Closed [Killroy's Kennel] Woman's Best Friend (Nellie)

[William Hart]

60th, Fall, 514 AV

The dogs barked raucously in their kennels, wagging their tails, jumping at the gates, and wrestled to try and get to the front. William moved along each one, sliding their fresh food and water in and watching the hounds bound at their meals with excited zeal. Soon all he heard was the combined sound of chops slapping, tongue lapping, and happy grunts of delight as they all wolfed down their meals. The man stacked his empty buckets carefully and hoisted them up in his arms so he could return the precarious load back to storage. He couldn't help but smile as he carefully put everything away. He found that he enjoyed the job, and it was honest work. He was more comfortable around the animals now, and their company had grown on him. Even the horses.

Once everything was back in storage, William found a spot to relax. He helped to take care of the animals here, but he was also hired on to guard the business itself. His usual spot was an old wooden chair and a little end table near the entrance. William sat down and stretched out his legs, rubbing the sore spot in his thigh where he'd been stabbed by a dagger earlier in the season. It had healed well, but the scar was hideous and the wound still gave him a little trouble now and then.

It took him a few moments to get comfortable, but he soon found a position where he could relax. On the table beside him was a small lunch that Hannah had left for him, and his stomach rumbled at the sight of it. The sun was high in the sky and he'd been there since dawn, with little more than bread and some almonds for breakfast. She'd left him a cheese wedge wrapped in cloth, a few large legs of some still-warm turkey, half of a small loaf of crusty bread, and a cup with a small wineskin. It must not have been sitting here long.

Eager and hungry, William dug into his late lunch. He tackled the turkey and cheese together, experimenting with eating each alone and then together. He found they complimented each other well, so he carved the wedge into small slices with his dagger and wrapped them around chunks of meat pulled from the bones. Will savored every bite, chewing slowly and smiling all the while. He'd started to gain weight again now that he had some income, and thanks to Hannah feeding him so often. His face wasn't so gaunt now his body so thin. It would be a while before he was back to the way he had been, but the light had returned to his haunted eyes, and his stomach wasn't always empty now.

[Nellie Hawkins]

The near-absurdity of the building struck her as she approached. Though most of Sunberth was a patchwork of hodgepodge construction, Killroy's Kennel was in remarkably good repair. The establishment was large, clean, and almost disturbingly well-maintained, resulting in a shopfront that looked very out of place amongst its neighboring businesses. Adding to that effect was the small, fenced area directly in front of the Kennels. A makeshift paddock of sorts, it sported a pair of stunningly impressive horses - Nellie had no idea what kind they might be, but she enjoyed watching them bend their heads to nip at the occasional blade of grass.

Venturing closer to the fence, curious and not bothering to hide it, Nellie extended her hand cautiously to the nearest horse. The animal simply gazed at her out of liquid brown eyes, before snorting and tossing its head in what Nellie interpreted as the horsey-equivalent of "petch off".

"Back at ya, then," she retorted quietly, with a negligent wave of her hand. She hadn't come for a horse, anyway. "All I'd know how ta do wit' you is eat ya." A toothy grin accompanied her words, more for her own benefit than the horse's. The animal was patently uninterested in both her words and her expression, making no effort to hide its disdain. In the few ticks it took for the horse to turn its massive bulk around, Nellie found herself facing the large and shameless rump of the beast.

Wavering between annoyance and amusement, Nellie mirrored the horse's actions, turning away from the fenced enclosure and heading up to the front door of Killroy's Kennels.

Swinging the door open, she stepped inside and paused for a moment to allow her eyes to adjust. The air smelled of animals, but not unpleasantly so; mostly hay and a certain warmth the suggested there were more than a few living creatures very nearby. Not in the room, however; Nellie could hear the faintest of whuffles and a quiet shuffling that indicated Killroy's was fully stocked with merchandise at the moment.

Just inside the door sat the only other person in the room: a dark haired man near her own age, typically lean, and looking entirely at his ease in the building. By all appearances, she'd just interrupted his lunch. Nellie half-smiled, apologetically, but didn't let that fact postpone her business.

"Hello. I wanted ta see about buyin' a dog," she stated, without preamble. If the statement sounded confident and decisive, it was the only one that would. Nellie had had very limited experiences with animals in general; she'd seen a few dog fights - far too vicious and seemingly cruel for her tastes, and she'd petted a the odd stray dog and cat in the streets. Those experiences had shown that the strays were more likely to bite than befriend.

Both examples had left her with one impression: a dog could be invaluable protection. To a woman with pathetically few physical defenses, it was a powerful draw.