He was strongly bent to get me a woman of my own size, by whom I might propagate the breed: but, I think I should rather have died, than undergone the disgrace of leaving a posterity to be kept in cages like tame canary birds; and perhaps in time, sold about the kingdom to persons of quality for curiosities.                                                                        - Gulliver's Travels 'A Voyage to Brobdingnag' Chapter 8.
                                                              


                                                                                   "It's a Dogs Life"
                                                                                          By MrNelg


It was the warm pleasant feeling of sunlight, streaming through the open window that woke him up. Gavin mumbled softly, stretched, and promptly sat upright before blinking the sleep out of his eyes. The double sliding window doors at the other end of the room were open, and the silky azure curtains flapped rhythmicly in the gentle breeze.

They hadn't been open when he went to bed last night. Throwing aside the covers, he slipped into a dressing gown, and walked over and out onto the balcony. The beautiful blue ocean greeted him, and the sunlight glistened off it's reflective surface, causing him to squint. Not too far away sea gilders squawked loudly, their cries echoing around the Sanctuary. Gavin turned to the left, seeing the 50 foot high town wall with the dark green forest with it's pitching hills, covered in a lush dark green beyond. Turning to his right lay the rest of the town. Elegant houses with nicely manicured lawns, no fences separating properties. No trash in sight. Everything was perfect.

He leaned a little over the balcony, just making out the main road through the town. The road was empty, which meant that they had visitors. He smiled to no one in particular and went back inside. He hurriedly got dressed and walked out the front door, not bothering to shut it; There was no need. He looked left down the street, seeing what few people where out not even caring. Looking right, he saw her. She was some distance down the street now but not too far that he couldn't catch up with her. Waving to his neighbour, Gavin hurried off down the street towards her.

She was walking slowly down the main road when he finally reached her side, falling in beside her as she walked along.

“My windows were open this morning," he said in an accusing tone. She turned to look at him.

“Was there any sign that someone had been there?" she asked in a soft voice, as she slowed her own pace down to allow Gavin to keep up with her. Although she spoke softly when around him, it still sounded quite loud.

“I didn't think to check," Gavin answered. “Should there be?"

“It's a dangerous world out there," she answered. “You should be more careful." She paused. “This is my destination." She dropped the bag she was carrying with an audible thud. “I have to work now." With that, she crouched down and opened the bag. Inside were cleaning liquids, rags, a feather duster, brush, dust pan and paper towels.

She pulled out the feather duster, and turned to face the first house. As she turned, her long, bushy black tail with the white tip swept low, causing Gavin to duck slightly, before she bent over and began dusting the roof of the house.

“You did that on purpose." Gavin teased as he folded his arms. Sothia Ath'han, the 72 foot tall black and white border collie wearing the long cobalt blue maid dress with the frilly white apron over it, turned slightly, giving him a fleeting glance with a mischievous gleam in her eye, before she turned back to her work. “Say, what's with all the extra spring cleaning going on around here lately?"

“His royal highness, Prince Vandar wishes to tour the sanctuary while he is here." Gavin's eyebrows shot up. Prince Hyrham Vandar of the Mountain Kingdom was an important up and coming monarch among the 12 Dog Kingdoms. His popularity was also helped by the fact that both kingdoms were long, staunch allies.  He was due to arrive in two days to lay the ground work for a large trade deal with the Low-Lands Kingdom.  His visit had been the most talked about news of the Royal Palace. So the young Prince wanted to add a visit to the Sanctuary while he was here, too?  It was well known that the Prince had a habit of making spontaneous decisions. Gavin mentally shrugged it off.  Good for him, that he wanted to visit the Sanctuary.  The Prince was the most handsome, famous and most beloved of all the monarchs. It would be an extreme honour to meet him in person.

“Gavin? Gavin!" He turned at the sound of the female voice towards a young red headed girl in her early 20's hurrying up the road towards him. Veronica's silk white blouse and Egyptian blue dirndl dress caught his eye, along with her long red hair, pulled back in a tight plaited ponytail. She came to a stop before him, her hands behind her back, along with a cheeky grin on her red lips.

Gavin smiled warmly as she came up to him, hands conspicuously behind her back.  “What could you possibly be doing here, Veronica?" He asked in a not-so-innocent tone.

“What do you think, you dork." She brought a leather bond book out from behind her back. “Happy birthday."

“Thanks Veronica," he said, taking the book. “Well, would you look at that. King Mordor's journal of his travels in the Great Far South. First human edition, too."

From above, there was a loud 'Hmph.' Both turned to see the border collie girl turning back to her work. Veronica eyed her suspiciously. “Good morning, Sothia," she said folding her arms. “And what did you give Gavin for his birthday?"

“He never bothered to look." She said without turning around. Gavin felt a stab of guilt at that, but Veronica suddenly interrupted him.

“Your birthday party will be held at MY house tonight, make sure you are there at five." She winked at him. Gavin smiled back. “Look, I've got to go. Things to prepare you know." She gave him a quick peck on the check and started walking away. As she did, she paused, before turning back. “Tonight, I want to tell you something. I've got some really big news for you." Then she hurried off. Gavin waved goodbye to her, and then turned to look up at Sothia.

She was busy finishing up her cleaning, not bothering to acknowledge his presence. “Now, what's up with you?" He asked. “Is it because I didn't find your present?"

“I'm sorry, I was too busy concentrating," she said, turning around. “Did you say something?"

“Now Sothia, don't be like that." Gavin complained. “You know perfectly well that Veronica and I are betrothed." She didn't respond. Gavin sighed as he walked right up to the giant dog girl and placed a hand against the ankle of her button-up high heel boot. “The law is the law, Sothia. When human males reach the age of 25, and have not been adopted, we must be married."

She sighed softly, But because she was a giant, it was rather loud to Gavin, especially while standing right next to her. “I know the law regarding humans, Gavin," she said. “It's just that I enjoy your company, a lot."

“But I'll still be here, living within the sanctuary, the only difference will be I will have a wife and family." Her muzzle wrinkled slightly as her left ear twitched visibly. Now it was Gavin's turn to sigh. “Sothia, you know I can never be your companion. You're not of Alpha, Beta, or even Gamma class. Heck, you couldn't even afford my asking price."

She turned away from him, her ears drooping. “I guess I should thank the Twin Goddess's that you weren't adopted by a family," she said. “That way, I can still visit you when I come to clean the sanctuary."

“Your break should be coming up soon," Gavin said. “Shall I wait for you in the usual spot?" Her tail emitted an excited flick. He chuckled. “Alright then. See you soon." And he hurried off.

He headed back to his house, walked inside and headed up to the bedroom. There was a neatly wrapped package sitting just before his bed. No wonder he hadn't seen it, she'd placed it right up against the foot of the bed. He shook his head and walking over, picked it up and started unwrapping it.

It was a black and white photo of both him and Sothia, when they were younger. Gavin smiled. It was taken many years ago, when he was six. Gavin and some friends had met and participated in a game of chance. They had attempted to find a passage over the wall that protected the sanctuary and explore the outside world. Well, it was only the gardens of the royal palace. Only Gavin managed to get through by doing three things. The first was a secret ointment which his grandfather had given him. He passed on a recipe which created an ointment that when rubbed on human skin, hid their scent from the Dogs.  The second was to wrap fresh, damp leaves around the soles of his shoes to mask any noise he made when walking or running. Along with a better sense of smell, Dogs also had better hearing than humans.

The third thing he did was to scale the wall during the last shift of one of the guards, who was tired and not as alert, while waiting for his replacement.  His tactics all worked and he scaled the wall with a rope ladder his Grandfather had made, making it past the guards and into the outside world beyond.

He made it to the garden and started exploring. He was amazed by all the giant plants and vegetables that grew there. Unfortunately, he got so caught up in his exploration that he lost track of where he'd come in. By the time he was ready to leave, he was lost. Being young and scared, he started crying. That's when he first met Sothia. She was young and had started working in the palace, but was not yet allowed to enter the sanctuary.

She had been there in the garden that night because being young, and having lost her entire family, she often cried about it. Thus she came to the gardens at night because she knew it was a place she could sneak off to and be alone. She found Gavin crying and comforted him, taking him back to her room. There, she introduced him to her room mates, who were all fascinated with seeing a real human. Like Sothia, they were all Dogs of Omega class, who were lucky enough to get cushy jobs at the royal palace.

One of them had a camera, and had taken photos of him standing in the palm of everybody's hand. However, it was Sothia who'd gone first. After a few fun hours with the girls, Sothia took him back to the Sanctuary and sneaked him back over the wall. No one ever found out what he'd done, and she never told anyone either. It'd been their little secret.

A few years later, she got a job cleaning the sanctuary, and they both recognised each other. They'd been friends ever since that day. Gavin walked over to the wall and hung up the photo on a spare holder, adjusted it, and took a step back to admire it. After a brief smile, he headed out the door and over to the usual spot - the cliff overlooking the sea.

She was already there by the time he reached it. Sitting on the cliff, her legs dangling over the edge, eating a sandwich. As he drew near, he saw that just like she always did, she spread a part of her dress off to one side of the grass near the cliff edge. He walked over to her, and onto that part of her dress, and sat down, his legs dangling over the cliff edge as well.

“You know, I always wondered what became of those photo's that you guys took of me."

Sothia swallowed a mouthful of sandwich and smiled as her tail curled protectively around him. “The others kept theirs in photo albums. I kept mine in my cupboard. So when I opened the doors to get my clothes for the day, that would be the first thing I'd see." She stared out over the ocean. “I know it's nothing fancy like the first edition of King Mordor's journal of his travels in the Great Far South."

“It's the thought that counts." Gavin said. “Besides, I know you don't have much money."

She was silent, and then asked,  “What's the one part of the book you enjoy the most?"  

“Chapter 14, when the King discovered humans."

She turned to look down at him.  “Do you often wonder about your kinds origins?"  She asked.  “Your elders still like to cling to that old legend that you came from the stars."  Gavin rolled his eyes.

“First off, they actually say that we came from 'across' the stars, from somewhere else, and secondly, I refuse to believe that we just flew through the realm of the Goddess's. I mean, sure, flight is possible. Dog's have proven that not just creatures with wings can fly. But even taking that into account, using hot-air balloons, Dogs still can't fly to the stars; So how could we?"

“So you believe the Monks of the Temples, then?  That humans are in fact a divine gift from the Twin Goddesses to Dog kind?"

Gavin shrugged without hesitation. “That's the only explanation that makes sense."

300 years ago, Prince Jedak Mordor, heir to the throne of the Low-Lands Kingdom was exploring the northern tip of a long mountain range running along the western coast of the Great Far South, called 'The Spine,' when a sudden storm caused his expedition party to deviate from their planed route.  After sheltering from the storm and riding it out, they emerged to discover a sheltered lush, forested valley within the mountain ranges.  Exploring this valley, the prince and his party followed a shallow river down stream to a big tree on a small island in the river's middle.  There, they made first contact with humans who dwelt within the great tree's hollow interior.

In their long and ancient history, no one in all the twelve Dog Kingdoms had ever seen or heard of anything like humans before; Not even in their old mythology and legends. The Prince brought the whole tribe back with him to his palace where he had the sanctuary constructed so that they could live in. It was built to resemble a miniature town, with a large main road through the middle. This wasn't for human traffic, no, it was built specifically for the prince, wide enough so that he, and his entourage could walk through the town to view and interact with his new tiny subjects.

All Dogs thought humans to be exotic, charming and cute due to many similarities in their physical appearance, giving humans the appearance of tiny doll like people. Visiting dignitaries always toured the sanctuary to admire the prince's human subjects. Other Dog Kingdoms even launched their own expeditions with the intention of finding other human tribes. They searched east, west, north, and even south, but none were successful. No other tribe of humans were ever found anywhere else in the whole world.

Scholars questioned humans about their origins and their own records, but all information was basically word of mouth.  In the early days of discovery, all humans told the same story, that they were travelling through the stars, looking for a new home in what has been translated as a 'sky-boat.'  Something went wrong and they were lost, and their sky-boat had been damaged.  They'd been unable to fix it. Later their vessel was wrecked and the survivors made their home in the hidden valley in the great tree. This tale confused the Dogs who, and Gavin had to agree, couldn't comprehend the idea of non-winged creatures achieving flight. Of course, in more recent times, scholars had invented hot-air balloons allowing Dogs to fly, but not up to the heavens.  Since the only things in the heavens with the stars were the Twin Moons, this would eventually lead to the popular theory that humans had been a gift to the Dogs from the Twin Goddess's of Life.

When Mordor eventually assumed the throne and became King, he issued a new set of laws regarding humans. Humans would be sold not as pets but rather that they would be adopted into families of high quality throughout the kingdom and the other eleven kingdoms. Once humans reached maturity at 14 years of age, they became eligible for adoption by the three major classes. However, once they reached the age of 25, they were removed from the adoption list and had to marry and start a human family, in order to propagate the species.

Gavin had finally reached his 25th year after having gone to numerous adoption fairs where he'd witnessed many of his friends, and even his own twin sisters sold to families among the major classes of the twelve Dog Kingdoms. Gavin wasn't bitter about not having been adopted; in fact, he was glad. It meant that he could now marry Veronica. Although only 23, she was still eligible for adoption, but once she married she would be removed from the list. The law was different for females. Females who married could be removed from the adoption list at any age so not to break up young families.

And get married they would; one week from now. Both Gavin and Veronica had been sweet hearts since she turned 16. They'd met at an adoption fair and neither of them had been adopted. Being the only two left, they struck up a conversation out of sheer boredom, that lead to one thing after another, and eventually bloomed into the romance it was today.

“Thinking about Veronica again?" He turned to see Sothia looking down at him. She then answered his unspoken question, and said, “I could see it in that goofy expression you get whenever she's within tail wagging distance." She giggled. “I can understand your human facial expressions way too easily. I guess it comes from spending so much time around your kind."

Gavin gave a cheeky grin. “But humans don't have tails."

She flicked the white tip of her tail in annoyance so that it whooshed low over his head. “You know what I mean."

“I would like you to be there, when the Monk marries us." Gavin said. “You've been a good friend for so many years."

“A... friend?" She then added softly. “Is that all you see me as?"

“I can hear you." Gavin said. “You still haven't learnt to speak softly enough so I don't hear." Both her ears drooped in embarrassment. “Look, Sothia, I would love to be your companion, honestly I would; but I can't." He got up from the cliff edge and walked over to her tail, and began stroking it. “If it makes you feel any better, I'm glad I wasn't adopted. If I were, that means I wouldn't be able to see you every day."

“So you get to marry Veronica, instead."

“Why are you so disdainful of her?" He then cocked one eyebrow and placing his hands dramatically on his hips asked, “Are you jealous that she gets me and not you?" Sothia emitted a low warning growl.

“I am not jealous," she snapped. “Although I have to admit, she is one of the best dancers I've ever seen.  I'm just incredulous of her ability to make you happy."

Gavin let out a loud laugh of triumph. “You ARE jealous of her. I knew it!" He chuckled. “Awww, that's so adorable. I guess this means under that stoic exterior of yours is the soul of a cute and loveable girl." His snickering was abruptly cut off as his body was suddenly encased within her fist. She lifted him up to her face and dropped him into the open palm of her free hand.

Her face leaned in close so that the breathing from her nose ruffled Gavin's shirt. “First off, let's get one thing straight, Gavin. Humans are cute; Not Dogs. Secondly, given the fact that you're only six inches tall, it wouldn't be wise to upset someone who can literally hold you in the palm of her hand. And third, I think you deserve to be punished for playing with a young females feelings like that."

She then lowered her palm towards her open muzzle. Gavin gasped as her great mouth gaped open, exposing the dagger like teeth, the lolling pink tongue, and dark void beyond. “Oh no," he whispered. “No! NO! Don't...!"

Her tongue sprung forth and licked his whole body from head to toe, soaking him in saliva. He wiped his face with his hands and blinked in surprise and disgusted. “Gross." He muttered before looking up into her giggling face. “I really hate it when you do that."

She giggled slightly again, before lowering him back to the ground, tilting her palm so he could step off, onto the ground. “And what's the moral of the story today?" She loomed over him with a smile on her face that in spite of it's cuteness, made her all the more intimidating. “I'm NOT jealous." She stated with finality.

“Okay, okay," Gavin muttered as he drooped. “I'll see you tomorrow then." He looked down at the large puddle growing at his feet. “Damn, I need a shower."

“See you tomorrow," she called out after him as he shuffled away.

---

The party held later that night at Veronica's house was attended by his parents, Veronica herself, and what few friends he still had who hadn't themselves yet been adopted. He wished his twin sisters could've been there, but they were in another kingdom, and couldn't make the journey just for his birthday. There was the possibility the Baron who owned them could journey back to the castle in order to allow them to attend his wedding - he'd already sent a letter.

On par with tradition, the celebration was held outside, under the watchful gaze of the Twin Moons. The Dogs believed that the moons were in fact the Twin Goddess's, who created life, watching down on all their creations. Since celebrating one's birthday was a celebration of life, It was a common belief, if you were to hold that celebration outside in plain sight of the Twin Moons, the Twin Goddess's would bless you with good fortune.

As the night drew to a close, one by one the guests all left, until Gavin and Veronica were left alone. Gavin had told everyone he'd stay behind to help Veronica clean up. “That was a lovely evening," Veronica said as she watched Gavin's parents walk down the path from her house and leave. “I really do enjoy these occasions where old friends can get together." She paused, then turned a regretful expression towards Gavin. “I'm sorry about your sisters."

“That's okay," he replied as he started accumulating the dirty dishes by the sink. “There's still the wedding. I sent a letter to Baron Mordho, it should be arriving..." He was caught off guard as her arms encircled his waist and she hugged herself to him.

“Hmmm, married." Veronica murmured. “One week from now, you and I will be husband and wife." Gavin slowly turned her around to kiss her on the lips.

“So what was the big news you wanted to tell me?"

“The elders selected me to dance for Prince Vandar when he arrives." Gavin blinked in surprise.

“Really? you? for Prince Vandar?" She nodded and Gavin cried out in excitement. “Congratulations, Veronica!" He kissed her again. “They picked you! I always said you were the best dancer in the Sanctuary. Now this is undeniable proof."

“How about later, I show you my dance moves, Hmm?" Veronica asked, as she kissed him back.

"Why not right now?" Gavin asked. “I'd love to see them." She nodded, then slowly backed away from him, before taking a bow, and launched into her routine. It was spectacular. The way her body moved and leapt through the air. Her movements were graceful, her style unique. Gavin couldn't help but smile with pride, however some of her dance moves didn't make a lick of sense. When she was done, she bowed deeply to Gavin's rapturous applause. “Darling, that was fantastic." He said. She squealed with glee, before jumping into his arms.

He kissed her, while she hungrily returned his kisses, before slipping her hands to his shirt, and began unbuttoning it. “How about I give a private little dance just for you, dear?" She whispered in his ear.

“You know, the law strictly forbids premarital sex among humans." Gavin warned with a sly smile.

“Then I guess that makes us repeat offenders," Veronica breathed into his left ear as she guided his hands to her blouse. They glided through the house to Veronica's bedroom, shedding a trail of clothes in their wake as they reached the darkness of Veronica's bedroom. Neither bothered with lights as they collapsed on the bed in a tangle of limbs, their lips exploring the others naked skin. They momentarily halted their passionate dance to apply protection, before engaging in one of the oldest known rituals to all animal life. When the heat eventually died down, Gavin had to admit that out of all the presents he'd received that day, this one was by far the best.

As they lay there in bed, holding each other in their arms, Veronica gave a small giggle. “What's so funny?" Gavin asked.

She swept a hand, encompassing the whole room. “One week from now, this very bed, along with all the other furniture in the house will belong to someone else when I move into yours. That will mean your house and everything in it will belong to me too." She giggled more mischievously this time, as she reached down between Gavin's legs and grasped, producing a stunned gasp from him. “Including this." He chuckled, then reaching over, groped her chest, causing her to squeal in surprise. She playfully slapped his hands away, before rolling on top of him. “The point I was trying to get to," she said as she lay casually atop him, folding her arms across his chest. “Is that after seven years of having to do this in secret, we can finally do this without any fear of repercussion. No more skulking off in secret, no more excuses as to where we were. No more protection against getting pregnant. It'll all be official. We can be together. We can have a family. We can finally, truly, be happy."

Gavin kissed her back, and then mused with a confused expression. “Truly happy." He muttered.

Veronica gave him a quizzical look. “What are you..." Her face showed recognition, and she quickly rolled off him to lay on her side, facing away. “Her again?"

“Hey, don't be like that," Gavin said. “Sothia's been a friend for a long time. Besides, in case you've forgotten I can't be her companion."

“But she'll still be here." Veronica muttered rolling back over to face him. “I just want it to be the two of us." She reached out to stroke his chest, playing with the hair.

“So, you're jealous of her?" Her fingers suddenly moved and she flicked one of his nipples causing Gavin to jerk in pain.

“Jealous of a Dog? Of Omega class? Please. I just fail to see why you should be spending so much time with her." Her hand went back to rubbing his chest again. “When you could be spending all your time with me."

“Why don't you like her?" Gavin asked. Veronica grunted and rolled over, facing away from him again. “Hey, I've been friends with Sothia longer than I've known you, Veronica," Gavin said. “I'm just asking a legitimate question."

Veronica sighed in defeat as she half rolled over so that she faced the ceiling rather than Gavin. “You know those old rumours..."

“Oh for Goddesses sake, Veronica," Gavin snapped. “We have NEVER done that. Nor do I have any intention of doing so." There was an awkward silence between them.

Ever since humans became companions to Dogs, there had been rumours - idol gossip if you may, about owners performing sexual acts with their humans. Of course, it was rumours. No one had ever been caught. No one had ever provided evidence. In the end, they were just rumours without fact or substance. But for some reason they still surfaced. Gavin didn't like to think about it, mainly because of Baron Mordho's obsessive nature over his sisters. He'd seen the way the Baron would watch them after they'd matured and they'd visited the Sanctuary. He'd never forgotten that strange glint in the Baron's eye.  It creeped him out when he'd seen it aimed at his sisters. Although when they'd come home, they'd never said anything about that sort of thing to him, even though they informed him in great detail of the Baron's own adulterous behaviour. He still feared it.

For a few more moments they just lay there, not talking, just staring at the ceiling. Finally, Veronica rolled over to face him. “Look, Gavin, I don't mean any offence.  I know that Sothia's been a wonderful friend to you, and I'm grateful to her for that.  It's just that I've seen so many sweet hearts broken up because of adoption." Gavin nodded in agreement. “I know that you'll never be adopted now, and I won't be either, but after years of apprehension, wondering if we'd be adopted and never see each other again. I guess I'm just scared."

“Me too." Gavin breathed heavily. “I guess we just got lucky. The next adoption fair isn't for another five weeks, and you and I will be married in one." She reached over to kiss him.

“We made it." She said and the two of them embraced in a loving kiss.

---

The next morning Gavin left before the crack of dawn, slinking back to his own house. The 'No Premarital Sex Rule' meant unmarried mature humans couldn't sleep in the same house together. That's why when humans turned 18, they moved out of their parents house into their own. The law about premarital sex had been a creation of the ancient King Mordor. It was created as to prevent unwanted litters among humans eligible for adoption. Pregnant females were strictly forbidden from being adopted, while males who were adopted underwent a special chemical castration. The main purpose for this was that King Mordor had wanted to keep the monopoly over humans, not to allow human families to leave the Sanctuary so that other kingdoms couldn't raise their own tribe of humans.

Gavin would be home before the sun rose and humans started emerging from their homes. He made it back in no time flat without being seen. The second of the Twin Moons were just sinking beneath the forest hills in the distance as he sneaked in through his front door. He had a quick shower, and a quick nap until the sun started streaming in through the windows. He lay there on his bed for a while, before he finally got up and set about organising breakfast.

He went out onto his front porch to eat his breakfast like he always did. There was a lot of activity this morning. There were more maids than usual in the Sanctuary, all carrying boxes laden with fancy decorations that were usually reserved for days of celebration. The whole Sanctuary was being decked out for the visit of Prince Vandar of the Mountain Kingdom. He would be arriving tomorrow and he had decided that the Sanctuary was the first place he wanted to visit. Gavin looked about at all the maids that he could see from his porch, trying to see where Sothia was.

His search was interrupted when a loud male voice called out his name. Judging from the volume it had to be a Dog. He looked down the main road to see that it indeed was a Dog, the Beagle messenger who often handed out letters sent from humans who'd been adopted to their families still back at the Sanctuary.

Gavin's heart began to race. Had the Baron replied to his request? “Good morning Gavin." The messenger chimed as he stepped off the main road and walked up to Gavin's house. He was holding a rolled up parchment. Gavin laced and unlaced his fingers in anticipation. “I have a letter for you from the Baron of the South River Lands." He unrolled it and started reading. “Gavin. I have received your request that your sisters be allowed to attend your upcoming wedding, and I will have to decline their invitation." Gavin blinked his shock. “I will be attending a function on that date and I simply can not allow your beautiful sisters to leave my sight for such a long period. I love them both dearly and I will be severely depressed without their company even if it were for a few days. I know you'll understand. Your sisters are always well looked after in my loving care. Regards, Baron Mordho." The messenger rolled the parchment back up, placed it back in his bag and turning about, left, walking down the main road to deliver more letters.

Gavin just stood there, exactly in the same pose he'd had when he'd opened the front door, only his face was now showing a mournful expression. Regards. He scoffed loudly, not regretfully, just regards. A sneer crossed his face. He always held a secret loathing of Baron Mordho.

Gavin had been only 12 when his twin sisters turned 14, making them eligible for adoption. There was no such thing as twin siblings among Dogs, and since the Dogs worshipped the Twin Goddesses, any animal or person or thing that was exactly identical to another, naturally, was a highly sought after commodity. So the fact that they were identical twins made their asking price extremely high and guaranteed a sale at their first adoption fair. At first, the King hadn't wanted to sell them, preferring to keep them in the Sanctuary, but even he bowed to pressure when the Monks of the largest Temple in the Kingdom had pooled it's resources in an attempt to buy them. The bidding war went on for a record 45 minutes before Baron Tarkas Mordho, a handsome German Shepherd shipping merchant tycoon of the South River Lands emerged victorious. Thinking back on it, Gavin often wished that the Monks of the Temple had won.

At first, he'd allowed them to journey back to the Sanctuary in times of celebration to be with their family, but as the twins grew older and matured, their beauty began to truly shine and the Baron became obsessively protective of them. The trips back to the Sanctuary became fewer and fewer, until they stopped altogether after some mongrels made a botched attempt at kidnapping them. Ever since then, wherever the Baron went, so did the twins. The last time Gavin saw his sisters was six years ago, during a trade mission the Barron personally made to the royal palace.

Calmly, Gavin turned about and walked away. He knew humans were watching him. It wasn't very often that humans received letters from Dogs. The mail was mainly from friends and family who'd been adopted by Dogs, and now lived in far away Kingdoms. The word would be all around the Sanctuary within 20 minutes. He knew it would. He didn't want other people coming up to him and giving him their condolences. He just wanted to be left alone.

He walked until he came to the cliff that overlooked the sea. He sat down, draping his legs over the cliff edge and glared out at the ocean.

“I'm sorry about your sisters." Gavin started at the sudden loud voice and turned in shock to see Sothia standing behind him. He blinked up at her in surprise. “I know it's not my break, but I thought you could use a friend." Gavin smiled as he stood up, allowing Sothia to sit her massive bulk down. She even spread out her dress for him to sit on; Which he did. “Why is it you never spoke much of your sisters?"

“They were really kind to me," Gavin said. “It's just that every time I think about them, I can't help but think about their kindness and love for me, and I get all emotional because of it." He paused to wipe away a tear, and without turning to face Sothia, said, “did you know, when I was really young, I was Astraphobic?"

Sothia's ears visibly flicked. “What?" She looked down at him. “When? When you were younger? There were plenty of times when you and I were together and there was..."

“They helped me get over it." He interrupted. “Both of them. Since then, as you know, thunderstorms never bothered me again." He smiled warmly. “My sisters always made me feel good about myself. Even when they came back on visiting trips with the Baron. They never failed to make me happy." He grunted in frustration. “There are times when being a human really sucks."

“but you never have to worry about jobs, money, or whether or not you'll starve on the streets." Sothia countered. “Do you remember how I ended up working in the Royal Palace to begin with?"

Gavin nodded without looking up at her. Sothia's family farm had run afoul of bad times and her father was forced to give up his daughters so that they wouldn't go hungry. “Although that was nearly 20 years ago, I still vividly remember those bad days. There were times when we wouldn't eat for a whole day." The white tip of her tail gently brushed against Gavin. “Trust me Gavin, when I say I know what it's like to miss your siblings. But I still envy the life you have. You still have Veronica, and the two of you can have pups together; while I can't even think about marriage. You will never have to work a single day in your life, while I will be doing this same job every day until I'm ready for the grave."

Gavin sighed deeply. His thoughts were interrupted by someone shouting his name. Gavin turned but his view was blocked by Sothia's tail. Sothia turned and flicked an ear. “It's Veronica." Her voice appeared on the other side of the fluffy black tail.

“Gavin, Gavin!" There were muffled scrabbling sounds. “Curse you Sothia, move this damn tail of yours!" Sothia just turned to look out at the sea, a smile on her face. There was more grumbled cursing as Veronica climbed over the tail and slid down the other side. As she landed, Sothia lifted her tail, moving it to the other side. Veronica just glared momentarily up at the Dog girl ignoring her chuckles, before sitting down next to Gavin.

“You heard?" Gavin asked. She nodded. “That didn't take long."

“I'm sorry Gavin," she said wrapping a caring arm around him. “I know how much you wanted your sisters to show up."

“I really should've expected this." Gavin said. “I guess I was wishing for the Twin Moons." He paused as the irony of what he'd said sunk in. “Hah!" he cried out in a mixture of sarcasm and disgust.

“Don't let it get you down," Veronica said, snuggling up close to him. “We still have each other. We will be married in six days. Then we can have our own family. Besides, you'll be too busy being a father to mope around." She started hamming it up. “When I'm pregnant you'll have to wait on me hand and foot, put up with my sudden mood swings and lavish attention on me."

“I do that now," Gavin said with a cheeky grin. “What else is new?"

“See," she said, squeezing his arm. “You're smiling."

“I could've easily done that." They both turned to look up at Sothia. “In fact, I was in the middle of doing so when you showed up."

“Don't you have a job to do?" Veronica asked. “Like preparing the Sanctuary for Prince Vandar's visit tomorrow?" Sothia grunted, and looked down at her dress. Both Gavin and Veronica stood up and got off her dress, allowing Sothia to rise to her feet. As she turned about to leave, she gave a dramatic twirl of her dress, causing it to swirl up, granting both humans a tantalising view of her long, stocking clad legs and just a glimpse of the thighs.

Gavin blinked in amazement. This was the first time Sothia had done anything like this before in all the years... He suddenly cried out in pain as Veronica pinched his arm.

“Gavin dear, your jaw is open." She stated. Then letting go, added, “Pervert."

“I was not, I..." Gavin stammered. “Veronica!" She 'humphed' and turned about, walking away. “Aww, come on, Veronica, she did that on purpose just to tease you! Veronica!"

---

As Gavin walked up the path to his house he sighed heavily. It'd been a big day. Veronica had been purposely standoffish for most of the day because of Sothia's tease. She eventually relented after Gavin practically threw himself all over her with affection. As Gavin opened up his front door, he couldn't help but wonder if she'd been like that on purpose just to get all that attention from him.

The answer was probably yes, but it was all in the past, he didn't care much now. To him, it was one of the many things that made her all the more cuter in his eyes. He'd spent the rest of the day helping with the decorations for the Prince's visit tomorrow, and now he was exhausted. Heading upstairs he intended to sneak in a quick nap before getting dinner ready.

The windows were open again, but that wasn't what grabbed his attention first. It was the large folded note that took up most of his room. It had to be from Sothia. He carefully unfolded it out and spread it down on his bed. “Gavin," he read. “I've got some important news to tell you. Be at the old meeting spot at 9 tonight." It wasn't signed but he knew it was Sothia.

Gavin made a quick dinner, and set about preparing himself for his journey. The old meeting spot. Sothia wouldn't be allowed into the Sanctuary at that time of the night, so she meant the vegetable garden where he'd first met her all those years ago. He set about preparing the ointment that masked his scent to Dogs. Then plucking fresh leaves from the Hy'urk trees in his back yard, he carefully wet them, and wrapped them around his shoes. The Hy'urk trees were a unique type of tree; small enough for the humans to act like regular trees for Dogs.

Finally, he dug out that old rope ladder he kept, which was still in great condition after all these years.  When the ointment was ready, he smeared it all over his skin, and headed out for the wall of the Sanctuary.

Like always, the guard was not as alert near the end of his shift. His muzzle was constantly opening wide with yawns. Gavin was quick, throwing the ladder over the wall, and scaled it, before climbing down the other side. Once the guard flicked his ear and turned at a noise Gavin made, but he never saw the human. Once Gavin pulled down the ladder, he safely stowed it and hurried off to the gardens.

It'd changed since the last time Gavin was here. This was also the first time in 19 years that Gavin had been outside the Sanctuary on his own. Humans left the Sanctuary to attend the adoption fairs, but it was always in specialised carry cases and always with armed escorts. He marvelled at the size of everything outside the walls much like when he was six.  The Hy'urk trees helped with the scale but normal sized trees and plants were still a sight to behold.

“Gavin," a female voice whispered. Well, as close to a whisper as a Dog can around humans. It still sounded like someone talking very loudly. “Over here." Gavin followed the sound of her voice and found Sothia, her tail and ears twitching with excitement.

“Sothia?" He asked. “What's so important." She sniffed at the air.

“Good, you've got the scent mask on." She walked up to him, and knelt down placing her hand down, palm up towards him. “Come on, there's something I need to tell you." Gavin nodded, as he carefully climbed up into her palm and sat down. Carefully, Sothia cupped her other hand around him as she gently deposited him in her breast pocket, before slowly rising to her feet, and just as cautiously walking off towards the Royal Palace.

Gavin climbed to the rim of her pocket and peered out. The Royal Palace was huge by Dog standards, making it gigantic compared to him. He couldn't help but marvel at the grand opulence the Palace contained. Although it wasn't much of a view from Sothia's breast pocket, in the dark, and it also wasn't helped by her hurrying along, jouncing him up and down.

Eventually, they turned off into the tight corridors that led to the servants quarters. Because they were small by Dog standards, wide enough for only one Dog to walk down them at a time, it gave the illusion that Sothia was much larger. She finally came to a door that after all these years, Gavin still recognised.

She looked about quickly, before opening the door. The oil lamps were blazing, bathing the room in a flickering orange, yellow glow. Electricity, along with light bulbs, were only a fairly new invention, available to wealthy citizens and while the Palace had it, it wasn't available to all it's inhabitants. All houses in the Sanctuary had electric lights. It was a sudden shock to be in a room that didn't.

And they weren't alone either. Sothia's room mates were all here. All five of them. The room held six beds and the six maids all shared the one room. They had to share the bath facilities with another six rooms. Gavin still remembered that from last time, and Sothia had often talked about the slobs from three doors down who didn't bother to clean the bath. It was still something he wasn't used to, after living on his own since he was 18.

However all that was pushed from his mind as the girls all turned and spied him. “Gavin!" They all cried out in unison, causing the human to wince from the sound. The next thing he noticed was that they were all wearing their nightwear, which was alarmingly revealing. He gave a sharp intake of breath. Oh if Veronica ever found out about this.

Fingers were around his upper torso and he was lifted out of the pocket and placed in the centre of Sothia's palm. Within seconds all five Dog girls were crowding around him, filling his vision with their gigantic smiling furry faces. He smiled back and greeted them all by name. Their faces beamed with pleasure as he identified each of them.

“He's grown more adorable with age," said a golden, yellow Pomeranian named Thadia.

“If I could adopt my very own human, it would be you, Gav-ey-wave-ey," chimed the black and white Siberian Husky named Shathan.

“Girls, please," Sothia interrupted. “I brought Gavin here to tell him my important news." They all nodded and stood back. Gavin turned to look up at Sothia.

“What important news?" He asked.

“I got a letter this morning." Sothia said. “But I didn't get to see it until after I'd finished my shift and I left the Sanctuary. When I got it, I had one of the gardeners I knew I could trust to leave you a note during his shift." A jack russell terrier named Mehoy reached behind her and picked up a letter, handing it over to Sothia. She in turn held it out so that Gavin could read it. Carefully standing up in her palm, he looked over at the letter and started to read.

“My dearest Sothia. This is your father writing to you. I am pleased to announce that after many years I have finally landed a deal that has prospered for your mother and I. The farm has at last turned a profit and as a result, I have been able to buy back both you and your sisters. My final payment to the king will arrive in the next two days and when it does you will no longer be in servitude to his majesty and you can finally come home to your family. In the letter I have included a travel pass back to our farm. I, your mother and your sisters look forward to seeing you once more. Love from your entire family."

Gavin gasped. “I'm finally free of this life," Sothia said from above him. “I'm going home to see my family."

“Congratulations, Sothia!" Gavin cried out happily. “That's wonderful news!" He then paused. “Oh," he said solemnly. “That'll mean you'll miss my wedding." Sothia gently nodded with closed eyes.

“I'm so sorry Gavin," she said. “I know that you wanted me to attend, and your were devastated when your sisters couldn't show up." Gavin silenced her by placing a caring hand on her thumb.

“I don't care that you can't make it." Gavin said. “We've been friends for 19 wonderful years, Sothia. I understand you more than you think. This is a dream come true for you. I'm NOT going to make you feel bad for something that you've wanted all your life. Six days from now, we'll both be happy. But I have to wait six more days; You only have to wait two. To know that you'll get the one wish you've always wanted, that'll be the best gift to me you could ever come up with."

“Awwww, that's so adorable." cooed Shathan.

Sothia smiled warmly down at him. “I was so worried about breaking the news to you," Sothia said. “I didn't know how you'd react, especially after your sisters couldn't make it."

“Knowing you're happy is the best solace I could take from you not being there." Sothia smiled warming again, and lowering her muzzle, gently rubbed her nose against Gavin's whole body.

“Hey, come on, enough with the mushy-lovey stuff." That was Gathoris, a shiba inu with snow white fur. “There's another reason we brought you here, you know."

Now Gavin got worried. “Huh?" All five girls stood aside to reveal a large box. Gathoris lifted it up to reveal an equally large cake.

“We had the kitchen staff cook this up for you." She said. The cake read 'Congratulations on your wedding, Gavin.'

“What is this?" Gavin asked eyeing the girls suspiciously.

“Well, this was all a combined idea." Sothia said, drawing Gavin's attention back to her. “I wanted to talk to you in private about my going home, but once the girls found out that I was bringing you here..." She shrugged. “We didn't know how you'd react to the news, so they also insisted on throwing you a bachelor party as a method of cheering you up."

“What!?" He was interrupted as one of the girls powered up a gramophone. A sweet, sultry music score flowed out from the enormous brass yellow trumpet as all five girls formed a straight line before him. They all leaned slightly to the left while placing their right legs out on an angle, their left hand on their hip while their right arm hung loose.

Then they started to dance. Slowly and one at the time. Then as the beat began to pick up, they started moving together in sync. Gavin watched in slack jawed amazement and fascination as the dance continued. Then, the beat took on a more seductive tune and suddenly, the girls began shedding pieces of their nightwear.

Gavin's shocked expression only deepened. He was still unable to look away. Above him, he heard Sothia give a warning growl. “I thought you guys weren't going to do that routine?"

“Relax," Thadia pipped up. “We're only going down to our underwear." Gavin only gave a unmasculine squeak in response as their clothing grew less and less until they finally were clad in nothing but their bras and panties. As they reached this level of nakedness they finished up their dance with a triumphant pose.

“Wow!" Gavin cried, and standing up began clapping excitedly. “This is the best bachelor party I've ever..." His voice trailed off as Shathan abruptly thrust her chest out. As she did, her bra suddenly snapped off and fell to the floor. The glint in her eye told everyone who saw it that it was no error. Gavin's speech ended in a startled squawk while Sothia wrinkled her muzzle in an angry growl blocking his vision by abruptly encasing him within her fist using the hand she was holding him with.

Thankfully that was the only unexpected event of the whole party. The cake was really tasty too. As the night grew late, the party eventually came to a close. Before Gavin left with Sothia, they all had photo's taken with Gavin. Individually, just like they did 19 years ago. Although Sothia kept a weary eye on Shathan when her turn came. Then they all had a group photo so that it could be given to Gavin when they were all developed. Sothia took him back out to the garden so that he could return to the Sanctuary.

“Thank you for tonight," Gavin said as he stepped down out of her palm. Sothia was still in a kneeling position as she let him off. “It was an experience I'll NEVER forget."

Sothia rolled her eyes. “I should've expected something like that from Shathan." She smiled down at Gavin, quickly pushing it from her mind. “Knowing that you're happy makes going back home worth it." She said.  There was a slight pause.  “If I knew you wouldn't be happy, I'd turn the travel pass down."

“Really?" Gavin asked. Sothia's ears lowered in embarrassment.

“Well, I care deeply for you." She replied nervously. “I would hate to see you upset."

“And I care about you too." Gavin said. “When ever I'm not with Veronica, I'm always happy to be with you." Sothia looked hurt. But only for a brief moment. “Are you alright?" Gavin asked, oblivious to what he'd said.

“Yes," she said. “I don't want to interfere with your happiness." She rose to her feet. “Take care Gavin. I'll see if I can say one last goodbye to you tomorrow." And then she turned about and left. Gavin scratched his head. What was all that about? He shrugged and turned about himself to leave. Tomorrow was going to be a big day.

---

Gavin was up as the sun started climbing over the horizon. In fact, all humans within the Sanctuary were. The decorations were up, the houses were nice and cleaned, and the plants and trees had been trimmed and manicured.

Gavin showered, had breakfast, and then got dressed in his best suit, mainly the one he wore to the adoption fairs, and headed out the front door to meet up with Veronica. She was waiting for him by the main road outside his house.

She wore an elegant silver strapless ball gown which obscured her feet, while her red hair was done up in a prom updo style, which left the rest of her long hair in a bushy bun. Even those human males who were already married couldn't help but sneak furtive glances her way. Gavin whistled in amazement. “My dear, you look stunning." He said, taking her hands in his and kissing her.

“Can you believe we're going to meet Prince Hyrham Vandar himself?" she asked. “And I get to dance for him."

“You're overly excited about this." Gavin said.

“Well, he's the most beloved of all the monarchs in the 12 Dog Kingdoms," Veronica said. “Plus he's said to be handsome, by Dog standards anyway."

“If you ask me, you're showing way too much enthusiasm for the Prince." Gavin said.

Veronica gave him a suspicious look, then narrowing her eyes and smiling in a way that made Gavin nervous, she asked, “Are you jealous?"

“Okay, Okay," Gavin sighed in defeat. “I said I was sorry about yesterday. Do you have to keep rubbing it in?"

“Relax, Mr Pervert." She laughed, taking his arm in hers. “I'm just teasing you." She gave him a puppy eyed expression. “Friends now?" she asked. Gavin smiled and kissed her. “Come on, let's get to the town centre. I've got a dance to perform." said Veronica.

They arrived at the Town centre where the elders were waiting, all decked out in their elaborate suits. Veronica greeted her parents before greeting the elders and taking up her position on the special dance floor laid out in front of the Sanctuary band.

Just as Gavin was about to shout out some last minute encouragement to her, a loud trumpeting signalled the opening of the double gates of the Sanctuary, which heralded the arrival of his royal highness Prince Hyrham Vandar of the Mountain Kingdom. Well, it was the King who came in first, a stoic jet black Belgian Shepherd, followed very closely by the Prince. The King's wife and sons brought up the rear, which was being tailed by both parties respective entourage.

The sides of the main road were packed with the Kings human subjects. All humans who lived in the Sanctuary were here today. As they passed by, the human males bowed, while the females curtseyed. The Sanctuary band struck up the national anthem of the Mountain Kingdom while children waved banners of Prince Vandars royal seal. Gavin found himself standing on tip-toes to get a glimpse of the Prince. And here he came.

Prince Vandar was an elegant looking Rough Collie. Splendidly dressed in a grey and white three-piece suit. His gleeful gaze swept from side to side, as he observed the King's Human subjects paying their respect to him. Both Gavin and Veronica waited with anticipation as he approached, and finally, as he neared the town centre, Gavin bowed and Veronica curtseyed.

As he straightened up, he saw that the Prince and King were now standing before the gathered group. The Sanctuary elders chairman, an old man with faded blond hair stepped forth to deliver his welcome speech which stated how wonderful it was that the Prince wished to visit them and that the friendship between humans and dogs, blah, blah, blah. Gavin lost interest somewhere around what a great role humans played in the lives of Dogs and started looking around at the other Dogs who were there, trying to see if he could spot Sothia among them.

All of a sudden, the band started up a soft waltz-like melody and Gavin turned back, realising Veronica's dance had begun. As he watched her dance, he realised that some of the dance moves she performed for him back in her house, now made sense. The gown she was wearing was perfect for those moves. Her graceful form twirled and spun the gown as she glided across the floor.

Finally, the band built up to a thrilling climax, and ended as Veronica leapt into the air and landed in a controlled bow before the two monarchs. Everyone exploded into cheers and applause. The Dogs who had all crowded around to see her applauded softly, but the sound they made still managed to drown out all the human made noise.

Gavin turned from the King back to Veronica who was still in her bow and was now looking up at her audience. Gavin turned back to the Dogs smiling, but the smile vanished as he realised something that he should've seen earlier. Prince Vandar wasn't applauding. Worried, Gavin turned back to Veronica, but if she saw it, her expression failed to give it away.

“Such exquisite beauty." Gavin looked up to see that Prince Vandar had stepped up before the dance floor. He looked around and looking back up at the Prince, realised he was addressing Veronica. She in turn looked up from her bow and smiled warmly, finally standing up.

“Thank you your highness." She said. “It means a lot coming from you, sire." The Prince smiled, and knelt down on one knee before her.

“Tell me your name little one, I'm sorry to say I missed it before."

“I am Veronica, sire," she said as she signalled Gavin to come over and join her. “And this here is my betrothed, Gavin." Gavin hastily bowed as he arrived at Veronica's side.

“It is indeed an honour to speak to you, your majesty." Gavin said.

“Yes, yes, of course." The Prince dismissed it with a wave of his hand. His eyes were fixed on Veronica. Gavin frowned. There was something about the way the Prince was eyeing Veronica that was actually starting to make him nervous.

“Did you enjoy my dance, your excellency?" Veronica asked.

“It was breath taking," he said. “Not only that, but I have to confess, that you're the prettiest thing among your kind here." This caused Veronica to blush. “Your beauty is remarkable, for a human. I must have a closer look." He placed his hand down before her, palm up. Veronica hitched up her dress and gingerly stepped onto the Prince's open palm. Carefully, he raised her up to his face. “Like a living doll," he muttered softly, though his breath as he spoke, did ruffle Veronica's dress.

For a few silent moments, he eyed her, turning his palm slightly left, slightly right to get better views of Veronica, who patiently stood there. Watching this odd behaviour, it was then that Gavin saw the strange glint in the Prince's eye. This caused Gavin to frown with confusion as his brain processed this. He could swear he'd seen that look before, but where? If Veronica saw it, she kept a good face on, constantly smiling for the Prince as he looked her over.

Suddenly, Gavin stiffened as though struck by a bolt of lightning as it finally dawned on him where he'd seen that strange glint before. It was the exact same look he'd seen in the eyes of Baron Mordho when observing his sisters.

“My lovely Veronica," the Prince said, snapping Gavin out of his terrified, shocked state. “You have impressed my heart with both your natural beauty and your skill. I simply must keep you."

There was a momentary slip in Veronica's cheerful expression. Only momentary as she quickly brought back her smile. In spite of the slip up, Gavin was able to see the quick look of horror on her face. “You honour me, sire." She said as she curtseyed in his palm, though Gavin could see her trembling as she did so. As she bowed, she shot a quick furtive glance towards Gavin. He could see the panic and fear in her eyes as she did, the secret attempt to get one last look at him as one would look upon a loved one they knew they would never see again. Then she turned back, her expression hidden behind a smile.

A few humans shot quick, surprised glances Gavin's way. Everyone knew the two of them were to be married. All of them kept their neutral faces up. If a human was still eligible for adoption, it was not their place to refuse any adoption offers from any Dog of the three major classes, especially royalty. That was the law. If a Gamma, Beta, even an Alpha Dog wished to adopt you, you were adopted, full stop.

“So, you wish to adopt her as your companion, young prince?" The King asked.

“Indeed I do, your majesty," the Prince said. “I had hoped to adopt a human female during my stay here, and I have found the perfect specimen. She must be mine."

“Then it is agreed," the King said with a simple wave of his right hand. “She is yours. Shall I have her prepared for adoption while we continue with the rest of the tour?"

“No," The Prince said, holding Veronica closer to him in a protective manner. “I'd most enjoy her company by my side as we conduct the rest of our tours and business."

“As you wish." The King nodded. “I simply can not refuse a request of the son of my dearest and longest friend." He indicated to the rest of the Sanctuary. “Shall we continue with the rest of the tour?" The Prince nodded, and the party of Dogs strode off to observe the rest of the Sanctuary.

Gavin just blinked in shock and horror. No. He couldn't believe what had happened. No. Veronica. She was gone. No. In the blink of an eye. He never even got a chance to say good-bye.

It was a herculean effort to hold back the tears that were trying to gush forth. A few humans stole a curious glance his way, but for most of their part, they kept their feelings and opinions to themselves. He just stood there like a statue, not even moving as the parade of Dogs moved past.

Why couldn't he be allowed a decent good-bye? 'I said I was sorry about yesterday. Do you have to keep rubbing it in?' That had been the last thing he'd ever said to her. By the Twin Goddess's that was so dumb! Why did THAT have to be the last thing he'd been allowed to say to her? Nothing like 'I'll never forget you,' or 'You'll always be in my heart.' It was THAT!

As he silently fumed, he saw that one Dog was lingering behind the entourage. Curiosity turned to outright shock as he saw just who it was. Sothia was glancing at him with a sorrowful expression on her face.

Gavin couldn't take it any more. He turned and politely pushed his way through the crowd. He walked calmly away back to his house, where he casually walked up the path with a stony face expression, opened the door, and gently closed it behind him. He took five steps inside before he collapsed to the floor in tears.

---

The Twin Moons shone down quite brightly that night. Gavin glared up at them with intense loathing. 'Good fortune my tailless ass!' He thought bitterly. 'Where's MY good fortune? You grant it to Dogs but not humans? Did you only create us just to make the Dogs happy?' Tears were stinging his eyes again, and he wiped them away in frustration.

He really shouldn't be crying. His tears would cause the ointment to run. He stood up and looked about once more. He was in the vegetable garden. He'd been waiting here for at least two hours. He sighed. Maybe it was asking too much.

His head jerked up at the sound of someone approaching. He carefully hid behind a plant stem. This was the third time someone whom he wasn't expecting had shown up. Maybe that was the reason she...

“Gavin?" He stepped out from behind the stalk. Looking up, he could make out a robbed figure looking down from side to side. “Gavin?" He recognised the voice.

“Sothia," he cried out. “Over here." The head turned and quickly headed over, carefully looking down as she came. Finally, she spotted him and knelt down. As she did, she carefully scoped him up with both hands, catching him off guard as she did so. “We can't stay long," she whispered softly. “There's a lot of security with the Prince now residing at the castle." She sniffed him to make sure he was smeared in the sent hiding ointment. She then carefully deposited him inside her breast pocket and carefully, but hastily left the garden.

Gavin didn't bother to peak out over the rim of her pocket this time. Instead, he remained quite as he was jounced about. Finally, there was the sound of large wooden doors being opened, and just as quickly shut.

“It's okay, Gavin," Sothia said, as her hand came in and curled around his body. “We're alone now." She lifted him out and gently cupped both her hands together. Looking around, Gavin realised they were in a stable. As if on cue, one of the gigantic Gronk's turned it's massive scaly head their way and hissed incredulously at them.

Gavin cringed at the sight of them. The massive orange and black kangaroo like lizards stood 10 feet tall. Well, 10 feet tall to the Dogs who's average high was 5.7, going by their scale; To humans, they were gigantic. With their powerful clawed hind feet and their ram like horns, they were more than capable of defending themselves in combat. Thank the Twin Goddess's they were herbivores. Still in spite of the fact they ate plants, Gavin always felt uneasy whenever he either heard them or saw them. He understood why the Dogs used them as war mounts but couldn't fathom the idea of them being used as beasts of burden.

“Don't worry, Gavin," Sothia said softly, causing him to turn to look up at her. She'd now pulled back the hood on her cloak. “They won't harm you. I won't let them."

“I had hoped you realised that I'd want to talk to you." Gavin said, turning around fully so that he could sit down in her cupped palms. “I saw the look you gave me back in the Sanctuary."

She nodded. “I thought you might want a friend to speak to." She carefully strode over to a large pile of hay and sat down cross-legged. Understandable considering there were no seating cushions. “So I figured I'd check the one area where you and I have always met." She paused. “I want to say..."

“Please, don't." Gavin interjected. “I've had it up to here with everyone telling me how sorry they are about Veronica. It's no longer comforting any more; It's just annoying." He sighed, then looked up at Sothia. “Do you still think a human's life is better than a Dog's?"

“From what I hear the Prince is very kind to all his subjects. I'm sure..."

“I've heard that one too!" Gavin snapped back. “He's so kind, he's so lovable, he's so damned handsome, she'll be well looked after, whoopty-frigging-doo! That's still not going to get her back!" He stood up. “Five days. We were just five days away from eternal happiness. I mean, all the times we could've been adopted, and we weren't. We were happy together. So happy..." His voice trailed off in a low sob.

“What happens to you now?" Sothia asked. Gavin placed his head in his hands.

“I have to find someone else to marry." he said. “But I don't want to marry anyone else. I want Veronica. Yes, she was beautiful but she made me feel special. She always made me feel good about myself. She could always, ALWAYS brighten up my mode. I loved her personality. The way she smiled could instantly make me feel warm inside. I loved who she was. I can't spontaneously marry someone else," he snapped his fingers. “Just like that."

“But, can't you go looking for..."

“My wedding IS, not was, IS in five days, and I WILL be married in five days; End of story. To whom? I don't know. If I can't find someone, then the elders will pick someone for me. That's the law for humans."

“I... didn't know that." Sothia said quietly.

“Of course you didn't." said Gavin. “How could you? It's not like you have a teaching in law or anything."

“No. I'm just a humble farmer's daughter forced to leave her family and become a maid with an unknown future." She paused as Gavin shot her a dirty expression. “Look, I know my life has turned around, I'm just trying to make you feel better."

"This is fantastic," Gavin muttered dramatically, "Veronica has gone, tomorrow, you'll be gone, all that's left is me and my mystery bride. And yesterday my life seemed to be going so well." He sat back down and burst into tears.

He was interrupted by a wet sponge like object that struck him, coating him in a sticky wet substance. He blinked in shock and realised that she'd licked him. He gasped in surprise and looked up at her. Sothia's ears were slightly back.

“Excuse me, but I wasn't finished." She said. “The point I was trying to get to, before you interrupted me is that my life turned around when I thought the world would end. Sure it took 20 years, but my life turned around. It happened to me, and it CAN happen to you too! And you know what? It may not even take that long. Who knows? Maybe your mystery bride will bring you just as much happiness as Veronica did."

Gavin blinked back up at her. For a while he was silent as he looked up into her eyes. “But I don't want anyone else." He said in a meek tone.

Sothia was confused. “But who else is there?"

“Sothia," Gavin said, moving into a kneeling position, his hands touching her palm. “I don't want to live in the Sanctuary any more." Her ears flicked with surprise. “I want to be adopted." He leaned forward even more. “I want to be your companion."

She gasped in shock, and almost dropped Gavin. “Are... you sure?" She asked in a low whisper.

“You once asked me if I only saw you as just a friend? Well, the answer is no. I've always loved your company, whenever you visited. I've always loved our conversations together. I've always loved looking forward to seeing you, every time you came to clean the Sanctuary."

“But..."

“I loved Veronica, yes. I loved both Veronica and you, but you, I could never be with. So I kept my feelings for you hidden because of my love for Veronica. Now there's no need. No need because I've lost her, and by the Twin Goddesses I don't want to lose you too. I love you Sothia, I always have."

She smiled. A deep and warm, caring smile. Then, she lowered her muzzle, and attempted a human style kiss. Well, she couldn't and all she managed was just to press her upper lip and upper teeth against his face. “I love you too, Gavin." She whispered.  

---

Gavin never did return to the Sanctuary that night. Surprisingly, there was no news of his absence the next morning. Sothia kept an ear out for any news, but nothing came. Gavin suspected that everyone was giving him some time alone. So naturally they wouldn't know he wasn't home. Maybe tomorrow they would realise something was wrong, but by then he'd be gone.

As the day began, Sothia packed her bags and said her final goodbyes to her friends. Both her and Gavin hadn't informed them of their plans to elope. The two finally left at midday, taking a carriage down to the city docks where a steam powered sailing ship would be waiting to take Sothia back to her native town, and her family.

Gavin kept his body smeared with the scent-hiding ointment all throughout the trip. Seeing as they weren't the only passengers in the carriage, Gavin kept himself hidden, until they finally got off when they arrived down at the docks. For Gavin, this was a whole new adventure in it's self. Seeing for the first time the rest of the world after living his whole life in the Sanctuary, he couldn't help stealing occasional glances out of Sothia's breast pocket at the huge wide world he was only now seeing for the first time.

The Palace garden was one thing.  The city was another. It was Titanic. The buildings were tall and towered high into the sky. In spite of all the scale, the city did feel cramped. The buildings were packed close together along with the apartment blocks that the Dogs lived in. And there were lots of Dogs. At first, Gavin was a tad overwhelmed by the sight of so many Dogs. To Gavin, Dogs had always been ever so slightly intimidating due to their giant size, but when ever he had encountered them, they'd always been by themselves or in small, easy to cope with groups. Even when he'd been at the adoption fairs, the crowds had been fairly small and  spaced out. Seeing so many Dogs all in one place made him feel much smaller than he actually was. Here and there, throngs of Dogs packed the streets moving this way and that, all shouting out orders, shouting out greetings, shouting out their wares for sale, or just shouting. The noise was causing him to spend most of his time with his hands clamped over his ears, and even that didn't help much.

And then there were the smells. Along with the docks, the city was dirty and smelt of rotting garbage, coal smoke, and a few other unpleasant aromas Gavin really didn't want to think about. The Sanctuary had been so spotless and clean, seeing the messes that congested in the alleys and walk paths was a rude shock. The biggest upheaval by far was when Sothia stopped to let a cart, pulled by a Gronk, pass her. As it did so, Gavin had the unfortunate timing to witness the unpleasant creature defecate on the paved road. He was even more taken aback when no one came to clean up the mess, nor did anyone seem the least bit offended by it. When he mentioned this, Sothia said that at night, cleaners would sweep it up.

“That's just so wrong," Gavin said as they walked along. “I mean, everything's so disgustingly filthy around here. Don't people worry about hygiene?"

“There's a lot you humans don't know about the real world, Gavin, or Dogs for that matter." Sothia said. She paused to look up at a clock tower. “We've still got some time before the boarding of the ship begins." She turned, heading away from the Docks towards another part of town. “Why don't I show you something you've never known, about how Dogs see humans."

They headed into a much cleaner part of the city, although just as packed as the Docks. This section was more neater, and the buildings more harmonious in spite of their cramped look. Gavin glanced around and realised that they were in some kind of shopping district. Foods and clothing seemed to be the majority of the merchandise, but there were book stores, a few jewellery shops, hardware shops and... Gavin gasped in amazement.

Sothia had stopped in front of a toy store. There, in the shop window, on display right up the front, were human dolls. Exact scale too. There were other toys on display but the human dolls were given the most display.  In the background were doll houses for the humans to live in, along with different fashions for them to wear. The one thing that caught Gavin's attention was the sign that advertised the dolls had 'Real Human Head Fur.' He eyed the dolls suspiciously. Their hair did look real. He never truly understood the Dog's fascination with human hair, or head fur as the Dogs called it. The Dogs thought it both bizarre and hilarious that the only fur that grew on humans in great mass was on top of their head. One of the things Dogs enjoyed doing with humans was stroking their hair; heck, Sothia did it quite often when they enjoyed her breaks together on the cliff. Looking at the dolls hair he couldn't help but wonder where they got it from. Then he couldn't help but wonder what exactly the Sanctuary barbers did with all the hair they cut.

“Those are the more expensive ones," Sothia said. “The majority of them, don't have real human head fur. These are special dolls, more for the major three classes."

“Wow," Gavin blinked. “I always knew humans were extremely popular among Dogs but I never dreamt we were this popular."

“Come on," she said, as she walked away from the store, just as some pups raced up to look in the window. “I think there's something else you should see as well."

Her travels took her to a library. She walked inside and into the pups section. She walked up to the first shelf, and peered down, before selecting three books. She hunted around a bit, before smiling and pulling from the shelf a fourth book. She sat down, and held them up so that Gavin could their titles. They were picture books for pups, but picture books about humans. The first one was about a male pup and his human embarking on a far distant adventure that was really an imaginative playtime. The book ended with the pups mother calling both of them inside for dinner. Cute. The second was pretty dark for a puppies book. It told the story of a female pup who lost her mother to some unspecified cause of death, and was helped in her sorrow by a female human companion. In the end, the two bonded and became best of friends, and helped the pup overcome the loss of her mother. The third book was just plain ridiculous. It was called 'Attack of the 50ft Human.' the story revolved around a male human that magically grew to 50 ft in height and went to some unnamed city, picking up dogs and hugging them, keeping them as pets. Gavin found that idea laughable. How, by the Twin Goddesses could humans keep Dogs as pets? The idea was just so bizarre. The human only wanted a friend and in the end, it took some male pup to tame the giant human, and become his best friend. For a book about an attack, it was more like causing an inconvenience. Still, it had a happy ending and Gavin did admit it had a somewhat goofy charm. The fourth book... Gavin gasped in shock. The fourth book was about his sisters. Well, they weren't named, but the artist had drawn twin human females with an uncanny resemblance to his sisters. The book was a pseudo religious story that told the tale of the Twin Goddesses sending down the twins as messengers to teach all the puppies about the meaning of friendship and kindness to one another.

“I thought you might like that one." Sothia said as she closed the fourth book up and put them all back on the shelves. “All Dogs would love to adopt a human into their family, but there is so much demand, and only so little supply. For those who can never own a human, there's only their imagination." Gavin was silent as they left the Library and headed back to the docks.

The steam ship which would take them back to Sothia's home was huge. A long, sleek white four masted ship with two smoke stacks. Gavin had always seen ships on the ocean looking out over the cliff, but he'd never seen one up close, let alone been on one. In spite of Sothia's warnings to stay hidden, he couldn't help sneak glances out of her pocket, especially down at the water as they walked up the gang plank and onto the ship. Their cabin contained two bunk beds and they had to share their room with three other Dogs. Their three room mates were young females, a lot younger than Sothia, who'd given up their factory jobs after they'd  secured positions as kitchen staff in a mansion on a plantation near the coast. They were quite pleasant company, until Gavin found out that the youngest snored like a hand saw.

The Ocean was fantastic to see up close and even more spectacular to see nothing but ocean for miles around with no land. By far the greatest moment were the big fish that swam alongside the boat, just beneath the surface of the water. Over all, the trip by ship was an experience he'd never forget. Although by journeys end, he was ready to attempt suicide by crawling down the throat of that young female Dog so he could choke her just to stop her from snoring. Something else he wasn't used to that also made the trip unpleasant was the constant motion of the floor and ended up getting sea sick.

Eventually they made it to the next port without any more incidents. This was a port city that was built around a series of rivers. As a result, instead of roads, there were a lot of canals. Dogs pushed long gondolas up and down these water ways, laden to the point of almost capsizing with all kinds of trade goods. There were other sights too, like brothels. Females wearing barely legal amounts of clothing wagged their tails seductively at sailors who howled back at them; some even being led away inside buildings by the females whom they had chosen.

There were also a lot more females doing manual labour here than back in the other city - a sight which left Gavin aghast. Females had never done any kind of intense labour before back in the palace, and definitely not in the Sanctuary. Their behaviour was more akin to males, the way they moved, talked and even swore.

But the one sight that really captivated Gavin's attention was when they reached a long, two lane bridge that lead to the mainland. They had to cross the bridge to get to the coach depot in order to make the final leg of their journey. As they walked across the bridge, a wealthy black and orange Saluki merchant rode past in an open air carriage. Beside him sat what obviously was his daughter, a pretty young 18 year old who's fur colour and pattern mirrored her fathers. What drew his attention were her hands, cupped together and slightly out in front. In her cupped hands, stood a young human male possibly in his early 20's, peering excitedly out at the world around him.

Dogs who were passing close enough to catch his scent turned and openly stared at him as they drove past.  Possibly because this was the first time they'd seen a real human. The human in question was constantly looking from side to side, and even pointing at things as he turned to jabber excitedly back at his mistress who beamed with delight, even nuzzling his hair with her nose. Gavin watched as they passed on by. Both looked extremely happy, like they preferred each others company.

He sighed as they moved out of view. Then, he closed his eyes and whispered a silent prayer to the Twin Goddesses, hoping that Veronica and the Prince would enjoy that kind of relationship. It was mainly because he wanted Veronica to be happy with her new life seeing how he had gambled on a happy life of his own.

Once over the bridge, it was a short walk to the stage coach depot. There, they hopped on one more bumpy and dusty ride to a lonely little outpost town, before having to walk the rest of the way by foot. This trip was by far the best, and Gavin enjoyed every minute of it. With nobody else around, he climbed out of Sothia's breast pocket and on top of her head, so that he could get an unobstructed panoramic view of the new lands he would now be calling his home.

Finally, as the sun was beginning to set, they reached her farm. Her whole family was there to greet her with hugs, licks and wagging tails. It was a heart warming sight for Gavin, especially after losing Veronica. Seeing Sothia's joy as she embraced a family she hadn't known in 20 years made running away with her worth it.

Of course, after that she introduced Gavin to her family. At first, they were alarmed that she'd taken him in the first place, but it was Gavin who stuck up for her. He informed them of their friendship over the past 19 years, his own tragic misfortune, and finished up by telling them that running away with Sothia had been his idea to begin with. In the end, it was her father who made the final call. Not wanting to upset his daughter nor deny her any happiness after such a long absence he agreed that Gavin could stay. They would accept him into their family, and treat him as they would any of their own kin. After that, they all agreed and promised to keep his presence on the farm a secret.

Still, Gavin kept applying the scent-hiding ointment to his body, just in case. Two days later, it proved to be a wise choice.

---

On the second day, of his new life on the farm, Gavin was wandering about on the kitchen table, chatting with Sothia and her mother as the both of them prepared lunch for the day. Gavin was busy explaining the significance of the human festival “Discovery Day," when the front door creaked opened and Sothia's father calmly strode inside, hanging his coat up on the rack.

“Husband?" Sothia's mother questioned. “Lunch won't be ready for..."

“We're going to have some company soon," he said softly as he eyed the human on the table top. “The kind Mister Gavin shouldn't be around to meet." Both Gavin and Sothia shot him worried looks, then gave each other the same look.

“Who?" Sothia asked.

“Hide him in the attic." He answered, then punctuated it with a sharp, “Now!" Sothia quickly scooped Gavin up off the table, catching him by surprise. He experienced a sharp vertigo as he was hurried from the kitchen to the main closet in the dinning room. She opened the large wooden door, and walking in, reached up to pull down the ladder that lead to the attic. She quickly climbed up into the attic. It was cramped even for Dogs, causing Sothia to hunch over. It was mainly used as an extra storage room. Crates containing, the Goddesses only knew what, lay about coated in a thick layer of dust. Sothia hurried over to a corner of the attic, and lifting up a lose floor board, placed him inside before carefully setting it back.

Gavin listened to the sounds of her leaving, and eventually folding back up the attic ladder. He looked around at the tiny crawl space he was now inside. This was the space between the attic floor and the roof below. It was lit by the light that shone up through the spaces in the boards beneath him. As he stood there, listening to the sounds of Sothia hurrying away, he became aware of new sounds. He strained his ears until he made out what sounded like a large group of dogs marching towards the house.

He quickly moved to the floor boards and peered down. He could see Sothia and her mother standing side by side. Then, her father appeared, followed by... Gavin's breath caught in his throat. Standing right next to Sothia's father was a rottweiler in a soldiers uniform. Not just any uniform.  The Dog wore the horizon blue of the Palace Guard.  Then Gavin did a double take as he realised who the Dog was.  It was Colonel Hablian Phrah who was in charge of the Palace guard.  He'd always accompanied the King at adoption fairs, and when he'd taken his strolls through the Sanctuary.  He was considered one of the Kings closest confidants.  If he was personally taking the time out to visit here, it was deadly serious indeed.

Below him, Colonel Phrah had one hand on the six shooter at his hip as he politely gestured with his other at Sothia. Gavin cocked an ear but it wasn't too difficult to make out what was being said.

“Don't try to deny it," the Colonel said to Sothia. “We know about your little 'bachelor party' for Gavin." Gavin gritted his teeth. How, by the Twin Goddess's had they found out about that? Sothia just nodded.

“No, I don't deny it." She said. “In fact, I'll gladly tell you all the details." The Colonel grunted.

“We know all the details." He snapped. “We know that the two of you have been very close to each other also. You didn't quite go out of your way to hide it, constantly having your breaks with him."

“He was a good friend," Sothia said calmly.

“We know that too." Colonel Phrah growled. He sighed then regained himself. “Look, the King has been willing to overlook your indiscrete behaviour with him, even your little party. Considering that his predestined mate was given as a present to the Prince. The King felt sympathy for him. Therefore he has granted you a pardon for that party." Gavin sighed with relief. “However," the Colonel dramatically raised his other hand, then purposely placed it back on the hilt of his revolver. “If you are found to be in possession of the human, the consequences will be dire for both you AND your entire family."

“You yourself told me, sir," Sothia's father interrupted. “You have no proof that my daughter has taken this human. You're just following a suspicious hunch."

“Yes we are," the Colonel answered. “However, if you do have Gavin, and you surrender him this very instant, the King has authorised me to leave you be. But...!  As I said before.  If you turn down this offer and we find him..." He ended off his speech by snapping his jaws shut with a sound that made Gavin jump. He then leaned back and folded his arms in front of him. “Well?"

“Then you will have to search the whole house," Sothia's mother said as her arm swept behind her. “Because we don't have him."

“Very well," the Colonel said dryly. He turned about and barked out loudly. He stood aside as seven soldiers in total, all of them georgian shepherd's, filed in past him. They moved out of Gavin's sight as they began searching the farm house. Gavin watched intensely as the noises they made floated up into his crawl space.

“I hate to tell you, sir," Sothia's father said calmly, “But this is a waste of your time."

“Maybe," Colonel Phrah said, “But your daughter's relationship with Gavin, timed with her leaving and his disappearance two days later, does look highly suspicious. We have no choice but to search every lead."

“Well, understandable," he said. “But since you came all this way for nothing, can I at least offer you and your men something to drink?"

Gavin never heard the Colonel's reply, he was too busy thinking about something else. Two days? It'd taken two days before someone finally realised that he was missing? The other humans must have really thought he was taking it badly. His thoughts were interrupted and sent down another tangent when he heard Sothia's father reply to something the Colonel said. That made him wonder about his parents. How were they taking his disappearance? He hadn't thought about them. At least Veronica's parents knew where she was, and she could still be in contact with them. His? They had no idea where he was and he'd never be able to contact them ever again.

He sat down hard on the floor, wondering if maybe this hadn't been such a great idea in the first place. He hadn't really thought this plan through.  It'd been a spontaneous...  he frowned as he then realised that the atmosphere below had changed. There was no sound of conversation any more. Getting up, he looked down through the gaps in the floorboard.

Colonel Phrah was looking right at him. Gavin froze in sheer terror.

“Sir?" Sothia's father asked him.

“I saw dust falling down from the ceiling." He snarled. “There's something up there!" He turned back to look at someone out of Gavin's view. “All of you, get up to the attic, now!" There was a mad scrambling of feet.

Gavin eased away from the floorboards, his face white with panic. Oh no. Oh Goddess's no. He'd doomed Sothia's whole family. When he sat down hard, he must have disturbed some dust. Considering he was directly above Colonel Phrah, it was no wonder he'd noticed it. His terror grew as he heard the ladder pulled down, and soon the attic was full of noise.

“Hey, Over there!" The voice sounded alarmingly close. Gavin gently eased backwards. Suddenly, the lose floorboard which served as his entrance into the crawl space wiggled. Gavin felt his heart skip a beat as he pressed his whole body up against the nearest wall, just as the board was yanked off. For a moment, he couldn't breath, he couldn't even move.

“Can you see anything?" A different voice asked.

There was a short silence, before, “Nope." Then a large wet nose shoved it's way in. It swung this way and that, sniffing loudly, ruffling Gavin's clothes. Suddenly there was a tremendous sneeze, and Gavin was coated in a thick layer of dust. He dared not even blink. Then the nose withdrew. “I can't smell any human scents down there." The voice said, and gave another great sneeze.

“Keep looking," the different voice commanded. The noises continued, until finally they retreated back down the ladder. “There's nothing up there sir," one of the soldiers said. “We couldn't smell any humans anywhere up there or down here."

Colonel Phrah sounded annoyed. “Then search the barn, search the stables, search the out house. Search everything."

“Yes sir!" The soldiers all chorused and they all moved outside.

Gavin finally let out the breath he'd been holding, and gave a deep sigh, before carefully sitting down. His ointment. The scent hiding ointment had saved him. If they questioned Sothia's room mates and discovered his bachelor party, they must've known about the scent hiding ointment. Or did they? If they'd known about it, they would've been more thorough in their searching. Heck, they probably would've torn the floorboards up. Maybe whom ever had confessed, hadn't confessed about Gavin's scent hiding ointment.

He patiently waited until noise once more returned to the house. Gavin didn't bother tempting fate, instead he just sat still as a rock and listened.

“Well, you were right," Colonel Phrah admitted. “You do not have him."

“We take no offensive, colonel," Sothia's father said. “You were only doing your duty."

“Thank you," the Colonel said. “We've caused enough trouble for you and your family for one day. I thank you for the drink offer, but we will have to turn you down. I must report back to the Palace at once." There was a pause. “However, if you do know of any leads or his whereabouts, the King has issued a handsome reward for his return. It's a dangerous world out there for humans. You wouldn't want to him to end up eaten by wild animals."

“Of course not," Sothia said. “I cared very much for Gavin, so do you honestly think I'd endanger his life by bringing him out into such a hazardous environment like a farm? We don't even have the necessary facilities to properly look after a human. We don't have electricity, we don't have indoor plumbing. Do you think, if I cared deeply for him, that I would steal him against his will, and subject him to such poverty?"

“No." The Colonel answered. “But like I said, we have to follow all leads. Good day." Then he was gone.

Gavin waited in silence until he was sure Colonel Phrah had left, before he sighed in relief. “Damn that was close," he muttered. It was some time later, about mid afternoon, before Sothia returned to collect him.

“You can relax now, Gavin," she said as she lifted him out of the crawl space. “They're long gone."

Gavin blinked in astonishment, before throwing himself into her palm. “Oh Goddesses," he cried. “Sothia, I thought it was all about to end. I thought that you'd..." He trailed off, unable to finish that sentence. “I thought I'd lose you again, just like I lost Veronica." She smiled.

“You haven't lost me, Gavin. And you never will. I promise I'll look after you and never let anything or anyone harm you." Gavin wiped away some tears, before mouthing the words, 'I love you.' Sothia gave him a warm smile, before heading back down the attic ladder.

---

In the weeks that followed, Gavin still wore the ointment, just in case, but as weeks turned into months with no sign that they were being watched, he eventually stopped. Gavin got to know the members of Sothia's family well. They all in turn loved him, but it was Sothia who held the most love for him. His presence boosted morale around the farm, making the atmosphere more than pleasant, and even sprightly.

Gavin also insisted on adopting Sothia's family name, becoming Gavin Ath'han.  Sothia's mother even made a badge patch of the Ath'han family clan for him to wear on his right shoulder. Gavin would often admire it with pride.

Sothia's father even made a small doll house for him to live in, and was placed in Sothia's room; which she shared with her sisters. It was a simple if some what cramped life, but Gavin quickly got used to it, and both he and Sothia did managed to have some alone time every now and then. No electricity, no indoor plumbing, although that took some getting used to, and the quality of the food dropped dramatically.

Still, Gavin didn't complain. He was a companion. He was part of a Dog family. He was truly happy.


                                                                                                "THE END"