CHAPTER 109
DAKOTA
Melina’s polite words surprise me. I’d tried to think of a million reasons as to why we’d been invited for coffee and a chat, but…the dogs? “What about the dogs?”
“You know as well as I do that a companion like that wasn’t possible for a long time.
With dragons attacking the forts, a pet was a bad idea.
Now that things have settled down quite a bit, we’ve heard requests from a lot of our residents for pets.
Cats, dogs…I even had a gentleman asking to find a snake and bring it inside as a pet.
We told him no. But a dog is doable, provided the owners manage their food supplies properly.
Cats are trickier because they’re meat eaters.
I’d be happy with some mousers here in the fort, but I also don’t want to bring in cats that won’t hunt, because then the responsibility is on us to feed them. ”
I’m a little surprised at how much thought has gone into pets inside the fort. “Wow. You really have thought everything through.”
Melina’s expression remains sober. “I have to. We’re responsible for everyone.
Something that’s not a problem today might be a problem in ten years if not handled properly.
It’s our responsibility to try and think ahead and handle situations before they get out of hand.
Which is why I wanted to talk with you about your friend Aggie and her puppies.
Jonah spoke with Thess last night and Thess came to me this morning.
From what it sounds like, Jonah would receive a puppy once it’s of age? ”
“Yes. Aggie thinks it would be good for him to have a companion at his side. I know the dog won’t be trained a hundred percent as a guide dog, but if he can train it to learn certain commands, I think it’d be wildly helpful for him.”
“I agree. Jonah’s very clever, much like his father.
If anyone can train a puppy, it’s him. He also mentioned that Aggie had more dogs and she was looking to pair them up with children here in the fort?
If so, it’s an extremely generous offer, but that’s where I’m seeing that there could be problems. The children he’s thinking of are either poor, or orphaned, or in need in some other way, which means they’re also bigger targets for the more unscrupulous.
I don’t want a child to get knifed over a puppy. ”
That stops me in my tracks. I’ve forgotten about the realities of living in a fort.
How many times had I stayed up all night with a knife at my side because someone had looked at Rabbit the wrong way?
Giving a child a puppy in a situation like this, where so many people have nothing day to day, is bound to cause issues. “You’re right. It’s a bad idea.”
“No, actually, I think it’s a good idea,” Melina says. “I think it’s wonderfully generous. But it needs to be executed properly.”
Gwen glances between me and Melina. “Tell her what you had in mind, Mel. I don’t think Dakota or Aggie would want anyone to be in danger. They’re just trying to bring some happiness, that’s all.”
Melina nods again, her expression thoughtful.
“You’re probably going to hate this idea, but it would be best if the dogs were not gifts from Aggie, but instead, assignments from Lord Azar.
A gift is easily stolen, and since you don’t live at the fort, there will be little thought of repercussions.
” She lifts her coffee cup again, using it to gesture.
“But, if the dogs are traded to Lord Azar, he can ‘assign’ them to the little ones so they can pull their weight in the fort. They will be told to train the dogs and to check in regularly with Lord Azar’s team.
This ensures that Lord Azar’s stamp is all over the situation and no one will harm a child or a puppy.
Furthermore, it allows us to ensure that the animals are being taken care of…
and that we can control any breeding that might occur. ”
“That’s a lot of micromanaging.”
“Micromanaging the people here is how we keep everything running smoothly,” Melina admits with a grimace.
She sips her coffee, and for a moment, she looks tired.
“I know it’s controlling, but we want to be very careful with the reintroduction of pets.
We want it to be overseen to ensure both dogs and children are safe, and throwing my husband’s name into the mix is the easiest way to do it. ”
I down the rest of my coffee. “I understand. I’ll talk to Aggie and tell her to speak with you about it. What about Jonah’s dog? Will that need to be run through Lord Azar, too?”
“We can say that Jonah’s dog was payment for Samir’s services for your sick friend.”
I nod. I’m doing lots of nodding as we talk.
Melina really has thought through everything, and it all makes sense in a terrible sort of way.
Forts aren’t completely awful, but for every good person, there’s also someone desperate and unhappy.
People with nothing to lose can do unpredictable things.
“Thank you for being willing to work with us on this. I didn’t realize that the puppies would be such an issue. ”
“I think they’ll bring great joy to a place that needs some joy,” Melina says.
“But we want to make sure it remains joy and doesn’t turn into tragedy.
It’s a very generous idea, and if you’ve got more generous ideas, we’d love to hear them.
I know it seems like we’re the bad guys, given that Azar is Salorian, but he and I are truly committed to making this fort prosperous. ”
I think about the book in my bag, the one about farming. I think about the cow herd. They could probably drive the cattle closer to the fort, and someone here could tend to them. A source of meat and dairy for those that live here? Melina and Azar would be interested for sure.
But…I don’t say anything. “I’ll talk with my mate. See what he thinks.” And because I want to change the subject before I give up information I shouldn’t, I shoot Gwen a teasing glance. “You should have said something, by the way.”
The look she gives me is utterly blank. “About…what?”
“The mental connection between mates? I thought it wasn’t there anymore at all. That’s what Murr said.”
Suddenly both women are intently trained in on me. “Wait. You mean to tell me you and Murtades can speak telepathically?” Gwen asks, her eyes wide. “How?”