Malamute Magnet

My encounter with the Big Bad Wolf (featured in Tree of the Fairies) has turned me into a magnet for malamutes and other husky-type dogs.  Since that incident, I’ve been chased by this type of dog no less than four times –once on the golf course, twice on the beach, and once in Green Cwm, the valley that runs through Parc le Breos.

Normally, Green Cwm is a peaceful sort of place to go for a stroll…

…or simply relax.  We’ve been walking there in the evenings with Mollie and Owen because it’s quiet and not too hard on Owen’s remaining legs.

But the other day, just as we got there, a large husky type broke away from his owner and came after me and Pearl.  We had speed on our side and plenty of open space to run in, but that dog was persistent.  The owner – and Annabelle – were left far behind, shouting ineffectually.

Luckily, Green Cwm has some excellent hiding places.  There’s the Long Cairn, an ancient burial chamber, which is a bit spooky at night, but provides excellent cover in the daytime.

We were safe in there for a while…

…until Pearl poked her head over the side to see if the dog had gone.  He hadn’t, and we were spotted – not surprising, really, Pearl is pretty conspicuous – so we made a break for the Batcave.

The humans call it the Cathole Cave, presumably because it looks like a cat’s backside with a tail. There are no cats there – just a lot of bats hanging upside-down from the roof.  Like the burial chamber, it’s safe enough in daylight.

(Not many humans know this, but at night the ‘bats’ turn into vampire fairies – tiny humanoid creatures with sharp teeth, leathery wings and Goth hairdos.  They’re harmless enough, but they do enjoy scaring people when they get the chance – their favourite trick is flapping in people’s faces then disappearing into the darkness.  They return to the cave at daybreak to sleep.)

We hid in the Batcave until we heard Annabelle calling us.  Even then, we weren’t taking any chances; we climbed up on top of the cave, where we could check out the situation without being seen from below.

Only when we were sure our pursuer had been captured did we venture back down into the valley and continue our walk.

I know one thing – I’d rather face an army of vampire fairies than a manic malamute intent on making a hole in me!