Page 40 of Agor

“But what’s in the other basket?” Martha eyed the second one, a little smaller than the first.

I clicked the lock on it open, also curious to find out what it held.

From the first sight, the basket appeared empty. The same scratching sound came from deep inside it that I’d heard earlier through the door. I bent lower to look in and was met with a pair of glowing yellow eyes and a growl.

“It’s alive!” I shrank back.

Ilya stepped out of the crowd, coming closer. “What is it? It couldn’t be that big since it fits in the basket.”

I peered in again. A scowl of a river hound stared back at me with its yellow eyes and sharp red teeth. Except that all of it was much smaller than it should be.

“It’s a puppy,” I gasped, sitting back on my haunches. “A river hound puppy.”

The thing was smaller than a cat. Its downy fur was still fluffy, not sleek like that of a fully grown river hound. It lowered its head and flattened its big ears against its head, trying but failing to look intimidating. It simply was too adorable to look scary.

“It’s so cute,” Ilya squeaked in a sing-sing voice, watching the puppy over my shoulder. Catching himself, he cleared his throat, then said in a deeper, manlier voice. “He looks like a plump dumpling on skinny legs.”

“A dumpling?” I giggled. The resemblance was definitely there. “But what am I to do with it?”

Kazimir opened his mouth, “The beast absolutely needs to be—”

I silenced him by lifting a finger, unwilling to hear whatever cruel treatment he might’ve dreamed up for my dog.

“That was a rhetorical question, Elder Kazimir. We’re good. Dumpling and me. We’ll figure it out. Come here, buddy.” I reached inside the basket to lift the puppy out, but it growled again, snapping its teeth at my hand.

“You can’t bring this spawn of hellhound into our midst,” Kazimir warned ominously.

“It’s ariverhound,” I corrected. “Not a hellhound. And well, he...or she is already here. So...” I shoved the door to my wagon open with my elbow and carefully tipped the basket on its side, anxious to get the puppy out of Kazimir’s sight.

Maybe the smell of smoked meat would entice the elder more than the aroma of baking did, and he’d follow everyone else to the community hall soon?

“Here, Dumpling, you must be hungry. River hounds often are.” I ripped a piece of sausage and offered it to the puppy.

Its focus shifted from me to the sausage. Slowly moving the meat away from its nose, I lured the puppy out of the basket and over the threshold of my wagon.

It walked out slowly, crouching low on its short skinny legs. The noise of so many people seemed to unnerve it, and I hoped it’d feel better inside.

“It’s all yours, buddy.” I tossed the piece of sausage into the wagon. The puppy darted after it, and I promptly closed the door behind him.

Ilya breathed right next to my ear, watching the puppy’s every move with me until the door closed.

“I can help you look after him,” he suggested, clearly enthralled by the fuzzy little creature.

“She can’t keep it,” Kazimir protested. “The settlement barely has enough food to feed the children.”

I bit my tongue, holding back a snappy reply that might get both me and the puppy in trouble. But where were his concerns about the food for the children when he demanded we burn the boar and throw away everything Agor brought?

“I can catch the frogs and lizards in the swamp to feed your dog,” Ilya offered.

“That’ll be very helpful.” I smiled before turning to the elder. “River hounds are smart, strong, and great for protection. I’ll raise it to defend the settlement. It’ll be a village guard, just like me.”

I picked up the empty basket with a couple of bones rattling on the bottom. Agor must’ve put them in there for the puppy to chew on something on their way here.

I threw a quick look around, searching against all odds for the solid shape of an orc that, of course, was nowhere to beseen. Then I opened the door and walked inside to make better acquaintances with my newest present.

“Stubborn, insufferable woman,” Kazimir mumbled, stomping away.

Chapter 10

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