Chapter 44
Forty-Four
Rymar
Iwas getting my ass kicked by a bunch of dogs. In truth, it didn't hurt that bad, and it was a little funny. I also knew I would pay for it later, but seeing so many dogs trying to figure out how to disarm me?
This could actually work! I didn't want to get my hopes up yet, but I also couldn't stop. Ayla had once said this was an arms race. She thought she was wrong, but she wasn't looking at it the right way. Moles had ancient battle weapons we'd long ago left behind. Our weapon was nature.
From the patterned skin of the tailed to the ferocity of these dogs, we used the world around us to survive.
Even our venom was natural in its own way.
Genetically manipulated, sure, but I considered it natural.
And all those things gave us an advantage the Moles would never have.
We could survive up here. We wouldn't run out of people, but they could run out of guns.
Then there'd been their grenades. Those things had hurt as many of their own people as ours.
But what I liked most was seeing the smile on Ayla's face as she worked with the animals.
Something about her relaxed with the dogs.
Plenty of times, she fell completely silent, not needing to talk to them to be understood.
There was a sort of grace in the way she inherently understood them that I knew I'd never be able to have.
It made me happy for her. Once, Lansin had said she could do this for a living. Dogs weren't as popular in Lorsa as here. They were insanely expensive to start with. Then there was keeping one. A dog ate as much meat as a child. They had to be watched just as much too.
For a Reaper, having one made sense. Their dogs were their tools. In Lorsa, a dog was a luxury - usually. I didn't think Holly was, but most people weren't hell-bent on getting revenge the way my little Phoenix was.
"Rymar!" someone called, making me look up. "Again?"
I waved her down. "I need a breather."
"I'll do it!" Xav volunteered, jogging over.
So I passed him the gun I was holding, then patted his shoulder. "Make the dogs work for it, and if they come at you straight on - "
"I know," Xav said with a grin. "I may have trained one dog already. Go sit, Rymar. I think your brain's been addled."
I grunted, not impressed with getting picked on, but he was right.
My brain was addled, but the dogs had little to do with it.
It was the way Ayla smiled when she hugged that black and tan dog over there.
It was the lift to her shoulders when Lansin complimented her.
It was realizing that this amazing woman had picked me, even after all that had been done to her.
I found a fallen tree and eased myself onto it. All around me, people had broken up into smaller groups. Some were using a stick as a gun to convince their dogs that "fetching" it so hard would be okay. Others were still working on associating the word with the weapon that was being passed around.
Kicking out my feet, I stretched my legs out.
The pain in my ass was probably going to turn into a bruise.
The ground out here hadn't been cleared, and I was sure I'd landed on at least one stump.
I didn't want to reach back to rub it, though.
That was something I'd never live down, but stretching worked.
Then someone called Ayla's name. She and Holly headed over, crossing the clearing right before me. Without thinking, Ayla reached down, trailing her fingers on her dog's head. Shit, but she looked good like that. Strong, the way she deserved.
But in the middle of my appreciation, a dark streak raced toward her, pushed between her and Holly, then pranced at her side. Ayla laughed, but from behind her, the dog's owner was clearly getting annoyed.
"Pepper!" he snapped. "No. Come!"
"Go," Ayla said, pointing to the dog's owner.
And while the dog was oblivious to the man's demands, it darted off in the direction Ayla pointed.
Just more proof she was meant to do this, I decided.
If the dog handler couldn't train his pup, but my girl could?
Yeah, she really was that amazing. It wasn't my imagination, or Lansin trying to make another sale. Ayla was just good at this.
I got back up to hold the gun again, so Xav could have a break. This time, I made laps up and down the middle of the clearing. When they were ready, a handler would give the command, and I had to wait for a dog to charge me.
Most didn't quite get it. Once, Ayla used Holly again to demonstrate, and that seemed to help a few others. But then, while Ayla was teaching a dog that "disarm" meant the gun, someone ordered their dog to come at me.
It didn't.
The tri-colored dog raced after the first gun it saw - the one in Ayla's hands. She didn't even see it coming, but Holly did. That dog snarled in a way that made my balls suck up, and Ayla's head snapped over.
"No!" she said, pointing at me. "Disarm!"
The tri-colored dog turned, saw me, and started running - and then something else slammed into me from the side. A grunt flew out. The gun fell from my hands, yanked with enough force I knew it had to be a dog, and I tumbled twice before I could stop myself.
"Good girl, Pepper!" Ayla was squealing in delight. "Yes! You did it! Oh, that's a good girl!"
"Fuck yeah, she did it," I grumbled as I rolled onto my hands and knees, trying to make the world stop turning.
That dog's handler jogged over, offering his hand. "Sorry," he said, helping me up. "Apparently, I'm shit with the dog."
"New dog?" I asked.
He murmured, tilting his head as if that was only partially right.
"She was my partner's. Narina loved that dog, but when the Moles came.
.." He shook his head. "She was killed that first night.
Pepper was locked inside the cabin. Couldn't get out.
Now I have a dog and not my partner, and no fucking clue how to use her. "
"You do know Ayla will help, right?" I asked.
He laughed once. "She's great with Pepper." Then he patted my back, knocking some dust and debris free. "The dogs were Narina's thing, not mine. I should've sent Pepper on to the winter camp, but I was so..."
"Pissed," I offered.
"Yeah," he said. "I wanted to make the Moles pay. I thought I'd just be able to take Narina's dog and kill them all, but I was wrong."
"Moles are a plague," I told him. "But you'll get it."
"Thanks. Sorry she blindsided you."
"That's why I'm here," I said.
Then he whistled sharply. "Pepper, come!"
Pepper did not come. She sat, looking up at Ayla. It was only when Ayla pointed that the dog moved, and maybe I was making it up, but I swore Pepper didn't want to leave Ayla's side. She walked so slowly back to her owner that it almost looked like she was sulking.
But Ayla didn't give the dog any attention for sulking. Instead, she petted Holly, then turned to help the next person. That man finally got Pepper and started working with her again, but it was getting clear the dog had not bonded with him.
I started making laps again, but this time I was picking out dogs and people a little easier. The dog who'd tried to take Ayla's gun finally managed to disarm me - and hard. A few others did too, and somewhere in there, I saw Lansin talking to Pepper's person.
So, when Xav said it was his turn, I headed to the side, aiming straight for the man who knew dogs the best. I had questions, and I knew he wouldn't bullshit me about any of it.
"Lansin!" I called, gesturing for him to head my way.
"Yeah?" he asked, then grinned. "Shadow, get Rymar!"
I groaned, but before the dog made it even halfway, Lasin snapped, "Shadow, down!"
His dog was trained a lot better than most of the ones here. When Lansin said down, Shadow's belly hit the ground - even though the dog was still moving forward. Shadow slid, glanced back at Lansin, and then waited to be released.
"Good boy!" Lansin said when he caught up to his dog. "Heel." Then he reached me. "I think this is good for you too, Rymar. You didn't even flinch."
"Think of it more as giving up," I told him, then turned so I could see the man and Pepper again. "So, that guy? What do you know about him?"
"His partner of three years was killed when the Moles attacked us the first time," Lansin said. "Pepper was hers. I'm pretty sure he's never worked with the dog before today. I mean, he turned her loose when the Moles came, but that's not quite the same."
Which confirmed what the guy had told me. "Did you train Pepper?" I asked next.
"Nope," he said. "His partner did. I didn't breed her either. She's out of the livestock dogs, but has some guardian lines a generation back. That's why she's smaller."
"What, a hundred and twenty pounds instead of one-fifty?" I asked.
"I said smaller," he corrected, "not small. Why?"
I waggled my finger between the man and his dog. "Because he doesn't sound invested. That dog clearly knows what to do, but it's not listening to him at all."
"And this is why I suggested all of you learn how to handle Holly," he told me.
"Dogs bond. They need faith in their leadership to obey a command, and Moldan is a farmer.
Not a guardian, not a herder, and definitely not a dog handler.
I wish he'd sell that dog already. Tried to convince him, but he didn't want her to do nothing but breed. "
"Why would she only be good for breeding?" I asked.
Lansin laughed once. "Because that, Rymar? That's a woman's dog."
And I could feel a smile starting to take over. "Oh really?"
"Fuck," Lansin groaned, immediately seeing what I was thinking. "Pepper's worth about three thousand bucks, and that's on the high side. She has potential. I'll cover the money if you don't have enough on you right now, but on one condition."
"What's that?"
Lansin dropped a hand on my shoulder. "When that dog has puppies - if she ever does - I get a female from the litter."
And I thrust out my hand. "Done. I just need one more thing."
"To end our little fun and have someone distract your partner for a moment?" he asked. "Yep, I can do that. Besides, the dogs need a break. So, where am I telling her you went?"
"To talk to Eriska," I decided. "I need to do that anyway, and it will buy me all the time I need."
"Sounds good," Lansin said, then stepped forward. "Alright! I think we all have the basic idea, and our Dragon friends have other things they need to do. Mostly stop getting hit, I think."
"Fuck off," I told him.
"Which means I'm right," Lansin said around a laugh. "So, all of you need to work with your dogs overnight. Praise, people! If you're still having trouble tomorrow, we'll start again."
"How do we teach them the gun without one?" Pepper's owner asked.
"I can help you with that," I said, gesturing for him to meet up with me. "I have things to do anyway. Ayla?"
"I need her for a minute," Lansin said, playing his part perfectly. "Go, Rymar. Thanks for being the target!"
A few others said the same, then repeated that to Xav, but Moldan was already gathering up his things and looking rather overwhelmed. When I reached his side, I took the bag of dried treats and a bowl that looked like it was for water so he could focus on the dog.
"Pepper, right?" I asked.
"Mhm," he agreed. "Stubborn little bitch." And he sighed - the sort that sounded defeated.
I turned him back toward the camp, waiting until we'd gone far enough that the rest were out of sight. Pepper lagged behind, and I couldn't miss how she kept turning around like she wasn't ready to go.
"Okay," I finally said, "Moldan, right?"
"Yes, sir," he said.
"I might have a proposition for you."