A Man and His Dog

 ((Written in late 2009.  In my early days of rping in SL, I bought a VKC Newfoundland dog named 'Snausy' to follow Art around.  I attribute that dog for changing roleplay for me - as I went from a background role at best to 'that guy with the dog'.  I loved that pup, but her scripting went bad and the oodles of prims made her unmanagable.  I decided to retire her, but not without a story of her own.))

The gangplank was grounded for no more than an instant before Snausy tore off into the town. He felt bad for the dog, she’s been kept in the ship’s rooms for a couple days now, and she has long since grown out of the inside dog phase. This was not just Arturos’s homeland either they were stepping off into, it was hers as well. Arturos watched the dog scamper off to the gods know where, turned to the harbor master to get to the business at hand.
“Hey, Arturos, look at you old man. Whats the news of the greats seas?” the harbor master asked, “zit alright for thus dog to run off likes that? I’s means ..”
“No, its alright” Art interrupted. “She lives in the wilds these days anyway. I rarely see her to feed her, but she still puts on weight.”
The friend laughed a bit, “Wilds, eh? Seems you gots za wilds female there. Youse better watch that, or she finds a news man.”
“Oh … there’s wilder females out there than Snausy, Toki.” Arturos smirked.
The old friend looked at him, his eyes smiling a bit from underneath his thick snowy eyebrows. Art saw that look before, usually when he told this harbor master of the places he has visited since leaving his home just a few years before. For generations, the children of Kohldbae have learned to hide their most unseemly emotions, and this Arturos thought appeared vaguely of envy.
---
The narrow streets were alive with movement, but with only a few sounds. Children, ran happily around the streets chasing one another, but few laughs escaped their wide smiles. One could hear the movement of cookware as night approaches, but only know did Arturos feel uncomfortable with the lack of song, or happiness rolling out the window, something that is so constant in … well everywhere he traveled. Some of the men sitting in the street looked up with him, giving a quiet nod, but the weaker ones couldn’t hide the distain. Art couldn’t help to make a list for all the contradicting reasons they would not like him, but it wasn’t past him to agree with those men.
Instead, Arturos turned an eye on the sky, flakes falling off the high mountains as he passively looking for his dog. This stay will need to be short; though he wasn’t sure where he could sail to from here. His home, torn to pieces by a dark rift, his lady now safe in high elf land; the only thing he couldn’t think of to make this worse was to find himself trapped by the ice in this land for the winter. But by the time the ship will be loaded the next evening, it will be another day before the tides will give favorable conditions to leave. Still, he looked to the dull grey skies, looking past the on coming storm.
It took a child running full speed into his thigh that brought his eyes back down. The boy deflected off his leg falling backwards and slamming the back of his head against the stone ground.
Arturos quickly fell to his knees next to the boy, cupping the back of his head. “Whoa … ouch … that’s nasty fall.” The boy’s weight and size could be easily mistaken for a toddler, his paleness mistaken for lack of food; but these are Arturos’s kinfolk (at least in part) and knew he was likely nearing his fifth spring. “Are you alright little one?”
The boy looked up with him, wide eyed, tears beginning to form, but didn’t utter a noise. He reached up behind his head where a bump was forming to rub it slowly.
“Does it hurt?” Art asked looking down to him, a small crowd beginning to form.
The boy slowly shakes his head, his hand still over the bump.
Art chuckled lightly, not sure he really believed the boy. “Well, what were you running so hard for.”
The boy spoke timidly up to Arturos for the first time “I was … chasing …the monster” the tears forming faster on his eyes. The boy fought against the pain, fought to keep the emotion away. Arturos could see this, the boy was of course a child of Kohldbae afterall.
“Monster … what monster.”
The boy sucks in a gasp, holding his natural urge to emote his pain, but instead raises a hand and points to the edge of a alley. Standing there, with a big toothy doggie smile and a tail wagging like mad was Snausy.
A man standing over the scene turns and walks away “bloody child, bloody crying like a woman over a dog.”
Ignoring the man and laughing heavily calls “Snausy come” which brings the dog bouncing to his side. Messing the dog’s head, he turns to the boy “this is no monster this is Snausy; and Snausy this boy’s name is …”
A smile starts going over the boy’s face as he reaches for the dog to touch her nose. Just before he does the dog gives a playful bark, making him pull his hand back quickly.
“Oops … she needs to know your name before she lets you pet her,” Art lies.
Looking up to Arturos the boy says “Kehl”. Art gives him a nod, and Kehl reaches for the dog again, this time touching her wet nose sniffing his fingers. Kehl sits up and slides his hand up to pet the dog’s head. As he does, Snausy steps forward and starts licking the boy’s face, bringing out a flood of giggles.
In an instant, Arturos forgot the boy was even from this cold town, that he was just a happy child. It was that instant after that he realized how cold this town was, and what his grandfather would do if he heard him laugh like that. “So … Kehl … would you like to have Snausy escort you home?”
The boy looked up to him wide eyed and happily hugging the dog, and gave a big nod.
----
“Mama … Mama … I caught a monster!” The boy called at the door.
A woman’s voice called from inside the house “shush Kehl … no reason to raise your voice.” She arrive at the door just as the boy snuck past, the dog bounding past her as well “Goddness … what is that.”
“SNAUSY” Art called sternly standing at the bottom stairs going into the farmhouse.
The woman quickly turned to look down the stairs at the voice, her eyes growing wider at that movement, her lips upturning slightly. “Arturos?”
Art looks up, a wide smile coming to his face. “Sel.”
She looks down at the ground, a bit of blush coming to her face “come now, no one has called me that since before I was married … Miss Selma would do.”
Art thinks back on her words, she was right, it had been before she married as it was only he that called her that. He smiles and nods to her saying “Miss Selma then, tis good to see you.”
Now that the two adults forgot this madness, the dog stuck her head out the door looking to her owner; her tongue bouncing out of her mouth happily and a drumbeat on the door from her tail.
“Kehl is your son?”
“Aye,” she said, her face showing signs that she was collecting her emotions. “My boy … son of mine.”
The boy now pokes his head out the door, a wide smile on his face overtop of the dog. “The Monster’s name is Snausy, Mama.”
Art smiles to the boy, and looks back to the woman, “Kehl fell and hit the back of his head, I thought it would be best to make sure he reaches home with no ill effects.”
“Oh,” she says, and loving smooths the back of Kehl’s head “oh … yes, he has a nasty bump.”
The boy looks up to his mother smiling and says “The monster’s name is Snausy.”
“Well,” Art spoke quietly, “maybe Snausy and I should head back to the inn.”
The boy quickly piped up “Can Snausy have dinner here?”
Selma turns to Arturos “only if her owner can join as well.”
Tired of ship rations and inn food, the idea of a home cooked meal perked his interest. “Aye … the five of us then? With Kehl’s father?”
Selma spoke slowly and as a matter of fact, “Kehl is he son of … Helver.” She was a child of Kohldbae, so her head turns downward solemnly. It was a move he had seen many widows make, the act of longing required of their kind. He shows the same reverence by the simple move as well. He had heard of Helver’s passing, an accident at the quarry; but as custom dictates is not something to be discussed.
“Then it would be improper for me to take a meal from a widow, it is no place to accept an invitation as an unmarried man.”
Selma shook her head with a quick smile, “tis not you we invite, tis Snausy .. you are Snausy’s guest.”
Arturos smile spreads across this face and follows the folks into the house.
---------
The meal was very eventful. Kehl demanded to eat his meal in wide bowl, on the floor, and without his hands like his new friend. No amount of debate could change the boy’s mind, as he kept with the play, laughing nosily with each bite. The dog’s barks rang regularly through the small home, and every couple of pieces of meat were followed by a quick run around from room to room. Each step the dog took, the boy was right behind, looking to tug a tail or hug the hairy beast.
“I apologize for Snausy, Sel … her heart is too playful.”
She shakes her head, watching the two play with a smile.
Art looks to her, forking a piece of meat and tasting it lightly. He turned his attention to the woman, her blond hair full as he remembered it, her pale softness still high on her cheeks. Motherhood has been kinder to her than the land has, and she was not much different than a memory he had. As the boy ran out of the room, she turned her eyes back to Arturos, catching his she immediately looked down and away with a blush.
Arturos turned to look where the boy was, feeling her gaze return to him. “Such a lively boy for Kohlbae,” Art spoke with a smile.
The boy came running into the room and skidded to a stop, he turned quickly and looked face-to-face with the dog. Snausy does a quick bark, which Kehl barks right back with a smile.
Selma lets a quick giggle out before collecting herself, “Oh … not so much … I never seen him like this. It was the dog’s presence I think that opened him up.”
“Its not so wrong is it?”
She smiles lightly, shaking her head “no … no I think this is good … it reminds me of the past.”
“Aye … of … his father.”
“No.” Art turns to her, her eyes remaining still looking into his, a smile comes to her face slightly.
Art is the one who turns his head slightly and looks down. “Well … I … am not …” Her hand falls onto his patting it slightly. If seen in this town with such emotion, she would surely be shunned for such displays of a window.
“No … your not … but different, as much as they don’t like to hear, different isn’t worse.”
Arturos shakes his head, “this place is like … why …”
She interrupted him lightly, “tell me of a better place you have seen then.” She looks at him with a bit of a smile. “You travel much still … don’t you? Tell me a story … like Where did you find the dog?”
“Here, actually … she was just a pup, but she was swimming around in the bay. We all think she came from Old Sam’s farm.”
“Goodness,” she chuckles lightly. “But she is no child of Kohldbae.”
---
“Sos … yous thinks yous will sails today?”
“All up to the captain, Toki. This may be my cargo, but it is his ship.” It was more than a few days he was tied up in Kohlbae. The dock workers, new to loading a boat this size were far from efficient. Then the winter winds came into the bay, ensuring that even the strongest of tides would keep the ship docked. “I do hope to sail as soon as we can.”
“Oh … well, I hopes yous gets out whens you cans as wells.”
“Yeah?”
“Aye … if its was mes … I’ds sails from this place and visits hundreds of other places .. a millions billions of places.”
Arturos, picked up his backpack and began moving down the dock. Snausy stepped carefully on the slick wood, her head hung slightly. With little to do, Arturos found himself yielding to the demands of Kehl, bringing his new playmate to meet all his friends, and for general running around. But it made this visit seem much more lively than any of his visits since he left this town. It was nearly tolerable … no, that isn’t fair, it was a joy.
Arturos saw the captain at the top of the gangway, observing the activity on deck. “Captain Maahi … any luck for sailing today?”
The young captain turned, a smile coming to his face, “Aye … you didn’t get my message? We are just waiting for you to cast off.”
“No, sorry, or I would have been aboard sooner.” Arturos turned to Snausy “come on then, Pup … time to head south.”
Arturos walked halfway up the gangplank when he thought something was off. Turning, there was Snausy still on the dock. Her mouth now closed, her tail still. “Snausy come.” Snausy didn’t move. “Come now Snausy … no time for games.” Snausy had stood by his side for nearly two years, much of the time not afraid to jump on a ship. She stands now at the gangplank’s end looking up at her owner.
Arturos walked back down the plank kneeling and petting the dog, “what’s wrong girl?” She looked up at him, her eyes wide, a slow wag coming to her tail. “Know your gonna miss Kehl, don’t ya?” Stroking her long mane, he noticed her tail move quicker on mention of the boy. “We don’t have time to say good bye, girl, the ship won’t wait for us.”
The dog didn’t move looking up at him. Her eyes went to his, in a silent and sad question. Arturos, immediately felt a clench in his stomach, but knew what was right. He leant down, and put his arms around her neck, heftily scratching the dog as he had done for months, he whispers lightly in her ear “Don’t let these people get to you, alright?” The dog pounced on Arturos, catching him by surprise, covering his face with her tongue. Art laughed, scruffing her behind her ears. Looking up at the dog with a smile he says, ”go on then.”
Snausy ran full speed down to the end of the dock. She skidded to a halt and turned back to Arturos, her mouth wide her tail wagging heavily, she gave one last bark then scampered off into town.
To onlookers, the exchange appeared as the dog was making some grand escape, and it didn’t take long for them to react. “Bloody Hell, that crazy dog is wild” yelled the harbor master running up to Arturos “yous better get hers quicks like.”
Sitting up and standing, Arturos brushed off his pants, turning to the harbor master. “No time … we have to sail.”
The harbor master turned to him utterly shocked, “What?”
Arturos reaches into his side pouch and pulls out a small sack of coins, handing it to the harbor master he says, “You know I’ll be back … the boat has to sail, and it could take me days to find her. Take these, whomever finds the dog can have it for a reward, but they have to care for her till my return – this should cover those expenses.” Arturos, holding his emotions tight to himself, quickly turned and moved up the gangplank.
“Ain’t cha gonna wait for your dog?” the captain asked as Arturos moved by quickly.
Arturos just shook his head and went to his cabin. This was a bit much for him anymore. Earandilor, Freyja, now Snausy. For the return trip to Ambrea he stayed in his cabin, deciding not to show his face. It would be improper to show himself in this state. As much as he would never admit it, he is a child of Kohldbae.

The End