Warrior Of The Damned ✔

Chapter 3

A wet nose nudged the right side of my face. One. Two. Three times. Then all was still and quiet.

I felt a quick, light breeze fall over me, the bed indicating whatever had occupied that space had now jumped over to my left side. Another wet nudge to my face. One. Two. Three. I rolled onto my right side and squinted at the crack through the drapes of my window. The sun was barely up. I groaned, "I thought we were friends."

Apparently he didnt notice the annoyance in my tone, as I felt him spin around and around in circles with excitement. I sighed. I'd gone and done it now, there was no turning back. I stretched, "Friends dont wake each other at the bloody ass crack of dawn," I mumbled.

My eyes now open, staring at the canopy directly above me, covering my bed. I could feel him staring at me, still as a statue. My eyes fell closed once more, hoping to get a few more minutes before--nope. I felt my blanket slowly and awkwardly being pulled away from my body. I shot straight up and caught him tugging at it with his teeth, the little boy putting all his might into denying me the warmth that kept me content to sleep.

He froze when he noticed his plan had worked. His blue eyes met mine and I glared at him. He let the blanket he was teething drop to the floor, never breaking our stare. Slowly, his tail started to wag. As his uncertainty dissipated, that tail moved faster and faster until his little body couldn't contain the excitement anymore and he burst onto my bed, hopping and jumping and spinning. I threw my hands up in the air, "Fine! I give!"

I swung my legs off the bed, trying to locate my slippers with my feet. He was at the door now pawing at it, "Coming, coming, coming," I grumbled.

I turned to grab my robe, but something didnt sound right. I listened. Stillness underneath what sounded like water running down the walls of the Castle during a heavy rain. I listened harder. What is that?

I looked to the dog just to make sure I wasnt crazy, surely he heard it to? Fear gripped me as I had found the source of the noise.

There the little demon was, leg hiked high on the post at the foot of my bed. Urine pooling by the one paw that steadied his balance so he could mark my bed.

I shrieked, "Oh come on!" Which must not have phased him because he didnt stop. I ran to the side of my room, by the fireplace, grabbing an unused rag. As I stomped back over to him, now empty of the urge to go, he finally sensed my pissivity, as he tucked his tail and bowed his head in shame.

I was angry at him. But I felt my heart break a little looking at him so distraught at disappointing me. I sighed as I soaked up his mess and then crawled over to him. We were now face to face. My eyes to his. I took a deep breath, trying to calm my nerves, "Look, I realize that was my fault. You tried to tell me what you needed and I didnt understand. That's on me. We just need to learn how to communicate with each other, okay?" He leaned his head to one side as if he was really listening to my words, taking them in and trying to decipher what I was saying. I smiled at him, reassuringly. He came closer and nuzzled into the crevasse between my neck and shoulder. I would eventually learn this was his attempt to voice an apology. I pulled him close, hugging him. He didnt resist.

"Now," I stated, "Let's get some breakfast and find a way to sneak you outside."

I closed the door behind me, gently and quietly as not to draw any attention by whoever might be stirring this early. Stopping to listen, I heard the faint banging of pots and plates in a far off corner of the Castle. The kitchen staff was busy with our morning meal. I was hopeful I could sneak some food to my friend without much notice.

I tiptoed down the stairs, careful not to hit the center of the wooden steps that I knew would creak under my weight. Running lightly down the hallway, I peered around the corner into the kitchen.