Zakula: Beloved Companion

2: Death

Old Ardanas approached the earth oven, already smelling the deer's tripe, liver and all the other fatty entrails humans and fairies preferred over the lean filets roasting. "Mmmh, this was worth the ankle sprain," he whispered.

"Dad, how is Karelias?" Finas asked.

The old man let out a sigh, "As good as he can be given the circumstances. Don't expect him to talk much."

"Maybe he could adopt our puppy," Okuna suggested. "She'll get her name soon and the fairies have their cats."

Said cats were currently munching on fish caught in the morning. The little puppy meanwhile had gotten bored with the deer leg and instead went to investigate the chopping noise. Karelias gave his old dog little bits of ground meat whenever he had some ready. Seeing Armas eat it up little by little brought a smile to his face.

"Don't even talk about that while Armas is still alive," Ardanas shook his head. "They need to say farewell first. Just let Karelias have his space."

The puppy watched Karelias chop meat for a while. He did not even notice the little fuzzball right next to him. After two handfuls of meat, Armas stopped eating. Karelias almost smiled. His little brother had eaten well and the day was just starting. He left the rest on the stone and reached into his pocket. The unnamed puppy watched, slowly stepping closer to the ground meat on the stone.

Armas looked up as much as he still could when Karelias pulled the old mammoth ivory rattle out of his pocket. His tail could not wiggle anymore, so he just snorted happily. Karelias shook the rattle once.

The puppy jumped. She hushed towards the basket to see where this noise was coming from. Karelias wanted to rattle again, but when he saw this little gray fuzzball standing next to old Armas, he froze. His hand started shaking as he lowered the rattle towards the basket.

Seeing this little gray ball of fluff stand right next Armas in his basket, three paws on the other side already made his chest contract. The puppy looked almost like Armas all those years ago. But it was not him, it was a stranger. The eyes were different, the soul behind them was different.

A lump formed in Karelias' throat. Why could his little brother not stand there? Healthy as he used to be, curiously sniffing every new thing he came across. Karelias said nothing as the puppy carefully smelled at Armas, unable to understand why the enormous dog would not get up.

He just put the ivory rattle before Armas' snout. The old dog took it, then shook his head as hard as he still could. A sound much quieter than what Karelias expected, or rather hoped for came. It startled the puppy. The fuzzball jumped away, back to her mother. Two button eyes surrounded by fluff looked at the old rattle from behind the mother dog.

Part of Karelias wanted to look away, but he could not. The sight brought back such beautiful memories and with them great pain. He wiped away a tear. When he finally turned back to Armas, the old dog had fallen asleep on his even older rattle.

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In the coming days, Karelias, Finas and Okuna would help the fairies harvest Hazelnuts. The forest floor was covered with them. Every day, the fairies would pick the nuts up and put them in sleds their guests had made. A frame of large sticks covered by old furs.

Karelias dragged large portions of nuts to the hamlet, where he poured it all into one of several holes in the ground lined with fired clay. Every single time, he went to check up on Armas. Either Kaskene or Ardanas would remain with the old dog by the big fire or in one of the pithouses whenever it rained.

Most of the time, Armas slumbered. Same with the elders who watched him. Karelias never woke them up. He only checked if his old companion was still breathing, turned him around on occasion and cleaned up whatever mess he made in the dry leaves whenever necessary.