Page 21 of Endless
"English or Spanish, son. I'm happy you're learning ASL, but we don't know what you're saying," Jandro said.
"I said, I hope we see a coyote."
Daren's hands moved swiftly as he connected the words. Every day he grew more confident with signing, and he really seemed taken with it since meeting his new friend, Lily. Shadow had even been practicing with him a bit. The big guy seemed thrilled to find something they could bond over.
"No coyotes, probably." I glanced at Daren in the rearview mirror, still signing to himself. "They'll be sleeping now and wake up to hunt when it starts getting dark."
I pulled over at the mouth of the canyon, finding a sliver of shade to park under. This place was one of the smaller canyons in the area. It didn't even have a name as far as I was aware, but it was pretty, scenic, and an easy hike. A perfect outing for a couple of squirrelly five-year-olds.
Mari, Shadow, and Gunner all had work or something else going on, so Jandro and I elected to take the kids out. It would be good for Hades too, who was currently seated between the two kids. His head was already swiveling from side-to-side, ever watchful for any threats to his tiny humans.
Hades, the god, hadn't spoken to me again since that night at the party eight years ago. But I wasn't entirely convinced he'd left this dog's body completely.
"Alright, we're here. Aurora May, don't run off," I warned, opening my door.
"I just want to seeee—"
"Come here, let me get your sunscreen and your hat on so you don't burn. Do you need to use the bathroom?"
“No. Can I pick a flower for Mommy?”
“In a second, sugar cube.”
Jandro got Daren situated while I handled Rori. Hades sniffed around our perimeter as we got the kids ready, then let out a soft bark of approval and sat when he was satisfied.
I put a dog treat in Rori's hand. "Go give that to Hades and we can start exploring."
"Papi, can I sit on your shoulders?" Daren asked Jandro. "I want a better view."
"Alright, just for a little bit." Jandro picked him up and seated him behind his neck, Daren's legs draping down over his chest. "You're gonna turn your old dad into a hunchback."
"You already are," I joked, following after Rori and Hades who had already ventured into the canyon. "Rori, stay close. Don't go off the trail."
"I know,Dad." Her tone was snotty, like she was already fifteen instead of five.Ah, kids.
"You remember what happened last time?" I couldn't resist teasing her.
"Yes, I remember!" She turned around and shot me a dirty look.
I made a similar face back at her until she laughed, then pulled her into a quick hug against my leg. "I love you, Ror. It's always an adventure with you."
On the last hike we went on, Rori went off the trail to get a closer look at a jackrabbit. She ended up walking over a young cactus plant, and Mari spent the better part of a night pulling the spines out of her feet.
The risk wasn't as high here, with the canyon being fairly narrow and mostly shaded. It felt much cooler as we started walking through, the sandstone walls curving as if shaped by water on either side of us. People liked coming here because of the paintings on the canyon walls, left by indigenous cultures thousands of years ago.
I studied the pale, faded paintings as I walked through. Naturally, I couldn't interpret them like a scholar could, but even my untrained eye could make out figures, animals, and symbols.
That circle hovering above all the figures had to be the sun or moon, clearly sacred to people who depended on the land to survive. It got me wondering if any ofourgods had reached these people in some way, or some version of them. Did they personify the sun, death, love, and healing? Did a god of the Underworld choose someone to carry out their commands like Hades had with me?
"Look, it's Horus!" Daren pointed up at the thin stripe of sky above us where several birds with impressive wingspans soared with ease.
"Ah, not quite." Jandro peered up, squinting at the sky. "Horus is a lot smaller. Those guys are big. I'm pretty sure they're turkey vultures."
"What's that?" Daren held on to Jandro's face as he leaned back to get an even better look at the sky.
"They're scavengers, so they look for food that's already dead." Jandro turned his head and took a playful bite of Daren's leg. When our son shrieked and shook out of his grasp, Jandro exaggerated a face of disgust. "Ugh, nope. This boy's still very much alive."
Darren cackled with laughter, the bright sound echoing off the canyon walls, until Jandro lifted him off his shoulders and set him on the ground. "Go walk with your sister, my neck needs a break."
