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Dark Patches
While Meredith was examining the water's edge, the shaman had been exploring. He returned now and motioned to Meredith to follow quietly. They hugged the right hand side of the pool until they came to a large flat gray rock that extended over the water. He beckoned to her to climb up onto it.
Meredith sat gazing out over the dark motionless pool where the mist still lay, clouding her sight. She waited quietly. After some time the mist parted slightly, and she noticed dark patches undulating on the surface of the water, some of which moved as if alive. By focusing and unfocusing her eyes, she was at last able to make out dark creatures swimming in the water. Smooth dark heads, like seals, bobbed in the water, often touching each other. They appeared to be playing! She held very still.
Webbed Toes
At length a sleek brown creature clambered onto the stone ledge nearby. It was not a seal, the smoothness having been caused by wetness. Its furry body looked more like a dog's. Suddenly the creature shook itself vigorously, scattering drops of water everywhere and fluffing up its coat.
Now Meredith could see that it was a dog with a long snout and thick hair, and that it had a white ear on the right side. Strangely, it had webbed toes.
After shaking itself once more, the dog creature, full of youthful spirits and good humor, began to chase its own tail in a circle, and then stretched out full-length on the boulder, apparently enjoying the warmth.
It's so frisky, it must be a young one.
Dog People
Meredith was deeply puzzled. The creature was unlike anything she had seen. "What kind of animal is this?" she whispered to the shaman, who was standing nearby. At the sound of her quiet voice, the dog creature cocked its head and trained its large pointed ears in her direction.
"They are our ancestors, the Dog People," said the shaman.
She expected the creature to disappear swiftly into the water, but its curiosity and high spirits overcame fear, and it thumped its tail cheerfully on the stone ledge and gazed at her with large liquid eyes.
Meredith, who loved dogs, could not resist resist the invitation and cautiously approached the youngster.
Intrepid Youngster
Stepping from stone to stone quietly to reassure the young dog creature, Meredith approached the ledge where the intrepid youngster lay watching her curiously. When she was close enough, Meredith stretched out her hand, and the young one sniffed it cautiously.
"It's all right," crooned Meredith in a soothing voice, "We are your friends. We won't hurt you." The young dog creature cocked its white ear toward her.
Remembering the clam she had put in her pocket, Meredith pulled it out and offered it to the youngster, who eagerly snatched it from her hand. It swiftly crushed the soft shell with its strong teeth, licking every bit of meat from the shards. Again it thumped its tail against the stone, tongue lolling, and panted for more.
Three Clams
Quickly, Meredith began digging in the mud nearby and found three more clams. She held one out to her friend who, now showing complete trust, let Meredith climb up on the ledge.
Soon she was able to draw close enough to examine the dog creature's strong white teeth, which were clearly canine, and to see that this was a beautiful and affectionate young she dog.
With the final clam, Meredith reached down and touched the dog creature's fur, which was dry now and supremely soft. Delighted, she stroked her back and tail. As she rubbed her ruff, a small tuft of loose fur came away in her hand. She examined it and saw soft, downy beige fur with longer brown-tipped hairs covering it. Meredith put the tuft away with her other treasures, reminders of her journey.
Meredith looked enquiringly at the shaman, who had been watching this encounter with keen interest, but he shook his head. So Meredith waved goodbye to the dog creature who swam away into the mist.
New Friend
"What shall we do now?" asked Meredith.
As if in answer to her question, her new friend dove into the water, surfaced, and with soulful eyes invited Meredith to join her.
Her Tricks
Presently the young dog creature returned, as frisky as ever. She raised herself up in the water and clapped her webbed feet together, yipping to attract their attention. Then once more she swam away into the mist. Once more she returned, making the same gestures until Meredith was sure of her message.
"She wants us to follow her," said Meredith to the shaman. This time he nodded in approval, and cautiously they made their way along the bank, following the young she dog who swam beside them.