Goat: Another Four-Letter Word

Goat: Another Four-Letter Word

By: Prairie Girl

Copyright 2010-2019

Caiden smiled as his hens fought for the feed that he was spreading about the coop.  He liked seeing the bright variety of colors and temperament of his “ladies.” The one rooster of the coop strutted about like a sheik in his harem. ‘You’d think he was a peacock the way he preens himself,’ Caiden thought with a chuckle.

All of his ladies were now laying, but none showed any signs of wanting to sit yet.  But Caiden wasn’t worried.  He knew it wouldn’t be long before he heard the tiny peeping of baby chicks and saw them hustling about behind their mother.  Maybe come spring he’d get a set or two.  He was already putting aside a smidgen of money to fund enlarging the coop a bit.  His plans were mainly for selling the eggs, but it never hurts to get another generation in the making to take over when his ladies were no longer able to lay.

He put the bowl back in the feed container, closed the lid securely, and let himself out of the coop.  His dog, Trip, was waiting for him outside the door.  “Hey, boy, are you ready to go check the goats now?” he asked the Blue Australian Cattle Dog sitting patiently.  Trip stood, shook himself off, and headed toward the goat pasture.

Caiden was pleased with how well his farm was taking shape.  He had a small herd of Nubian goats that he was planning to raise mainly for milking.  He currently had eight females and one male, all of which were, for the most part, very sociable and intelligent.  Sometimes he worried that perhaps they were a bit *too* intelligent.

He retrieved the feed bucket from the storage shed and filled it with goat pellets.  He didn’t need too much because the goats mostly fed from the grass that grew in their pasture.  But he felt that it was always good to supplement…just a little.

He entered the pasture, looked at Trip and said, “Cast.”  Trip immediately sped away from him and began to herd the goats toward Caiden and the feeding trough.  Caiden loved to watch Trip work.  He honestly felt like his dog was thing of beauty to watch as he worked.

As the goats approached him, they noticed that Caiden held the feed bucket and they rushed toward him eagerly.  Caiden snickered to himself as he watched them try to push and butt each other out of the way to get to the food.  ‘Reminds me of elementary school lunch lines,’ Caiden thought to himself.

Now that the goats were more than happy to come, Caiden looked over at Trip and said, “That’ll do.”  Trip immediately stopped herding and trotted up near his owner and sat to wait patiently for Caiden to finish.

As he was pouring the food into the trough, Caiden was suddenly shoved from behind.  He turned to see his one male goat getting ready to butt him again.  He knew that he shouldn’t encourage it, but he finished pouring out the food and turned back the goat.  He smacked him sharply on the head between his horns.  The goat huffed at him and reared up sideways on his hind legs and came at him.  Caiden grabbed him by the horns and pushed him back roughly.  He laughed when the goat reared back up at him.  He grabbed the goat’s horns and held him as the goat tried to break free.  He let him go and laughed again as the goat reared back up at him.

“You really shouldn’t do that.  You could make him mean,” the sudden voice behind Caiden startled him and he spun around.  The goat took the opportunity to butt him in the back of his left knee causing him to stumble and land gracelessly in the dirt.

“You can’t say I didn’t warn you,” said Daniel with a smirk.

“Well, he wouldn’t have gotten me if you hadn’t surprised me,” grumbled Caiden, picking himself up and brushing himself off.

Daniel just smiled at him.  “Really, though, Caiden…you shouldn’t play with him like that.  He’ll get mean.  Or he’ll think everyone is a playmate and try to butt them.  Not everyone will find that game nearly as amusing as you do.”

“Yeah, yeah,” muttered Caiden.  He really didn’t see the problem with it.  They were just having a little fun.  What could it really hurt, honestly?

Caiden picked up the bucket and headed for the gate, Trip on his heels.  Daniel held the gate open for him and shut it securely behind them.

Caiden put the bucket back in the storage shed and walked back to Daniel.  Daniel put his arm around Caiden’s shoulders and pulled him close.  “This farm is really looking good, Scamp.  You’re doing a great job with it.”

Caiden blushed, pleased with Daniel’s praise.  This was something that he was putting his time and heart into and it meant the world to him that Daniel was proud of his efforts.

*~*~*~*~

One morning, a day or two later, Caiden came out to feed the animals.  He was surprised to find the goats out in the yard wandering around, the gate to their pasture wide open.  He called to Trip and together they herded the errant goats back into the pasture.  Caiden secured the door and stared thoughtfully at the goats, trying to discern exactly *how* they had gotten out.  He remembered that he had shut and secured the gate.  Not knowing what else to think, Caiden simply shrugged and moved on to finish his chores.

*~*~*~*~

On the following Saturday, Daniel followed Caiden out to help with the morning chores.  As he fed the chickens, Caiden headed off to feed and water the goats.

Once he was finished, Daniel headed over to the goat pen to check on Caiden’s progress.  He was hoping that they’d be finished early enough to allow them some “togetherness” time.  Unfortunately, he discovered that Caiden was once again teasing the male goat.

“Caiden!”

Caiden immediately stilled, but sadly, the goat didn’t and he ended up on his backside again.

Daniel shook his head as he walked into the pasture.  He held his hand down to his sheepishly grinning Brat.

“Hi, Daniel.  Done with the chickens already?” Caiden asked, looking deceptively innocent.

Daniel didn’t say anything.  He just pulled Caiden to his feet and proceeded to “dust” the seat of his pants off rather vigorously.

“Daniel,” Caiden whined.

Daniel turned Caiden to face him.  “I’m not going to tell you again not to tease that goat!  One of these days he’s going to hurt someone and it’ll be because *he* thinks he’s playing.  This *has* to stop!”

“I’m sorry, Daniel,” Caiden pouted.  “He just likes to play is all.  He looks at me with those funky eyes of his and I just can’t seem to say no.”

“Well, I can help with that,” Daniel told him.  “If you continue to have problems with that, I can give you some lines that’ll help the lesson to sink in, and if that doesn’t work, maybe a trip over my knee would.”

Caiden frowned sulkily at his partner.  He picked up the abandoned water and feed buckets and turned to take them back to the shed.

Daniel sighed.  He knew that Caiden didn’t have a mean bone in his body.  He just didn’t see the possible future consequences of his ‘game.’  That was one of Caiden’s biggest issues.  He often acted before thinking, consequences never really entering the equation at all.

Caiden came out of the shed, his head hanging.  “Come here, Scamp,” Daniel threw his arm around Caiden’s shoulders and pulled him close to his side.  He walked his Brat to the house.

********

It was sometime in the middle of the night when Daniel felt warm breath huffing on his cheek.  He grumbled sleepily.  The breath huffed on him again, and it wasn’t very pleasant smelling either.

“Caiden, I thought you said that you brushed your teeth before bed,” he groused.

“I did,” came the sleepy mumble to his left.

To his left?  The huffing was coming from his *right*!  Daniel jerked up in the bed and switched on the light.  There, looking at him like he had every right to be there was the male goat.  He looked at Daniel, blinked, and headed off toward the bedroom door, picking up one of Caiden’s dirty socks in his mouth on the way.

Daniel just stared after him.  Surely he hadn’t seen what he thought he’d just seen…right?

He reached over and jiggled Caiden’s shoulder.  “Uh, it can’t be morning yet,” came a whiny grumble, somewhat muffled by the pillow currently pulled over his head. 

“Caiden, wake up.  I think the goat’s in here.”

Caiden peeked an eye out from under the pillow.  “Very funny, Daniel.  You’re waking me up to play a prank on me?  And it’s not even a very good one because I know I closed the pasture gate.  I thought *I* was the Brat in this relationship.”

Daniel was about to say something when there was a crash in the kitchen.  Caiden sat up and looked at the door, eyes wide.  “What was that?”

“That would be my ‘not very good’ prank,” Daniel said dryly.

Caiden hopped off of the bed and headed towards the door.  “Slippers, Cai,” Daniel reminded him.

Caiden quickly shoved his feet into the slippers and headed towards the noise currently coming from the kitchen.

When he turned on the light he found the goat nosing happily into the trash that he’d knocked over.  He heard a noise behind him and turned.  There, standing around some of Daniel’s favorite potted plants, were four of the female goats casually munching away.

“Caiden, snap out of it!” Daniel said.  “We need to get these goats out of here before-”

He got no further as one of female goats squatted down and peed on floor.  Caiden rolled his eyes and groaned.  “How’d they even get in here?” He had to wonder.

Daniel went past him and into the family room.  He switched on the light, looked around, and pointed at the sliding glass door which was standing open.

“I would have to assume that that’s how they got in,” he answered.  “I’m guessing that you forgot to lock the door before coming to bed.”

Caiden had the decency to look chagrined.  “Sorry.  I was thinking about the possibility of getting some alpacas.  It must’ve slipped my mind.”

Daniel sighed, “It’s okay.  It’s not like we knew they’d get this clever.  Come on; let’s get these goats back to their pen.”

Caiden went to the open sliding door and called Trip.  With the help of the cattle dog, it wasn’t long before the wandering herd of goats was back in their pasture.  Caiden pulled the gate closed and studied it.  He knew that they had to be opening it somehow, but he just didn’t see how they could be doing it.

Daniel came up behind him and handed him a length of elastic cording.  “Wrap this around it.  It’s not a permanent fix, but it should keep Christopher Columbus and his intrepid band of explorers in for the night.”

After making sure that the gate secured, Daniel and Caiden headed back to bed.

*~*~*~*~*~*

A week passed since the ‘Great Escape,’ as Caiden had come to refer to it.  He had put a few more locking features on the gate in the hopes that they would be sufficient in keeping the newly dubbed Chris and his harem in the pasture.

Caiden was once again out feeding them when Chris nudged him again.  “Oh, no,” Caiden told him firmly, “you aren’t tricking me into playing with you again.  If Daniel ever catches me, my butt is toast!”

Chris just looked at him, cocking his head to the side as if to say, “Aw, come on!  You know you wanna!”

Caiden looked at his watch.  Daniel wouldn’t be home for at least forty-five minutes.  He reached over and smacked Chris between the eyes and the fight was on.  It lasted a good five to ten minutes before both combatants decided that they’d had enough.

Caiden should’ve been feeling guilty, but really, he figured, what could it honestly hurt?  It’s not like Chris was a free roaming boy anymore.  Right?

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Sunday morning dawned bright and sunny.  Caiden and Daniel woke, took care of the animals, showered, had breakfast, and started to straighten the house.  Daniel’s mother was stopping over for lunch and they didn’t want her looking around, tutting to herself, bemoaning the fact that the ‘poor dears’ just can’t seem to keep house properly.

Caiden began lunch.  He was making Daniel’s favorite creamy wild rice soup with sautéed mushrooms and grilled chicken along with freshly baked rolls and a garden salad.  He hummed happily to himself as he cooked.  He was always able to find himself in a peaceful place when he cooked.

He looked out the window over the sink as he heard a car pulling in.  “Daniel,” he yelled, “your mom’s here!”

He jumped with squeal when he felt a hand land sharply across his backside.  “You know perfectly well that you don’t need to yell,” admonished Daniel.

“Sorry,” Caiden said sheepishly, rubbing his hind quarters.

“I love you, Scamp,” Daniel said, putting an arm around Caiden’s shoulders and giving him a squeeze.  “I guess I’ll go help Mom in.  What’dya wanna bet she’s brought a slew of casseroles for the ‘poor dears’ who are probably slowly starving death in abject misery?”

Caiden snickered as Daniel pressed a kiss to the top of head.  Daniel turned to head for the front door when a shrill scream pierced the air.  The men looked at each other and headed for the door at a run.

Flinging the front door open, they headed into the front yard to see a very flustered Kathleen Hurst surrounded by goats munching on several pans of spilled casserole, waving her purse at a rearing Chris, hitting him squarely between the eyes.  

“Chris, no!” Caiden yelled, causing Kathleen to turn towards him and Daniel.  Chris took that as an opening and rammed into her knees sharply, knocking her face down into the dirt.  Caiden looked horrified.

Daniel grabbed Caiden’s arm and spun him around to face his irate Top.  “Caiden, get Trip and get those blasted goats back into their pen.  Now!”

Caiden nodded, his stomach dropping to his feet.  Daniel ran over to help his mother and check her for injuries whilst Caiden called Trip and the two of them herded the goats back to their pasture.

Caiden returned to the house after securing the gate once more with several elastic cords.  He made sure that the food wasn’t burnt before poking his head into the family to check on Kathleen.

Daniel was sitting on the coffee table beside her while she lay on the sofa with wet washcloth over her eyes.

Caiden shuffled his feet and Daniel turned.  He beckoned Caiden over.  “How is she?” Caiden whispered once he reached Daniel.

“She’s fine.  Just a bit shook up.  She may end up sporting a few impressive bruises, but nothing seems to be broken.”

Caiden sighed in relief.  Kathleen had become to mean as much to him as his own mother.  He would’ve been devastated had she been hurt.

After letting Kathleen rest for a bit, Daniel packed up some of the soup and rolls for her and drove her home, promising that he and Caiden would drop her car off for her first thing in the morning.

While Daniel was gone, Caiden cleaned up the kitchen, then went out and cleaned up the remains of Kathleen’s casseroles.

He looked up from clearing up the last of the mess when he heard Daniel driving back into the yard.  He swallowed thickly, knowing that it was time to face the music.

Daniel walked up to him, “Caiden, let’s go into the study.  I think you and I need to have a discussion.”

He put his arm around Caiden’s shoulders and led him towards the house.  Caiden’s stomach was in nervous knots.  ‘Discussion, a lovely euphemism for getting my backside lit up like a bonfire,’ he thought glumly.

They entered the study and Daniel steered them towards the loveseat.  He sat down and pulled Caiden onto his lap.  Caiden kept his eyes lowered, picking at his nails. 

“Caiden?  Caiden, look at me,” Daniel said quietly.

Caiden slowly lifted his eyes and looked mournfully at Daniel.  “I’m sorry the goats got out again, Daniel.  Really!  I don’t know how they keep doing it.  I’m always careful about closing the gate.  I thought I had it fixed, I swear!”

Daniel placed a finger gently over Caiden’s lips.  “Cai, I’m not upset that the goats got out.  You weren’t irresponsible in regards to securing the gate.  What I have to wonder is, have you been continuing to tease that goat?”

Caiden’s cheeks flushed a bit and he began to stammer, “Daniel…I…I mean…”

Daniel once again placed a finger over Caiden’s lips.  “Think carefully about what you’re about to say, Caiden Isaiah.  You know I can always tell when you’re lying to me,” he warned his nervous Brat.

Caiden opened his mouth as if to speak, but then shut again without a sound.  He looked down at his hands again.

Daniel put two fingers under Caiden’s chin and gently guided his gaze upwards.  “The truth, Caiden, always the truth.”

Caiden looked as though he were desperately trying to hold back tears and nodded slowly, once more lowering his eyes.

“Out loud, Caiden.  I can’t hear a nod,” Daniel prompted.

“Yes, Daniel,” came the sorrow-filled whisper.  “I did tease the goat.”  Then his eyes snapped up to look into Daniel’s.  “But I never thought he’d hurt Kathleen!  It was just a game, a stupid game!  I thought it was funny!  I never meant for anyone to get hurt!”

“I know you didn’t, Caiden.  But didn’t I warn you that this sort of thing might happen?” Daniel asked him seriously.

“Yes, but I really didn’t think it could hurt.  I mean, he only took it as a game if you hit him between the eyes.  How could I know that he’d get loose and Kathleen would hit him between the eyes?”

“That’s not the point, Caiden.  No, you didn’t know he’d get loose again.  But you can’t pretend that your game didn’t have anything to do with it.  You taught that goat to play.  What would’ve happened if I’d walked into the pen at some point with, let’s say, the clippers to trim one of the goats.  What would’ve happened if he’d knocked me down and I’d fallen on the clippers, or, God forbid, you did?  Do you have any idea of how much it would hurt me if something happened to you?  You’re my life, Caiden, I love you!”

Caiden broke down into tears, “I’m sorry, Daniel!  I really didn’t think about it!  It was just supposed to be fun…a game…that’s all!”

“One that you had been warned on more than one occasion to stop playing, and someone could’ve been badly hurt as a result,” Daniel pointed out.

“You’re going to spank me, aren’t you?” Caiden asked quietly.

“Don’t you think you deserve a spanking?” Daniel inquired.

Caiden squirmed in his lap.  Then he looked up with red, tear-filled, despondent eyes, “Yes, Daniel,” came the heartbroken whisper.

Daniel stood Caiden up on his feet.  He walked over to the straight-backed chair and pulled it to the middle of the floor.  He looked over at the pitiful sight that was his beloved partner.  “Take off your shoes and jeans, please.”

Caiden slowly complied, carefully placing his shoes next to the loveseat and folding his jeans and placing them on the arm of the loveseat.

Daniel sat down and beckoned Caiden to him.  Slowly Caiden approached his right side.  “I really am sorry,” came the tear-filled voice.

“I know you are.  Now let’s get this over with, eh?”  Daniel held out his hand to Caiden who grasped it.  Daniel helped to guide Caiden over his lap.  It still awed him; the trust that his partner had in him, knowing that he would only go as far as was necessary and never harm him.  He was determined to never betray that priceless trust.

He drew Caiden’s boxers down to his knees, secured his left hand around Caiden’s hip, and looked down at the backside that he’d rather love on in a more romantic capacity than discipline.  

He lifted his right arm and brought it down on Caiden’s right cheek with a hefty smack.  Caiden let out a yelp, which was just as much from the shock of the first spank as it was the pain.  Daniel lifted his hand and gave the left cheek a matching smack.  He then began to spank in earnest, making sure to cover Caiden’s entire backside and upper thighs until they were a deep crimson.  

Caiden cried and wailed.  He promised to never tease the goat, make that *any* animal, again for the rest of his natural life.  But Daniel hardened his heart until he felt Caiden finally let go and simply accept the spanking.  He laid down a few more hard swats and then stopped, letting Caiden cry for a few minutes while he gently rubbed his back.

When Caiden had settled some, Daniel helped him to his feet, pulled his boxers back up, and led him over to the loveseat.  He sat down and pulled Caiden into his lap, careful to avoid causing any more pain to the already painful rear.  He cuddled Caiden close to him, drying his tears gently with a tissue. 

“I’m sorry, Daniel.  I’m so, so sorry,” Caiden said sadly.

“No more guilt, Cai, no more apologies.  It’s done.  We’ve dealt with it.  All is forgiven.  I love you so much.”

Caiden snuggled down into Daniel’s arms.  “I love you too, Daniel.”

They sat there together, simply holding each other.  Daniel could feel Caiden slowly slipping into slumber.  Just as he thought that Caiden was asleep, he heard a quiet, sleepy voice ask, “Does this mean that we have to wait on getting the alpacas?”