Enar's Vacation - Open Beta

Chapter 17

They reached the path, and, as they started up it, the dog ran circles around them, hopping and yapping all the time.

"Go home," Rolf told it and pointed up the path. "Home."

Without hesitation the dog set off up along the trail and disappeared over a low rise - still barking.

"See, my friend. Very well trained."

Enar nodded, swallowed, and kept on walking.

A minute later they arrived at a clearing lined with little sheds and full of dogs. Dogs sat or stood everywhere; all shapes and sizes, all of them barking, all of them looking at him like he was dinner.

"So many..." Enar stopped dead. His legs refused to move.

"Easy now my friend. They're all very well trained and not a single one will harm you. You have my word." Rolf looked at him with concern in his eyes. "On Anna's peace - my word."

Enar looked down at his bare feet, dirty from all the walking he'd done since he arrived. "I... I'm sorry Rolf... I don't do too well with dogs." Staring at the ground, he forced himself to take a step forward, and then another. He couldn't show his host he doubted his word. That just wasn't an option - but the dogs barked so loud.

"Wait," said Rolf. "I have an idea. You stay here and I'll go get Rufus. I'll be right back."

"Okay."

Rolf walked into the clearing, yelling at the top of his lungs. "Rufus, where are you? Get out here." His shouting drowned out even the baying of the hounds. "Rufus!"

Rolf stopped in the middle of the clearing, right in the middle of all the dogs. Some of them walked up to him and smelled his legs and hands, but none of them attacked him or even jumped up at him. Enar held his breath.

From one of the little sheds came another shout. Enar couldn't make out the words, if there even were any. A moment later a man appeared, half a head taller than Rolf and wearing a faded old overcoat that had probably once been brown. In his wake came three of the tiniest dogs Enar had ever seen, barely the size of squirrels.

Puppies. Puppies couldn't be bad, right? Puppies were small and cute.

Rolf and the man, obviously Rufus, spoke for a moment and then they both turned to look at Enar. Enar swallowed, tried to smile, and raised his hand to wave. Rufus didn't as much as nod in response, and Enar's heart sank - the kennel master didn't like him. He'd pick out a mean ill tempered dog as a guide for the wimpy city fylk. It'd be the end of him.

Rolf said something else to the man and Rufus nodded in acknowledgement. He raised a hand, whistled, and snapped his fingers. The barking ceased - instantly. Not a single dog as much as whimpered. They all looked at Rufus - in complete silence. Even the three puppies that had followed him out of the shed stopped bumbling around and turned their noses towards him.

Rufus opened his hand, and as he lowered his arm the dogs lay down. All of them lay down, laid still, and stayed quiet. Enar's just stared.

"Hey, lad, you can come over now. It's safe." Rufus shouted and waved at him to come.

Enar closed his gaping mouth and hesitated for only a moment before he started walking.

"I hear you don't like dogs," said the man.

"Well..." began Enar.

"Thought so. Hold this for me." He fished up a small brown and white puppy from one of the big pockets of the coat and plopped it into Enar's outstretched hands. "Don't drop him. He'll die."