The sun had finally broken through the clouds, casting long golden rays over the rugged landscape. Azad and Ellie had made it out of the cave and found a small clearing on the mountainside where they could take a moment to treat Ellie's wound. Azad carefully unwrapped the makeshift bandage from her arm, and Ellie winced slightly.
"Hold still," Azad murmured, his brow furrowed as he gently cleaned the wound. "We can't have this getting infected. It's not deep, but it's nasty."
Ellie gritted her teeth. "I'm fine. Just hurry up. We still need to find a good place to climb up this mountain. Staying down here doesn't feel safe."
Azad nodded. "Almost done," he said, tying the fresh bandage around her arm. "There. Good as new—well, sort of."
Ellie flexed her arm, testing the bandage before giving a nod of approval. "Alright. Let's keep moving. We need to find a better route up."
The mountain was steep, and the path was scattered with loose rocks and patches of thick underbrush. Every so often, the wind would howl through the trees, making the leaves rustle and filling the air with pine and earth's scent. They kept their eyes open for any potential threats, knowing they weren't out of danger yet.
As they walked, a low growl stopped them in their tracks. Ahead, near a cluster of boulders, stood a lone dog—a wild one, its fur brown and matted. It bared its teeth at them, growling, its eyes fixed on Azad and Ellie with a mixture of hunger and aggression.
"Whoa," Azad whispered, raising his hands. "Easy there, boy… We don't want any trouble."
Ellie, already tense, took a step back. "We can't afford to fight it, Azad. We're in no condition for this."
The dog took a step forward, its growl deepening. Without thinking, Azad fumbled through his inventory, searching for something—anything—that might distract the dog. In a panic, he accidentally tossed out a bone from a past encounter with skeletons.
The bone clattered onto the ground between them and the dog.
To their surprise, the dog's demeanor changed instantly. Its growling stopped, and its ears perked up. It sniffed the air, cautiously approached the bone, and then… wagged its tail. The dog picked up the bone in its mouth, happily trotting to Azad and nuzzling his leg.
Azad blinked in disbelief. "Did… did I just… tame a dog?"
Ellie, equally shocked, stared at the now-friendly dog wagging its tail. "Well, I'll be damned. Of all the things to throw out, you threw a bone. Looks like you've got yourself a new companion."
Azad crouched down, scratching the dog behind the ears. "Huh… I guess we have a dog now. What should I call him?"
Ellie crossed her arms, smirking. "You tamed him, so it's your responsibility to name him."
Azad thought for a moment, glancing at the dog's brown fur. "Alright… I'll call him… Poop!"
Ellie's expression darkened instantly. "What?"
Azad, oblivious to her growing fury, continued. "Yeah, Poop! He's brown, right? It fits perfectly!"
Before Azad could react, Ellie smacked him on the head. "Are you serious right now? Poop? You can't name the dog Poop!"
"Ow!" Azad winced, rubbing the back of his head. "What's wrong with Poop? It's just a name."
Ellie glared at him, her voice sharp. "Azad, I swear if you don't come up with a better name, I'll beat you to a pulp. We're not calling the dog Poop!"
Azad grumbled, still rubbing his head, but he could see she wasn't joking. "Fine, fine! No need to get violent…" He looked at the dog again, thinking. "How about… Choco? You know, like chocolate. He's brown, and it sounds way better than Poop."
Ellie sighed, her expression softening. "Choco… Now that is a proper name. Good boy, Choco." She leaned down, patting the dog who happily wagged his tail in response.
Azad crossed his arms, pouting slightly. "You didn't have to hit me, you know."
Ellie chuckled, giving him a playful nudge. "If I didn't hit you, you'd be out here with a dog named Poop. I did you a favor."
They both laughed, the tension finally easing after the stressful days they had endured. With Choco by their side, they continued searching for a safe path up the mountain, feeling more hopeful with their newfound companion. The air was crisp, and as the wind rustled the trees above, for the first time in a long while, Azad and Ellie felt like maybe—just maybe—they had a chance at surviving this world together.