Cider And The Robotic Leg

Cider slowed for a moment. He could hear cars rolling along the road. Their tires made a soft, steady rumble. The street was only a short distance away, separated from the sidewalk by a narrow strip of grass.

Starflight nudged him with her shoulder.

“Come on, Cider. One more race!”

Cider looked at the grass, then at Starflight’s happy face. He wanted to keep playing. He nodded.

“One more race!”

They started together. Starflight ran toward a bright yellow leaf. Cider chased her, his paws thumping softly. The leaf skittered across the sidewalk when a breeze touched it.

Starflight chased the leaf.

Cider chased Starflight.

The game carried them farther from the pack than Cider meant to go.

“Wait!” Cider called.

Starflight stopped beside the yellow leaf. Cider hurried to her, but the sidewalk felt different there. It was wider and harder under his paws. The sounds from the street seemed louder, too.

A car passed with a whoosh.

Cider’s fur lifted in the breeze.

Starflight picked up the leaf and dropped it at his paws. “We found it!”

Cider tried to smile, but his eyes stayed on the road. “We should take it back to the grass.”

They turned around. Before they could run, a small black and white chihuahua stepped out from a nearby house.

“Wait for me!” she called.

It was Dakota. Her name tag shone against her chest as she hurried toward them.

Cider knew Dakota lived in the house. He had seen her looking through the window while the pack played outside. Now the door stood open behind her.

Dakota trotted up, her tail held high. “I want to play with everyone.”

Starflight smiled. “Come on, then!”

Dakota looked back at the house. “I hate being locked in there. I want to run like you do. I want to eat like you do. I want to follow the pack.”

Cider felt a small tug in his soft chest. Dakota sounded excited, but she also looked worried.

“You can play with us,” Cider said. “But we need to stay near the grass.”

Dakota nodded quickly. “I can do that.”

She ran in a tight circle, then raced after Starflight. Cider followed them, keeping his eyes on the sidewalk. Dakota tried to copy every move. She hopped over the yellow leaf. She spun around a flower pot. She even made a playful bark and bounded after the others.

For a little while, everything felt happy again.

Then Dakota chased Starflight toward the street.

“Dakota, stop!” Cider called.

Dakota froze. Her front paws rested near the edge of the sidewalk. The road lay just beyond the grass. A warm wind carried the smell of dust and car tires.

Dakota looked down. “I was only trying to run like you.”

“I know,” Cider said gently. “But the street is not part of our game.”

Starflight came back and stood beside them. “We can make our game smaller.”

Dakota’s ears drooped. “Smaller?”

“Sure,” Starflight said. “We can race between the tree and the big stone. We do not need the whole sidewalk.”

Cider liked that idea. He pointed with his nose. “The stone can be our finish line.”

Dakota looked at the stone, then at the road. “I can run there.”

“And back,” Starflight said. “Together.”

They returned to the grassy area. Cider ran beside Dakota, not ahead of her. Starflight ran on the other side. The three dogs reached the stone at the same time.

“We did it!” Dakota barked.

Cider laughed. “And we stayed away from the street.”

Dakota’s name tag jingled as she bounced. “Can I do it again?”

“Of course,” Starflight said.

They played the smaller game several times. Cider felt proud. Dakota was learning where to run, and Starflight had made room for her. The pack’s happy sounds drifted across the grass.

Then Cider noticed Frogpaw and Bloompaw walking closer to the sidewalk.

Frogpaw’s Black and Blue collar flashed in the sunlight. Bloompaw’s white collar looked bright against his dark fur. They moved slowly, side by side.

“Look,” Starflight said. “Frogpaw and Bloompaw are coming.”

Cider watched Frogpaw’s legs as he walked. One leg bent in a way the others did not. He took a careful step, then another. Bloompaw stayed close beside him.

“Is Frogpaw all right?” Dakota asked.

“He may need more room,” Cider said.

Frogpaw lifted his head. “We are fine. We are just walking.”

Bloompaw glanced toward the street. “Let’s keep to the grass.”

The dogs moved together, but the sidewalk grew narrow beside a tall bush. Frogpaw stepped near the road to pass it. Cider saw the street only a few paws away.

“Frogpaw,” Cider called. “Please come back toward the grass.”

Frogpaw turned his head. “I’m coming.”

A car rolled past. The breeze pushed at Cider’s plush fur. Frogpaw took one more step, still too close to the street.

“Frogpaw!” Bloompaw cried.

There was a quick bump and a scrape of paws on the sidewalk. Frogpaw fell onto his side. The sound made the game stop at once.

Cider hurried over, with Starflight and Dakota close behind. Frogpaw’s face was calm, but one leg was bent beneath him.

“My leg hurts,” Frogpaw said.

Bloompaw stood beside him. “Do not move yet.”

Cider’s soft paws felt cold against the warm sidewalk. He wanted to help, but he did not know what to do. Starflight lowered her head near Frogpaw.

“We are here,” she said.

Dakota’s name tag gave a tiny jingle. “I can get the others.”

“Good idea,” Cider said. “Bring them to the grass, not the street.”

Dakota ran back, calling for the pack. Starflight stayed with Frogpaw. Bloompaw carefully checked that Frogpaw was away from the road.

After a moment, Frogpaw shifted his leg. Beneath the black fur, something smooth and bright showed through.

Cider blinked. “What is that?”

Frogpaw looked down. “My robotic leg.”

“Your robotic leg?” Starflight asked.

Frogpaw nodded. “It has fur like mine. It helps me walk.”

Cider watched as Frogpaw moved it slowly. The leg bent and straightened with a quiet click. It did not wobble or stop.

“It never malfunctions,” Frogpaw said. “But I still need to be careful when I walk.”

Bloompaw helped Frogpaw sit up. “The leg is working. The place where it bumped still hurts.”

Cider felt relieved, though the street still looked much too close. “We should move farther onto the grass.”

Together, they made a safe path. Bloompaw walked beside Frogpaw. Starflight stood on his other side. Cider and Dakota went ahead to make sure the way was clear.

Slowly, Frogpaw reached the grass. He rested beneath the tree while the pack gathered around him. No one pushed. No one ran near the road.

Dakota sat beside Cider. “I wanted to be like everyone else,” she whispered. “I forgot that everyone has to be careful.”

Cider looked at the yellow leaf lying near the stone. “We can still play. We just have to choose a safe place.”

Starflight lifted the leaf and carried it to the middle of the grass. “The leaf game can happen here.”

Frogpaw smiled from beneath the tree. “That sounds like a good game.”

Cider stood beside Starflight and Dakota. The street still rumbled nearby, but the grass beneath his paws felt soft and steady. Bloompaw stayed close to Frogpaw, and Frogpaw’s furry robotic leg rested safely beside him.

The dogs began a quiet game around the leaf, keeping far from the sidewalk.

Cider learned that the best games are the ones where everyone stays safe together.

End of chapter one. 4 more chapters in the full book.