Gold Dust

Chapter 4

The pup wouldn't allow Gwen to leave his sight. Whenever Gwen went to go make dinner, wash dirty clothing, skin the fish, anything that wasn't in the sight line of the nameless pup made the dog yowl. He howled. He barked. He even tried to get up from the makeshift bed that was made out of straw that was by the doorway. The cut on his side still threatened him, it could get bigger or even start to bleed again. And the pup couldn't lose a lot more blood than it already had by laying on the ground for who knows how long before Peter had stumbled across it.

It was during dinner, when the pup was making his high pitched noises in protest of Gwen inside, eating, when Aoife finally put her foot down.

"That blasted sea sodden dog!" She snapped, as she put her spoon down none too gently. "Gwen, bring the mutt inside."

Gwen knew better than to speak back, and simply got up to go drag the straw bed inside. In that way, the pup would be satisfied that Gwen was right in front of him, and that she might keep her sanity. It was certainly one thing to get up when her body still protested, it was another to play witch doctor for a young pup, one that shouldn't be out of his mother's watchful sight yet.

However, it was Peter who had to question his mother. "But you said you didn't want the straw inside, mum. Why is she bringing the dog in?"

"Because, while you both have been outside on the ocean all day, we have been listening to that little dog yap all day when Gwen isn't holding it. When you have a child, Peter, you may learn of the nightwatch. And then you'll understand."

Peter simply cocked his head, and asked, "why?"

Aoife simply leaned forwards and gave him a smack on the back of the head. A common sight, one that Gwen had never failed to see every day. "Because I said so." And that was that. Even Peter knew that was the end of the conversation.

The pup licked at Gwen's fingers, and she caressed his thick soft hair on the top of his head. He was so young still, and already he had the eyes of a hunted animal. Gwen muttered a small blessing, before she patted him goodbye and got up to go eat her fish soup.

As dinner continued onwards, it wasn't half bad. Charles was complaining about his lack of sleep, and fish, and was cursing his neighbor, the Alaxses for keeping him awake all night. Even though everybody else in the room slept together and didn't even hear a thing last night. Aoife nodded every once in awhile, listening to her husband's complaint.

(It was a few days ago, when Gwen had asked Aoife why she hadn't told her husband to 'man up' and other such things. If the first thought that came to mind when you looked at Charles wasn't fisherman, it was complainer.

Aoife simply gave Gwen a mysterious smile before saying, "sometimes, you have to let the head talk, while you are the neck turning it.")

Peter talked about yet another great caught he got today, this time as big as his leg! Gwen gasped and asked questions in all of the right moments, letting Peter puff out his chest of his own pride. He also talked about how he and his friends had almost been caught by the old man Fjelstad. They had almost escaped his property when the old man had come out of nowhere and scared the young boys.

Charles then went on to say that even when he was a young boy, old man Fjelstad was after him. Then the two men started to chatter on how old Fjelstad really was. After all, if he was older than Charles, then he's got to be really old.

That was how Peter said it.

Gwen had to stifle a laugh, as Charles slowly realize that Peter had insulted him. Aoife had to leave the room for a moment, but nobody was a fool enough to know she was wasn't chuckling outside.

And it was then, of all the time of the world, that the nameless pup decided that, yes, he did like Gwen was in his sight. But no, he did not like getting ignored.

He started whimper. Looking straight up at Gwen from his nest by the doorway. Gwen frowned. Did he hurt himself? Was the pup in pain? The scratch shouldn't bother him, not like it had before. Maybe a slight itch, but that healing stage was days away. This was still a fresh wound.

She got up and checked on the pup. No, he wasn't bleeding. No, he didn't seem like he was in any pain. In fact, he was trying his best to jump into her arms and lick her face. However, he couldn't even stand very well so you can imagine what he was trying to do was much different from what he was actually doing.

"You silly little creature." Gwen scratched behind one ear before patting him on his head and standing up. Gwen barely sat down before he started to whimper again.

"What on Emeralds Land do you want?" She came back, checking the nest to see if it was poking the scab on his side. No, there wasn't any straw touching his side at all. Nor was any poking his paws, eyes, nose, or even his tail. There wasn't anything wrong whatsoever.

"You, my little liar, are tricking me, aren't you." Gwen let the pup's little paws rest on her hands as he tried to jump up on her. "Hush now, I'm doing human things."

The dog let out a pathetic whine, his tail slowing down from its frantic wagging. He looked up at her with his mismatched eyes, his jaw twitching as if he was forming words to speak to Gwen. However, instead the pup let out a small pathetic bark before folding his ears back to look up at her.

"No." Gwen firmly spoke, before dropping the pup's paws to the ground and going back to the table.

Almost immediately the dog started to whimper. Gwen did her best to ignore the small little noises. She started to clean up the plates left over from dinner, as Charles and Peter started to go out into the night for some fun. Aoife had picked up her needle and was working on mending Gwen's tattered cloak she had arrived in.

The whimpers started grow louder until they became small little barks. Then the barks became yowl that didn't let up. It was only after a minute did Gwen finally stop in what she was doing to face the pup.

"If you continue such behavior and pass out because you aren't breathing correctly, then I will toss you outside to sleep for the night. It will be wet and miserable, instead of sleeping next to the fireplace. Is this what I get for saving your life, little one? A constant annoyance?" Gwen asked the pup, her voice maybe coming out a little sharper than usual.

Immediately, the pup looked cowed, and a little more shamed than what Gwen had wanted. No, no. She didn't want the pup to be scared being around her. She just wanted some peace and quiet. The pup was still just a pup, a baby. And she had snapped at it. Gwen kicked herself in her head, before dropping the last dish in a soapy bucket to walk over to the nest. She sat down, looking at the curled up ball of the dog.

"Little one," she started, then sighed. "I'm sorry. You're perfectly fine doing what you want. Even though you complain a little louder than most, that's still you, and I apologize for snapping at you."

The pup lifted his head and stared at her. It was then that Gwen reminded herself that the only other person that this pup had known had hurt him. He didn't put his trust in humans, maybe as much as Gwen did herself.

"Come here." Gwen slipped her hands under the pups legs, careful not to hurt him, as she placed him in her lap. "You're a perfectly fine little pup. I was just annoyed, and I'm sure you're just lonely." He started to lick at her fingers, and she shifted him in her arms to keep him closer to her. "So, for an apology, how about I give you your name, small one?" Suddenly Gwen had her arms full of a wriggling mass of ecstatic dog.

Gwen let him settle down before she leaned into the pup on her lap. "You're my little gold eyed dog." She muttered, "and you deserve a fitting name." He licked her cheek. "I would like to name you Gull. This is your choice, pup."

He yipped twice, and then decided to slather her face in his spit. Gwen twisted her face in a pained expression, but let him do what he wanted to do.

"So, I take it that you like the name?" She laughed softly before the pup -Gull- yipped again. Gwen straightened up to find that Aoife was staring at her.

"You are a strange person, Gwen." Aoife shook her head.

"I try." Gwen smiled before turning her attention back to her newly named companion.

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