The Shattered Dragonslayer

Chapter 1: Whispers of War (Part 2)

Suddenly there was a knock at the door.

"Identify yourself, maggot!" Demetri burst, knowing full well who stood at the door but electing to have some fun at her expense.

There emanated a sweet laugh from behind the wooden door, "You know it's me."

"Don't be absurd, I never knew a Me."

"Come on, Demetri."

"Come on in, Kat, you know you needn't knock."

The door creaked open and in the young woman strolled, tan-faced from garden work and adorned with a long fountain of brown curly hair. On the side of her head was a single, light pink flower. With so meager an economy, filling their hair with blossoms was all the village women could afford to make themselves more presentable, but Kathleen did it very well. In fact, in his opinion, the one little ornament was all she needed. She folded her hands rather shyly. "Am I interrupting anything?"

"Not at all," prompted Raylan, "good morning Kathleen. What are you doing over here so early?"

"I actually have a favor to ask of Demetri, if he's not too busy."

"Sheesh! Me and the favors, what is it with you two?"

"You might be glad I asked, if you could follow me outside." Without waiting for his response she hastened out of the smithy's and vanished. Raylan and Demetri turned to each other inquiringly. Demetri put his hands in his pockets and shrugged. "Okay, I'm curious."

The two men sauntered out from the shop, and not but a few yards away they spotted Kathleen standing bent over a mutt - scraggly, white and gray all over, gorging its self on a steak bone she'd given to it. She looked up with a bright, eager smile and crouched down next to the animal, scratching behind its short pointy ears.

"What on earth is that sorry creature?" Raylan remarked. Kathleen ignored him and turned hopefully to Demetri.

"What do you think? Isn't he beautiful? Just wandered onto the farmland this morning, all tired and hungry looking."

"Uhhuh." He stared at her suspiciously.

"And he's such a sweet thing, not at all hostile. And his scruffy face is quite cute, don't you think?"

"He is somewhat adorable, if you like that sort of thing."

"I would love to keep him for my very own, but between all the livestock my father's caring for and the severe case of food shortage, we can't afford to take care of him or train him. I was hoping-"

"I could take him?"

"Oh, would you!"

"No, no, no, Kat. I'm not letting any stray beasts roam about my house and snoop through my work shop. I'm short on resources too, you know. And how do I know he won't urinate on my ember cannon?"

She made the saddest, most pitiful expression she could muster, and held the dog's mottled face tenderly up against hers. "Is this the face of someone who'd urinate on your ember cannon? He's begging you, Demetri."

His stone-like composure didn't change.

"I thought you liked dogs."

"What if he's carrying a disease?"