Ruthless

Zeldris is Afraid of Dogs

It was a busy day in the healer's tent, and the sun had set when Elizabeth walked home. Though, it was a busy day every day at this point. Elizabeth, even though she had the capability to heal hundreds of people with ease, came home every day feeling drained and tired out. After all, she was healing all day every day.

The war had lasted about five months now, and she hadn't done much battling. Her Mother had insisted she stay and heal others, and let the others fight.

"Your abilities would be of greater use to our side here." Her Mother, the Supreme Deity, had told her firmly.

"But-" Elizabeth protested.

"No buts, Elizabeth. You stay here." She decided.

So Elizabeth flew around the war zone healing as many people as she could. She felt guilty she couldn't do more to help than heal people's wounds and injuries, but she wasn't going to disobey her Mother and let innocent people die. It still hurt, knowing her friends were out fighting and possibly never returning, but she put up with her anxiety and got on with her job. It was war, after all, no place for a soft heart.

She was lost in her own thoughts when she stumbled over something. Elizabeth fell to the ground and whatever she'd tripped over gave a yelp. She stood up and looked at what she'd tripped over.

It was a dog, or rather, a puppy. Fluffy, black and white with patches of brown on it's head and back. It had brown eyes, from what Elizabeth could make out in the near darkness. It had long legs and big paws.

Elizabeth bent down to make friends with it, and the puppy sniffed her hand eagerly, and licked it. Elizabeth giggled. It's tongue was raspy and tickly. She petted the puppy for a minute or two, before continuing on her way.

The puppy followed her all the way to the castle, despite her telling it to stay several times. Elizabeth sighed and picked it up, and carried it to her wing. She gave it a bath, and found out it was a boy. She named it Barkley, because why not?

Elizabeth carried him out of the bathroom and down to Gelda and Zeldris's room. She knocked on the door.

"Come in." Gelda called in a soft voice.

Elizabeth walked in and smiled at her. Gelda was leaning against the window ledge, watching people fight in the courtyard below. She turned around and looked at Elizabeth, and her paler-than-usual face lit up.

"Elizabeth! You're back!" Gelda smiled happily, and embraced Elizabeth in a hug. "No one else is back yet, I'm bored."

"I'm fine, look what I found!" Elizabeth giggled, and picked up the puppy she'd put down on the way in. "I named him Barkley!"

"Barkley, huh?" Gelda held out her hand. She giggled when he licked her hand. "Is he a puppy?"

"I think so, I found him on the way home. And I think you could use with a friend while we're away, I don't want you to get lonely." Elizabeth worried, and handed Barkley over to Gelda.

"It's not that lonely," Gelda told her. She sat down in a comfy chair and patted the one beside her. Elizabeth sat down, still looking worried. "Whenever someone comes to talk to your Mother, Diane or King or the others, they always come to ask how I've been. Would you believe that Ban came to say hi?" She giggled.

"I suspect Elaine had something to do with it," Elizabeth laughed. "But seriously, how have you been, you're still pale."

Gelda had been ill a lot the past months following the pregnancy. Elizabeth did her best to heal her, but wounds were a lot easier to heal than sickness bugs and chest infections.