A Boy, a Dog Girl and a Beginning: Part Two

The morning was cold. Zack’s eyes fluttered open, the light filtering between the leaves above making him squint. He reached to pull a blanket over himself by instinct.

He did not have a blanket, though.

He did not even have a bed.

He had a soft bed of leaves and grass near a stream and a beautiful girl who used to be his dog clinging to his back.

It isn’t the worst thing in the world, Zack thought as he looked over his shoulder at her. She was stunning, an angelic face with a long, voluminous curtain of hair falling over her shoulder. Her body was lean, muscular, yet still voluptuous. Most guys would kill to wake up next to her.

She lifted her butt slightly, a brief toot ringing out, causing her to whine a bit. “Bad bunnies…come back…” she muttered in her sleep.

And Zack was reminded, once again, why this was not the fantasy most guys would love. This girl was still Honey in so many ways. Loyal, simple, loving.

“A dog…”

Zack stood slowly, careful not to wake her. He stretched, shaking dust from the simple cloth shirt and pants he was wearing, still not sure where it or Honey’s dress had come from.

The stream nearby was crystal clear, rushing and churning as he approached to cup some water into his mouth. He realized he should probably be boiling water before drinking to be safe.

“Safe. Good one. Safe from what? I’ve already been shot to death. At least…I think I have been…”

He didn’t even know if he was himself anymore.

Looking into the water, he ran his hands through his hair. His bright blonde hair, much like Honey’s. Except before the gunshots, he had brown hair. He also wasn’t as muscular. Zack certain wasn’t at bodybuilder levels, but he clearly was in better shape. Yet his face was still his.

“Is there even a point to wondering if I’m losing my mind?” he asked his own reflection. Unfortunately, it didn’t have any answers either.

His thoughts were interrupted by a loud splash to his side. His reflection fractured as Honey plunged her face into the river, her hair fanning out as she drank deep from it with huge gulps.

“Good morning, master!”

What do I even do about this? The thought kept ringing through his head. He let out a slight laugh, shaking his head as he put his hand on hers.

“Good morning, dog girl. Sleep okay?”

“Yup! I hope I kept you warm. You shivered a bit at night. I miss our bed.”

“Yeah, well, bed is long gone. If you’re done draining the river, wanna climb a tree, see if you can see anything?”

“Okay!” The word was barely out of her mouth before she was scrambling up the nearest tall tree. Anything for her beloved boy. Plus, as a former dog, she loved jumping and climbing.

She’s wearing a dress, Zack’s brain whispered.

I’m not looking up, Zack told himself.

You’re not wearing underwear, his brain said.

I am aware I spawned without boxers, yes, he thought.

So she probably doesn’t…

Nope.

“Master! I see smoke!”

“Oh thank god,” Zack muttered, his thoughts broken. “Smoke? Where?”

“Come up and see!”

Zack began climbing, much slower than Honey had, hands gripping rough bark with caution as he moved from branch to branch. When he got to Honey she pointed, clearly happy.

There was indeed smoke on the horizon, a few miles out from the looks of it. It was a thin wisp rising into the air. Zack looked at the position of the sun, confirming something to himself.

“I’m no camper, but it looks like a campfire to me. Most likely making breakfast for someone.”

Honey’s eyes went wide with excitement. “People?”

“I don’t know. If we were dead and in some kind of afterlife, would people need campfires and breakfast? I was thinking it was only us, but if there’s others…”

“I need breakfast!”

“Yes, I know.” Zack sighed, a small smile curling on his lips. “Okay, go use those canine instincts to hunt us something. We’ll cook and eat and then see if we can find our new neighbors.”

“Yay! I hope I find a rabbit!”

She leapt from the tree, dropping lightly onto her feet before running into the woods. Zack cringed as he saw her fall.

“Could you not jump out of trees, you freak?!” he shouted after her, sighing heavily. “After all…you’re all I’ve got…”

*

It took them the rest of the day for them to get to the camp. They followed the river, keeping a safe distance in the woods so they couldn’t be seen, occasionally climbing a tree to scout.

“Stop.” Honey went stiff as the sun began to lower, the sky turning golden on the horizon.

“What?”

“Bad smell. Mean.”

“Mean?”

Honey hesitated.

“Like the man who used to be in our house.”

Zack nodded slowly, eyes narrowing.

“Like dad. Gotcha.”

They crossed the river quickly, spending as little time in the frigid water as possible. Honey shook herself dry, her mane of hair poofing out, giving Zack a brief but needed smile.

Within half an hour they found the camp. Horses and wagons were tied up on one end, and at least twenty men milled about a campfire. They were all grizzled, dirty and scarred and brutal.

“Raid's tomorrow. Nervous?” one of them, a bald man with a thick scar tracking down his face asked another bandit built like a bear.

“Gods no. Bell’s South may be a wizard town, but even wizards bleed if the knife is sharp enough,’ the bear said.

“Maybe they’ll have some ladies to take for ourselves too!” baldy snorted with a laugh.

Honey looked to Zack. His eyes were dark. His hands clasped with rage.

“Bandits. Ready to attack a town. Ready to hurt people.”

Her hand touched his. He looked to her.

“We will help.”

Zack nodded.

“Hopefully this time we won’t die, Honey…”