Mystirya

Mystirya of Deep Valley



Chapter One: Mystirya



Mystirya stuck her nose out of the den and sniffed, fat cold drops of rain hitting her snout.

“It’s still raining out there.” She growled unhappily, turning towards her mother, “I’m so bored in here. I wish the stupid rain would move on.” Glumly the little dingo sat back on her hunches and bowed her head in disdain.

“You could always help me with your sisters and brothers” Mother dingo said to her sulking pup before turning towards one of her youngest trying to squirm away.

“Blugh baby sitting” Grumpily Mystirya sauntered over to where her mother was feeding her newest litter. Crinkling her nose at the squirming, squeaking mass of blind pups she pushed the runt, Tik, closer to their mother to suckle.

“One day you will have your own littre of pups to look after and your own pack to rule.” Her mother, Delphina was the alpha dingo and along with her partner, Kisto, ruled over the Deep Valley dingoes.

“Eww eww and double eww. I will never become alpha and produce brood after brood, blugh. I will adventure further than the borders of Deep Valley. Explore the mountains of the clouds and the high plains of the west. Not sit at home and solve debates and suckle young.” Mystirya hated being stuck inside for even a minute while there was a whole land out there beyond the crippled gums that announced Deep Valley's borders to the west and the running river to the north where beyond the river the great cloud mountains rose towards the sky and disappeared into the domain of the sky mother.



“You still got your head floating with the clouds little sis?” Merka plodded into the den, his rusty orange coat matted and darkened with the rain. Behind him followed the rest of the hunting party, with fresh wombat. Mystirya just stuck her tongue out at him, turning her head to look at the back wall of the den.

“The hunt was successful I see my dear Kisto” Delphina looked up at the old dog, his muzzle greying with age but his body still lean and strong.

Dropping the back rump of a fat brown wombat Kisto wondered over to his mate and nuzzled her. “He was a hard bugger to take down, didn’t give in easy.” He told her.

“Mine” growled Bosti, one of the loan males of the group, raising his shackles at Merka. “Back off short spit.” Bosti was one of the largest dingos in the pack, Only Delphina was bigger. Bosti lunged at Merka over the still bleeding hunk of meat between them.

“Enough growled Kisto, biting into the side of Bosti’s neck. “You will eat what the Mother gives you and when she gives it to you.” Indicating Delphina Kosti still stood with hackles raised and a snarl upon his greying muzzle, as the two younger males backed down, heads low and tails even lower.



Since the great dry came to the valley the Deep Valley pack has dwindled in number. It is only now that the skies part and the sky Mother sends forth her rains so the lands can grow again. Delphina and Kosti had been the alpha’s of the pack for many seasons and were growing old, but no weaker than the rest of the pack. Next in line for alpha bitch was Mystirya, as long as no other bitch challenges her. When her mother has passed on to the great Earth Mother, Mystirya will partner with Kosti if he is still with the living or if another male doesn't challenges him for right of rule. If Kosti is gone then Mystirya will choose the strongest of the remaining males or find a loan dingo from another pack.

“You know little sis, I don’t know why you dream of escaping Great Den and exploring, there is nothing out there.” Merka lay next to her, he will soon be leaving the pack along with Bosti and Flint, the other young males of the pack, to join another pack or form one of their own.

“What do you care, you get to leave here and wander out there. While I have to stay and look after the pups.” Glumly Mystirya lay next to her brother, her head on her paws and her eyes glossed over with the thought of adventure.

If only I had an older sister, she thought as she looked at last season’s pups rolling about each other and pulling at tails and ears. Tishra, the smallest of last season's tugged at one of the ears of Frin’s last season’s pups. Frin was one of the lower dingoes, usually not allowed to litter, but due to the small number of the pack Delphina gave her the right to litter last season.



Chapter Two: Gone



Rolling onto her back Mystirya looked up at the cold bare rock above her, turning her head this way then that, she still couldn’t find any answer. She wanted out of this bare place, away from these walls she has always known and these dingoes that smelt wet and were full of fleas. She knew all of the pack so well she felt cramped and unable to breath with them.

As she listened to the soft breathing of the older dogs and the quiet whimpering of the pups she closed her eyes and tried again to get back to sleep, but sleep evaded her.

“Where are you going?” Tishra blinked up at Mystirya as she stood by the entrance, building up her courage to leave.

“No where you nosy flea sack. Go back to sleep.” Mystirya growled at her sister from deep in her throat, hoping not to wake any of the others.

“Can I come?” Tishra’s amber eyes glinted in the pale moon light that peeped into the den. “Please Myst?” The little pup wagged her tail and panted in excitement, hoping that her big sister would take her.

“Go away snot snout.” Mystirya shoved at her sister with her snout, the small pup rolled away from her silently. Mystirya looked down at the small heap of dusty fur that lay in the corner. She humphed in victory and was about to leave the den when she heard a small whimper. Turning to look at Tishra as the pup sat with tail between her legs and her head bowed Mystirya felt a pang of guilt.

“You can’t come with me little Tishra, it is dangerous out there and I don’t even know where I am going, all I know is I must go.” On silent paws, in the pale glow of the moon, Mystirya padded over to Tishra, bending her head to nuzzle her.

“Will you at least tell me all about it when you get back?” Tishra looked hopefully into the older dingoes eyes, if there was one thing Tishra loved more than games and adventure it was a good story.

“OK Tish, I promise” Mystirya smiled down at her little sister and pushed her gently closer to the rest of last season’s. “Now back to sleep little one.”

With a quick look behind her at the sleeping pack, Mystirya took a deep breath then stepped out into the heavy down pour, and was gone.