The Winter Solstice Era 2012: The Spread of Silence

The morning mist had yet to lift from the mountain village when Bush and Xiao Hei went to the threshing ground at the village entrance to “lay down the law.” Bush, a lean but powerful retired military dog, clamped his jaws around the neck of a village dog from the neighboring hamlet. The sturdy black Xiao Hei followed close behind, growling softly. This was their daily, unchanging “territorial declaration.” As the village’s “top dog,” Bush loved killing the family’s chickens and ducks, but would bring home wild rabbits. Xiao Hei, once a pampered wolfdog from the capital, now obediently played the “junior,” following Bush through the woods. Sixteen-year-old Lin Wan watched the two troublemakers bicker and always thought life would stay as calm as a mountain stream.