“Glorvan and the Cart” by W.R. Frixmargen

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You’re listening to The Voice of Dog.

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I’m Khaki, your faithful fireside companion,

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and today’s story is

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“Glorvan and the Cart”

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by W.R. Frixmargen,

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who spawns sci-fi and madness of various sorts,

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and who wrote Oak Branch

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in Give Yourself a Hand

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by Goal Publications,

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and you can find more of his stories

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on his Furaffinity page.

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“Glorvan and the Cart”

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by W.R. Frixmargen

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I was disturbed one morning by the sound of wood cracking.

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I hadn’t been particularly interested in the goings on outside my home as I was lingering in the pleasant glow of post meal satisfaction.

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Curious as to the cause of the clamor, I left my home and found myself presented

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with a view down the hill to the path

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that ran by my place.

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And on the path

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was a cart. The cart looked tilted and had next to it a very irate looking fellow with antlers.

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The cart was laden with boxes and

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I guessed easily that the cause of the cart tilt

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was the combination of heavy cargo and a particular bit of stone along the path.

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The combination had clearly conspired to break the front axle of the cart the buck had been pulling along.

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I decided returning inside would be rude and

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so I casually approached the cart owner.

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Knowing that I lived not far from the woods,

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I did my best to look peaceful

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in my intent and mannerisms.

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Still, he seemed to jump slightly when he spotted me coming down the hill.

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“You appear to have had some trouble,”

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I told him. “Do you need any assistance?”

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The buck stumbled back

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and moved behind the cart

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as he took his time to evaluate me.

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“What do you want?”

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he said in an accusatory tone.

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“I heard a ruckus and figured you might need some help,”

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I answered. The buck shook his head.

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“I should be fine.

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I don’t like taking help from strangers.”

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I had paused not far from the cart. Close enough to see what was left of the front

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axle. “You sure? That might take some time to fix without help,”

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I pointed out. “I have some tools in my home.

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I would be happy to lend them to you.”

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“As I said, I don’t take help from strangers,”

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he insisted before looking down at the boxes in the cart.

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Now it would be easy to assume that he didn’t want my help because of the contents of his cart.

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An easy assumption given his mannerisms and guarded attitude.

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But I should remind you that the woods near my home back then were filled with all sorts of people and things hostile to those who worked the fields and lived in cities.

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So even if there was reason for him to wish to avoid someone being near his cargo,

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it was just as reasonable to think him worried about letting me near himself

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as I could have easily been one of the bandits or blood lords or creeping creatures that lurk in the shadows of the trees

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that he had no doubt heard about often enough by those who feared the forest.

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I of course knew the forest was not nearly that unpleasant.

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But speaking up about that at that moment, I figured was not a good decision to make.

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Instead, I opted to let him work on fixing his cart.

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But that didn’t mean I didn’t find myself a stump

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not far away off

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to sit upon and curl my tail around.

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The perfect place

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to start watching him

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curiously. Once he saw that I was going to wait him out, he reached for one of the boxes in the cart.

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He opened it and extracted a hatchet.

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The metal was crude and the edge dull. But with a lot of effort

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he could fell the right sort of tree to begin his repairs.

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He looked at me, then up to my house, and then around the area.

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The nearest tree,

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a short, young, and with nearly a straight trunk, that might be suitable as a new axle

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was a bit around the hill.

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But still very much in view of my chosen stump.

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He took a wide path around where I sat

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and approached the tree.

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“Any complaints if I take some wood?”

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he asked, perhaps wondering if I was waiting for him to start chopping before I voiced my protest.

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“That one should be fine,”

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I answered. “Though it might take you some time to fell it with that poor hatchet of yours.

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I can help with…” “No, no,

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I’ll take care of this myself,”

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he said. The buck lifted the hatchet and got to work. But he seemed quite eager to never turn his back on me.

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I let him chop for a while.

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His progress was painfully slow. But there was progress.

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Not long before he looked about ready for the final go,

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he took a pause to catch his breath and pull off his shirt.

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“I can get you some water if you are feeling thirsty,”

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I called over to him.

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It was a warm day, and his labor wasn’t helping him keep cool at all.

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“And you know… If you don’t like taking charity from strangers,

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perhaps we can stop being strangers.”

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He panted as he shot me an annoyed look.

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“Why are you watching me?”

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he asked. “Because it is right to help those in need.

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And you appear to be in need,”

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I said. “I can take care of my cart myself,”

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he pointed out. “Perhaps.

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But that’s not what I’m meaning,”

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I retorted. The buck grunted and took another swing at the small tree.

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A few more good whacks later and it was falling over.

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He got to work removing the lower branches before making an estimate of

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where he should chop off the top.

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“I’m serious,” I said.

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“You say you don’t accept help from strangers, and yet seem disinterested in making new friends.”

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Not pausing his chopping,

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he answered, “I don’t need new friends.”

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“Acquaintances perhaps?”

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I asked with a chuckle.

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“People you know but who are not strangers?

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Awareness of someone who will help you out if you are in need?”

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He snorted and then began to laugh.

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“There it is,” he called out before taking a couple more good swings,

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breaking off the last of what he wouldn’t need from the felled tree.

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“Help always comes with a price,”

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he added after a few deep breaths.

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“And I’m not interested in paying

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for you to fix my cart.”

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“Price?” I posed. “Explain.”

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He pulled his gaze from the log before him

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and looked at me.

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His ears were perked and his eyes narrow.

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“Are you some sort of fool or idiot?”

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he asked me. “Are you?”

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I answered back. “Because if you can’t explain, then maybe we both are.”

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He reached down and grabbed the log.

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As he dragged it back towards the cart, again going wide around my perch,

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he gave his answer.

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“Even at the most benign,

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you’ll want me to help you in the future,”

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he said. “I don’t like being in debt to people.

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Especially weirdos like you.

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At worst, you help me out and then demand I hand over my cart in payment. Or my things.

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Or serve you for some days to months to years.

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I have no interest in being under your command.”

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“Command? Payment? I think you misunderstand my intentions,”

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I explained. “I wish to see if I can help because you are someone who looks like they need help.

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Or at the very least seems like they could use a rest.”

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“I don’t need to lay down. I need to get home,”

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he said as he dropped the log by the cart.

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I watched him put the hatchet back in the opened box.

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He then craned his head this way and that,

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looking for something.

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He closed that box and opened another, and still failed to find the next tool he was looking for.

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He then looked up at me.

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I had not moved from my perch since I had sat down, but I could tell in his eyes

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that he had his doubts about that truth that he himself had observed.

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And so the question the buck tossed me wasn’t too unexpected.

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“Where did you put my hammer?”

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“I have not touched your hammer,”

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I answered honestly.

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“Though I have one in my home that I’d be happy to let you borrow.”

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“Seriously, where is it?”

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he pressed. I leaned back and lifted my legs up in the air while putting my arms up high.

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“Do you see it on my person?”

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I asked. I put my limbs back down and bent forward

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to lift up my tail for him to see as well.

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It was lengthy, but not nearly long enough to reach all the way to the cart,

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let alone open a box and lift a tool from the interior.

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The buck began to circle the stump.

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Still keeping his distance.

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I let him walk around me, and did not turn to keep him in my gaze.

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Instead I let him circle around that wide path

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and return to my sight once more.

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“Hammers don’t just walk off on their own,”

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he pointed out. “I’d hope not,” I said. “Else I’d need to figure out a way to lure my own hammer back home each night.”

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The buck put his hands on his hips.

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“You are very strange,” he said.

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“Ah, so you have figured out something about me,”

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I said with a smile.

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“I am happy to let you know m uch more about me if you so choose to get to know me.”

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He huffed and went back to his cart to return to his searching.

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“So you don’t want to be in anyone’s debt,”

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I said as he continued to fail to find his hammer.

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“Have you had a problem with debt before?”

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“Why should I tell you?”

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he answered, slamming his possession around as he grew more visibly agitated.

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Instinctively he was even lowering his antlers in my general direction.

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“To make conversation?

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Plus it is decent to answer a question of curiosity.

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And as someone who dislikes being beholden in such a manner myself,

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perhaps I could offer some pointers in avoiding the pitfalls of manipulative and greedy furs

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who like to keep people in their debt.”

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He slammed the lid of the top box

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and raised his eyes to me.

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But only just enough so he could see me properly.

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Those antlers were still lowered.

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Though he couldn’t really rush me given he was on the far side of the cart,

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the gesture was clear.

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“To make conversation?”

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he grunted out. “What nonsense is this?

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What is your deal?

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Why are you bothering me?”

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It was my turn to let out an exasperated sigh.

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“My deal is that I see someone in distress,

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and can’t help but want to help.

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Your cart is the obvious damage.

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But it is clear that someone has hurt you.

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And you don’t want to be hurt again.

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Perhaps it isn’t a debt collector you worry about.

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But a friend who betrayed you.

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Or a lover who never thought to give back.

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Or a family member who used your relation against you.

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I don’t know, as you have decided

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I should not know. And that is fine.

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Some things are hard to say.”

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He lowered his head.

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But did not move or speak for a time.

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I let him think. Or feel.

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Or ease his tension. Or build it up once again.

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Which path he took was not mine to decide.

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It was the buck who had to choose how to proceed.

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To take a risk to maybe start to heal,

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to avoid pain, or to lash out. “None of those,”

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he said after many minutes of just standing there.

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“None of those.” I nodded.

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“If you’d like to talk about it,

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I’m ready to listen.

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But if not, I understand.

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Fear of the other,

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it can be powerful,”

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I said. “The causes of that fear can be legion,

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or they can be singular.

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And it is up to you to decide

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if you want to end that fear

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and to confront those causes,

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or to let it continue to keep you isolated from the larger world.”

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He lifted his head.

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The buck was a fair bit off,

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but with those antlers now raised, I could see clearly the tears on his cheeks.

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“I don’t know if I’m for sure the one to help you through all that,”

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I said. “But I would be willing to try.”

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“It is just,” he stammered.

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“It is just that, I,

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well, I can’t.” “Can’t?”

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I pressed. “I can’t risk being hurt.

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Ever. I just can’t.

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Because there’s always

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someone out there trying to hurt me.

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Or anyone they can get at.”

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His words came slowly

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as he was struggling to pronounce them clearly.

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“And everyone who offers help,

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they, they want something. Something obvious, or something not obvious and… I just can’t risk it. Ever.” I nodded. “I think I understand,”

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I told the teary buck.

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“You feel you live in a world full of those who would exploit you.

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And that only those that exploit

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ever offer you help.

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And so you see me as one of those.

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Someone who will demand something of you.

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To make you in some ways

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my slave. And me saying I have no interest in such, won’t be enough.

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Because you’ve perhaps never had the chance to meet someone who is kind.”

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“I, well,” he said trying to wipe the tears from his eyes.

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“I guess it is like that.

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Kindness is a lie.”

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“Hardly,” I said. “It is useful for those who would abuse kindness

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to keep those who are kind as far from each other as possible.

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To keep people afraid

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to offer and to share willingly without obligation

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because it means

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the high price they ask will keep those in need of help

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away from their scam.

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And so those who seek to keep you under their thumb,

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they’ll tell you that kindness is a lie.

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And will try to scare you away from those who would prove otherwise.”

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“That seems, just like something someone who wants something would say,”

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he grunted back. “Fine, how about this then,”

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I said rising up from the stump.

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“If you would accept no kindness because of unknown prices,

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how about I give you a price for my help? To remove your doubt about my intentions

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and make it clear,

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totally clear, just how I’m going to hurt you?”

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The buck was silent.

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He glanced down at his cart, opened another one of the boxes, shuffled around inside it, and then closed the box again.

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Finally he sighed

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and said, “How much?”

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“My price is this,”

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I started. “If I fix your cart,

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you need to never return here again until such time as you realize that

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there are good people in the world,

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and not everyone

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wants to harm you.

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That there are some of us

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who actually want to do good.

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Deal?” The buck eyes the log he had collected.

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Then a rock just off the path.

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No doubt wondering if he could just make something that would work as a hammer instead of dealing with me.

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The buck then looked back at me,

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snorted his annoyance, and said,

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“Deal. If you fix my cart, I shall do as you ask and go away forever.”

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“Ah, only go away forever until you learn that not everyone demands payment for their offers of help,”

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I pressed. “Fine,” he grumbled.

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And so I fixed his cart.

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Though I did lament that I didn’t need the log he had collected to do it.

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But I still made good use of it later as firewood.

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After he realized the work was complete,

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he silently grabbed the cart and began to push it away in a hurry,

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grabbing his shirt as he passed where he had dropped it.

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I nodded as he scurried away

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and then returned to my home.

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I saw the buck again three weeks later.

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He even felt he owed me an apology.

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But I turned it down,

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telling him that I was just grateful to be able to help him out

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when he was having a tough time of it.

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This was “Glorvan and the Cart”

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by W.R. Frixmargen,

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read for you by Khaki, your faithful fireside companion.

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For more stories

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you can find us wherever you get your podcasts, or on the web at thevoice.dog.

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Thank you for listening

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to The Voice of Dog