Chapter Text
“Archie, are you sure about this?” Darwin asked, walking alongside the Border Collie.
“Of course, Darwin.” Archie replied with a smile on his face. “I promised Rusty and Jack we'd play army with them.”
It was a normal morning for the two friends. The sun shone gently on the playground of Glasshouse Primary School, while a cool breeze rustled the grass on the small hill they were walking down. From there, they could already see Jack and Rusty ahead.
Darwin, however, did not share his friend's enthusiasm. He still remembered, with some discomfort, the time he was Bluey's “pony.” Why was she so heavy?! The Chihuahua looked downcast. He preferred to play only with Archie, where they were free to make up their own rules.
“Why do we have to play with them? We could play army just the two of us.” The Chihuahua still insisted. He was convinced that this was a terrible idea.
“But it'll be much more fun together!” Archie replied excitedly, adjusting his backpack. “Rusty knows a lot about the army. His dad serves, you know?”
“Ugh... okay...” Darwin muttered, his ears drooping. He had never played army before, and the idea of obeying rules that weren't his seemed stressful. He had to try to have fun.
Soon they reached where Rusty and Jack were. The Red Kelpie was organizing the “equipment” inside the backpack, while Jack ran to greet them.
“Recruits! You're right on time!” he exclaimed, raising his paw to his forehead and saluting. He was so excited that his tail was wagging subtly.
Archie laughed and imitated the gesture enthusiastically. Darwin, on the other hand, just rolled his eyes, making his impatience clear.
“Are we going to have to be recruits?” Archie asked, still saluting.
“Yes, you need to go through basic training before you can become soldiers,” Jack replied without hesitation, happy to have more companions to play with.
Training? Darwin raised his eyebrow, looking at the horizon. Ahead, there was only bush. Were they going to have to go in there? Before he could ask, Rusty's firm voice echoed:
“Attention!”
The change was immediate. Archie and Jack stood up straight as if they were in front of a real commander. Darwin stumbled a little, but soon imitated their posture.
“To the left, march!” Rusty ordered.
Jack and Archie obeyed immediately, marching with firm steps. Darwin sighed but followed along, trying to keep up.
“Now right, march!” Rusty shouted. The three obeyed, almost in sync. “Halt! And... salute!”
The little ones raised their hands in salute. Archie and Jack barely hid the smiles escaping from the corners of their mouths, while Darwin felt his stomach churn. He was nervous. Had he done it right?
Then Rusty relaxed his expression. His rigid posture gave way to a satisfied smile, and his tail wagged freely.
“Very good, recruits!” he declared proudly. “I see you're ready to play.”
Darwin breathed a sigh of relief. For a moment, he felt good about those words, but then he remembered what he was playing at, forcing a grimace to try to hide his unexpected satisfaction.
Rusty continued, adjusting the hat on his head. “Before you become real soldiers, you'll have to go through basic training. I'll be the sergeant, and you can ask Private Jack for tips. But first... put on your hats, recruits!”
“Yes, Sergeant!” Archie replied, opening his backpack with a twinkle in his eye. He took out a hat just like Jack and Rusty's and proudly put it on his head.
Darwin, on the other hand, opened his backpack with disinterest. He didn't have a toy military hat. All he had was the beanie he always wore, which was special to him.
“Do I... really have to wear this hat? I like my beanie.”
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“Of course you do, Darwin.” Archie replied to his friend, adjusting the hat on his head. “That way, we'll really be members of the army, it'll be much more real!”
Darwin held the cap tightly in his hands. His grandfather had given it to him as a gift, and it had great sentimental value. But... if he was going to play the game with his best friend, maybe he needed to let it go. He let out a deep sigh, almost of disappointment.
With a slow gesture, he pulled the cap off his head. A few strands of messy hair immediately escaped, which his cap had served to hide. He put the beanie away, while Rusty handed him a hat.
“There, happy now?” Darwin muttered, now wearing the army hat.
Archie smiled contentedly and even patted his friend on the shoulder in encouragement.
“All right, recruits! Now that you are properly uniformed, it's time to start training. Follow me!” Rusty exclaimed to everyone, who straightened up again.
He turned firmly, tail erect, and marched toward the bush. It wasn't so tall that they couldn't see what was ahead, so it seemed safe.
Jack shot off after him with great energy. Archie followed right behind him, full of enthusiasm. Darwin, on the other hand, took another deep breath, glancing briefly at the hill they were leaving behind. Part of him wanted to go back, but now he was already in on the game. A small part of him said to go along and have fun, but would that be right?
The small platoon then marched in a line, avoiding stepping on branches that lay on the bush. The surroundings seemed calm and peaceful, under the big blue sky above them.
Darwin watched the clouds, imagining for a moment the shapes of animals in them, causing him to lose focus. However, he noticed that everyone had stopped, and he didn't understand why. Rusty had made a hand gesture for them to stop, but why?
Then Rusty made another hand gesture. Both he and Jack crouched down, and Archie followed suit. Darwin raised his eyebrow, not understanding anything.
“But what—” Darwin began to say, until he felt a tug on his leg. Jack dragged him down, with a serious expression, putting a finger to his mouth as a sign of silence.
Darwin rolled his eyes, but this time he obeyed, remaining silent. It was then that he heard voices, laughing and talking, a little further ahead. It wasn't loud, but enough to indicate that there was someone on the path.
The small “platoon” began to move slowly, crawling through the vegetation. Darwin felt some dust on his fur and itched his nose. He was trying hard not to sneeze.
As they got closer, the voices became clearer. Soon they could see through the vegetation and see who it was.
In the middle of the clearing, Bluey was playing with Chloe, Coco, and Indy. They seemed to have set up a “pet shop,” improvising tables with branches and leaves. Indy and Coco seemed to be the veterinarians, Chloe must have been the pet owner, while Bluey... was imitating a pony?
Darwin let out a long sigh, resting his face on his paws.
“Ah, it was just the girls...” he muttered, annoyed. “And we didn't even need to be so quiet.”
“We're on patrol, recruit,” Rusty said quietly but firmly. “Real soldiers don't make noise, to avoid being noticed by intruders.”
Darwin grumbled softly, it was no use arguing. It was a mission after all, and Archie was faithfully believing Rusty, as he was the sergeant on this mission.
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Time flew by between silent patrols and little exercises Rusty made up. Now, he was leading the group to a small hill that rose up at the back of the yard. The place really looked like a little observation point.
Rusty stopped at the top, put his paws on his hips, and announced with conviction. “Archie, I'm going to show you some of the most important places on the base. We have points like Tango 7, Tango 6, and several others.”
Archie nodded immediately, with an enthusiasm he couldn't hide. His tail wagged as he looked at Darwin and Jack.
"And you two will stand guard. I want eyes watching in all directions. If you see any suspicious movement, report it immediately." Rusty said, pointing to the remaining two.
Jack took his position without hesitation, raising a paw to his forehead in salute. “Yes, Sergeant!”
Darwin frowned. Great, now he had to stand guard with Jack. “How nice...” he muttered joylessly.
But Rusty was no longer paying attention. He just gave one last commanding wave before walking down the slope next to Archie, enthusiastically explaining each imaginary point of the “base.”
Jack went to the edge of the hill, crouching down, seriously observing the horizon. The gentle landscape, with the wind blowing over him, gave him a sense of security. He loved vigils, especially when they were important.
Darwin, on the other hand, sat on the ground in utter boredom. He looked up at the sky, trying to find the peace he had felt earlier and avoiding wondering about a lot of things. He just wanted to have fun, but only with Archie. He was still unsure if the army was that much fun.
Jack stood in position for a few seconds, staring intently at the horizon. But soon he couldn't take it anymore and broke the silence, turning to Darwin.
“You know what a watch is, right?” he asked, his tail wagging.
Darwin raised his ears, but not with enthusiasm, rather with laziness.
“Of course I know... standing still, staring at nothing, waiting for something to happen.”
Jack laughed, wagging his tail. "It's not just that! You keep your eyes wide open, noticing anything different. If you notice anything, you talk to the sergeant. You're basically everyone's eyes, they count on you." His words tried to sound as firm as possible, because it was extremely important in his mind.
Darwin raised his eyebrow, unconvinced. “Like... an enemy?”
“Yeah... come to think of it, we've never seen an enemy...” Jack was thoughtful for a moment, remembering the times he played army with Rusty. He stood up and walked over to Darwin. “Oh! There was one time we found a really big bird, it was an invader.”
Darwin looked at Jack subtly. Thinking that a bird was an invader would be funny. But he didn't see the reason for it. “You guys take this too seriously.” The Chihuahua stood next to the Jack Russell; they weren't that different in height.
“Of course!” said Jack, without thinking twice. “If we don't take it seriously, how is it going to be fun?”
“Archie would say the same thing.” Darwin thought with a grimace. He was right, the games had to be taken seriously to be fun, or at least enough to distract them. He felt a little stupid now for being so ignorant of them all this time.
For a few minutes, they just stood in silence. Jack instructed him on how to keep watch, on the edge of the hill, observing the horizon they were on. Darwin had to admit that it was soothing. With the refreshing breeze blowing on his face, he took a deep breath and felt the aroma and peace that this day brought him. Darwin could almost forget that he was on the lookout for imaginary enemies.
Jack, who was lying on the ground, broke the silence. “Hey, Darwin... can I ask you something?”
The Chihuahua looked away from him, still at peace. “Sure.”
Jack tilted his head, his tail wagging slowly. “Why do you hang out with Archie so much? You only play when he's in the mood.”
Darwin blinked, surprised by the simple question. “Well... because he's my best friend.” He answered as if it were obvious, but his voice had a tone of affection when he spoke of Archie. “We always play together... it's more fun with him.”
Jack nodded, understanding, and smiled slightly. “I'm Rusty's best friend too,” he said proudly. “But sometimes I play with the others too, you know?”
Darwin pricked up his ears, curious, but didn't comment immediately. Jack continued, as if he wanted to explain further: “Like... Rusty is my best friend, no doubt about it. But it's cool to play with Bluey, Indy, Mackenzie... whoever shows up. The feeling of fun is different.” Jack was a little distracted when he talked about the others, losing himself a little in his mission.
Darwin thought for a moment, looking at the floor. He had always imagined himself playing with others besides Archie, but since he arrived, he hadn't had the courage to ask others to play. The reason was perhaps because he always thought he was boring, demanding with games, and got stressed out very easily. Even his brothers said he was unbearable at times...
It was better to play with someone who followed his rules, that was a fact. However, Archie was different. Fun, enthusiastic, always wanting to explore new games and with more people, so he should be surrounded by friends.
“I know... it's just, I don't know... I have problems sometimes.” Darwin muttered, still looking at the green floor, distracted by the weight on his mind.
Jack didn't answer right away. He just stared at Darwin with a heavy gaze, seeming to understand him a little. “You're doing a great job, recruit.”
Jack's words, even though they were simple, pulled him out of his thoughts. The Chihuahua's tail wagged slightly. For the first time today, he didn't give a forced smile. “Thanks.”
The sound of footsteps caught their attention, and they narrowed their eyes in that direction.
Rusty and Archie soon reappeared on the narrow trail, climbing the hill with steady steps. The kelpie's hat was slightly crooked, but his expression remained authoritative. Archie walked beside him, looking serious, still very much in character.
“Mission accomplished,” Rusty announced, his voice thick with pride. “I showed Archie all the important points of the base. Now he knows every specific point.”
Jack and Darwin looked at each other once more with this information. The two stood in front of Sergeant Rusty.
“How did it go?” Darwin asked, approaching Archie. With a light look, he was still affected by the light conversation he had had.
Archie's serious gaze faltered when it met his friend's. A wry smile formed on his face. “It was amazing, I already feel like a soldier!”
They both laughed at that. Okay, Darwin had to admit that this joke was cool. It was simple, and yet it was taken seriously in a youthful way, it was exciting.
“Attention! Private Jack, Recruit Darwin.” Rusty exclaimed, getting their attention. His stern voice was enough to make them stand up straight. “I need you to patrol near Tango 7, just to check.”
“Yes, Sergeant!” Jack saluted, an excited smile on his face.
“Y-Yes, Sergeant...” Darwin didn't say it as firmly, but he still saluted. Tango 7? He didn't know what it was, how patrolling actually worked. Besides, he thought they would still show him the areas. At least Jack would do him that favor.
“Let's go, recruit Darwin!” Jack ran a little ahead, taking the lead on the hill trail.
Archie looked at his friend, putting his hand on his shoulder expectantly. “It'll be fun, I'm sure.”
With his friend's words, Darwin smiled slightly. He no longer needed to worry so much, or at least that's what part of his mind told him.
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The two walked side by side, down the slope and back into the vegetation. The ground was covered with a mixture of dry leaves and green grass, which moved slightly with the breeze.
For a few minutes, silence reigned, only the rustling of branches accompanying their small steps. Darwin kept his eyes down, watching the ground, lost in his own thoughts.
“Did you notice?” Jack asked in a low, almost conspiratorial voice. Jack stared straight ahead, his tail wagging slightly as if to mimic Rusty's seriousness.
Darwin pricked up his ears, but this time he heard no voices, only the wind. What did Jack mean? “What do you mean?”
“The wind,” Jack said, as if it were a revelation. “It always changes when we're on high ground. That can be dangerous on a real patrol, because our scent can be carried to the enemy!”
Darwin looked at him sideways, frowning. Was that really true? Well, the wind could carry their scent... it made sense. But the Chihuahua had heard so many lies from Shake that it was hard to believe. “Are you serious?”
“Of course! If we were really in the army, we'd have to pay attention to that.” Jack just smiled, but still tried to maintain his soldier's pose. “We're on a mission, recruit Darwin, and the sergeant put me in charge of it.”
“Oh, sure, as if we were part of the army.” Darwin sighed, but chuckled. He continued walking calmly, stepping on the dry leaves. “You still haven't explained the areas to me.”
“Someday, I'm going to join the army.” Jack said enthusiastically, until he heard the rest of Darwin's sentence, which made him swallow hard. “I... have trouble remembering things. So if I explain something wrong, I'm sorry... it's my first time teaching.”
“Trouble remembering?” Darwin blinked a few times, not knowing how to respond right away. He didn't have many words in mind. “Look, I forget things sometimes too.”
“Really?” Jack glanced at Darwin, not losing his way.
"Yeah, there was this one time I forgot to eat breakfast... Then I got hungry at school. Luckily, Archie shared his snack with me.“ Darwin laughed softly, avoiding showing his slightly embarrassed expression on that relaxed day. ”It's normal to forget things, and I think you're doing well teaching... only in the vigil part did you sound exaggerated."
Jack's eyes lit up at Darwin's words. This time, he was looking at the same horizon as the Chihuahua, but his tail was wagging unabashedly, revealing all the joy he felt. “Thanks a lot, Darwin.” Jack couldn't contain himself. He took a quick step forward and wrapped Darwin in a tight hug.
Darwin's eyes widened, and he stiffened. His ears pricked up as he grumbled, trying to break free. “Hey, hey! That's enough, Jack! I don't like this stuff! I-It's too sentimental.” His words were in vain, as Jack only hugged him tighter. “C-Man, we have a mission!”
Jack just laughed, letting him go immediately. His expression was so happy that it was impossible to stay mad at him for long. “Sorry, sometimes I think this forgetting thing is a serious problem, but it made me feel calmer.”
“Yeah, but it also left me breathless.” Darwin snorted, breathing much better. However, he was smiling, showing a friendlier side.
Jack continued to lead the way, adjusting his hat to keep the sun from blocking his vision. “Come on, we're almost at tango 7!”
Darwin followed him without hesitation, adjusting his hat as well. For the first time, he was managing to have a friend without Archie's help, and besides, he wasn't being annoying; this time he seemed different.
However, the patrol's silence was suddenly broken by a louder rustling among the bushes. Both instinctively crouched down, as Rusty had taught them. Jack signaled to Darwin with his paw, asking him to remain calm, his eyes half-closed in concentration.
The two advanced cautiously, the vegetation brushing against their arms as they approached the source of the sound. Darwin heard no voices, so it must be something... something dangerous.
Until, in a quick leap, something small darted across in front of them. A slender lizard ran into the shadow of a rock, its tail whipping like a living whip. It was nothing.
“Ah!” Jack took a step back, but soon relaxed, letting out a nervous laugh. “Just a lizard... phew.”
But when Jack turned around, he noticed that Darwin was no longer there. He had disappeared without a trace.
“Darwin?” Jack stood up and looked around, worried. He only saw a silhouette among the vegetation, which soon disappeared from view. This was not good...
The Chihuahua had bolted, running in a complete panic, but why? Darwin only stopped when his paws had already taken him to the nearby woods, looking calm and confident. There were no reptiles, nothing bad there to scare him.
He leaned against a tree, breathing irregularly, trying to catch his breath. His chest rose and fell quickly, and his claws clung to the trunk tightly, as if that were his only defense... he was very afraid of reptiles and snakes.
Ever since he was younger, they had been very frightening. Remembering past incidents left him with a lump in his throat. He just didn't like them, whether they were small or large, they were frightening.
Darwin was cowering, where he could finally calm down, but now he realized what he had done. “Damn... I ruined everything,” he muttered to himself, where he didn't even give Jack an explanation, all because of his silly fear.
A recruit who ran away from his mission, what a sad thing.
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Jack ran back down the narrow path, his breathing rapid more from haste than exertion. When he spotted Rusty and Archie, he almost tripped over his own paws as he stopped in front of them.
“Sergeant!” he said, saluting awkwardly.
Rusty turned, looking at Jack in surprise. “Private Jack, where is Recruit Darwin?” Intrigued, he even looked behind his friend, but couldn't find the Chihuahua.
“Recruit Darwin... he's gone!” Jack exclaimed, still saluting, with urgent concern in his voice.
Rusty narrowed his eyes, his posture immediately becoming more rigid. His tail stopped moving and his voice took on a firm tone. “This is serious, Private Jack. Dust off situation.”
Archie, who stood between them, looked worried and confused, not knowing how to help. “W-Wait, dust off? What's that?”
Rusty didn't even look at the Border Collie; he was more than serious. He opened his backpack and took out a toy radio. “Jack, your mission is to find recruit Darwin and bring him back safely. We'll be preparing a landing area.”
Jack puffed out his chest and nodded vigorously. “Yes, sir!”
Rusty then pointed to Archie, who still looked lost. “Archie, you come with me. We're going to prepare the evacuation area. The helicopter needs space to land.”
“H-helicopter? We have a helicopter?” Archie blinked several times, trying to follow the logic of the game.
Rusty was already moving across the terrain, waving for him to follow. “That's right. If a recruit is in danger, we need air rescue. Now, come on, we don't have time to waste!”
Archie ran after him, still not fully understanding how the joke had escalated so quickly. Meanwhile, Jack adjusted his hat again, took a deep breath, and headed off alone in the opposite direction, determined to find Darwin.
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Darwin was crouched next to the trunk of a twisted tree, his paws holding his knees against his chest. He hadn't even moved from the spot, standing there to reflect further. He sighed softly, looking at the ground covered with dry leaves. He wanted to go back, but at the same time he thought they must be having fun without him, which was better.
Suddenly, a soft shadow approached. Calypso's calm figure appeared among the branches, her light footsteps making almost no sound on the ground. Her blue scarf fluttered in the wind as she stopped in front of him, tilting her head with that ever-serene look.
“Darwin?” she asked quietly, sitting down beside him, with a look that indicated she knew what was going on. “Are you okay?”
Darwin clenched his knees even tighter, looking away. “No... I'm not.”
Calypso waited, not rushing him. Her calm, patient presence seemed to invite him to continue. Darwin sighed deeply, his tail twitching nervously.
“We were playing army... me, Jack, Rusty, and Archie...” He breathed quickly, as if afraid to admit it. “But I saw a lizard. I got scared... and... and I ran.”
His ears fell to the sides, his expression filled with shame. Calypso was still listening. “And not only that... I've been insisting that Archie and I play alone. Now they must think I'm boring and cowardly, that it's better to play without me.”
Calypso looked at the trees around them, letting the silence fill the space for a moment before speaking softly. “You know, Darwin... we're all afraid of something. Some fears are big, some are small. But no fear makes us any less brave.”
“But... I ran away.” Darwin looked up for the first time, curious.
“And yet you're here, telling me about it.” Calypso smiled slightly, placing a gentle paw on his shoulder. “Courage is not never feeling fear. Courage is what we do after fear appears.”
Darwin was silent, the words echoing inside him, even though he was too young to understand them. To him, it made sense. The wind dropped a yellow leaf right between them, and Calypso picked it up delicately.
“See... a leaf that falls from a tree is not weak. It's just part of its journey. You have yours too.” She handed the leaf to Darwin, who held it between his paws, still thoughtful, but with a small sense of relief rising in his chest.
“And about you thinking you're boring... there's no single way to play,” Calypso said, looking calmly at the treetops. “Some run right away, others watch first... and some only discover the fun after a while.”
Darwin looked at the leaf in admiration, but returned his attention to Calypso. His ear moved slightly. “But... what if I ruined the game or got in the way?”
“If you didn't want to play, you wouldn't have tried. But you tried, and you even had fun. That's not being boring. That's just your way of getting into the game. Everyone finds their own door to play... yours was just a little more hidden.” Calypso said, making a small gesture with her hand to indicate the difficulty in this. It was normal for children to take time to get used to some things.
“So... is it okay if it takes me a while to like it?” Darwin asked, almost whispering.
Calypso just smiled, keeping her tone of voice sweet. "Of course, just take your time and don't force yourself. The important thing is that you and your friends have fun."
Darwin felt a warm glow in his chest, like when someone understood exactly what he meant without him having to explain too much. A shy smile escaped him, and he hugged the leaf to his chest. “Thank you, Calypso.”
Before he could say anything else, a rustling in the trees caught his attention. Suddenly, Jack came running up, his army hat almost falling from his eyes, but with the serious posture he was trying to maintain.
“Recruit Darwin! Oh, and hello Calypso,” he said nervously when he noticed the teacher, but full of enthusiasm at finding his companion. “Rescue mission accomplished! I've come to get you!”
“G-Get me?” Darwin stood there, completely confused by what Jack had just said.
“Of course! No man gets left behind.” Jack approached with firmness in his voice. He extended his hand to Darwin, signaling him to take it. There was the loyalty Darwin sought, a sign that they were friends, and that neither of them would be forgotten.
The Chihuahua felt his chest tighten, but not out of shame this time. It was different. He held Jack's hand firmly, letting go of the leaf and letting it fly away with the wind. The smile came spontaneously. “So... I guess I can't keep you waiting, right?”
Jack just nodded with a broad smile, already pulling Darwin by the paw as if time were precious. “Come on, we have to go to where the helicopter will land.”
Darwin looked back with a serene, happier look at Calypso, who was still sitting and smiling at the scene. “Bye, Calypso,” he murmured, almost like a whisper, but it was enough for the teacher to hear.
Calypso just smiled back, waving goodbye to the two little soldiers. She felt satisfied that she had helped, and besides, he had a long way to go.
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The forest began to thin out, giving way to lower, more open vegetation. Darwin and Jack ran side by side, branches tapping lightly against their army hats as they quickened their pace.
Suddenly, the rustling in the bushes ahead made them stop. Darwin froze instantly. The two looked at each other, and soon a small lizard crossed the path, its thin tail dragging along the ground. It was him again...
Darwin's heart raced. His ears lowered and he took half a step back, his eyes fixed on the creature. But this time, he took a deep breath, remembering Calypso's advice... it was okay to be afraid, what mattered was what you did after that.
Swallowing hard, Darwin wasn't going to run away this time. He was going to face his fear, because he had his friend by his side. “J-Jack... what do we do?” he said, narrowing his eyes at the Jack Russell.
When he looked to the side for an answer, he realized that Jack was already running ahead, passing the lizard. Was he... afraid? “Come on, recruit! Quick!” the little dog shouted, already a few meters away, his tail wagging.
Darwin stood still for a second, incredulous, his ears pricking up in indignation. “But... you left me alone!” he exclaimed, his newly found courage shattering in an instant.
Still, he had no choice. With a sigh mixed with frustration and relief, the Chihuahua dashed after his friend, his nimble legs kicking up dust. He had mustered up a great moment of courage, only to be ignored... why did he find this so hilarious?
Darwin began to laugh alongside Jack, the two running at almost the same speed. Jack was fast, he had to admit, but Darwin wasn't far behind. Perhaps what they did wasn't running away, but avoiding fear. It wasn't exactly courage, but they knew how to get around it and ignore it.
“Come on, recruit! The helicopter must be landing already!” Jack shouted as they ran.
Darwin could see Rusty and Archie at the top of the clearing, waving at them. Archie wagged his tail enthusiastically, and Rusty, arms crossed and expression firm, pointed to the tree. There seemed to be a small structure on it, like a little house, as well as a ladder for them to climb up. That was definitely the helicopter.
“Get in! Quick!” Rusty ordered, climbing quickly up the ladder, followed by Archie.
Jack was the first to reach the base of the tree, climbing up the wooden ladder. Darwin came right behind him, breathing heavily, his heart still racing. All that running had really exhausted him, but he was full of childlike adrenaline. He breathed heavily as he finally boarded the imaginary helicopter, relaxing as if nothing else mattered.
Rusty straightened his posture, giving Jack a steady look and smiling. “Great job, soldier. Rescue mission successfully accomplished.”
“No one gets left behind, Sergeant!” Jack exclaimed proudly.
Everyone laughed a little, even Darwin, who let out a heavy sigh before speaking. He looked at Rusty, trying to appear serious. "I'm sorry, Sergeant... I shouldn't have run away. I'm not cut out for this army business."
For a moment, silence fell over the group. Rusty, however, approached and placed his paw firmly on Darwin's shoulder. His gaze, though serious, had a glimmer of understanding. “It's okay, recruit. The important thing is that we managed to rescue you, you're back.”
Kelpie's words sounded supportive, giving Darwin confidence. Archie and Jack just smiled too; they weren't angry with him for what he had done. The Chihuahua couldn't admit how happy he was, so he just gave a big smile.
“But! When we get to base, you'll have to do 10 push-ups!” Rusty returned to his rigid sergeant's posture.
Darwin's jaw dropped instantly, his wide eyes betraying pure despair. Archie and Jack couldn't hold back their laughter, their tails wagging so fast they hit the wooden floor. Even Rusty, despite his strict sergeant's posture, let out a small smile at the corner of his mouth.
“Seriously? Ten push-ups?!” He tried to argue the inevitable.
Jack saluted, leaning toward Darwin with an amused smile. “I'll help you count, if you want.”
Darwin sighed in defeat, and seeing how the mood was now, he really didn't mind doing push-ups. Everyone seemed to be having fun, including himself. He had finally found the rhythm of the game.
His head had previously been preoccupied with how to avoid them, but in fact, he wanted to be surrounded by valuable friends. Like the fallen leaf on the ground, he would find his way guided by the wind, taking his own time.