Trotting down the snowy street with red-furred Bell at his side, the young man and his dog were for once sledless on their way back from a delivery. Tal was almost whistling, his habitual scowl lightened in the freedom of the outside air, and Bell's pink tongue lolled happily from her jaws as she kept pace beside him, practically bouncing along without a sled to constrain her energy.
It was Belial that Tal noticed first; notably, when Bell stopped dead in front of him, all four legs stiff as she went into alert. She hadn't forgotten the peryton's taunting antics from the park where the glass panes had been created, and her black eyes were bright with canine calculation. Tal knelt beside her and rested his hand on her shoulders, speaking soothingly to her while Deimos delivered more wood before he rose and ruffled her ears. She relaxed - slowly - while he stepped forward to wave at the General.
"Hey, Deimos!" He grinned and ambled up to the sled to check on how much wood remained in its basket. "Thinkin' of changing jobs?"
It was Belial that Tal noticed first; notably, when Bell stopped dead in front of him, all four legs stiff as she went into alert. She hadn't forgotten the peryton's taunting antics from the park where the glass panes had been created, and her black eyes were bright with canine calculation. Tal knelt beside her and rested his hand on her shoulders, speaking soothingly to her while Deimos delivered more wood before he rose and ruffled her ears. She relaxed - slowly - while he stepped forward to wave at the General.
"Hey, Deimos!" He grinned and ambled up to the sled to check on how much wood remained in its basket. "Thinkin' of changing jobs?"
