Swords and Staffs

17. Cute little thing

After the funeral, I was making my way through the woods when I heard a murmur in the bushes. I pivoted myself around and listened carefully as to where the noise was coming from.

"Hello?"

Then I heard the noise again. It sounded like a small cry from some kind of small animal. A small animal that sounded like it was in pain. Determined to find and help the poor thing, I start searching the shrubs and bushes for the injured little fellow.

Swiping the prickly twigs and leaves away with my hands, I finally find it. A frightened mastiff puppy lay in a heap of prickles and thorns that jabbed into its precious little, grey fur coat. It looked up at me with its big, beautiful, brown eyes as if to say, 'Help me please strange person'. I did as the poor puppy pleaded and wrapped my hands around its bony waist. I then lifted it carefully out of the bush, its wrinkles jiggling as I hoisted it up into my arms. As I set it onto the ground, it let out a small yelp and fell onto its stomach, legs spread out like a starfish.

"Aww, little sweetheart..." I cooed as I knelt down and began carefully pulling the needles of the bush out of its rolls. After I had extracted all of the prickles, it let out an adorable little bark and plodded towards me, giving me sloppy kiss on my cheek. I watched as it went back towards the bush and lifted its leg up to empty its bladder. A boy. Definitely a boy.

"Hello there, little boy. What's your name?" I asked him, not expecting an answer. I checked for a collar but instead I found a roughed-up tag around his neck. It read 'Blue Mastiff, up for adoption, no longer wanted'.

"So, you escaped, did you? Were you too lonely in that place?" I asked rhetorically as I stroked his filthy fur and looked him in his sparkly little eyes.

"Me too. I'm quite lonely often." I agreed, picking him up and beginning to follow the path again.

"We will be lonely together," I insisted, heading back down the path towards home.

"But first you need a name... how about... Blue?" he barked in agreement, licked me on the cheek and peered ahead at the trail leading to the inn, with those big beautiful brown eyes.

Sat on my bed, playing with my new friend, I begin to feel hungry and I hear Blue's stomach rumble louder than an earthquake.

"Goodness, I forgot! You must be starving!" I panicked, observing his skeletal structure that popped out from under his skin.

"Let's get some food shall we..." I asked him, opening the door, and hearing Blue plod on behind me, following my every step. Bless his little heart! I walked out of the creaky wooden door, Blue trailing along and headed for the small kitchen of the room I was staying in.

There was not much to eat in the kitchen. At least none of what was there was dog-friendly.

"You, stay there, honey. I will get you something from the chef downstairs."

I came back up with decent meal of sausages for the little companion, provided by the chef of the inn.

"This will satisfy your hunger, Blue. I just have to warm them up a bit, okay?"

I took the sausages out of the paper bag and popped them in the pot to boil on the stove.

Whilst waiting for Blue's dinner to cook, sat on the dining room chair (the only chair) and admired the room's decorations while Blue chased his tail in the middle of the tiles, underneath the table.

I left the sausages for about twenty minutes, then I poured the sausages from the pan into his little bowl and placed it on the side to cool down. When it was cool enough, I gently put it on the floor and called Blue from under the table to his meal.

"Blue! Food!" I beckoned.

As soon as he heard that word he darted as fast as his rolls would let him to his food. He barked and then tucked into his meal spilling the juices of his fried sausage all over the kitchen floor. I watched as he gobbled the meat.

I patted him on the back, stroking his rough fluff.

"Eat up little buddy."

I sat there, thinking that whoever would dump such a cute little thing in the woods was a complete monster...