09-27-2012, 09:32 PM
Word Count: 975
He had never tried building something as large as a house, or even close to the size of buildings so when he managed to finally volunteer his help for it, he knew little of what to do. Instead he moved on to the stables and with the help of Peggie, immediately began bringing up broken and loose boards for the corral. While he managed to get by without noticing Peggie's cheery demeanor, he seemed somewhat cheery himself. He'd lived through the storm which was a miracle within itself. Even after almost being killed by freak winds. With her help and finesse, they'd quickly brought up the support beams that very slowly became the outer gates that would become the corral. It was easy after digging and replanting large beams in the ground, nails found here and there throughout Thornbury to nail in the planks that had been damaged inside the homes.
Only after they'd finished the surroundings did he begin to nice Peggie's personality, a slight grin pulling at his copper toned jaws. He lived for times like these, those that were spent with others and even as she moved on to find some more nails, perhaps some bent, circular wood that could be used to hinge the gate to the corral, he continued on with the gate, doing what he did best by slowly carving into the front an intricate carving of several small figured horses, a few cows here and there. lazing about. A pattern soon formed beneath the sharp point of his knife and just as he finished, he stretched his clawed hand, flicking out his fingers as if to relieve a cramp had formed beneath the furred knuckles.
A moment later, hands mischievously grabbed at his shoulders, jolting him to attention. He turned around to growl, but quickly realized it was Peggie who broke out into a laugh, her short yet surprisingly beautiful form wrenching back at the growl. "Careful there, young man. I didn't mean any harm," came her words, the first he'd heard her speak. Even so, he gave a nod of his head, grunting out the slight approval of her words. "Sorry. A bit jumpy." He quickly rounded her form just as he watched her hammer the support hinges for the gate in and carefully, with her help, he lifted the front of the gate up, carrying it toward the corral, silently sliding its downward facing bolts through the holes that had formed. From there it was easy to attach the stone made bolts that tightened the frame to it. He grunted slightly, then dusted his hands off against his coppery fur, careful to rub it in that way it didn't show too well against the light.
He turned to look at Peggie again and gave another nod of his head. "Now, the only thing to do is find a lock that would work to keep the gate closed. Would you know of a way to do that?" Amazingly, the green eyed Wolfdog hurriedly sped off, only to return a few moments later with a large, peeled and circled stick that seemed solid and sturdy. "You can cut a hole in the side of this at one end and insert a small stick for the handle. You'd make it stick by using some tree sap. Of course, you don't want to get that in your pelt so you may want to try and scrape it off with another stick. I'll work on the second part to this in just a moment." He couldn't conceal his amazement at her knowledge and quickly raced off toward the woods, a quick 'Thank you!' shouted out toward Peggie as he moved. After getting into the woods, he soon found what he was looking for. Another branch, smaller, yet sturdy and hard. His knife was still on him and with a sigh, he lowered himself to the ground and went to carving into it, his shoulders slightly hunched as he tried to make the perfect sized hole, scraping it over with his claws till it was smooth as well. When he found that it was adequate enough to work, and that the wood had been stripped of its green bark, he looked about.
Right in the distance, he could see a large tree. He was sure it'd provide sap and the moment he got close, he realized he was right. Down it's bark, little amber colored orbs of stick sap had rolled down its surface, not torn in the middle of the night. He ducked down, and using another piece of wood, spilled fresh sap into the tiny hole, pushing the other stick into the slot. Carefully he held it firm till he was sure it'd dried and moved back to the corral where Peggie was still in the process of mounting another rounded piece, as well as a small, rectangular device that had been attached to the other side of the gate. It looked similar to a lock, only this one seemed to be the size of his stick and it was close to the gate's edge, stretching along his carved gate's surface a good foot. "First, I want you to gradually slide your stick through the hole right here. There's a carved section there where you can just barely get your stick through. Then I'll finish up." He did as he was told, a first, and soon he found her with a handful of muddy cement, a mix of tar, concrete and old herbs that she quickly smeared over the top of the posts device and with that... she blew on it. "So, as soon as that dries, we'll be able to close and latch the gate so that the animals can't get free?" She gave a single nod and a playful grin and then finally slammed the latch closed.
He had never tried building something as large as a house, or even close to the size of buildings so when he managed to finally volunteer his help for it, he knew little of what to do. Instead he moved on to the stables and with the help of Peggie, immediately began bringing up broken and loose boards for the corral. While he managed to get by without noticing Peggie's cheery demeanor, he seemed somewhat cheery himself. He'd lived through the storm which was a miracle within itself. Even after almost being killed by freak winds. With her help and finesse, they'd quickly brought up the support beams that very slowly became the outer gates that would become the corral. It was easy after digging and replanting large beams in the ground, nails found here and there throughout Thornbury to nail in the planks that had been damaged inside the homes.
Only after they'd finished the surroundings did he begin to nice Peggie's personality, a slight grin pulling at his copper toned jaws. He lived for times like these, those that were spent with others and even as she moved on to find some more nails, perhaps some bent, circular wood that could be used to hinge the gate to the corral, he continued on with the gate, doing what he did best by slowly carving into the front an intricate carving of several small figured horses, a few cows here and there. lazing about. A pattern soon formed beneath the sharp point of his knife and just as he finished, he stretched his clawed hand, flicking out his fingers as if to relieve a cramp had formed beneath the furred knuckles.
A moment later, hands mischievously grabbed at his shoulders, jolting him to attention. He turned around to growl, but quickly realized it was Peggie who broke out into a laugh, her short yet surprisingly beautiful form wrenching back at the growl. "Careful there, young man. I didn't mean any harm," came her words, the first he'd heard her speak. Even so, he gave a nod of his head, grunting out the slight approval of her words. "Sorry. A bit jumpy." He quickly rounded her form just as he watched her hammer the support hinges for the gate in and carefully, with her help, he lifted the front of the gate up, carrying it toward the corral, silently sliding its downward facing bolts through the holes that had formed. From there it was easy to attach the stone made bolts that tightened the frame to it. He grunted slightly, then dusted his hands off against his coppery fur, careful to rub it in that way it didn't show too well against the light.
He turned to look at Peggie again and gave another nod of his head. "Now, the only thing to do is find a lock that would work to keep the gate closed. Would you know of a way to do that?" Amazingly, the green eyed Wolfdog hurriedly sped off, only to return a few moments later with a large, peeled and circled stick that seemed solid and sturdy. "You can cut a hole in the side of this at one end and insert a small stick for the handle. You'd make it stick by using some tree sap. Of course, you don't want to get that in your pelt so you may want to try and scrape it off with another stick. I'll work on the second part to this in just a moment." He couldn't conceal his amazement at her knowledge and quickly raced off toward the woods, a quick 'Thank you!' shouted out toward Peggie as he moved. After getting into the woods, he soon found what he was looking for. Another branch, smaller, yet sturdy and hard. His knife was still on him and with a sigh, he lowered himself to the ground and went to carving into it, his shoulders slightly hunched as he tried to make the perfect sized hole, scraping it over with his claws till it was smooth as well. When he found that it was adequate enough to work, and that the wood had been stripped of its green bark, he looked about.
Right in the distance, he could see a large tree. He was sure it'd provide sap and the moment he got close, he realized he was right. Down it's bark, little amber colored orbs of stick sap had rolled down its surface, not torn in the middle of the night. He ducked down, and using another piece of wood, spilled fresh sap into the tiny hole, pushing the other stick into the slot. Carefully he held it firm till he was sure it'd dried and moved back to the corral where Peggie was still in the process of mounting another rounded piece, as well as a small, rectangular device that had been attached to the other side of the gate. It looked similar to a lock, only this one seemed to be the size of his stick and it was close to the gate's edge, stretching along his carved gate's surface a good foot. "First, I want you to gradually slide your stick through the hole right here. There's a carved section there where you can just barely get your stick through. Then I'll finish up." He did as he was told, a first, and soon he found her with a handful of muddy cement, a mix of tar, concrete and old herbs that she quickly smeared over the top of the posts device and with that... she blew on it. "So, as soon as that dries, we'll be able to close and latch the gate so that the animals can't get free?" She gave a single nod and a playful grin and then finally slammed the latch closed.