to a halt. He watched Blaze run away. The big dog turned to Dogenes in confusion. The philosopher waved him on. “Go and catch him. If both of you are still standing at sunset, then you split the clan,” he said.
With a grunt, Rim rushed after his opponent.
The marketplace was once again silent. Ears, young and old, twitched back and forth, straining out the background.
Something crashed in the distance and was marked by a dust cloud spilling upwards.
A loud “Thunk” sounded behind them. The trio whirled around to find Dogenes resting on his cane. “Well, come along,” he said. “Must make sure that they both play fair.” He started after the combatants. The others fell along in stride.
___________________________________________________________________________
The tally stood as such: four destroyed houses, three laps along the wall, and two panting dogs. Each warrior watched the other, drool hanging from mouths, great globs of slobber splatting onto baked stone. Nearby, four pairs of eyes watched them from the lengthening shadows.
A little, solitary sentry guarding the door was watching them. Now he spoke. “Get a move on. The city closes at sundown. Anyone still inside the walls will be thrown into the dungeon.”
“I would rather split the clan than concede,” said Blaze, leaning against the warm stones of the city wall.
Rim ground his teeth in teeth in frustration. He glanced at the clan leader and then at Blaze. With a great bellow, he charged.
Wham! The Pitbullton rebounded off the stone wall.
Ember blinked, not certain what he had just seen. It looked like his father had picked up his opponent and flung him against the wall. Or maybe it was more redirecting. He made a note to ask about it later.
Now Blaze was on top of the stumbling dog, grabbing his front legs and wrestling him to the ground.
“Stay down,” shouted Blaze as he tried to keep the much-larger dog underneath him.
Rim response was to fume, sputter, and thrash as he tried to dislodge Blaze.
Crack!
Rim howled in pain.
His son cried out.
Ember winced at the unnatural angle of Rim’s front leg.
Blaze hurriedly backed away. “I am victorious,” he announced.
Rim rose onto three legs. “To hell you are.”
“He cannot stand on four legs,” continued Blaze.
At this, Dogenes raised an eyebrow. He turned and address Rim. “Stand on all fours. If you fail, then Blaze is Clan Leader. Did I not say,‘on all four paws’? Now stand on all fours like a dog or forfeit the match.”
Rim growled at Dogenes but stood.
All eyes watched him.
With a growl of pain he fell collapsed back onto his haunches.
All eyes turned to Dogenes. He did nothing. So did everyone else.
Then Rim dropped his gaze and with a deep breath and grunt of pain said, “I recognize Blaze as the new clan leader.”
Ember cheered and ran into his father's open arms. “You did it,” he cried as they nuzzled.
The young Pitbullton was beside his dad. A tear wetted the stones.
“Dad? Are you ok?” he asked, wiping his eyes.
Rim looked at his young son. “Sorry Spoke, I lost,” he said. With a grunt he rose onto three legs.
“You must be getting out of here,” said Dogenes. “Quickly, move.”
“Thank you,” said the old clan leader. “Thank you for overseeing this contest.”
“Halt!”
All eyes turned to the sentry.
His smile opened to reveal all his teeth, and even a few that were missing. With predatory intent, he advanced on the group.
“The sun has gone down,” he said. “You are all under arrest.”
“But sir,” said Blaze, stepping forward, “it’s not sundown yet.”
Tongues of light still licked over the wall.
The guard sneered. “It’s whatever time I say it is,” said the dog, “and it’s two jewels for every dog I bring to the emperor. Are you going to come quietly, or are you going to resist?” A paw rested on his sword hilt.
Wack! Thud! Clang!
Dogenes stood triumphantly over the fallen guard, grinning. Something seemed odd about that cane. Maybe it was the way Dogenes was twirling it, or how he had used said cane to fell the dog with so few blows. It was probably heavier than it looked.
“Use the gate,” he said, not taking his eyes off his victim. No one moved. He looked up and found five incredulous faces staring back at him. “Well, get a move on,” he emphasized, pointing at the gate.
That broke the spell: Blaze start herding everyone out of the city.
Dogenes hadn’t move, his free paw caressing his muzzle in thought.
“Thank you,” said Blaze, giving a deep bow to the elder dog.
“Run along and take care of your clan. I will do what I can here for our Empire,” said Dogenes.
Blaze shut the gate, and the bolt dropped into place.
________________________________________________________________________
I looked around at the world of wide eyes and attentive faces.
“That’s how my father became clan leader,” I said, concluding the story.
Silence hung heavy over the herd.
“That's so cool!” Of course it was Kitty Hawk. The other foals broke into excited chatter.
“Tell us another one,” sounded a tiny little thing of to my left.
“More, more,” echoed the others, swarming me in a mass of cuteness and tiny hooves. I looked around helplessly. “Well...,” I said, thinking hard.
Honey Apple took over, saving me from death by cooties, slobber, and a miniature stampede. “It’s time to go to bed,” she said.
A chorus of “Aw, do we have to?” rolled out from the foals, but Honey Apple stood her ground.
“Yes,” said the mare, “and last one in their wagon is going to take a cold dip in the lake.”
Small puffs of sand marked the retreating hooves.
I stood up and stretched, feeling my back pop. With a free paw, I stifled a yawn. Next to me, Kitty Hawk was doing the same.
“You have a good night, Ember,” said Honey Apple, and she turned to go.
“I would like my sword back,” I said.
Honey Apple turned. “I believe the Diamond Dog’s have a saying: ‘To the victors go the spoils.’ I will make you a deal: if you stay true to your promise, I will return your sword.”
I thought about it, but at the moment there didn’t seem to be many options.
“I feel secure when I hold it at night,” I confessed. Then silently cursed myself. Warriors didn’t willingly display such weakness. Being with these ponies was making me soft.
Honey Apple nodded in understanding.
“Ember, I am probably the only pony in this camp who can go hoof to hoof with you in unarmed combat. Even so, it’s a coin [toss?] of who will win. ”
As I thought about these words, another yawn escaped my muzzle. “Come on,” I said to the sleepy form next to me. I hoisted her onto my back and turned to go.
“Ember?”
I looked back.
The mare was smirking. “If it had been armed combat, I doubt I would have come out alive.”