The First Trip
I heard a million tales before I came to you
One after the other said, "Time's the only cure"
When love is forever gone
It disappeared like stars at dawn
And every road that I've been on
… It leads me back to you
Marceline, Georgia - May 1893
Angel found herself holding back a sly grin at the look of surprise that was etched in Lucky’s face. The young dalmatian was clearly not expecting her to answer the door following his quick succession of raps. As a call boy, it was his responsibility to go to the next available train-crew's home and inform them of an upcoming assignment. He was thus acclimated to repeatedly getting the short end of a cantankerous engineer. But seeing her, rather than the intended contact, had him glancing to double check the number on the brick facade of the three story rowhouse; sure-enough it read ‘101 Dalmatian Street’. A shroud of coal smoke choked the narrow alleyway, clinging to the soot-blackened brick.
“You’re in the right place,” The Pomeranian answered the unspoken question, “But I’m not the one you’re looking for.”
Angel opened the door fully to stand in the frame, and Lucky blushed at the state of undress the sandy furred Pomeranian was in. A white button up shirt hung off the woman's frame and reached down to just above her knees. The neckline of the shirt was wide enough that while one end was tucked up against her neck the other slipped down her shoulder, showing off a hint of the light blonde fur that made up her coloration.
“Yeah,” Lucky smiled, removing his flat-cap and holding it with both hands. “I’m running through the spares list, and Dolly’s name came up. Is she around?”
“The spares list?” Angel’s ears perked. She knew the list well, having been attached to it for a large part of her career. It was one of the toughest assignments of the lot. You took your turn when it came and you were liable for any class of service anywhere in your territory. “I didn’t know hostlers were on the spare?”
“She’s marked as an engineer.”
Angel felt her own ears kick up at that knowledge. “Well, Dolly is a little tied up at the moment,” The pom couldn’t help but make the light comment as she stepped out onto the front stoop of the rowhouse. “But I can let her know. What’s up?”
The gas street lamps, winking amber eyes against the encroaching night, cast long, grotesque shadows that danced with the rhythmic rattle of a hansom cab rumbling down the cobblestones. By the way he averted his eyes politely, she realized that the light added a hint of transparency to the thin fabric of her shirt, which revealed that underneath, Angel was completely nude. She could feel the warm night air against her bare legs, and she crossed her arms over her chest to recover some decency.
“We’ll need her for sure at 4am. Merchandise freight southbound for Atlanta. It’s running late and needs to move ahead of the Morning Mail.”
“What’s the engine?” Angel knew that new engineers on the spares list were not assigned their own locomotives yet. Instead, they took whatever was available.
“Dunno.” Lucky shrugged. He stood back and Angel could make out coal dust stains and patches on his clothing in the lamplight. “Chief didn’t say.”
She smiled gently. “That’s alright. The company needs the money and she needs the experience. Tell Ol’ Man Slade he has his engineer.”
Lucky’s tail wagged as he plopped his hat back on his head and turned to jog down the steps to the street. Angel took a deep breath and with a satisfied nod of her head, turned back towards the house. Her bushy tail caught the underside of the shirt, and kept it hiked up. Suddenly recalling something further, Lucky peered over his shoulder just in time to be presented with a very split-second view of the woman’s bare rump just before the door started to swing shut. The sight caught him off guard, but he quickly shook his senses back.
“Wait! Angel!”
The door eased open and Angel peeked out. Her floppy ears were tipped forward. “What is it?”
“You wouldn’t happen to know where I could um- find Scamp?” His cheeks reddened. “That is, if he’s not in there with you.”
“Sounds like someone else is getting called.” Angel gave a playful roll of her eyes. “I can relay a message.”
*******
Dolly threw back her head, her nose pointed up at the ceiling from her position on her back. She had been left alone for a few moments, inside a vision-less void. Her ears perked at the soft tickle of a ragtime that came from a nearby gramophone. She blinked, yet her vision was nothing but darkness. A deliciously soft silk scarf was wrapped around her eyes, tied neatly behind her head. Her short head-fur made it relatively easy, with nothing in the way of the pretty bow that crowned the back of her head. Its tails fell alongside her massive triangular ears. The dalmatian tried to move to pull the blindfold away, only to remember that she was bound at the wrists.
Going by feeling, she recognized the sensation of marvelously smooth sheets and thick warm covers against her skin. It was so delightfully softer than she was used to, stripped down to her underwear. A deep red lacy set that her girlfriend had procured as a gift. Given the quality, Dolly imagined that Angel had been saving up for some time in order to afford them. The red contrasted harmoniously with the dark black ‘sleeves’ of her fur pattern that ran up each arm and leg.
She had waited all day for this moment, watching each of her family member depart for the day. The Dearly family was known for its size, and the number of Dolly’s siblings was in the multiple digits. Even now, having moved out from her mother and father’s place, she still roomed with a brother of the same age, three slightly younger sisters who were discovering the benefits of being 18, and a younger brother.
Her arms were pulled up and over her head and tied to the bed frame. Though she would hardly know it because the binds around her wrists felt so soft. They were firm and thick, only permitting her to squirm slightly, but they were more comfortable than tight, and they did not chafe. Whatever she had been bound with, it was lined and padded with a soft, fuzzy material that tickled her wrists slightly. Her legs were free at least. Frustrated, curious, and excited, Dolly awaited her passionate fate.
She had worked hard to get the house to herself. Having grown up teasing her brother of his many fleeting yet obsessive crushes, she suddenly found herself in their shoes. But none of that mattered right now. All that Dolly cared for was the blonde furred Pomeranian who was hopefully guiding someone away from the front door.
Through the bed, the dalmatian felt a body slide up next to hers. A set of fingers began dancing gently over her sides and around the camisole style bra, causing her to inadvertently let out happy giggles.
“H-hey!” she squeaked. “Easy there!”
“You really are a popular pup.” The familiar voice teased. “Comfortable?”
“Don’t tell me it was one of my brother’s dullard friends,” Dolly pouted. “The first weekend we get the whole house to ourselves, and he would have someone over.”
“Not quite.” The dalmatian felt soft lips press gently against her cheek in a little peck. She then heard Angel’s voice whisper in her ear. “Congrats Miss engineer. It was our old friend, the Western & Atlantic. You’ve been called.”
The dalmatian's cheeks went a deep shade of pink. “Called. My first trip? On my own?”
“You marked up. That means you’re on the spares list.”
“You’re kidding? Tonight!” The dalmatian’s voice cracked with disbelief. “But it’s been a whole month since we last played. We were just getting started.”
“I know, it’s a bit of a hang-up. Figures, don't it.” Angel sighed, but it barely reflected the displeasure that the dalmatian felt.
“Ugh. Can’t we tell them to find someone else?”
“This is your first trip! You don’t have enough seniority to turn the call away.” Angel’s muzzle nudged the side of the dalmatian’s face. “Besides, you booked it when you marked up.”
“Yeah, but I was eleventh out yesterday morning. I checked the board in the office.”
“It’s the weekend, Spots. There wouldn’t be a soul available by midnight. Everyone calls out because they don’t run freight trains on Sunday. I could have told you that.”
“This is bulls-”
Dolly’s curse was silenced as those soft lips pressed against hers, pecking gently, before giving way to a deeper kiss. A hand pressed against her chest, and carefully guided her flat onto her back, Angel’s lips never leaving hers. The poor dalmatian could hardly complain about such an intrusion. Her insides were squirming with delight, but the situation was still frustrating.
Angel pulled away. “You could always put in for yard work. Be home each day.”
“Then what’s the point of even marking up?” Dolly muttered. “Go forward, go back, go forward again. Would have just stayed in the roundhouse moving engines around. That’s not for me.”
“Then you're gonna have to get used to being called. That’s the name of the game.”
“I just, sorta, well.” She paused, forming the question on her mind. “Why can’t you mark up too and be my fireman? You have the hours, the pay is better, and you're good at it.”
There was a silent heartbeat as the movement of the body next to her went still. Even with the blindfold on, the dalmatian could see in her mind the pensive look on her girlfriend’s face.
“The 97 crew were my first real family. They took me in when I had nothing.” Angel spoke in a voice barely above a whisper. “Sure, I might work with others. But being a brakeman means I’ll always have that opportunity to work with my family.”
“But you have me. Doesn't that count too?”
“Of course, it does!”
“Then why not? It just makes sense.” Dolly caught herself, then took a deep breath. “I get that this thing we have is open. But you're my girlfriend and I just want to do this with you.”
The weight from the body next to her shifted, and the dalmatian could feel a set of warm thighs pressing up against her own. The Pomeranian was laying down alongside her.
“As sweet as that is to hear, you have everything you need to do this.” Dolly felt Angel's hands start exploring her body as she spoke. Ever so gently squeezing her hips before moving up and along her sides. “I’ve seen you handle a locomotive. With time comes experience, and with experience comes skill.”
“It’s not that I’ve lost my nerve, and I get it that you’re attached to your crew. But...” She paused as the pom’s fingers gently tickled her midsection and Dolly could feel her tracing around the black spots. The dalmatian found herself taking deep breaths, before quietly asking again. “You think you’ll ever mark up?”
“Maybe one day,” Angel soothed, finding Dolly’s hands above her head and lacing their fingers. “But you got this tonight. I have faith in you, Spots.”
Dolly allowed a light smile. “Heh, yeah. I just hate that we’re not going to-”
She was interrupted by another kiss on her lips. Gentle, affectionate kisses were proving to be Angel's favorite way to interrupt her girlfriend and control the conversation. Dolly couldn't help but respond in kind. She rolled her jaw and her lips slid along Angel’s until the pom pulled back.
When the kissing stopped next, she felt a slender finger press against her lips, and heard the familiar voice whispering in her ear. “We still have some time before you have to head to the yard.”
“Oh, do we?” The dalmatian grinned ear to ear as the finger slipped away. Her smile formed little dimples underneath the blindfold.
She soon felt Angel's hands exploring her body again. One gently stroked her floppy ears while another explored her sides, settling on her hip. It was promptly joined by the hand that had been petting, as fingers gently traced the waistband of those red silk panties.
“Just a little wiggle room. But I’m sure we can put it to good use.”
The two dogs snuggled up next to each other, Angel's fingers tracing little patterns over Dolly's spotted body, every swirl slower and gentler than the last. Soon, Dolly felt Angel’s arms curl around her torso. The pom had ditched the shirt, and Dolly felt her bare breasts pressing into her side as they cuddled. The dalmatian’s brow furrowed and she squirmed only slightly, as a single finger twirled around and over her stomach.
“Holding back?” The Pomeranian asked in a deep and low tone.
“B-b-bow waka wo-ow.” came the stuttered response.
“Where on earth did you pick that phrase up?” She heard Angel laugh warmly, and then slip away from her.
The pom’s fingers hooked around the waistband of the dalmatian’s panties, gently tugging them down, then pulling them over the blindfolded woman’s feet. Her body arched as hands landing on each of her hips and the wet touch of a nose brushed against her thighs. Angel trailed little kisses closer and closer to her girlfriend's crotch.
Dolly bit her lower lip and groaned as a warm breath and then a gentle tongue ran painfully slowly over her labia. The dalmatian’s hands balled into fists, and twisted against their bonds. She could only whimper, moan and squirm as Angel's wonderful tongue found her clitoris. Had her thin tail not been pinned against the bed, it would have been wagging merrily.
They lay there like that with the pom snuggled up between her legs, lapping at her clit with pinpoint accuracy. Dolly whimpered desperately, bending to the will of her affectionate lover. Little flicks of her tongue gave way to ever so gentle sucking and kissing. Her girlfriend grabbed her white hips and pulled her down lower on the bed, bringing her face deep between her thighs. Angel’s tongue went to work. She slid it up and down the warm folds, flicked Dolly’s clit, and finally slid her tongue inside. She swirled it around against the dalmatian's petals as Dolly started to gyrate her hips, beginning that involuntary but inevitable journey to ecstasy. All the while, she felt Angel’s hands wander over her spotted body, caressing while her tongue explored inside her.
Quite soon, Dolly found her body trembling, her breath hitching, and lusty moans passing through her lips; followed by a series of yelps as Angel gently drew an orgasm out of her. It was a familiar but overwhelming sensation that ran from her toes to the top of her head, a tingling that made her feel so amazing. No moan escaped her lips, her mouth was etched in an O as she went competently silent, her voice stolen. After a second or two, she trembled, gasped and finally moaned as Angel went on licking, sucking and kissing, enhancing the pleasure. It wasn't until Dolly was panting and basking in her afterglow that she felt Angel pull away from her, and her own hands landed on each side of her body.
The bed was shifting. She felt warmth as Angel slipped up her torso and sat atop her. The pom’s hands snaked underneath Dolly’s bra, and cupped the dalmatian’s petite breasts.
“Don't expect me to go that easy on you in the future.” She whispered deeply into Dolly's ear. “You know I can torture the orgasms out of you, nice and slow. But you've been so cute tonight, and we have no time to lose.” Angel gave her girlfriend a gentle squeeze.
“Oh, I can take it.” Dolly beamed, snuggling into her captor's embrace as best as her bonds would allow. With the final tremors of pleasure passing over her, it felt nice to cuddle. “Anything you can dish out, I can throw right back at you.”
“Mmm. Is that so?” Angel cooed, bumping the blindfolded dog’s nose with her own. “Better not be speaking empty threats, dear spotted one.”
“Just you wait. Good thing your name is Angel, ‘cause when it’s my turn I will send you to heaven.”
There was no more sex on the menu - not for that night anyway - but Angel still held her tight. Dolly felt an encouraging squeeze on her bosom, followed by another loving kiss against her warm lips. Like before, the kiss was gentle at first, only to be taunted into more force as Angel's tongue sneaked between her teeth. Dolly opened her mouth wide and returned the motion, and perhaps a little hastily, began to eagerly explore her lover’s mouth. She savored the kiss, drawing it out as much as she reasonably could. A moment passed before Angel pulled away from the embrace
The pom’s hands left her chest, and cupped each of the dalmatian’s cheeks. With her mouth open in a heavy pant, Dolly trembled as her girlfriend stroked her headfur and kissed her forehead in a moment of pure affection. Angel still didn't untie her, though. She gently turned Dolly's still blindfolded head to its side and the dalmatian felt something hard and smooth press against her lips. She recognized it as a glass dildo that they had set aside for use that night. It seemed that Angel wasn’t about to let the night go without putting the toy to some sort of use. Dolly opened her mouth and accepted the phallus being fed into her muzzle, more than happy to submit to the woman that was lying next to her.
“There, that should keep the complaining to a minimum.” The pom teased.
“Mwah-ack-mufa lumpha guh.”
“I couldn’t agree more.”
With that done, and Dolly accepting her fate with no complaints, Angel seemed satisfied. The pom untied her wrists, but the blindfold and dildo remained. Angel then climbed onto the bed next to her naked friend and lover, and slid her strong arms around Dolly's shoulder to pull the dalmatian towards her.
“There will be plenty of time for fun later,” Angel’s tone was soft now, but still confident. “But you have a train to catch soon.”
Dolly was happy to roll onto her side and into the arms of the woman who had just turned her world upside down. She cuddled into the naked pom’s light body, and enjoyed the valuable moments they still had.
“Keep the underwear on. It can be your good-luck charm.”
**************
The coal fire in the hearth crackled its last hurrah, sending dying embers skittering across the stone floor. At the Watering Hole, the night's revelry had finally run dry, leaving behind a tide of empty tankards and a few weary souls seated well in the back of the dining room, out of sight and out of mind. They nursed their final drams, furry faces etched with the remnants of the night's excesses. Their number was able to be counted on one hand. The air was infused with the lingering scents of whiskey and the faint aroma of extinguished cigarettes. Its worn wooden surfaces bathed in the soft glow of muted oil lights. The once boisterous chatter had faded, replaced by the gentle ticking of an old clock that chimed out the midnight hour.
Behind the big oak bar, shelves adorned with bottles of various shapes and sizes stood in orderly rows, their labels catching the dim light. From her perch behind the mahogany bar, the lioness surveyed the battlefield. Empty glasses, remnants of the night's revelry, awaited cleansing, arranged neatly on the counter.
Tonight, however, there was a different air about the woman, a hush heavier than the smoke that still clung to the rafters. Her barmaid's uniform, a white shirt with a plunging neckline and a starched apron cinched around her powerful waist, was a far cry from the aristocratic silks worn by a woman of stature. She stood with both arms folded along the edge of the counter-top, ears pitched forward. Her fur, the color of aged copper, shimmered in the firelight, while a lit blunt smoldered between the fingers of her right hand.
The gray terrier knelt underneath the bar, visible only to her. She was standing with her legs spread, and his arms fully up her skirt as he blindly felt his way around. He looked up at her and watched as her cobalt eyes, sharp as any knife, scanned the motley crew of patrons seated in the back.
“What’s taking you so long?” Vitani growled, subtly glancing down. Her thin tail quivered. “Lost your way?"
Scamp grinned, his stubby tail wagging like a metronome from outside his trousers. “Nah, just following the scent of something spicy. And judging by that twitch of your tail, I'd say I found it.”
They had sat and chatted for a long while, just enjoying each other’s company. They touched each other, discreetly at first, then more and more. Until this moment, when under the pretense of swinging around to snatch a new bottle, he ducked under the bar-top and hid among the racks stored underneath. From there, temptation took over.
“Easy Termite! You wanna get caught?”
“What’s the matter, afraid of a little showing off?” Very slowly, he started caressing her legs, working his hands up and down them and enjoying the feel of the muscle.
Vitani's playful growl turned into a purr. “You talk too much. You sure you're not a hyena in disguise?"
“Nah, what I turn into only happens when the moon's full,” He winked. “And my laugh is much more charming.”
“You really like to push your luck, doncha?”
Scamp’s voice was playfully low. “Only for you, mistress.”
“Oh, now you’re serious.” Vitani choked a laugh, a deep, rumbling sound that sent shivers down Scamp's scruffy spine. “All the things I’m going to do to you tonight.”
His hand was arched over, palm up, against the patch of thin fabric that covered her mound. The lioness acted and rocked her hips forward, pushing her lotus into his hand. He looked up at her, but from the way she was leaning, he couldn't see her face. That was too bad, because he loved the way she looked when she was being pleasured. Slowly the young mutt worked his fingers into the waistband of her panties, and pulled them down. He lifted one of her legs, then the other, and pulled her undergarments off and tucked them into the apron pocket. Then, he ducked under her skirt, letting the cloth fall over his shoulders.
He maneuvered himself closer to her mound, then grabbed her buttocks with both hands before licking and kissing the inside of her thighs teasingly upwards. As he pursed his lips and exhaled hot breath over her warm mound, Vitani responded with a slight hop, and he could feel the heat from her love. With a soft sigh, he pressed his lips against her and gave her vagina a long kiss.
The female shivered a light moan, and he could tell by the muffled way her breathing had become that she had stationed one hand over her mouth, attempting to cover gasps that gave way to moans in case one suddenly escaped her louder than she wanted it to. Scamp smiled, his mouth pressed against her. He loved the way she smelled and tasted. As tough as she acted, and there was to be no doubt in his mind who was in control when they laid together, Vitani easily turned into putty when the right buttons were pressed.
Her other hand found the back of his head through the skirt, and she possessively pressed him into her. The dog kept his muzzle tucked into her, while his lips and tongue moved over her labia. After a few seconds of rolling his jaw as he made out with the feline’s lower lips, Scamp slid his tongue into her and found her clit. He flicked it and she responded by grinding down into him. At first he inquisitively prodded, before licking in heavy, rhythmic strokes. Soon he was licking her all over, sucking her clit into his mouth, sliding his tongue inside her, spreading her lips wide, and blowing on her nub. The lioness’s legs shuttered together around his head, her soft thighs quieting all noise for a moment except for the rushing blood of his racing heartbeat. He could feel her tensing, so he cemented his pace, lapping and pushing relentlessly, just the right way until-
A creak from the door announced a new arrival. Vitani’s legs tightened more and became still.
“A-Angel!” The lioness stuttered, surprised.
Between her legs, Scamp instantly stopped his ministrations, and struck his head on the underside of the bar as he pulled away. He poked his head out above the bar, eyes and nose just peeking out over the edge to see a familiar sandy blonde female standing hesitantly in the doorway. His gray ears tumbled down as Angel’s eyes landed on the lioness with a sly smile. Even though their relationship was open, getting caught by Angel herself was a sudden shock, and the dog felt a wave of anxiety and embarrassment wash over him.
The pom strolled up to the bar with a grin, her tail swaying side to side with each step. “You know, Scamp, when you said you were going down to the hole for the last call, I was expecting you meant a different kind of drink.”
“Oh, hiyah Angel. I was uh, just- picking up some lost change.”
“Uh-huh.” Angel shook her head and tisked, pretending to be disappointed, despite her arched ears and wagging tail exclaiming otherwise. The male knew her well enough to know she was going to draw this out. “The mirror says otherwise.”
Scamp and Vitani both looked over their shoulders in unison at the mirror behind the bar. With the way the lioness arched her back, if anyone had been standing and looking down, they could have seen him tucked within her skirt in the reflection. Scamp chortled to himself in awkward embarrassment, while Vitani’s brow furrowed and she curled her lip in annoyance. She turned her head away, frowning, but Scamp felt her slender tail curl around one of his legs.
“I need to chat with Tenderfoot,” Angel requested. “Two pints, please, ‘Tani, if it's not too late.”
The lioness growled. “Why not? Pull up a stool! Let’s see what else the evening has in store.” The lioness twirled on her heels and started to make for the rack of bottles, taking a drag on her cigarette. Scamp could only just hear her mutter, “Now that it’s been yanked from me.”
“Just put it on my tab,” He called out quickly.
“Oh, it’s coming out of you one way or another,” came Vitani’s reply.
Scamp hopped around the bar and Angel landed a playful punch on the terrier’s shoulder. Her curly tail wagged with pleasure.
“I see someone likes living dangerously.” She smirked, sliding into the stool next to him. “Guess I’m going to have to start peering under tables from now on. ‘Tani talk you into that?”
“Just my natural charms.” The mutt flashed a toothy smile.
“Coming from Mr. Wild Dog, I don’t buy that for a second.” Angel snickered. “She has you on a leash, doesn't she?”
“No, really!” Scamp held his hands up. “It was a spur of the moment sorta thing. We saw an opportunity and took it.”
“Is that so? Well, I’ll have to find some way to get you back on her behalf.”
“I thought you were spending the night with Dolly?”
“She got called.” There was a note of disappointment in her tone.
“Really! Leave it to the Western & Atlantic to know when to knock.” He shook his head side to side, then his ears perked and his gaze shot up to meet hers. Quickly adding; “Well, I have the night off.”
“No you don’t, Tenderfoot. You’ve been called for the same train. Rotten luck huh?”
“You’re kidding? Crap. The railroad is really sticking it in everyone’s love life tonight.” The grin faded, but only slightly. “What’s the run?”
“Merchandise freight, southbound. Four in the morning.” Angel’s voice lowered, and her tone grew serious. “It’s also Dolly’s first time as an engineer.”
“Sounds like you have some concerns?”
“I’ve been concerned since the day I met you.” Angel snickered, before dropping her tone back into a low note just above a whisper. “No. She seemed really nervous. Really tried to twist my arm to mark up with her.”
“I don’t blame her.” A wide grin spread across the mutt’s tousled muzzle. “One look at that pretty smile and all sorts of fires start burning.”
“Subtle as always, Tenderfoot.” She chuckled. “No. Dolly was just being very jumpy about the whole thing.”
Scamp’s ears tipped down, and the smile vanished. “You think she’s afraid to be on her own?”
“Without a doubt, but I think it’s more than just using me as a crutch.”
“Well, what then?”
“I think she’s having a hard time keeping this non-competitive.” She motioned with her hand to the space between the two of them. “She wants to impress me. So, keep an eye on her for me, would you?”
Scamp nodded so that his floppy ears bobbed. “Sure! I won’t let her fall on her face…. too hard.”
Vitani returned with two mugs, each crowned with a bit of foam like freshly-fallen snow. “Alright, lovebirds. Two Black Hearts, as ordered,” she announced, “Frothy enough to sail a paper boat, and bitter enough to cure a broken heart.”
Angel snatched her mug and raised it towards the other two. “I suppose tonight’s toast should be made in honor of late trains and spoiled dates.”
The bell above the pub door tinkled. Both Angel and Scamp’s heads turned in unison. There stood Lucky, standing with a bashful smile and his hands holding his hat before him, pressed against his chest. There was only one reason for the call-boy to have stepped into the pub, and he scanned the room with a frantic intensity before seeing the two dogs seated at the bar. His eyes landing squarely on Angel.
“Better yet,” Scamp smiled, raising his own chipped mug. “To love, laughter, and liquid courage!” He took a deep swig, then licked his lips. “I think we’re all going to need it.”
**************
Marceline Railyard
The drone of cicadas filled the night air, while a gentle breeze wafted light clouds of smoke across the railroad yard. A yard locomotive, an old demoted "goat" of Civil War ancestry, busily clawed at the end of several lines of cars, taking some cars off and adding others. Her wheels screeched on the thin rails as she assembled the merchandise freight. Thick clouds of smoke rose from the roundhouse as locomotives got steam for the night, or slowly cooled down for a rest after a dash over the Georgia hills. A tapestry of stars shone down on this mass of activity, illuminated by the moonlight and the dancing bobbins of light that were the railroaders’ lanterns.
Dolly walked across the dirt and gravel-strewn tracks, stepping over each rail with an eased practice. Her thin tail was held taught, and her lower lip curled as she followed the glow of her lantern. The Marceline depot was awash in a dim glow from its lamps. She checked the callboard as soon as she entered the depot office. The callboard was a giant chalkboard with dowels slotted into neat columns of punched holes. Each of the T-shaped dowel heads bore a name. Whenever a call list was made Chief would shift the names to correspond with crew assignments, in this way the train crews were made up.
“Well, that’s official." The dalmatian swallowed as she examined the board, her hands on her hips. The peg that read: "Dolly D." had already been moved to the extra list.
Mainline railroading on single track was a grueling business. With the boom in traffic and only so many engines to go around, the handling of a train over the division became a challenge. Weather and rail conditions were frequently adverse, train orders were confusing, and some engines lacked the efficiency of good repair, regardless of the efforts of Aleu and the roundhouse crew. The dash through the ice and snow with the circus train was not far from the young engineer’s mind. Already her ears were tipping back as she remembered that she wouldn’t have Angel along for this run.
Running a finger down the board, she found her fireman. Her ears perked up and she cocked her mouth. “Who on earth is Tod Tweed?”
Instantly, a growl snapped up in her throat as she realized he too was from the extra board. Newly promoted, she instantly recognized his inexperience as a potential handicap in getting the train over the road. Dolly shook her head hard enough to make both ears flop. She was so annoyed at this revelation that she wheeled around from the board without even checking who the conductor and brakeman were. Instead, she grabbed her paperwork from atop the big roll up desk that stood next to the call-board, and stomped out into the yard to find her locomotive.
The Western and Atlantic Railroad's fleet of high-stacked coal-burning locomotives was housed in a number of garages, one of which being the Marceline Roundhouse. Although it had nine stalls, only five or six locomotives were typically kept there. A haze that smelt like hot oil, steam, burning wood and coal hovered above them. Dolly found her machine sitting over on the service track, next to the coal tower and water tank. One of the hostlers had set the engine there for her to inspect before accepting. Had it been her own, she would have been required to fetch it herself from the roundhouse.
The U.B. Bold was one of the railroad’s older purchases. With three sets of drive wheels and a single pilot truck, she was known as a ‘mogul’ class. A train crew all but owned their locomotive and they took pride in her. They'd buy her handsome trim, bells and whistles, keep her paint touched up, shine the jacket, and polish the brass. Yet a new engineer would rarely be granted the privilege of a permanently assigned locomotive. Instead, they would be handed a locomotive that was in the process of re-allocation, or drifted around as a spare in times of booming traffic.
Under the dim light of her kerosene torch, Dolly began to prepare for the run by going around and oiling the machine. Weather and grime had faded and chipped the trim paint, and the brass numbers and name on the front end were faded with tarnish. The smokebox was red with rust and the stack had pinprick holes in it from where the thrust of the exhaust had worn through the metal. Dolly noted that there was sand on the frame and cinders on the boiler jacket. The air reservoirs and running gear were coated with grease from worn rod bushings and oil from leaky pipe connections. The rods were loose on the pins and would knock and rattle. The brake shoes were down to the last quarter inch. The mud ring was leaking and the air pump was loose on the bracket.
The dalmatian’s ears dipped behind her head as she moved around her locomotive and inspected closely. The more she saw, the less she liked. The drive wheel tires were worn smooth as glass, and the spring rigging was distorted by the uneven distribution of weight. The engine would be a rough rider and she would slip her wheels uncontrollably when it came to a hard pull. Dolly climbed onto the running boards and checked the sand to make sure it was flowing, then looked at a set of brand new, shiny safety valves.
The spotted engineer cocked her mouth and groaned. That told her all she needed to know. The U.B. Bold had been set aside for some class 1 repairs. Then, no doubt Aleu and Chief got into one of their classic arguments. The safeties were all the roundhouse wolf had been able to install before the Bold was yanked from her hands and returned to ‘emergency’ service.
With Chief Slade, it was always an emergency. In her honest opinion, Dolly thought the U.B. Bold wasn’t fit to go anywhere unless it was back under Aleu’s muzzle in the shop. A good engine is half the battle on any given day. It was bad enough to be handicapped by a green fireman and her own inexperience, but a wheezing mess like this! The best thing to do would be to get rid of the machine before they started. She set her torch on the pilot beam, and hopped down. Once she accepted the locomotive, whatever came next would be her responsibility. With a stern grimace, Dolly headed for the depot.
She found Chief standing at the clerk’s desk and looking through a ledger book. He looked up with a hard stare as the dalmatian crossed her arms and hiked a hip, her eyes narrowed and mouth set into a frown.
“Whatcha want?” the wolfhound growled.
“Oh, I dunno? How about a locomotive that won’t spin her head off whenever I happen to glance at the throttle!”
“She’s all we got.” The hound’s tail quivered and he looked at the clock. “You best get going. You’re due off the shop track in five minutes.”
“I counted four good locomotives as I walked past the roundhouse!”
“All belong to other crews, and all have assignments.” He paused. “What the dickens is it about the U.B. Bold that’s got yah all wound up? That’s a prime locomotive with six drive wheels! A good ‘un.”
“I haven’t tried the whistle yet!” She leaned against the door jamb. “Maybe that part of her is okay.”
Chief raised a weary eyebrow. “Smart mouthed thing, aren’t ya? Well, that might have won you favor in the roundhouse, but it won’t get you far with me! You’ll have to take her. I got nothin’ else.”
Dolly marched across the office to the crew ledger book. “Alright, I’ll take the scut. But I’m going to write that she’s a mess and unfit, and you can do all the worrying.” She grabbed the pencil and reached for the book, turning a page. “If anything happens on the road, you won’t be able to drag me into whatever hell you’re paying.”
The hound put a hand over the book. Looking up, Dolly saw that the wolfhound’s ears had flattened against his skull and he dipped his muzzle. “You don’t need to put it in the book.” He stated. “You made your protest. That’s enough. Anything more is as useful as a milk bucket under a bull.”
Dolly raised an eyebrow. “You don’t want Aleu knowing you pulled a scut from her shop.”
“I said that’s enough!” Chief rumbled. “The wires have been burning up all day! Yelling for engines. I’d give you another one if I had one, frankly. And Aleu knows about the Bold, but she and I reached an – agreement.” His eyes darted out the window. “Did some fancy dancing. But I convinced her to see things my way. The Bold’s going back to the shop as soon as this trip is done, but she’s been inspected and cleared. She looks worse than she is.”
Dolly gave an inquisitive tilt of her head. She wondered exactly what it was that Chief had done to convince the meticulous roundhouse wolf to stop work on a locomotive when she had it in the shop.
“I saw the new safety valves,” she grunted.
“Aleu wouldn’t let me have the locomotive without them. We put a fire in the rattler’s belly as soon as they went on.”
The dalmatian sighed.
“If you don’t think you can handle her,” Chief added, “I can always get another engineer with some whiskers and a steady hand. We got plenty of them, ready to march.”
Dolly tossed the pencil onto the desk. That had done it. “Better keep steam on the crane. You might need it to pick up the pieces.”
“I hope you can keep your engine as hot as your pride. Otherwise you’re double useless, and I’ll kick you back down to the roundhouse till you learn to cool off!”
The dalmatian snorted, and stomped from the office, her thin tail almost perfectly straight.
**************
Dolly’s brow was deeply furrowed as she dragged her heels against the depot floor, disgusted with her luck rather than mad. The dog sighed to herself, looking at the silver lining that if she could handle a locomotive like the Bold at its worst, she would have little to fear later on. That’s how Angel would have looked at it. Stepping out onto the depot platform, she found a familiar smoky gray male juggling his food pail, lanterns, and paperwork as he walked out of the crew office.
Scamp was carefully stuffing a sheaf of papers, switch lists and car waybills, into a suspender strap. He stopped and perked his ears instantly. A second passed between them as each realized who the other was. Scamp seemed to come to terms quicker, and he responded with a wagging tail and a goofy smile.
“Hiyah! You must be Dolly! The name’s Scamp! I’ve heard quite a bit about you.”
Dolly blushed and her ears lay flat. Here she was, face to face with her girlfriend’s male lover. When he was out of sight and out of mind, it seemed like he didn’t exist. But now, here he was, charming smile and all. “Heh, yeah. Same goes for you.”
“You're the engineer tonight?” He asked, but somehow Dolly figured he already knew.
“Y-yeah!”
Scamp let out a snort. “Unlucky night for all of us. Angel also got called not long after she found me, and I got called to work your train.”
“Unlucky doesn’t count for half of it.” Dolly grumbled.
“Yeah! I thought you two were going to have some girl-time!” Scamp wiggled an eyebrow at that word, then let out a warm laugh. His stubby tail wagged enough to shift his belt side to side. “Oh, I’ve been there before. I always seem to be the one getting called. So, not only do I have my night cut short, but I have to go to work. It’s never fair, am I right?”
The dalmatian blinked. Then suddenly she felt very stupid. Of course, he and Angel would have had private time interrupted by the railroad. They had been together much longer, both professionally, and privately. Dolly shifted uneasily, feeling the light clasp of the lingerie under her clothing.
“Right, yeah. It, uh, happened to me.” She looked down, cheeks blushing red. She couldn’t tell if he was covering up her awkward embarrassment with friendliness, or just too dense to realize how uncomfortable she was. “We were doing things, and uh, yeah. Knock on the door and here I am.”
“Cheer up. We have a long morning ahead of us, and you got me now on your team! I’m a real expert.” He thumbed his chest. “Although Angel usually does all the paperwork. But I know it all by heart, it just takes me a little longer.”
“Wait!” Dolly’s eyes brightened, realizing what Scamp’s presence might indicate. “If Angel also got called, does that mean she’s coming along too?”
Scamp shook his head. “No. She’s going to be on a fast mail later this morning. So, she’s home, probably sleeping. Ever since that whole shipwrecking disaster, our whole crew has been split up.”
“Crap.” Dolly kicked a small chunk of ballast off the wooden platform. Her mood soured again. “Unlucky again.”
“Could be worse. We could be working a passenger train, you should have seen Angel! She hates passenger trains.”
“She does?” Dolly hiked a brow.
Scamp nodded vigorously. “Oh yeah! We both do. You have to get clean and wear sharp clothing and deal with passengers. Give me a load of coal any day!” He snorted so hard his ears flopped. “Coal doesn’t complain. Coal stays right where you want it and you don’t have to do anything but move it.”
“Hey!” Chief’s voice came from inside the depot. Both Dolly and Scamp swung around in his direction. “I hear a lot of chit-chat for a train that was supposed to have its locomotive ten minutes ago! I got three more freights that need to get out behind yah. Time’s burnin’!”
Scamp stuck his tongue out in the direction of the depot door, and Dolly couldn’t help but snicker.
“Careful. That’s playing with fire!” She giggled.
“Ah, the old man doesn’t scare me. Chief’s just a big softie once you get to know him. And don’t worry, what happens on the road stays on the road. I’m no tattler. See you in the yard!”
The gray mutt’s ears perked up as he turned on his heels and saddled off across the maze of tracks, his stubby tail wagging merrily. Dolly could just catch the tune of ‘whiskey in the jar’ humming into a slow fade as he walked away. She smiled. If anything, Scamp seemed like he loved fun. And that made him alright in her book.
************************
A red furred husky on his way across the yard put his hands over his ears and turned away as the U.B. Bold stormed past, bell clanging, leaving the service tracks and heading for the yard. Dolly hung out the window and watched the other railroader grit his teeth. She rolled her eyes and fancied that he knew of that locomotive, and was staying clear in case the machine threw a rod. She knew Aleu wouldn’t let a locomotive that was truly dangerous out on the road…but her mood was souring her thoughts on the hunk of iron. The old pot seemed to have one virtue: a generous capacity for making steam. The big gauge was holding steady, and Dolly was finding the machine very responsive to her touch.
She reached up and gave a tug on the whistle. The shrill banshee wail echoed about the yard. Looking out the cab window, she spotted the sand-house. It was a common practice to make a stop here and load up with sand, but Dolly was eager to get onto the road, and she rolled past the structure without a second thought. They ran to the yard throat, then backed down onto the waiting freight train on the ready track. It was a mixed bag of cars. Some carried coal from the mines, others milk from the dairies, and some held steel from the foundries. The southbound merchandise would have its locomotive.
While the ground-crew assisted with coupling the Bold onto the train, she observed her fireman from the corner of her eye. He was a bright-faced fox with a bushy tail and black tipped ears. He seemed unable to hold the scoop without fidgeting with it. Dolly wondered if he was not too sure of himself or the task at hand. His vest was open, and he wore brand new boots. She knew he was fresh for the job, yet he seemed to have a few years on her in age.
“Been firing long?” the dalmatian asked, laying an arm across the back of her seat.
The fox opened the firebox doors and checked the condition of the fire. His red fur seemed to blaze with the light. “Huh? Oh, yeah, a few weeks.” He looked up at her. “Name's Tod. Tod Tweed.”
“Ain't that a tongue twister.” Dolly rolled her eyes playfully. “I got my own. Dilly Dolly Dog Do, at your service. You can just call me Dolly.”
“Is that really your full name!” Tod tilted his head.
“No, but I just like to say it!”
Tod closed the clamshell fire doors. “Wait. If my hide isn't tanned!” The fox crossed his arms and leaned against the cab wall. “Aren’t you that hostler that had a runaway train last winter?”
“That wasn’t my fault!” The dalmatian snapped. “And I’ve been marked up! I’m an engineer now.”
“Golly, just my rotten luck. A fresh engineer who's already nearly been wrecked.”
“Your luck!” Dolly’s smile faded, replaced by a sigh of frustration. “I got dragged from a steamy date for this!”
“I don’t need any more trouble. Chief is already gunning for my hide.” The fox plopped down in the fireman’s seat and kicked on the injector. “That fusspot keeps looking for a way to get me off this road!”
“Sounds rough.” Dolly remarked, “Forget about Chief. There won’t be any trouble as long as you can keep this thing hot.”
“Oh, I reckon I can do that!” His voice steady but with a hint of uncertainty as he eyed her. “The rest is up to you.”
Twenty minutes later, after the brakes had been checked and Scamp waved the lantern from the caboose, the freight train departed the yard. Dolly bounced over the grade crossings with a wail of the whistle, while Tod accompanied her with the bright ringing of the bell. They were just clearing the town when she started pulling back on the throttle to make a run for the first hill. Climbing out of Marceline, the track headed for the bridge over the river. This was a long and grueling grade, and southbound trains would have to fight just to get out of the town.
Dolly was laying down sand to give traction to the worn wheel treads, and for the most part was keeping the Bold from slipping. Exhaust poured from the stack as the locomotive worked hard to climb the grade. The din was terrific. The U.B. Bold was pounding and hammering and lurching so badly that Dolly began to wonder whether she was on the rails or on the ties. The vibration from the worn axle boxes and running gear was carried up through the frame even to the seat cushions and the dalmatian found herself setting her teeth to keep them from chattering.
Ordinary conversation was impossible under such conditions. “Keep your head in, Tod!” Dolly had to shout to be heard. “If anything lets go…”
Tod had her hot. To his credit, the gauge sat solid just below the yellow safety valve marker as two hundred and seventy pounds of pure steam pressure battled it out with thirty-three loaded freight cars and the backwards pull of gravity. Dolly felt a great relief. It meant a lot to have steam and plenty of it. She couldn’t help but be surprised by the sudden action and snappy nature of the freight locomotive. It seemed under the old paint and dirty coverings, there beat a savage heart.
The headlamp on the locomotive stabbed through the night in a jerky motion, swaying with the movement of the machine. They were on the hill now and the speed was dropping. Approaching the bend at the big bridge over the river, Dolly eased the throttle back. If the drivers started spinning on the curve, the speed would fall off quickly and all their progress would be lost as the train stalled. But slow and steady was the pace. The hard part was half a mile away, and it appeared they were going to make it!
The dalmatian jammed her tongue in the corner of her cheek and gradually started moving the Johnson bar forward to give more steam on each stroke of the pistons. But instead of picking up, the Bold seemed to be getting weaker. All that snap and power was suddenly fading, and fading fast. The safeties were still open, which was puzzling. That is, until Dolly looked over at the big gauge and saw that the pressure was dropping! Something was wrong, the safeties should have closed by now! All they were doing was venting all the steam, and their power, into the morning sky.
Dolly groaned. How much she wished Angel was there in the cab, with some kind words and a little experience to solve the deteriorating situation. But the Pomeranian wasn’t there, and instead, Tod was looking at the gauge just as confused as she was. The dalmatian had to close the throttle and cut off power, keeping enough water in the boiler to protect it. If all the water turned to steam and vented, the boiler might explode.
Tod didn’t seem to be much better. His ears were pinned back and he looked at Dolly with shame, more than annoyance, in his eyes. “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize she was bucking the steam. I just kept making it.”
Dolly suddenly felt sorry for her fellow railroader. It was clear by the way he hung his shoulders that he had been beaten before by circumstances, and was taking the results hard. “Nah, not your fault. I didn’t realize it either.”
“I’ll grab the shaker bar and be ready in case we have to dump the fire.” Tod swung around, his bushy tail twirling in his slipstream, and started sorting through the long iron rakes that set atop the tender.
They didn’t make it. The U.B. Bold sat down just fifty feet from the bridge and the crest of the grade. The needle on the steam gauge was dropping and the water level was winking at the very bottom of the sight glass. The safeties were continuing to blow feathers of steam, and the injector was pumping water with all its mechanical rapidity would allow. The threat of an explosion was gone, but something would have to be done quickly, or they would be forced to drop the fire to avoid burning the boiler. This situation was getting desperate. Behind them, Chief was lining up three more trains, and Dolly knew they would be at the signal behind them in a matter of minutes. It would start a ripple effect, a traffic jam of trains.
What would Angel have done…
Dolly grabbed the wrench from the toolbox, and swung out onto the running board. She found Scamp walking alongside the train, lantern in hand just as she popped out onto the board. The gray mutt’s ears were perked back, assaulted by the rush of steam.
“Let me guess, the safeties are stuck?” He called out.
“Like a stick in the mud!” The spotted dog grit her teeth as she approached the valves. “Figures, it’s the only thing on this hog that’s new!”
Scamp’s ears popped back, and his mouth curled into a deep frown. “Pops always said that you either close them, or leave them alone, depending upon your philosophy and nerve.”
“Philosophy isn’t really my thing, so I guess that leaves me with nerves.” She peered over the edge of the dome’s lip, and observed the valve at eye level. She realized that it was wobbling! It wasn’t stuck open, but was loose at the base where it threaded into the boiler. Another turn of the threads or two, and it would let go entirely and leave them with a hole in the boiler.
“It’s not stuck open!” Dolly whipped her head around to shout down at Scamp. “It’s just loose on the boiler!”
“I wouldn’t touch it!” Tod called from the opening onto the running board. He had joined them and was looking apprehensively at the feather of white steam that launched into the air. “Aleu says never to adjust a threaded plug on a boiler under pressure. If it goes, it will blow your head off like a firework! Let’s drop the fire and to hell with this thing and to hell with Chief.”
Scamp bit his lower lip. “I’ll second that. I think pops mentioned that too.”
The engineer’s ears snapped forward. “I bet you anything Chief put that fire in before Aleu could fully test this thing.”
“I can send out the flag.” Scamp offered, meaning he would run down the tracks to flag down the next train and seek help. “We’re not far from the yard. We can get a helper engine.”
Dolly clamped her eyes shut and grit her teeth. This was too much. Her tail was once again curled like a stiff wire. She knew the rules stated clearly that in cases of doubt or uncertainty, the safe course must be taken. Scamp was the voice of wisdom, and Tod was looking at what was the easiest course. But she ignored both. They had only gone seven miles, and how would it look to Angel if she had just given up the second things got hard? Further, if they called for a helper to assist that would tie up the whole of the yard as it tried to make its way past three freights that would be all stuck waiting for the mainline to clear. The hotshot mail train would then be delayed.
And it would all be her fault.
“Stand clear!” Dolly cried. She took a step back and welded the wrench forward like a weapon. Her eyes were narrow and her face locked into a cold expression.
“It’s dynamite, Dolly.” Tod backed into the cab. “If it lets go, you'll spread like dust!”
“Heh” She looked back at him with a sly smile. “Dynamite Dolly, I like the way that rings.”
Cautiously, she reached in with the wrench and took a grip on the valve. It was loose enough to turn with her fingers, but the escaping steam would have blown off her fur and seared her hand. Gently, she began to turn the valve. One turn, two turns, all while she shielded her face with a raised arm and her engineer’s goggles. Three turns and the escaping pressure lessened noticeably. A few more turns and the joint became tight. The valve shut with a whistle of steam, and there was suddenly silence. Outside of the ongoing chirp of the cicadas.
Dolly flicked the sweat from her brow and looked down at her companions. Scamp stood with a calm and composed expression, but his eyes flashed with glee. While Tod stood wide-eyed that the dalmatian had taken the chance.
“Better back down to the crossing at the junkyard, back towards town.” Dolly said with authority as she dropped back into the cab. “We’ll never lift this bundle where it stands.”
There was a level stretch of track back in town, just about halfway up the hill. It was lined on one side by the gray fence of the local junkyard. From there it would be possible to start the heavy train and lug it back up the grade. They had the Bold hot again and ready to proceed by the time they coasted backwards onto the level. Dolly checked her beat-up pocket watch, bought second hand, and noted that Chief’s first freight should be out of the yard and would be coming towards them with a wide-open throttle to hit the grade running. If she was still on the hill, that first freight would have to stop at the signal and probably stall.
Tod peered back over the tender. “We have eleven minutes to climb this hill. It’s gonna take it all, or more.”
Angel’s frowning face appeared in the back of Dolly’s mind.
“Then we’ll just give it all.” She grabbed the whistle lever and gave two blasts. “Those boxcars aren’t loaded with feathers and pillows and I’m not going down without a fight.”
The dalmatian grit her teeth and eased the valve gear into the forward position. Almost instantly, the locomotive slipped with a shriek of iron on iron. The Bold kept slipping badly despite the sanded rails, and they set off at a crawl. Dolly nursed the throttle. Those worn treads were a heavy handicap. The exhaust beats were accompanied by a blast of sparks out the stack, illuminating the thick plume of smoke in the darkness. Each time the engine spun its wheels the beat, as steady as a drum, would descend into a frantic cacophony of noise. Only to catch itself, settle down…and resume the rhythm of the climb.
Yard by yard, foot by foot, inch by inch, the engineer and her engine fought it out while valuable minutes sped by. Dolly could already hear all the questions being launched at her. Both in Chief and Aleu’s voices, and in Angel’s. How was the weather? Did she try the gauge cocks? Was the sand working on both sides? As if she could hang herself by her feet out the window and in the darkness watch how the sand trickled or didn’t trickle onto the rails.
“Come on…” the dalmatian whispered. “I could use a little help.”
As if whatever spirit inhabited the Bold heard her, the locomotive suddenly found traction and stopped slipping. Dolly blinked, dumbfounded. Possibly the sand was flowing harder? Sanders were notoriously fickle. Whatever it was, it was enough to feel the locomotive dig in and the speed started to pick up. The dalmatian’s heart leaped as the exhaust beats deepened and they heaved themselves over the crest and across the bridge. She watched the signal zip past the cab, and they left Marceline and Chief’s three trains behind them. They had made it, with seconds to spare.
The dalmatian felt herself relax in the seat, glancing over to see Tod dancing back and forth with the coal scoop. He closed the fire doors and looked up at her with a cocked mouth.
“Luck plays a part, doesn’t it?”
Dolly frowned. “I got us over, didn’t I?”
“I reckon you did.” He snorted. “You are one crazy engineer. Willing to blow yourself to bits for Chief’s schedule. Bless me to end up with you tonight.”
“Yeah, well you weren’t exactly my first choice either.” She could feel the soft texture of the lingerie under her clothing. “But I’m glad you’re here. If nothing else, you sure can keep a boiler hot!”
There came the crumbling sound of coal, and both the engineer and fireman looked back to see Scamp sliding down the coal pile and swinging into the cab. The gray furred mutt had walked over the car roofs from the caboose. As his boots met the floorboards of the footplate, he flashed a wide grin at the engine crew.
“That was some fancy stuff back there!” Scamp said. “I thought for sure we were gonna squat again.”
“Hey, yeah, well don’t get too comfortable. We still have a ways to go.” Dolly smiled.
Scamp frowned. “Tell me about it. Have you looked at the orders?”
Dolly blinked, suddenly remembering. “Uh, orders?”
On the Western & Atlantic, orders were issued by telegraph and handed up to the train crew at the start of their trip. It was the engineer and conductor’s responsibility to know the timetable and be able to make good judgment in clearing all opposing trains in either direction as well as have a clear understanding of the road’s rules. In her haste to leave the depot, she had picked them up and stuffed them into her vest pocket without looking.
“Oh brother,” Tod groaned. “You mean to tell me our gallant engineer hasn’t even looked at the schedule?”
“Nu-uh!” The dalmatian spun around on him. She pulled out the wad of paper. “Got ‘em right here. Picked up at the depot!”
Scamp nodded. “You saw that we’re supposed to pull into a sidetrack at both Adairsville and Marietta?”
Dolly froze and her ears dipped back. She quickly looked down at the paper. Most of it were slow orders; orders restricting speeds at particular crossings or bridges. But there were indeed two notices of detention in sidings. There was also a notice that they might receive additional orders in route. The rest were ‘wait’ or ‘run late’ orders; giving them more time to clear other regularly scheduled trains.
“Yeah. And we’re passing a northbound train at Calhoun.” She quickly made mental notes.
“That one’s easy. They’ll hold the siding for us.” Scamp said.
“So much to remember.” Dolly muttered, her head dipping down.
“Yeah. It’s like reading a Bible.” Scamp agreed. “It gets worse when they start handing you up orders on the go. Angel’s pretty good at reading them and running with it. But I have to keep mine with me.” He patted a breast pocket where his own bundle was stored.
The dalmatian let out a sigh of frustration. “I wish she was here.”
“So do I.” Scamp nodded in agreement, smiling. “And I bet so does she. But she’s not, and we are. So, no point worrying. We’ll make the best of it!”
Dolly hiked an eyebrow and debated telling Scamp about her wanting Angel as her fireman. But between Tod’s grumbling on the far side of the locomotive, and Scamp’s charming smile, she thought better of it.
“C’mon now. Cheer up.” Scamp put a hand on her shoulder. His stubby tail wagged. “It’s not the end of the world. Just a little wet hill. Heck, I saw my mom, who’s been running trains for god knows how long, stall on that hill once or twice.”
Tod snickered. “You know, Chief stalled on it a few months back. Aleu had to rescue him with a helper.”
“No way!” Scamp laughed. “Seriously?”
“He started slipping on fresh pollen. I don’t think Aleu is ever going to let him forget about it.” The fox hung his scoop up on the hook in the tender, and plopped down on the fireman’s bench. “Golly was it a sight.”
“He must be wanting to keep quiet about it.” The mutt folded his arms. “That’s the first I heard of that.”
“Yeah! Same here.” Dolly chimed. She suddenly felt much better. “Well, hang on boys. You got Dilly-dog-do at the throttle tonight. We’ll make it in or I’ll eat coal for breakfast.”
“That’s the spirit!” Scamp matched her grin while his tail wagged merrily. “Let’s keep those slick moves coming!”
*****************
That was easier said than done. The next few miles became a steady but demanding passage. The Bold would let loose with the occasional slip and Dolly’s attention was soon divided between handling the engine – manipulating the throttle and valve gear, blowing the whistle, operating the sander, observing the gauges -- and keeping an eye on her fireman. Scamp returned to the car tops, presumably to head back to the caboose, leaving her alone with Tod. She quickly realized that the fox was a hot-steamer. He never seemed to sit still, bouncing back and forth between the coal pile and the fire doors. The only light in the cab was from the oil lamp that hung facing the gauges, until those doors clattered open, blasting them with orange light.
Looking ahead, she realized the headlamp was out of focus and was lighting up the fields and telegraph wires rather than the track. Something else she would have to tend to when they reached a siding. The hog was pounding along and, in a few minutes, if she held together, they would reach the first siding in Calhoun. Boxes, journals, crossheads, guides, all were contributing to a steam-hammer chorus and the vibration shook the dalmatian’s hips as she sat in the seat. She wondered what had Chief done to convince Aleu to put the heap of bolts back in service.
Yet, the U.B. Bold kept running. Clattering along, sure, but the response to the throttle was snappy and the dalmatian found herself having little problem putting all that steam Tod was making to good use. The rhythmic chugging of the Bold echoed like a heartbeat, a pulse of energy propelling the metallic behemoth forward. The train dashed into Calhoun, and Dolly made out ahead the glowing headlight of the northbound train, side-tracked and waiting for their belated train, the northbound engineer and conductor doubtless fuming and fretting.
For the first time during the run Dolly allowed a morbid, nervous fear to take hold of her. Suppose the switch were open! She knew that it must be closed, but the sickening possibility presented itself over and over again in the brief space of a few seconds. She held her breath and half closed her eyes as they thundered down upon the other train; and when the engine lurched a little as it struck the switch, her heart leaped into her mouth. The suspense was mercifully short, though, for in an instant they were thundering past the other freight train, past the town, and once more rattling through the open country. At the next siding it would be their turn to hold.
There were many curves. Minus the lamp’s dull light and some yards of glistening rails, the fields of Georgia were only a blend of black and weird shapes. Signals appeared, grew, and vanished. The vague profiles of hills ran like snakes across the somber sky. A strange shape boldly and formidably confronted the train in the form of a stone bridge over the tracks, and then melted to a long dash of track as clean as sword-blades.
Dolly looked at the orders again, printed on a thin onion skin-like paper she could see her hand through. She held each one up to the lantern, and frantically looked for a number to compare to the next mile marker she sees. The white board with the mile painted on it was just ahead and she leaned out the cab just in time to see the lights of a gas-powered cycle-car pounding down a dirt road next to them, racing them towards a crossing that was a scant hundred yards ahead. Dolly yanked on the whistle cord and Tod rang the bell, but the car’s driver didn’t hesitate. Its brass fluted fenders cleared the crossing with ten feet between it and the big wooden cowcatcher.
Dolly sighed in relief. But this was only a minor thrill, and had caused her to miss the mile mark. She leaned out and waited for the next one. There was little to guide her except her eyes. She noticed an ancient graveyard to one side of the railroad, with aged tombstones bearing the epitaphs of generations long gone. Things looked different, and somehow strange. She had thought she knew the road, and she did…but viewing it from the engineer’s seat was like being confronted with a new language. A fact she learned when handling the circus train a few months back. Angel’s voice chimed in the back of her head, reminding the nervous engineer that just because she knew the route of the railroad, didn’t mean she knew the lay of the land. She’d be able to use landmarks later, the more she ran.
The dalmatian rolled her tongue against her cheek and narrowed her eyes. To make it worse, she could see a few silver lines of a drizzle in the lamp’s shaft of light. The engine let up a clatter as her wheels spun on the freshly wet rails, giving such a jolt that Dolly slammed the throttle shut and let them roll. It was downgrade all the way into the siding, and the momentum already acquired would carry them.
“Hey, Tod.” Dolly called out across the cab. “Did you see the last mile marker?”
“Hmm?” The fox looked up from the injector, where he had been monitoring the water level. His thin black tipped ears tipped forward. “Uh no. I was busy shaking my fist at that driver.
“You mean you didn’t see the board?”
Tod’s ears flattened out. “Isn’t that your job, Miss Engineer?”
Dolly frowned, half fearing that between the two of them she had missed the all-important marker.
“Are you about to eat coal?” The fox grinned.
“N-no!” Dolly gave him a searing look.
“There’s always the switch lamp.” Tod pointed out.
The switch, like most, had a lamp next to it that changed color depending on what route it was thrown. Dolly thought about it, then shook her head, causing her thin ears to curl around her shoulders. “When we see it, if it’s not thrown for us, we'll probably be too close for me to get this thing stopped in time.”
It wouldn't be an enormous obstacle, they were due to arrive before the other opposing train. It would just mean they would remain on the mainline, and Dolly would have to back the train up once they did get stopped. But she felt embarrassed already at the prospect. Fate played strange tricks in railroading, and she found herself starting to fall right into one such trap.
The speed was mounting, and Dolly placed a hand on the brass handle of the brake. She glanced at the air gauge and debated checking it, or letting the train roll. The pressures were all okay and reassuring. Another thing that the U.B. Bold was good at. The air-pump was having no problem keeping up. She cocked a smile–. Maybe this was a ‘good un’, like Chief had assured. She leaned back out the window, scanning the darkness ahead. A white furred hand remained on the brake handle, and she could feel beads of sweat forming on her brow. Just a piece of brass a foot long, which, in no small measure, held her future. Where was the mile marker? Had they already passed it?
Now she began to fret. It was starting to rain. What if they overran the switch and couldn’t back up due to the wet rails and the downgrade? Her tail quivered. Once again, she could see Angel’s disapproving face in the out of focus headlamp.
Suddenly, out of the darkness came a green orb of light. The switch lamp, and it was lined for the main track! Dolly hissed under her breath, she had missed the mile marker. Her hand whipped over the brake handle.
“Woah!” Tod called out, bracing against the back wall of the cab as he felt the train jerk.
The Bold picked up her wheels and skidded as the brakes locked on. Dolly grit her teeth and had to release the brake on just the engine to free the Bold’s drive wheels. Sand was useless, or perhaps it had stopped flowing again. The train kept pushing. The engineer grunted and rolled her eyes. A set of skidded drive wheels would most likely get her on Aleu’s bad side, but she was already debating telling the master mechanic exactly what she thought of this lug.
“Rotten old pelter.” Dolly hissed. “Hopefully she pounds herself before she pounds us!”
She debated putting the train’s brake into the emergency position. But that might lock the whole train up and they would skid. There was little more she could do except push with her own feet. The switch lamp drew nearer, and nearer. The speed was dead slow, almost a walking pace, but still they were pushed. Heavy loads, downgrade, wet rails in a light rain. It almost made the dalmatian cry.
She heard a commotion on the other side of the cab, and whipping her head over she saw Tod sliding a lantern hoop around his arm before quickly descending the stirrups. “Just hold her back!” The fox declared, his tail bobbing side to side with each step down until his feet reached the ballast. “I’ve got it!”
She could have kissed him!
Tod dashed ahead and threw the switch, lining it for the side track just before the pilot wheels reached the points. The U.B. Bold then sat, right on the switch, with a hiss of steam. The fox looked up at the cab, and waved his lantern up and down to indicate to her to ease forward.
“We’re lucky we got here first,” Tod commented as he climbed back into the gangway. The lantern was rehung on its hook. “Had the other train been here waiting for us, we could have plowed into them.”
“But we didn’t.” Dolly pointed out with more than a little amusement. “We ducked in time. I’m not eating coal!” The remark had a humor of its own.
“Heh, yeah. You did not, indeed, eat coal.” The fox shoved the handle of the injector, which Dolly noted gave him a little struggle, into the closed position. “You really ain't a half bad engineer, Dolly Dilly Dog Do.”
The dalmatian’s cheeks glowed red. “T-thanks. You’re alright.”
Proceeding into the siding with her burden, the engine set up such a clatter and gave a jolt so rough that the spotted engineer quickly shut off steam and let the train roll under gravity’s grasp. It was downgrade into the siding, and they would soon have momentum on their side to carry them all the way in without the use of steam.
The siding ran through the Adairsville depot and rejoined the main track around a sweeping curve that bordered a lake. The light drizzle had stopped, but a dense fog was rolling in its place. Dolly cocked her mouth, and realized that the fog would continue all along the lakeside, covering the whole of the siding. Just a wall of mist rushing up to meet her in the glare of the headlamp; thick, dark, and impenetrable. It was thick enough at first that she could scarcely see the front of the locomotive. The unfocused swath of the headlamp was just a blur of lighter-hued mist in the outer darkness.
“Hey!” She called over to Tod. “Call out if you see the switch lamp at the other end of the siding.”
“I can’t see a thing in this fog!”
“Neither can I! I don’t want to overrun the other end and wind up back on the main.”
She peered down from the cab window. The fog was so thick she couldn’t see the ground, making it impossible to judge speed or distance. Dolly felt like she was hovering in a void with no contact with the earth other than the jolting of the engine. The dalmatian’s ears dipped back alongside her head. The speed was down to a walk, but when she tried to hold it with the brake, the Bold kept picking up her wheels and skidding.
“Sand pipes are clogged.” She hissed. “What did I do to deserve this?”
The soft wail of another steam whistle sounded in the distance ahead of them. Tod and Dolly both looked at each other, then out the front windows. The freight train they were meeting was coming up the mainline alongside them. Also creeping in the darkness. The dalmatian could just make out the angelic ball of light from its headlamp in the thick fog.
“Oh, they’re going slow. We’ll clear up the rear before they reach it.” Tod sighed in relief.
The engineer didn’t share his enthusiasm. “Got another problem. These rails are slick and I can’t see the end of the siding.”
The fox’s black tipped ears perked upright as he caught on. “If they don’t clear up and we go too far-”
“-We’ll sideswipe.” She swallowed.
The situation was dire. If they went too far, they could strike the slow-moving freight train, but if they stopped too short, their caboose would still be on the main and the opposing train could strike them. Dolly knew the siding was thirty-six cars long. They had thirty-five.
The other locomotive appeared out of the fog like a ghost ship. Passing close enough on the side track that Dolly could see the silhouettes of its crew inside its varnished wood cab. Behind it trailed a string of coal jimmies, each loaded to the top. The black surface glistened like jewelry in the damp air. Both trains were proceeding at a crawl. The coal train’s crew were taking equal precautions. Going uphill, they had gravity to assist with stopping.
Dolly drummed her fingers on the throttle. Each second seemed agonizingly long. Where was the switch? How many cars did the coal train have? Was the tail-end fouling at the other end of the siding? She moved her hand to the brake handle. It was entirely possible if she jammed it on the slack would roll in and push them into the other train. Again, she could see Angel’s face in the back of her head. This was what she had worked for. The fantasy of sitting at the throttle and cruising on a sunny day with a cute Pomeranian as a fireman was up the stack as much as the cinder.
Then, she saw it. A red lantern light frantically swaying side to side in the dark, the railroader’s “Stop now!” signal. She could see the coal train’s brakeman, a Dalmatian not unlike herself, running up the track and swinging the lantern. The fog cleared like a theater curtain and Dolly’s heart leaped into her throat. The switch was just ahead of her, and the coal train had stopped, the caboose atop the switch and right in her path!
“Hang on!” She cried, and slammed the handle all the way over into the emergency position.
There came a rush of air and the whole train jolted hard. Brake shoes squealed and tools and loose chunks of coal skidded across the cab floor. Tod grit his teeth and put his feet up against the backhead to brace himself. The U.B. Bold stopped with mere inches to spare between its wooden pilot and the side of the coal train’s caboose.
“That was close…” Tod grunted.
“Too close.” Dolly slumped in her seat. Suddenly realizing that the small of her back was drenched in sweat, she rolled her shoulders, feeling the thin strap of the lingerie bite. There came a jolt of iron, and the coal train started to move again.
***********
Dolly hopped down from the cab while they waited. Using her wrench, she tightened bolts and nuts as best she could, it would be an effort to keep them from pounding loose. Using the same wrench, she hammered on the sand pipes and got them flowing again, then climbed up onto the running board to check the supply in the sand dome. She found the dome was half empty, and instantly regretted not stopping at the sandhouse. With a soft sigh resigned herself to conserve her supply, otherwise the Bold would dance her head off on the slick rails. After the coal train cleared, Scamp secured the switch and they eased back out onto the mainline with a volley of thick beats from the exhaust. The gray terrier lined and locked the switch before climbing aboard the caboose on the fly as it rattled by.
For the next thirty miles they groped their way along. The sun was starting to rise, and visibility was improving. The eastern horizon blushed with hues of soft pink and coral, highlighting the ropes of clouds heavy with rainwater. They still had a passenger train to meet; the mail train would overtake them on its way towards Atlanta. It drizzled off and on through the morning; just enough to keep the rails wet.
Dolly started to relax. The track was now winding back and forth around hills, out of the Blue Ridge Mountains and across the Piedmont plateau. Thick forests of pine trees pinned in each side of the tracks. It was downhill, all the way to Atlanta. Even the Bold herself seemed to have found a rhythm. The big mogul was still pounding, but the way it shook side to side had become an even and predictable sway. The even beat of the exhaust was interspersed by the clattering of a wooden bridge over some inconsequential stream or the squealing of a curve. The dalmatian eased back on the throttle and let the train roll, enjoying the gentle rattle as they coasted without power.
Tod had the firedoors open, and was spreading the coals around with an iron rake, getting the fire evened out and ready to bank once they reached Atlanta. As they rattled over another crossing, Dolly reached up and yanked down on the whistle cord. The whistle shrieked, a mournful wail that tore through the melody. But to the engineer's surprise, it was met with the sound of a fiddle whining and soaring, mimicking the whistle's lament. She spun around in her seat, looking back. Tod, who had been topping off the boiler feed water, also poked out from behind the cab bulkhead.
The rhythmic rumble of the iron wheels was Scamp's metronome, the wind his audience, and the endless ribbon of countryside his stage. Perched atop the wooden roof of the boxcar directly behind the locomotive, his legs dangling between the locomotive and the car, he danced his bow across the weathered strings of a fiddle. The instrument sang sweetly of freedom, of the open road and the open heart; a melody born from the soot of locomotive stacks and the starlight shared with vagrant dogs.
Dolly, who had been studying the rhythmic sway of the telegraph wires outside, turned with a smile. Her body twisted in the engineer’s seat so she could look behind her at the mutt high on the rocking boxcar. “I had no idea you played!”
“Oh yeah. Pops taught me when I was younger.” Scamp's smile grew with each note. He leaned into the wind, the fiddle cradled against his chest. “It’s fun to cut loose now and again. Get the blood going and celebrate!”
Tod exchanged the rake for a scoop, and laid a load of fresh coal into the furnace with a practiced rhythm. “Reminds me of a barn dance back home.”
Dolly, leaning against the throttle lever, snorted with laughter. “Sounded like a tea kettle with hiccups to me.”
“Well, beauty's in the ear of the beholder, dear Dolly.” Scamp dropped the five feet down from the boxcar to the top of the tender, his feet landing with a solid thud. The mutt carefully descended the remains of the coal pile into the cab fiddle tucked under his arm. “What do yah say, Tod? You got any music in those sooty hands?"
Tod tossed the scoop into the coal heap with a clang. “Course! Covered in dust they may be, but there's a jig or two hiding in them yet.” He held out his hand, and Scamp grinned wider, passing the fiddle over. Tod caught it with a surprised laugh, his calloused fingers instinctively finding the familiar curves of the instrument. “Don't mind if I do,” he said.
The train, as if anticipating the musical duel, seemed to pick the tempo. Tod started slow, a bluesy lament that resonated with the groan of the wheels. He coaxed the strings, bending notes with a smoky ache, a tale of toil and dusty plains. Dolly's foot tapped against the footplate, a quiet counterpoint to the melody. Then, Tod launched into an Irish reel that sent the bow shrieking against the strings. Finishing up with a light flourish, the fox took a bow.
Dolly clapped her hands, genuinely impressed.
“Alright, alright,” Scamp conceded, eyes twinkling. “Hand that over and prepare to be dazzled!”
“Oh, sure thing.” Tod chuckled, a deep, rumbling sound that resonated in the locomotive cab. “Show me what yah got.”
Scamp's bow danced across the strings, coaxing out a sprightly jig. Tod watched, ears twitching in appreciation, his tail tapping a silent beat against the ground. The melody, a patchwork of forgotten tunes and street-smart improvisations, zipped and zapped like a hummingbird on a sugar binge. His paws flew over the fret board, weaving in and out of impossible passages with the grace of a seasoned troubadour. Dolly watched, her smile widening. She tapped her boot in time, captivated by Scamp's infectious tune. The railroad dog clearly had no formal training, but his music was raw, pure, bursting with life and the sheer joy of playing.
As the melody spun to a close, Scamp bowed dramatically, a flourish of his floppy ears. “Well, what do you say, denizens of the U.B. Bold? Not too shabby, eh?”
Tod clapped his hands. “That was something, Scamp. Lively and full of fire! But,” he teased, his eyes glinting, “It lacked a certain… subtlety.”
Scamp scoffed. “Subtlety? Where's the fun in that? Let the music roar, let it stomp its boots!”
“Oh, I can’t disagree with that!” Tod motioned for the fiddle and Scamp passed it over. “But I remember my Big Momma once telling me when I was a youngin’ that elimination comes from a lack of education. Sometimes, the quietest whispers can speak the loudest.”
The fox held the fiddle, slightly too big for him, and rested against his chest, its worn surface gleaming as he ran a paw over it. He strummed a string, a low, resonant note filling the air. “There’s a beauty to music,” he said, his voice soft, “if it comes from the heart.”
He began to play, his own melody weaving through the remnants of Scamp's tune. His notes were slow, deliberate, each one carrying the weight of the ancient forest, the whispering pines, the secrets hidden in the shadows. It was a song of patience, of understanding the dance between silence and sound. Dolly, caught off guard by the quiet intensity of Tod's music, fell silent. She watched, transfixed, as the fox's paws moved with a fluid grace, weaving a spell that touched something deep within him. There was a wisdom in Tod's music, a depth that resonated with the quiet longing for adventure beneath his playful exterior. She looked at Scamp, who had a cheeky curl twitching his nose. When the last note faded, the cab was filled with a reverent silence. Scamp looked at Tod, his eyes filled with something new, something akin to respect.
“Wow,” he said softly. “You make the forest sing, Tod.”
“And you make my tail bounce like a rubber ball!” Tod grinned.
"Well played, boys," Dolly said, a genuine smile lighting up her face. "Looks like we got ourselves a band now."
The three of them laughed, a silent understanding forming between them. Scamp took the fiddle and laid it atop the tender tank so he wouldn’t have to try and balance with it when he climbed back out of the cab. “Well, if this whole railroading thing doesn't work out, we can always hit up the circuses.”
“As long as someone doesn't eat coal,” Tod playfully teased Dolly. “I think we’ll be alright.”
“Hey! I haven't failed us yet!” She laughed. “Not my fault we picked up a novel when we set off!
“That’s no lie!” Scamp said, his stubby tail a blur. “We have enough orders to take us around the earth.”
“We just knocked out the last new one.” The dalmatian smiled with pride. “Observed speed restriction over Chattahoochee river bridge. Took it at six miles per hour. The only one left standing is getting overtaken by the mail train.”
She sounded the whistle as they drifted over a grade crossing. Birds flew from the nearby trees.
“We’re due to meet the morning mail at Marietta.” Scamp said. “There’s two sidings there. One at the depot, and one just below it. When I’m with the crew on the Dispatch, we usually use the one below. Mom says it doesn’t interrupt the flow at the depot.”
“The mail train stops at Marietta,” Tod recalled, closing the fire doors. “It’s close enough to Atlanta that the express just passes through. So, no reason we can’t slip in a little closer to the depot.”
“True. But the depot siding is also a tough one to get into,” the mutt countered. “It's an upgrade and if we stop or stall at the switch it’s going to take some wild moves to get going again.”
“The sand,” Dolly reminded her crew mates. “We might run out of sand too. There can’t be much left.”
So, it was agreed. The lower siding would be where they held up for the Special.
The rain had cleared up nicely and the sky was painted in brilliant hues of pink and orange as the sun rose. The thick pine forests gave way to hedgerows and stone walls that delineated the boundaries of green pastures and tended fields. Cotton plants speckled the landscape like earthbound clouds. A smoky brook, spanned by a quaint stone bridge which the train pounded over, foamed as it wound its way through the outskirts. Nestled within the undulating hills of the southern countryside, the quaint village of Marietta unfolded like pages from an antebellum novel.
Dolly checked the Bold’s speed as the freight train meandered through the heart of the settlement, the track lined with charming cottages adorned with ivy-clad facades and cheerful flower boxes. The scent of wet ozone wafted through the air, mingling with the subtle perfume of nearby gardens. Scamp scrambled down the running board alongside the boiler. The smoky-furred terrier posted up on the pilot, ready to sprint for the switch when they got close. The dalmatian was feeling relaxed, the sand was flowing and the engine brake was holding the train. Even the Bold seemed to have evened out and stopped her relentless pounding. If Scamp got the switch over in time they wouldn’t even have to stop and their four thousand tons would glide effortlessly downgrade into the siding. Easy going, nothing to it. Dolly felt a smile starting to spread across her muzzle.
Some switches are easy to throw. Others are stiff and tight and require effort. Scamp stepped off the pilot beam and jogged ahead. He unlocked the handle and gave it a hard tug, but it would not pop out of the latched position. Dolly’s smile vanished and she applied the brake, slowing well clear of the switch. Rolling her eyes, she sank into her seat and waited. Once Scamp had the switch thrown over, they would continue.
She felt it first as a rumble through the seat, then came the almighty wallop as the slack between all the cars rolled in. It started as a ripple at the caboose, and by the time it reached the locomotive it stuck like a whack to the back of her head. Shoving the Bold forward half of a car-length and sending both the engineer and fireman bracing.
“What in tarnation!” Tod bellowed.
“Oof. I thought it was all gathered on the tender.” Dolly’s head whipped back and forth between the window and the air pressure gauges.
Looking alongside the hissing machine, Dolly could see Scamp’s arm wind milling in the signal for ‘reverse’. The switch was still set for the main line. The leading wheels of the engine were on the points and the switch couldn’t be thrown until the engine backed up. But the slack was now all bunched against the locomotive and the dalmatian knew before she tried it that the wheels would spin uselessly on the damp laden rails. Sure enough, the Bold’s big drive wheels screeched and wailed, but they failed to move the train.
“I’ll try the sand.” Dolly opened the sander valve. “But I’m going to have to go forward first.”
Like most steam locomotives the sander on the Bold was ahead of the drive wheels, making it effective only when moving forward. In order to back up the required six inches, Dolly would have to move the whole train ahead and so they could use the sand to get moving in reverse. But when she cracked the throttle in reverse, the U.B. Bold stood still and danced on the wet irons. Again, she laid sand down and moved forward, only for the wheels to spin uselessly. She grit her teeth, cursing under her breath, and tried again. And again. It wasn’t long before the whole of the locomotive and the first boxcar was sitting past the switch on the main line.
Scamp hunched over and looked at the sand pipes. Shaking his head, he cried up to the cab; “No use. Nothings coming out!”
“We must be out.” Tod confirmed. The tip of his bushy tail flicked side to side as he plucked a pocket watch from his vest. “We have fifteen minutes before the mail arrives.”
Dolly groaned and laid her head on the throttle. What would Angel have done? Certainly not this.
Scamp appeared in the gangway behind her. “I could walk back to the depot and have them drop the signal on the mail train. They don’t depart the depot for another ten minutes.”
“Wait!” The dalmatian’s head shot up, both of her ears perked forward. “Scamp. Nip us off behind the first car.”
The terrier looked at her for a second, then both of his ears snapped up and his eyes widened as he caught on. “Oh, slick move. Pass me the shaker bar and I’ll get the switch over after you pass.”
Tod’s head whipped back and forth between the two. “What in the blazes are we doing?”
“A cut and run!” Scamp replied, throwing the massive crowbar out of the cab and dropping down after it. “And we’ll have to make it fast. Time is running short.”
The dalmatian nodded. “Well come back through the siding for the train, and pull it in.”
The terrier snatched the pin out and waved Dolly forward, relying on the separation of the air-hoses between cars to dump the train into emergency. They wouldn’t be gone long enough for the air to bleed off and the cars to roll away. Down the mainline Dolly rumbled with the Bold, the boxcar that had been stuck over the switch swaying behind her. In less then a minute they scurried down and stopped at the other end of the siding, and Tod threw the switch. Dolly slammed the engine into reverse and Tod reset the switch before dashing back to the cab. Back down the siding. Scamp had managed to pry the ornery switch over with the shaker bar. They coupled onto the train, and Scamp hurriedly reattached the air hoses.
The air compressor kicked in, and Dolly watched the needle on the gauge climb. “Come on, come on,” she hissed.
“One minute until they depart the depot.” Tod looked at his pocket watch. “Five until they get down here.”
“It will be close.” She grit her teeth. The distant echo of a haunting whistle could be heard from behind as the Morning Mail departed.
“Very close.” The fox’s ears perked up. “They left early. Maybe we should send out a flag? Better then getting a locomotive in the caboose.”
“No!” Dolly’s voice was frantic. “We’re almost there.”
Once the air was up, Dolly knocked the brake off with a swipe of her hand, and started to ease the train into the siding. The engineer swung around in her seat to watch the rear of her train, and saw a plume of white smoke materialize into the sky, catching the golden rays of the sun. A low rumble, steadily building into a thunderous roar, announced the oncoming mail train. The engine’s whistle sounded one time, the signal for ‘down brakes.’ Its engineer eased on the brakes in preparation to stop.
“Come on,” she whispered.
Tod shook his head. “I think we’re about to eat coal.”
Just as the caboose cleared, Scamp swung the switch over and gave an ‘all clear’ hand signal to the mail train. The locomotive, a tight eight-wheeler adorned with polished brass and gleaming steel, took up the charge with a relentless determination as its brakes were released. A gust of wind, carrying the scent of hot coal and burning oil, swept through the air as the train's sheer momentum displaced the atmosphere. Dolly glanced at the name; ‘Dispatch’, on the side of the boiler and as the cab passed she could see the engineer and fireman. A cocker spaniel and terrier that looked suspiciously like an older version of Scamp, even at such a brief glimpse, their faces lit up by the bright glare of the engine's furnace.
The clatter of wheels accompanied by the hiss of steam resonated off the side of the stopped freighter. The passenger train itself was a symphony of motion and sound. Passengers in the windows gazed out, a blur of faces and compartments that flickered by, brief glimpses of newspapers and coffee cups as those onboard began to prepare for the day, all momentarily suspended in the capsule of the speeding train. For a brief second, Dolly thought she saw a flash of blonde fur on an open platform.
As swiftly as it arrived, the mail train vanished into the distance, leaving behind dissipating tendrils of smoke. In the wake of the train's passage, silence returned to the countryside, and the landscape settled into a momentary calm.
“The more I see of this racket,” Tod said with a cloudy humor, “The more I realize how little I know. When she wouldn’t back up at the switch I had a feeling we were sunk.”
“You and I both. I think I’ve learned more tonight than all my time in the roundhouse.” Dolly chuckled, looking at her watch.
“Are you going to keep her?” Tod’s ear perked forward curiously.
“Hmm?”
“The old lug.” The fireman patted the side of the cab. “Are you going to take her? As your own locomotive.”
“I get a choice in that?” Dolly tilted her head.
“Not on paper. But they tend to ask you if you like a particular locomotive and this one is available.”
Dolly arched an eyebrow. “What about you? Would you fire on her.”
“Absolutely,” Tod smiled. “This thing steams like a house-a-fire. And she’s about to go into the shops. I know Aleu does good work when she gets the chance. When she comes out, I reckon the Bold will be a downright classy locomotive.”
Dolly’s ears dipped and she thought about this. “You’re asking because you want to know if I’ll be your engineer, aren't you?”
“Just thinkin’ to the future,” The fox turned to look out his window, a hand turning a valve on the water injector. “I was once told that elimination comes from a lack of education. Keep your nose to the wind and you keep your skin, and all that. I’d like to run with someone who I know. And while you might not be my first choice...” He side-eyed her from his seat. “Well, I’m your huckleberry.”
“Who’s your first choice?” An eyebrow rose.
“I’m still figurin’ that one out,” Tod chuckled.
Dolly perked her ears back up and nodded with a little smile.
They left the siding and continued onward. The Bold was running hard once again, but the fog had practically disappeared and the spring morning sky was clear. As the sun rose, its warm rays bathed the world in a golden glow. The sky transformed into a canvas of warm pastels, painted with strokes of lavender, peach, and gold. Atlanta was not far away.
*****************
Atlanta,
Wisps of clouds, tinged with shades of rose, drifted lazily overhead as the freight train approached the city. Flames flickered in the distance, rising from the sprawling factories clustered along the tracks. Tall chimneys reached skyward, spitting rose-colored fire into the morning air. The journey was nearing its end, the last few miles slipping away as they approached the yard. To one side of the tracks, a long row of tenements appeared, more reminiscent of old-world London than an American city, before fading from sight in the locomotive’s smoke. Dolly eased back on the throttle, while Tod leaned casually against the cab wall, relaxed. His coal scoop hung in the engine’s bunker, yet the engineer noticed that he did not touch the broom that hung next to it.
A diverse and dazzling array of signal-lamps slid over the engine. Here the railroad split, with one set of tracks heading into the freight yards, while the other continued like an arrow to the big central station. Peering towards Terminal Station, the dalmatian thought she could just make out the cars of the mail train sitting at the platform under the vaulted arch of the train-shed.
Rocking and swaying side to side, the freight train clanked over some switches, passed the signals, and eased over the many wide grade crossings that marked Atlanta’s city streets. The city had grown alongside the freight yards, and here there was nothing to separate the two. The yard itself was a sprawling complex of buildings intersected by a spider web of iron and wood, splitting the city like a river through a canyon. Warehouses, freight houses, and shipping offices all bordered the yard, with tracks twisting among their docks, doors, and alleyways. The whole complex served several railroads and shipping companies, all vying for space, tracks, and construction. One warehouse in particular had “Pride Rock Transportation Co.” written on it in large white painted letters.
The sound of multiple locomotives, banging, clanging, and moving cars about the yard seemed an ever-present orchestra. Moving up and down, and on every track, sliding backward and forward, with clashing of couplers and squeals of hand-brakes. The yard never stopped working, so even now as the sun began to rise and sky turned to shades of pink and red, there was still plenty of activity. There were thousands of workers manipulating semaphore, lever, ball, and gong signals of all shapes and sizes as well as laboring to stock, repair, and refit engines and other rolling stock. It truly was a beehive of activity as freight trains were built and disassembled by the numerous yard goats, passenger trains raced to and from the large terminal, and locomotives rolled into and out of the many shops and roundhouse stalls.
Dolly felt a weariness creeping over her. The tension, as well as the night, had lifted. The pounding and jolting of the engine, the running repairs, the heavy traffic and the hunt for switches, the responsibility, all combined to take something out of a soul and frame. Tod was cozy on his side of the cab and had begun ringing the brass bell as the train pulled to a halt. Scamp had already applied the handbrakes on the cars lacking air brakes, and the freight train came to a standstill with a clattering of couplers and screeching brake-shoes.
Dolly reached a hand up and gave one final wail on the whistle, signaling that they were at a standstill. The journey was over.
*******************
The Admiral Benbow Inn, with its whitewashed exterior and swinging sign, invited weary railroaders and townsfolk alike to its welcoming embrace. Inside, the low ceiling and exposed beams echoed with the murmur of patrons sharing tales over pints of ale. A hearth crackled in the corner, casting a comforting glow upon the worn wooden tables and leather-bound chairs.
The Dalmatian sat slouched at an empty table, eyes shut, with a hand gripping a half-downed mug. A dirtied plate with the remains of breakfast sat in front of her. Dolly’s mouth burned from the sour coffee, but it couldn't quite wash away the sweetness of the breakfast pastries. The engineer had bathed and groomed at the railroad’s bunkhouse, so scraps of cinder no longer fell out of her ear fur every time she shoved her fingers through it. But the fur remained ruffled and unkempt. The Inn was mostly empty, and the few others in the dining room had the good sense to leave a tired railroader alone. The only companionship she wanted was a soft bed, and a dimly-lit bunk room to enjoy it.
After turning in the paperwork, the crew had scattered. Scamp returned to the bunkhouse to get some rest, and Tod descended upon the yard office, wanting to bid on a job on the first train back to Marceline. Dolly didn’t have that much ambition after a hard trip. Her mood was doubly tired knowing that she had missed out on a night with her girlfriend. She took the Bold to the roundhouse where the locomotive was turned, and tucked away in a stall for the day. Now she just wanted to fill her belly, and return to the bunkhouse to rest. The Dalmatian was so engrossed in her exhausted void, that the arrival of a set of hands pressing gently on her back made her jump, with both of her ears shooting up.
“Mmm, so you did wear them,” Came the familiar teasing voice of a familiar female. Her slender fingers ran along the outlines of the frilly lingerie that Dolly still wore under her clothing. “I hope running a locomotive in that stuff didn’t ruin them. They cost a pretty penny.”
Dolly whipped her head to the side to see Angel’s grinning muzzle. The pom ran her hands down the dalmatian’s back, not caring who saw, before slipping into the barstool next to her. The Dalmatian couldn't hide a giddy smile as she set her coffee cup aside and wrapped her arms around the blonde railroader in a deep hug. All of her exhaustion and the previous night’s trails suddenly vanished, lifted from her shoulders like a drenched coat.
“I see I was missed.” Angel chuckled, returning the hug. “How was the first trip?”
“It was all kinds of wild.” Dolly sighed, releasing her lover. She settled on her own barstool and took a sip from her cup. Suddenly, the coffee didn’t taste so bad. “I had this new fireman, and you wouldn’t believe who the conductor was!”
“I figured it was going to be Scamp,” As the pom waved the bartender away, it didn't escape Dolly’s notice that hers wasn't the only tail wagging. “I went home after you left to tell him he was called, and found I got called for the mail train myself. Tramp and Lady were handling it last night.”
“That was you!” Dolly tilted her head. “I thought I saw you when the mail passed us.”
“Very perceptive, Spots! We reached Atlanta just ahead of you.”
Dolly noticed that Angel was not in her usual railroader’s garb, but having had the time to clean and groom, had traded the trousers and vest for a blouse and velvet skirt. “Man, just my luck you got chained to a passenger train. All that, and you could have been ‘my’ brakeman.” The dalmatian curled a lower lip.
“I think you held your own quite well. Scamp told me all about it.”
“He did?”
Angel nodded. “You made quite the impression, and he likes to talk. I could tell he likes you.” The pom rolled her eyes. “He talked about your trip all while I had a bath.”
Quirking an eyebrow, the dalmatian peered over Angel’s shoulder. “Is he with you?”
“Sleeping.” Came the reply. “Didn’t even take a shower, or join me in the bath. He’s in a bed at the bunkhouse, in his clothes.” The pom snickered. “He’ll sleep the day away.”
“So, that means you’re free.” Dolly looked back at the pom with a cocked brow and a grin. “Since he’s pleased with my performance, maybe he won’t mind if we continue what we started last night?”
Angel rolled her eyes playfully. “Think again Spots. While the mind may be willing, the flesh is weak. The only bed I intend to occupy is one I can sleep in.”
Dolly’s expression dropped with a pouting lip, and both of her long triangular ears dipped back to touch her shoulders. Sensing the disappointment, Angel tilted her head and thought for a second. Her tail ceased its wagging, and she leaned against the bar, thinking.
“Well,” The pom started, causing Dolly to perk up. “Have you ever gone stargazing?”
“Excuse me?” The dalmatian cocked her head, puzzled. Stargazing was something her brother did in his spare time, and was actually rather passionate about. She hadn’t really put any thought into the hobby. In fact, she thought it was rather pointless. “Uh yeah!” Dolly waved a hand and tried to keep a cool composure. “All the time. Even got one of those telescopic thingies.”
It belonged to her brother, but she had messed with it a few times. Usually without him knowing.
“Is that so?” Angel grinned, clearly not buying the ruse. “Well then, how about you join Scamp and I down at Grant Park tonight. It will be a good fifteen hours before the railroad calls again, if it calls.”
Dolly’s ears perked high and her tail began to wag once more. “Oh, like a…double date?”
“Like a date.” Angel winked. “Be a fun way to celebrate our newest engineer’s first trip.”
“My kinda date.” The dalmatian leaned forward, hands in her lap. “Bow waka. With you, I’ll be gazing at more than stars.”
Angel rocked her shoulders to the side, and leaned forward as well. Answering in a low rumble; “Count on it.”
The kiss was light and gentle. More of a peck than an actual kiss. But Dolly’s lips met Angel’s and the spotted dog felt a sudden explosion of energy between them. It made all of the night’s trials suddenly worth it, if only to gain the pride and admiration of this incredible woman. Separating, the spotted dog basked in the glow for a few seconds, before arching her brow in realization.
“Wait, you said with Scamp? Would he mind if…you know…you vanished with me for a bit?”
“Oh, don’t worry about Tenderfoot.” She batted at one of Dolly’s spotted ears playfully, and chuckled; “I think I have an idea on how he can be involved.”
“So, then it’s time I get to really know your other lover?” Dolly bit her lower lip, then carefully chose her next words. “I like Scamp, I really do. And I know we agreed to cross that line when you know, it feels right.”
“It’s alright,” Angel softly interjected. “You don’t have to do anything with him. We’ll talk things over before we go. The three of us.”
“Okay. Yeah. It’s just…I would be alright if he just, you know, watched.” A subtle hesitation found its way into her reply. “Maybe, at first.”
Angel’s ears shot up. “Oh? Watched?” She smiled, and gently placed a hand atop one of Dolly’s. “Okay, I think we can make some arrangements. Do you want to talk with him beforehand?”
Dolly bit her lower lip. She allowed a few seconds to pass, then shook her head no. “You know what, nah. After all we went through last night, he’s alright.” She returned Angel’s smile, her thin tail wagging again. “As long as he’s okay with me.”
“Oh, leave that to me.” Angel snickered, then delivered a peck on a spotted cheek. “So, meet at the park at nightfall?”
“Call it a date.” The dalmatian’s cheeks, still feeling the other woman’s lips pressed against one side, glowed a deep red.
******************
Grant Park, Atlanta.
Gaslight spilled a soft yellow glow onto the gravel path, casting playful shadows that swayed gently against the tall oaks. The air was filled with the steady hum of cicadas and carried the fresh scent of damp earth, mingling with the light fragrance of hidden violets. Above, the night sky stretched wide, dotted with countless stars that twinkled faintly through the haze of the city's smoke. A lone carriage rolled by on the cobbled street beyond the park’s iron fence, the horse’s breath and the coachman’s muttered words briefly breaking the stillness of the night. Within the park’s green embrace, a quiet calm lingered, with only the soft rustle of leaves stirred by the breeze.
It was there, in a cloistered haven of leaves and watchful stars, that Dolly navigated the dappled paths of Grant Park. The gravel path, crunching underfoot, snaked its way through the dense foliage, a ribbon of pale gray against the ebony earth that led her deeper and deeper into the wooded spaces. Her heart hammered a frantic rhythm against her bodice. Somewhere in the distance, a steam whistle wailed. The dalmatian paused, and recognized it as the U.B. Bold’s banshee. She smiled for a second. The locomotive was a good steamer, even with her ailments. After going into the shops to receive a helping dose of Aleu’s mechanical touch, the rattletrap might be worth something. Perhaps she wouldn’t mind having the locomotive as her own.
A rustle, a whisper of silk against leaves, and Dolly's breath hitched. Her thoughts derailed. From the shadows, a sandy haired pomeranian emerged, a vision sculpted from moonlight and moonlight alone. Dolly's heart leaped! Angel stepped forward, her hand reaching out, a beacon in the moon-lit darkness. The pom's eyes, reflecting the night sky, met hers, and the world around them dissolved.
It took Dolly a few seconds to compose herself, for Angel was completely naked.
“Well, hey there Spots” Angel's voice was a whisper, barely audible, yet it resonated in the dalmatian's soul with the force of a thunderclap.
“Heh, hey there yourself.” Dolly laughed, her voice a trembling echo. “I uh...wasn’t expecting there to be a lack-of-dress code. But golly, you always look good in the nude.”
Dolly found herself gazing openly at Angel's naked body; following the way her neck and shoulders flowed into the curve of her breasts, which held a perfect roundness that seemed to rise with each breath, her nipples hard and almost pointing upward. Beneath, her stomach was smooth and flat, the tiniest impression of musculature, yet still wonderfully feminine, rounding ever so slightly as it flowed down to offer a heart-stopping view of the woman's soft mound. The pom, recognizing that she was being eyed up, put her hands on her flared hips, and her bushy tail flicked side to side.
“I always found it funny that we have a term for being naked that is just ‘in the nude’.” Angel smirked. “Sorta implies that nudity is as much a place as a state of being.”
“I think it’s because ‘nude’ has a more artsy fartsy ring to it than ‘naked’.”
Angel rolled her eyes playfully, then took Dolly's hand. Her touch sent a jolt of electricity through the dalmatian's veins. The touch was a feather kiss, light yet searing.
“We’re not going here to look at stars are we?” The dalmatian blushed.
“Oh, we’re going to look at something.”
“Where’s Scamp?”
“He’ll be joining us.”
They walked, their steps light as whispers. Dolly became conscious of the way Angel breasts rolled with each step and a slight nervousness arose as they dove further off the path. After a few seconds of crunching over twigs and stepping carefully over dew-soaked patches of moss, Dolly began to see bits of blue-gray shimmering in between branches. Angel was leading her towards a secluded clearing bathed in the soft glow of the moon.
But before they could exit the shelter of the copse of trees, the Pomeranian twirled around and placed a hand on each of her girlfriend's shoulders. She gently pinned Dolly up against the trunk of an oak tree with a soft grunt from the spotted dog.
Angel’s ears were perked forward, With a smile, she ran her muzzle against the side of the dalmatian's face before leaning down close to a long floppy ear. “Don't move,” she whispered just before she nipped the tip of one of those ears with the gentlest of touches.
Dolly felt Angel’s fingers rake over the side of her cheek and drift down to the soft skin above her breasts.
“Promise me,” she ordered. “No loud noises. We wouldn’t want to get caught.”
Dolly swallowed hard as Angel slid her hand under her chin and tipped her head up. Their lips were close enough that they could feel each other’s breath. “I promise.”
“Good girl,” the pom curled a finger into the knots that held Dolly’s garment tightly closed. “Did you wear what I told you to wear?”
Dolly hesitated, her breath catching in her throat. The way Angel looked at her, eyelids half-closed in that slow, deliberate manner, sent a shiver down her spine. Finally, Dolly nodded, exhaling shakily.
“That a’girl.”
With a quick tug, she released the tie on the dalmatian's bodice and slipped the top off her shoulders. As soon as Angel removed her bodice, Dolly’s own fingers were dancing upward, unbuttoning her blouse. The wispy fabric slid languorously over her smooth, snow white shoulders. Underneath, the thin red straps of the camisole style bra held her bosom in check.
Dolly’s heart thundered as her chest was exposed. Her bosom wasn’t as full as Angel’s, but each breast swelled with a smooth perk under the lacy bra. The cups barely covered her nipples which had became erect. A slight moan escaped her throat as she felt the night air through the thin fabric. With a roll of her hips, the skirt slipped and fell down forming a pool at her feet and exposing the lace panties. Angel’s right hand slipped between those thin legs and cupped the square of lace that concealed the dalmatian's mound, and the woman’s heart fluttered at the touch. The feel of her naked girlfriend’s hand pressing the fabric against her sex caused Dolly to let out a low moan.
Angel took advantage of that moan to press her lips against her girlfriend's mouth. Both women closed their eyes and leaned into the kiss. The pom led the charge and Dolly felt her thrust her tongue between her soft lips and into her maw. The dalmatian melted into Angel’s firm arms as she massaged her own tongue against the pom’s wet and wiggling muscle. The kiss was sloppy, with both women turning and twisting their heads in a duel to conquer the other. So much lust all at once, exploding from Angel and all directed at her, made Dolly’s heart beat fast and her insides glow. Dolly felt dazed and her lace covered slit felt so wet and hot despite the cool night air.
They separated for a quick breath of air before crashing together, and this time Dolly pushed her tongue between the pom’s lips. The dalmatian’s tongue met her girlfriend's, grappling with it, trying to push into her mouth, trying to convey with enthusiasm the rush that burned through her spotted body. As she kissed her girlfriend, Dolly's arms wrapped around that sandy furred frame, her hands slipping down Angel’s back until they found her bare buttocks. She then felt Angel start to stroke and give the area between her legs much needed attention. As they frantically kissed, Dolly returned the gesture and began to squeeze and massage Angel’s ass. The warmth and snug fit of her hands where Angel’s buttocks met her thighs sent a thrill through the dalmatian, making her wild with excitement.
When they separated, Angel’s hands slid up Dolly’s sides, cupping and squeezing her lace-covered breasts. At the same time, Dolly pressed the pom’s body towards her so their pelvises met, grinding their hips together, both experiencing the feeling of female flesh against their own.
“This is nice, isn't it?” Angel asked her. “Outside, under the moon. Free.”
“Mmmm, yeah. You feel good,” Dolly squeezed Angel’s ass and batted her eyelashes, lowering her voice huskily. “And you're a good kisser... sooo soft.”
Angel was still fondling her breasts as she answered. “Mmmm, so are you, Spots. Everything is soft when it's two women.”
Dolly snickered. “But I was promised there would be a third.”
“Oh, he’s here.” The pom took a step back, and suddenly the cool night air swirled in a refreshing blast between them. “And he’s waiting.”
Angel grabbed her hand again. The dense woods whispered around them, then parted as they stepped into the clearing with a rustle of leaves. Emerging from the emerald tunnel, Dolly and Angel blinked at the sudden brightness. Fireflies had settled, not in the sky, but across the ground. An oil lamp hung from a wrought iron post, casting a warm orange glow over the clearing
Dolly gasped, a hand flying to her mouth. “Angel, oh look!”
Her partner's smile widened in the lamplight. "Welcome, my love."
The quilt, a kaleidoscope of velvet squares stitched together with a gypsy hand, spilled out in generous welcome. The girls’ fingers intertwined as they walked in unison, a slow, deliberate dance towards the plush tapestry. Dried rose petals and lavender mingled with the scent of lamp oil, weaving a heady perfume that clung to the night air. But it was what awaited on the post that drew the most attention.
Scamp glanced over at the two women, his knees firmly planted in the grass as he knelt. The gray terrier whimpered softly as they approached, unable to move his arms or legs. His back was pressed against the iron post with only a little room to shift, tightly bound by a polished array of ropes that glistened in the light. Each struggle caused the coils to dig deeper into his fur. The rope was cinched tight around his wrists, arms, and ankles, pulling them snugly behind the post. A leather belt, loosely buckled, rested around his neck.
Like Angel, Scamp was completely naked. The lamplight etched sharp shadows across the male’s soft pelt of gray fur.
“Mhhhmph!” His voice was muffled by a few strips of tape that formed a perfect black rectangle across his muzzle, filling the space between his chin and under his black nose. Angel, had taken the opportunity to draw the shape of a heart in black ink where his lips should have been.
The dalmatian stood with mouth agape. It took a peck on the cheek from Angel to pull her eyes from the nude terrier and to the broad smile the pom wore.
“A little unexpected?” Angel prodded.
“That’s putting it mildly.” Dolly whispered, a hand falling in front of her mouth.
Her eyes danced down the male’s lanky frame, and the sight left her both fascinated and breathless. Scamp’s slender legs were spread wide and secured in place with his ankles lashed to each thigh. Between those firm legs, his shaft throbbed, the pink skin glistening in the lamplight. Dolly’s gaze locked onto a silver ring that sat at the base, just above the twin gray orbs, constricting the flesh of his cock. The unfamiliar sight sent a shiver down her spine, a mix of curiosity and arousal bubbling within her. Dolly’s eyes were riveted to a silver ring that sat at the base, just above the twin gray orbs, and with the flesh of his cock clearly restricted within it.
“You said you were alright with him watching. This way, he can be here...and give you all the room you want.” Angel answered the unspoken question. She looked Dolly in the eye, and her smile waned. The tone of her voice grew level and serious. “If you're feeling uncomfortable, we can stop.”
"I don’t have to do..." Dolly hesitated, her mouth pulling to one side, a small dimple forming beneath one eye. "...anything to him. Do I?"
"Not a thing. He’ll be left to his own devices." Angel tilted her head, her gaze lingering on Dolly’s face. A knowing smile flickered on the pom’s lips, as if she could see right through Dolly’s unease.
The dalmatian shuffled her feet, her eyes darting between the two. “Is-is he okay? That ring looks rather intense.”
“Are you?” Angel shifted the question to her bound mate.
“Mmm-hmm,” Scamp nodded and playfully wiggled against his restraints. Beneath the tape, Dolly noticed the faint curve of a smile forming on his lips. His brown eyes met hers with a warm, steady gaze, a flicker of excitement clear in them.
“I caught him under his mistress’ skirt in a bar. Naughty mutt,” Angel explained. She bent over and gave the bound dog a playfull swat on the cheek. “So, on behalf of her, this is his punishment.”
Dolly’s cheeks puffed and she burst out laughing. Her laughter bubbled up from her belly and was punctuated by a playful snort. Tears slipped from her bright eyes, each crinkled at the corners like crescent moons. “Bow-waka-wow! You two are crazy!” She wiped a tear away as her laughter settled down. “And I love it!”
Angel drew Dolly close, and their silhouettes merged in the firelight, casting a single flickering shadow. They kissed once again, this time quick and with barely a touch. Angel’s fingers danced up the dalmatian’s shoulders, and Dolly felt Angel tug her bra straps down her arms to hang limp to each side. Dolly reached between her own breasts and quickly unsnapped the hook, moving her hands to hold the cups over her chest for a few seconds.
“I think I might be a little overdressed,” she snickered.
“You -are- the only one with any sort of clothing on.” Angel motioned towards Scamp. “Unless you count his ropes.”
Dolly let the bra slide off her shoulders, the fabric pooling at their feet. Moonlight bathed her pale fur, highlighting the delicate curve of her nipples. She cupped her breasts, fingers teasing the sensitive flesh. A shiver ran through her, not from any cold, but from the thrill of anticipation. She squeezed gently, lifting and pressing them together before releasing, watching them bounce back into place. Her boots followed, leaving her paws to graze the cool grass. The red lace panties were next, slipping down to reveal her smooth, untouched sex. Each step of undressing brought a flush of arousal, her breath quickening as she felt the night air against her bare skin.
The dalmatian looked over at the mongrel, suddenly aware that she was now completely naked in front of him. His head was tilted, making one floppy ear stand up at an odd angle. The sight of his eyes clearly rooted on her caused her to flash with heat, and she bit her lip to stop herself from moaning. She felt sweat roll down her forehead.
All of these thoughts were thrown sideways when Angel reached forward, placed her hand on Dolly's sex and growled; “You have a beautiful cunt, Spots.”
The time for subtlety was over. “Right, I’m done waiting around. Angel, I don’t wanna just have a quickie. I wanna go all out! I wanna ride you!”
The blaze in Angel's eyes redoubled. “Go on, threaten me with a good time.”
Reaching the center of the quilt, Dolly pulled Angel down on her back. The dalmatian then slid on top of her, their faces inches apart. Dolly’s breasts mashed against Angel’s, and their legs locked together. They lay silent for a second, basking in the moment, the lamplight causing Angel’s blonde fur to glow. The fireflies around them seemed to create halos over their forms, and the trees stood watch like patient giants. Only the gagged Scamp, squirming against his bonds as he pulled against his rope-tied legs, was granted a ring-side view. The two women were laying in line with their feet pointed like an arrow at his bound body. In this moonlit sanctuary, Dolly felt like the world beyond ceased to exist. There was only the soft brush of Angel’s hand against hers and the gentle rise and fall of their breaths.
“Ready?” Angel’s face was awash with anticipation and trepidation.
“I was ready last night.” Dolly gave her a warm smile before covering the pom’s mouth with her own.
They kissed again, and Angel responded with a low moan that rolled into Dolly’s mouth. The pom’s hands moved over Dolly’s back and sides, tentatively holding the spotted dog and caressing her. But the kiss was to be brief, and Dolly’s lips slipped away. Yet they never left the pom’s body. The dalmatian slid downward, pressing her lips to that golden neck, then to her shoulder, and finally to her breasts. Dolly's eyes lingered on the soft, inviting breasts that had captured her heart since they first met. Her lips wrapped around one hot morsel and sucked, pulling the nipple in and flicking her tongue all over it. She maintained the suction as she pulled away, making the tit pop from her mouth. Angel moaned in delight as Dolly gave its partner the same treatment; the soft feminine sigh brought a feeling of fulfillment to the dalmatian.
Dolly lavished attention to that bosom just a little more, but as much as she enjoyed sucking on Angel’s nipples, she was dying to continue down that shivering body. Leaving the hardened teats and the swell of her breasts, the dalmatian trailed her tongue downward, lingering briefly on the flat expanse of Angel’s belly, which flexed with anticipation under the spottie’s lips.
“Dolly, baby,” the pom whimpered. The soft plea only made the exploring dalmatian further excited, placing gentle kisses in the hollows of the pom’s hip bones.
Dolly slid her body down so that she lay between Angel’s slightly open legs. The dalmatian ran her hands gently over the silky warmth of each limb, and her girlfriend shivered delightfully in response. Angel gave a little moan and opened her legs wider, her left leg sliding up the back of the dalmatian to lay across Dolly’s shoulder, while her right hand went under her knee to pull the other one up and back. The dalmatian's heart thundered with satisfaction at the sight of the Pomeranian splaying herself open, physically begging for more. Her lips and tongue delicately moved over those quivering inner thighs. Angel reacted with a delicious series of whimpers that only inflamed Dolly’s passions even more.
As Dolly teased those lovely legs, she looked over her shoulder at Scamp. The terrier was wide eyed and silent. His chest strained against the ropes under his heavy breathing. She winked at him, and enjoyed the little gagged huff he gave in return. Returning to Angel, the dalmatian continued to tease her, moving her nibble kisses from one leg to the other and back again, each time getting closer to that mound and its glistening slit, but never touching it. Finally, Angel groaned out a plea,
“Oh god, please…” Angel looked down. One of her ears tumbled in front of her face, forcing her to look around it. “Just do it... please do me!”
She flicked the tip of her tongue along Angel's sensitive clit, and the pom gasped with pleasure. It sounded as if Angel's lips had released years of frustration with a one lovely kiss on her clit. Dolly couldn’t resist the begging. She used her thumbs to spread Angel open, revealing the vivid pink flesh inside. The dalmatian closed her eyes as she took her first taste, licking lightly all over her exposed petals, and savoring the delicious heat of Angel’s cunt. She took one long, slow lick in particular from the bottom of the slit to the top that made the sandy furred woman gasp and shiver. After a few passes, Dolly pressed her mouth against that delicious mound and plunged all the way inside. She relished the clinging heat and the embrace of Angel’s inner channel around her tongue. Angel gave a low whine and rewarded the dalmatian with a hand on the back of her head.
Dolly surrendered to the sensation, letting Angel take control. Her lover's hands gripped the back of her head, guiding her deeper. Angel's groans urged Dolly on, and she responded with assertive licks, her tongue delving as deeply as possible. The dampness that coated her face and chin was intoxicating, driving the dalmatian to explore every inch. Angel's vaginal lips formed a tight circle around her mouth as her tongue performed its magic, sliding up and down, back and forth.
“Oh god,” Angel moaned, “that feels so good.”
Dolly had been rubbing her nose against her girlfriend’s clit as she worked – not too much, just enough to keep the swollen little knob stimulated. But the noises that Angel was making! What started as intermittent moans had now become an uninterrupted series of gasps and shrieks. They encouraged the dalmatian to pull her mouth out and edge up just a bit to take in that pleasure-bud. Dolly give it a gentle suck and then licked oh-so-slowly all over it. Angel gave a short yelp, and then her voice descended into a deep, needy groan. The whole time, her body squirmed while her hips bucked frantically.
Dolly kept at her, licking and sucking to the accompaniment of Angel’s squeals. The pom’s back arched off the quilt, straining and pleading. The orgasm was quick and heavy, and Dolly could feel the juices running down her chin. She could see the muscles in Angel's legs pulse and contract as she came, and found it incredible to watch. But as Angel reached out and took hold of the dalmatian's ears, then pulled her head back, Dolly knew it was only just the start.
“Gotcha!” Dolly triumphantly declared. “Who's the ace teaser now!”
“You,” Angel groaned, sitting up on her arms. “The way you used your lips was... wow!”
“You like that, huh?” The dalmatian grinned wickedly.
Angel, her cheeks flushed with passion, pulled back slightly and looked into Dolly's eyes. "You know," she whispered, her voice soft and tender, "I love how unpredictable you are.”
“Gotta keep you guessing.” Dolly snickered, then looked over her shoulder towards the post and its occupant. “And I don’t think you’re the only one who had fun.”
“Mmumph!” Scamp declared, catching both girl’s attention. Between his legs, his cock was rock solid and throbbing with need. Dolly revealed in the awareness that her male alternate’s eyes had followed their every move. Her tail gave a quick wag, and her ears perked up as she basked in the attention.
Angel sat up, legs crossed in front of her. She stretched her arms out, then grabbed the dalmatian by the shoulders. Dolly returned her attention to the pomeranian.
“You really are a wild one, aren’tcha?” Angel chuckled.
“I'm a night dog, day dog, morning dog too.” Dolly said in a sing-song-tone as she ran her fingers along Angel’s arm. “I'm just Dolly dilly doggy dog doo!”
“Wha?” Angel looked from Dolly playing with her arm, to the goofy grin on the dalmatian's face, and back again. “You're so goddamn cute.”
Downwards Dolly went across her girlfriend's breasts, cupping and massaging them, lifting and sliding her fingers underneath them. Angel's eyes closed and she leaned her head forward, cooing softly to let the dalmatian know when she had hit the perfect pressure circling around her nipples.
After a few seconds, Angel opened her eyes, scooted back, and patted her thighs, “Alright Spots, come on and lie face down here with your lovely bum over my knees. It’s my turn.”
Dolly flashed a nervous smile and lay herself over the pom’s knees. They lay with Angel facing Scamp, and Dolly spread out before them both. The sandy furred pom placed her left hand in the middle of the dalmatian’s back and her right hand started to caress the swell of Dolly’s ass. With hardly any pressure at all Angel started to gently smack the snow white cheeks. Dolly shivered at the sensation, just light whaps that barely rippled the skin.
“Oh, that doesn't hurt at all, does it?” The pom asked softly.
“Nu-uh.” Dolly shook her head hard enough to flop her ears. Her thin tail was held straight up like a wire. “C’mon, I can handle it!”
She knew better. Angel had given her some firm swats in the past, but Dolly could tell by the way the pom’s ears were perked, and her tail swishing side to side atop the quilt, that she was in for a ride. Angel’s right hand came up and then down to land with a loud slapping sound on the right cheek of the dalmatian’s beautiful ass. The extra pressure was hard enough to sting but not hard enough to leave much of a mark. Angel smacked the other cheek in much the same way and Dolly gave out a soft whimpering moan.
“Ahhh, I can feel that Angel, ohhhhh that feels quite nice actually.” Dolly giggled.
Dolly gasped loudly as the pom’s hand landed on the left cheek of her ass, and then gasped again as it found its way to deliver a blow to the right. The dalmatian squirmed back forward and lifted her rump. The pom gave her another half dozen hard slaps on each ass cheek. Dolly’s ass was now lifting to meet the pom’s hand, causing the dalmatian to wriggle around a little on Angel’s lap. Each swat came with a sharp sting that grew into a throb of pleasure. The pom continued to alternate from cheek to cheek, moving the place her hand landed until both cheeks were covered.
The white fur had now turned a light pink and Dolly was left verbalizing with little “ohs” and “ahs”. Her voice got louder as Angel’s hand continued to rise and fall. Her hips jerked and then shivered as she gave out with a loud incoherent yell. Angel stopped the spanking and went back to caressing the dalmatian’s reddening ass cheeks. Dolly shivered again and made a soft whimpering sound.
After a while, Dolly hissed. “You sure have the touch.”
“If I keep at it, you’ll be sitting gingerly for a few days,” Angel whispered back.
Dolly made a soft sound of contentment and nodded. “It’ll be worth it, believe me.”
“MMMUMPH!” Scamp’s high pitched whine snapped both girl’s head sin his direction. The gray furred terrier was rocking his shoulders against his bindings, as well as rolling his hips side to side. His cock bounced in the air as he attempted to dry hump some relief. The male’s soft brown eyes watered as Angel pursed her lips and blew him a kiss.
“He’s so turned on.” Dolly laughed.
“But not as turned on as you.” Angel retorted. “Maybe I should give you another spanking?”
“Or, maybe I should give you a little payback!”
“Is that a threat, Spots? Then get up on your knees, and show me what you can do.”
Dolly leapt up with an enthusiasm that wrinkled the quilt underneath them. Angel positioned them both kneeling, facing each other, comfortable with the layer of blanket under their knees, and interlocked their legs so the dalmatian’s thigh came up between hers and her thigh came up between Dolly’s. With one hand, the dalmatian wet her fingers from the love fluids seeping from Angel’s folds, then brought it up to circle slowly around her clit. Dolly wrapped her other arm around her girlfriend and hugged her body, pressing the two women together. They were close enough for Angel to nuzzle her face against Dolly's, causing one of the pomeranian’s triangular ears to flop over the dalmatian’s head.
Dolly inhaled deeply, breathing in Angel’s scent. She was so wet! The dalmatian had meant to start slowly to warm her girlfriend up, but her fingers flew over Angel's clit. The pom’s silky smoothness felt incredibly erotic, her rocking hips and cute pleasure noises sending tingles of sexual energy through Dolly's own body. Angel’s eyes fluttered, alternately gazing wide into the dalmatian’s and clamping shut when Dolly pressured down on her rapidly hardening clitoris.
The dalmatian’s eyes darted to the side to catch a glimpse of Scamp. Him having this front row seat to his own lover's pleasure show made her want to give more!
“Oh, Dolls.” Angel moaned. “Oh, keep that up.”
“Say what?”
“Oh, for god’s sake.” Angel hissed a laugh. “If you make me say that, I will tie you up and leave you stuffed full of toys.”
“Sweet nothings will get you everywhere.”
Dolly lengthened her strokes gently, using two fingers to wrap Angel's clit all the way down the digit's length and delicately probe at the entrance to her vagina at the lowest extreme. Only the tips of her fingers slipped inside, but the sensation was enormous! Angel's body shuddered, her whimpers turned into loud moans, and she desperately grabbed between the dalmatian's legs to mimic what was happening to her. Dolly quickly found she was loving this position, the two women kneeling into each other. To fuck Angel, the dalmatian just rested the back of her palm against her leg and rocked into her. It made it much easier for her to continue enjoying herself while her mind and body became too unfocused to concentrate.
“Saaaay it.” Dolly’s voice has a sing-song tune to it.
“N-no!” Angel shuddered.
Entering Angel fully, Dolly felt the woman’s muscles wrap her fingers up in tight, boiling hot and wet contractions. She found the control she had might have turned her on even more than it did Angel! And Angel clearly loved it, her eyes went wide, her pupils visibly dilating.
“B-b- bow waka wow!” Angel moaned before she crushed her lips into Dolly’s in a passionate kiss.
Dolly's heart raced with joy. She reveled in the intensity of Angel's kisses, and the strength of the pom’s vaginal clenches and clit throbs. Returning them with kisses of her own. Lips pressed together, Dolly squealed as the pom's fingers ground into the dalmatian’s own clit. Angel’s fingers slid around in short, fast strokes that were quickly working the spotted dog into a frenzy. She could feel the pom's firm nipples pressing against her own chest as Angel's fingers danced between her legs. Their tongues swirled in each other's mouths, accompanied by the fervor of Angel’s jerks and the Dolly's laborious breaths through her nostrils.
They broke their kiss in a wet smack, and Dolly felt Angel’s hand and body slip away. Her own fingers slid out and she found herself twisting the digits in midair. Confused, she opened her eyes and moaned in frustration at their loss, only to see Angel shuffle back on her knees, her thighs wide, her legs open to the dalmatian’s gaze. A quick glance over her shoulder met with Scamp’s wide brown eyes, drinking in the scene with incredible thirst.
“Don’t tell me you’re done!” The dalmatian hissed.
“Not even close.” Angel said softly, a hint of playfulness in her tone. She peered from around an ear. “Lie down for me, please. If you can.”
Dolly settled and lay down as Angel bid, gazing up at her. She propped herself up on her elbows so she could get a better view of her lover. The dalmatian’s eyes half-closed in contentment, her body relaxing completely as she followed without hesitation, as if guided by instinct alone, eager to please without a second thought. Angel came forward, taking one white furred ankle in her hands and gently lifting the leg. She lingered for a second, examining the long black ‘sleeve’ marking that ran up Dolly’s leg. The dalmatian blushed, knowing how unique the fur markings on her legs and arms were, even among dalmatians. Angel returned her with a playful smile and positioned herself astride a spotted thigh. Dolly’s ears snapped up as Angel’s intent became obvious.
“Ohh, this is going to be radical,” Dolly whimpered as Angel began to shift her own body, sliding her hips higher up Dolly's spotted thigh. With a slow, deliberate movement, Angel wrapped her right leg around Dolly's left, their thighs pressing together tightly in a scissor position. The pom ground her vagina against Dolly’s, and the dalmatian pushed back hungrily. “God, yes...”
“Take my hands, Spots,” Angel murmured, resting her leg against Dolly’s shoulder. Their fingers entwined and they used them to pull against one another.
For a moment they were lost in the luxury of their entwined bodies, two sets of hips pushing against one another as they sought mutual pleasure. Dolly couldn’t tear her eyes away from her girlfriend, the lamplight giving the pom’s flesh and fur a wondrous glow. The firmness of her pelvis was perfect as she rubbed it against the dalmatian’s own cunt, and the feel of those soft folds against each other was blissful.
“Ready?” Angel breathed, focusing with an effort.
Dolly nodded, her chest heaving, a sheen of perspiration covering her ivory breasts. “Ready! Together…”
They two canines began grinding back and forth and around in circles. The combined wetness from love fluids and saliva ensured they slid comfortably against each other with the pressure stimulating their clits. The dalmatian would mix in a few bumps of their groins to add to the sensations. Though their movement was a little clumsy at first, Dolly found the sensation of their folds grinding instantly more intense than any hand or tongue had ever been. The pleasure radiating from her pelvis was combined with a fantastic intimate feeling knowing that Angel was feeling it all at the same time too.
Dolly thrust herself more passionately as her arousal increased, moaning in pleasureas Angel panted in lust, the two of them gazing intensely into one another's eyes. Angel was struggling to keep up with her energy, so she slowed down and let the spotted canine take the lead. Dolly’s body tensed, her hips flexing under the mounting pressure, contracting along with Angel's presence and throbbing hard into her. The dalmatian bit her lip, every heartbeat pulsing with need that spread through her, feeding a cycle of pressure and still greater pleasure urgently needing release.
Despite taking control at the beginning and the head start pleasuring Angel, Dolly climaxed first. The pressure inside her mounted right up to the edge, and her whole body froze, teetering there, tense as a wound spring, until Angel nudged her over with a humble rock of her hips. Dolly grabbed the pom’s leg and held it close, clamped her eyes shut while she quivered and writhed. It started as a punch, sending her bucking wildly against her girlfriend, who kept up her steady fucking, urging her on. Then it turned into a warm flow that spread across the dalmatian’s spotted body as if she was dipping into a warm bath.
Dolly opened her eyes and looked up in a haze to see Angel throw her head back and howl out in pleasure. The naked, flushed, and sweating Pomeranian glistened in the lamplight as she indulged in her orgasm. The pom's toes curled tightly around Dolly's shoulders as her legs shook. Their vaginas and inner thighs glistened as each female let forth her delight. The combined effect of their slippery, blended fluids generated wet noises as their flesh rubbed and slid across one another.
“Oh god,” Dolly collapsed backwards. Angel rubbed and humped her cunt against Dolly's a little longer until she too became fully spent. They both fell onto their backs, chests rising with labored breaths, their legs tangled between them. Their bodies held a sheen of sweat and the quilt was a wrinkled mess, stained with a dark wet spot beneath them. “Bow-waka…”
“Don’t say it.” Angel cut her off.
When Dolly’s vision started to clear she found herself looking at an upside down image of Scamp’s throbbing cock. Not more than a foot or two from her nose. The male’s body also glistened under a sheen of sweat and his nostrils flared from heavy breathing. Between his legs, his shaft was solidly erect, and a dribble of excitement slowly ebbed from the tip. The cockring around his base looked almost painfully tight. Had it not been there, she imagined he would have blown his frustratingly pent up load a while ago.
“Looks like we have a ‘standing’ ovation from the audience,” the dalmatian said with a throaty giggle. “He’s made a little mess.”
Angel slowly sat up, sliding herself away from Dolly. “He’s not the only one,” she smiled, looking at the quilt's wet spot.
Dolly pushed herself up and laughed. “Can’t say we didn’t have a good time!”
Angel nodded, then sat up on her hands and knees. Dolly watched, her head tilted, as she saw that same intense look in Angel’s eyes. However, it was not aimed at her, but rather at the gray terrier. Scamp looked up, his eyes hopeful, and rocked his hips side to side as if he was trying to attract the Pomeranian with a dance.
“Mumm a humph!” The ropes around his body creaked and the tape over his mouth shifted as he tried to speak.
“Awww, is my Tenderfoot a little pent up?” Angel teased as she crawled over to him, a wide smile across her face and her bushy tail swaying side to side in a pleasing wag.
Scamp nodded his head rapidly. Angel sat on her knees behind Scamp, and pressed herself against the post so that she could reach around it and between his legs. She began stroking her delicate fingers up and down the length of his body, teasing him and preparing him, and letting her digits tap and dance along the ring at the base. Dolly shook her head, suddenly realizing that the tables had been fully turned and she was now the observer. She sat down, legs spread, and leaned back on her hands so that she could watch.
Angel rolled her eyes playfully, then leaned over and stuck a hand between Scamp’s legs, gently caressing his already erect cock with her fingertips. Then she pinched the shaft. Hard. Scamp didn't scream. Instead, the tension seemed to melt from his anxious muscles, and his head leaned back against the post. His muzzle was aimed up at the bottom of the lantern that hung over his head.
“You like that, don't you?” Angel said.
“Mumm Hmmm.” A soft shudder rocked the mutt’s body. “Fweefe Fanbel, mwoar.”
“With pleasure. Just giving you a taste.”
She moved her hand downwards past his erection, and down to those huge, fragile nuts. Angel moved them around in her hand, gripping and teasing and tickling them. She then gripped them with all five of her fingers and gently clenched them together, squeezing his nuts in a pentagon of subtle pain and plenty of pleasure. Dolly imagined the mixture had to feel like when she had been spanked.
“Has my wonderful Tenderfoot been a good puppy?” She whispered into one of his ears. Scamp let out a slutty moan when his testicles slipped out of her grip and went up towards her palm, so she closed her hand and made a fist around them. “Are you sure?” she pressed them together, squishing them slightly from the pressure. “You better tell the truth. Dolly is watching, and if you lie to her, you know I’ll be displeased.”
The mutt bobbed his head up and down hard enough to cause his ears to flop audibly.
“You sure?”
More frantic nodding.
“Then I think my big boy needs a little love.” Angel nuzzled the spot just under his cheek.
She formed a circle around the base of his dick with her thumb and index finger. She squeezed, then pulled that circle all the way up to the tip of his cock. Dolly watched Scamp’s face as the relief in that gesture, the release of all the tension built up, and caused him to shudder wide eyed within his bonds. Had he not been tied up, the dalmatian figured he would have dropped face first into the grass. It was nice for him, though Dolly didn’t think that was Angel’s intention. The result for her was more of that pre-cum drooling out of the mutt.
The pom began slowly coating his rod, making him slick from root to tip until the cock glistened. Dolly watched fascinated as the light pink skin over his knob moved backwards and forwards under Angel’s skilled hand. If she was to be honest, it was quite simple, but also quite thrilling, especially seeing his expression and hearing some of his gagged groans. After a few seconds, the pom ceased her stroking and gave an open palmed swat across the male’s aching cock. Scamp let out another pained, happy moan. All of this attention was having the desired effect.
“Naughty mutt.” Angel whispered into his ear.
Once Angel was satisfied that he was well lubricated, she made a loose fist around the base of his dick. Slowly, she began pumping. She ran her fist up his length until his pink cock head popped out, then back down. Dolly watched Angel’s hand, her delicate fingers wrapped around his rod. The terrier groaned in frustration by her slow, deliberate pace. She pumped him firmly with ever-increasing speed and pressure. As she watched Angel begin to give Scamp a classic handjob, Dolly started to feel jealousy prick at her. Angel was nuzzling him, turning him on. The look on his gagged face said it all as he enjoyed the experience. Her throat went dry and she felt her face sweat embarrassingly as she focused on their intimacy, the same intimacy that she thought belonged only to her. Her usual confidence faltering, she offered only a weak wag of her tail.
The dalmatian could hear Scamp mewing through the tape gag; his voice incomprehensible. Angel started twisting her tightening fist over his cockhead before returning to the base. His breathing was turning ragged and Angel giggled in delight as his hips jerked whenever she twisted her palm around his head. Sensing he was getting close, she rearranged herself yet again, moving around on her knees to his side so that she had better leverage.
“You think you’re putting on a good show for Spots?” Angel asked. All Scamp could do was whine. “Such a naughty, naughty, mutt.”
Scamp’s ears pinned back and he thrust his chest out in a shiver.
“Maybe I should tell ‘Tani. I’m sure she can find some fun things to do with a naughty pup.”
She was stroking him in earnest now, jerking his dick hard and fast. Her hand left his balls and grasped the ring at the bottom of his junk. Pressing his balls tight against the base, she whipped it up his shaft and off in one smooth manner. Had Dolly any doubt that the sensation was painfully intense against the male’s sensitive flesh, the lustful wail that Scamp admitted said otherwise.
“Mwaaaaam!!!”
A good first pulse of sperm, then a very impressive second shot, which flew out with some force reaching for the quilt. Dolly saw Scamp’s hips move like a piston. Three, then four more volleys of spunk followed quickly, each with diminishing force, until Angel was milking the last of it from his dick. He gave a little cry out while his hips quivered, pushed and slowed. Angel slowed her pumping fist, but insisted on running it over Scamp’s shaft. She seemed to know just how sensitive he was after an orgasm like that, and took cruel pleasure in seeing him jump like he was on fire. The dalmatian felt that spike of envy again, realizing that they had done this enough times that Angel knew just how to pleasure her man. Finally, she stopped and just held him tight in her grip.
Scamp bowed his head and huffed until the pom’s fingers tugged, then carefully pulled the tape off his mouth. The mutt let out a hard gasp as soon as his lips were freed.
From her position, Dolly was unable to see the expression on Angel’s face. She was, however, granted a full view of Scamp’s. The way he pulled his head up and gazed into Angel's eyes, their depths reflecting the warm glow of the lantern. Dolly saw not just a pretty male face, but a kindred spirit to Angel, a spark that ignited a sudden inadequacy her own soul.
“Oo-boy, that was incredible,” he began, his voice a low rumble. “Angel, you never cease to amaze.”
Angel, ever the elegant one, tilted her head up with pride. “Took you long enough to blow, slowpoke,” she teased, her voice like tinkling bells. “In fact, I think that’s the longest I’ve seen you hold out.”
Scamp bumped his nose against hers. “What can I say,” he chuckled, his gaze deepening. “I just wanted to take in the show. You and Dolly were positively slick!”
Angel looked over her shoulder at the dalmatian. “Hear that, Spots?”
“Heh, y-yeah!” The dalmatian forced a smile. The praise was honey on a wound, sweet but stinging.
Angel's posture softened with her shoulders relaxing and a clear blush creeping up her cheeks. She turned her attention back to Scamp and nudged him gently, her tail thumping a happy rhythm against the ground. “You're not so bad yourself, Tenderfoot,” she whispered. “You may be a little rough around the edges, but you're the kindest, most understanding dog I know. And I wouldn’t have you any other way.”
“You say the sweetest things.” He twisted his hands behind the pole. “And I happen to know you like rough around the edges.”
Angel tipped her head forward and they kissed again.
Dolly remained silent. Her own heart, usually a metronome of cheerful excitement, thumped with a strange, unfamiliar rhythm. It was a sour echo of Scamp's words, a yearning she couldn't quite place. She might be a playmate to Angel, but there was no denying that the pom was forever intertwined with her male, the two of them chasing their dreams, together. For a fleeting moment, Dolly considered speaking out and confessing the sudden anxiety that flowed over her. But seeing Scamp and Angel, so utterly consumed by each other, made her feel...alone.
***************
The patchwork quilt enveloped them as they sprawled beneath the glittering sky. Dolly lay on her back, gazing up at the swirling constellations splashed across the inky sky. The sky above glittered uninterrupted, the lantern having been doused after Scamp was released from his bondage. Fireflies danced in swirling pinpricks of light that the dalmatian found oddly comforting. The air, alive with the chirping chorus of crickets and cicadas, was still and warm, carrying the sweet scent of newly bloomed wildflowers.
The nude dalmatian felt warmth radiating not just from the well-used quilt, but from the tangled arms and beating hearts beside her. Angel was nestled between her and Scamp; the gray furred terrier had drifted off to sleep some time ago. His soft snores were a rhythmic bass that ruffled the fur of his shaggy muzzle. Dolly rocked her hips so that she nudged Angel in the side.
Not just her, though. Him and her. Scamp let off a snort, and Angel cracked her eyes to first glance at Scamp, then over as the dalmatian.
“Sounds like someone is sawing a two by four,” the pom giggled in a low whisper.
“He's so peaceful when he sleeps.”
“No he’s not,” Angel chuckled, tracing the profile of Scamp's shoulder with her thumb. “He’s a lug. But I love him.”
"Were you two always railroad dogs?" Dolly asked, her head tilted in curiosity.
Angel shook her head, her expression softening with memory. "He was. But I bounced around a lot, did whatever I could to get by. When Scamp and I first met, I was working in a dance-hall run by a thug."
Dolly’s ears twitched, her muzzle wrinkling slightly. The realization hit her that there was so much she didn’t know about Angel's past. "You were a dance girl?"
"No, not like that. I was... well," she hesitated, her sigh heavy with the weight of old memories. "I was with a gang of leg-breakers for hire that worked out of a grimy two-bit dance-hall in Chattanooga. They called themselves The Junkyard Dogs. Did a lot of dirty work. It was rough, real rough. I didn’t have anyone. No one to watch my back."
Dolly's ears drooped, her heart aching as she watched Angel close her eyes, her chest rising and falling with a slow, deliberate breath. It was like she was exhaling some old, invisible burden, letting go of a part of her that had haunted her for too long. When Angel finally opened her eyes again, her familiar, warm smile had returned.
"Scamp saved me from that life," she said softly. "Together, we found a family, and a future."
Scamp stirred, mumbling something about shooting stars, then nestled back into sleep. Angel nuzzled along his shoulder and pressed her nose into the crook of his neck in a gentle snuggle before pulling back to admire the sleeping terrier. A bittersweet ache bloomed in Dolly's chest and her smile faded while her girlfriend's gaze lingered on Scamp. The pom placed a soft kiss on his forehead, then returned her focus to Dolly. Angel's smile faltered, a question hovering in her eyes. “Everything alright Spots?”
Dolly knew she couldn't hide her mood, not to Angel. But neither could she shatter their perfect bubble of quiet joy. So, she chose silence, focusing instead on the present, on the warmth of Angel's hand, and the gentle rise and fall of Scamp's chest. Angel sat up on one elbow, peering into Dolly's face, waiting with her ears perked forward attentively. After a few moments, Dolly spoke.
“Just thinking about the railroad.” It was a silly answer. But it wasn’t far from the truth.
“Too much of that can lead to a headache.” Angel smiled, seeming to accept the answer. One of her fingers found its way to the dalmatian’s right breast, where it started drawing circles around a nipple.
“Heh, yeah!” Dolly cracked a genuine smile. She could handle this. “No, I was just thinking about the locomotive I was assigned. Its name is the U.B. Bold.”
“You had the Bold?” Angel raised her brow. “That’s a tough one. She’s been dodging Aleu’s grasp for a while.”
“Well, it won’t be dodging anymore. It’s going into the shop.”
“I suspect Aleu is going to jack up the bell and build a new engine underneath.”
“She should start with the safeties.” The dalmatian's chuckle was genuine, but settled quickly. “I was thinking about when the Bold comes out into the sun again, asking about getting it permanently. I did like that engine.”
Angel's hand, warm and familiar, left the sensitive nipple to cup Dolly's cheek. The pom dipped her head and her lips, wet and tingling with heat, met the dalmatian’s in a fleeting kiss, barely a whisper of touch. A jolt of electricity shot through Dolly’s frame, making her breath catch.
“What was that for?”
“For taking on a challenge and not turning back.” A soft smile played on the pom’s lips while her cheeks became dusted with pink. “I couldn't help myself.”
Dolly's own cheeks burned. “Don't apologize,” she whispered, her voice husky. “Just...” she swallowed, her gaze flitting to Angel’s lips, then back to those bright blue eyes. “Just do it again.”
And she did. This time, the kiss was deeper and lingered a little longer. Dolly’s worries faded away and for a precious moment, there was only Angel. The pom rolled her lips into a separation, leaving a taste of longing on the dalmatian’s tongue.
“So, does that mean you’ll think about being my fireman? Otherwise, I’m stuck with Tod.”
“All things in good time, Spots.”
It was a small comfort, a flimsy lifeline thrown across the chasm of the future. But for now, in the symphony of buzzing cicadas, it was enough. For now, they were the constellations, intertwined on the same canvas. The Dalmatian looked at her girlfriend, and admired the way the gentle wind ruffled the pom’s sandy-furred ears with only the quiet rustle of the quilt. The sun would rise soon with the promise of a new day. A day where Dolly hoped, against all odds, that her heart might finally find it’s rightful place. Be it at the throttle, or at Angel’s side. But most of all, she hoped that her and Angel’s relationship, in its own unique constellation, would forever shine in the vastness of a shared sky.
Angel, ever the sentinel, squeezed her hand. “Thank you,” she murmured, her voice suddenly thick with sleep. “For being here.”
“Of course!” Dolly whispered back, her voice a fragile thread. “For you, always.”
… I sold a million lies before I came to you
Guess none of us could read the lie behind the golden truth
Trust can't be counted on, it's as crooked as the Amazon
'Cause every road that I've been on
… It leads me back to you
",
"pools_count": 1,
"title": "The First Trip",
"deleted": "f",
"public": "t",
"mimetype": "text/plain",
"pagecount": "1",
"rating_id": "2",
"rating_name": "Adult",
"ratings": [
{
"content_tag_id": "2",
"name": "Nudity",
"description": "Nonsexual nudity exposing breasts or genitals (must not show arousal)",
"rating_id": "1"
},
{
"content_tag_id": "4",
"name": "Sexual Themes",
"description": "Erotic imagery, sexual activity or arousal",
"rating_id": "2"
}
],
"submission_type_id": "12",
"type_name": "Writing - Document",
"guest_block": "t",
"friends_only": "f",
"comments_count": "0",
"views": "496"
}