☀ ｂｒｅａｔｈ (medieval dogs / open!)

[spotthecow]

𝐇𝐎𝐍𝐄𝐘𝐁𝐄𝐄
the tailor's dog | female | loc; heading to the market | mentions; none | tags; open
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xxxxxAs the first sign of warm, glowing light peaked through the ragged ivory curtains of a singular window in a drafty attic, a reddish brown dog lay beside a beautiful girl who no older than nineteen years of age. The girl was hard at work, hand-stitching fabric buttons to a plum colored cloak, which was dyed with sweet scented flowers weeks before and the dog's amber eyes stared up at her in wonder, taking in the floral scents that tickled her nose. The attic was no place for a girl and her dog, but they made do with what they could afford. There was just enough room for a bed, a wooden rocking chair with a patched rug underneath it, and a nightstand. Baskets of clothes and fabrics of many colors were spread throughout the room like a piece of art; a messy one at that. "Just two more buttons and then we'll go to the market, Honeybee.." She cooed to her dog, barely peaking over the fabric to smile at the pretty canine.

The nova scotia ducktolling retriever wagged her feathered tail in response to the girl's voice then turned her perked her ears slightly, listening to the sounds of people and their horses hooves echoing through the town's wooden homes and cobblestone walkways in all different directions. This time of day was already becoming busy by the moment and Honeybee knew that it wouldn't take long before they too traveled closer to the center of the town, where a bustling market full of many stands resided. Life in this town was familiar to her, despite having traveled all the way from France only six months ago, where the creatures spoke rather differently, aside from her owner. The girl had been reading and teaching herself English for the longest time, nobody else was going to do it for her, so she'd simply teach herself and practice with her dog, therefore by the time her owner decided to leave France and take her tailoring skills with her, Honeybee, too, left.

"Alright, my love! It's finally finished!" The Honeybee's owner exclaimed, finally standing from her chair with the finished cloak. Honeybee let out a cheerful bark in response and nudged a basket her way with similar cloaks. The snowy-blonde headed girl folded the cloak and gently placed it in it. She picked up a small, leather sack, rummaged through it to check that every tool that might have been needed was ready to go incase she needed to quickly hem clothes at the market, add cuffs to sleeves, or fix an armored chain at the market. Honeybee stood then picked up a pale yellow bandana and a matching ribbon in mouth, carrying them over to her owner with a soft, happy whine. 'I think these will work well for today!' The girl smiled again, tied the ribbon around Honeybee's right ear and the bandana around her soft neck. "Good choice, now let's go to the market, shall we?" The girl carried two large, heavy baskets of clothes in her hands while Honeybee carried the small, leather sack in her mouth as the headed down the stairs and walked out the door. "I'll catch up, Honeybee, you walk on ahead now."

Honeybee did as her owner told her, after all, maybe she'd see a few of her friends or get a good stand next to the bakery. They always gave her an extra roll or two, but with the streets being so crowded, the dog wasn't so certain. Horses trotted at her sides and people were all around as far as her amber eyes could see. 'Maybe I should take a different route this time..' Honeybee began to think as she strode carefully along the cobblestone paths with the small, leather sack of sewing tools hanging ever so delicately from her mouth.

[avicularia]

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male || seven years old || tagged; dakota, aldrick

Sighing, Hudson begrudgingly turned himself around, tail and head hanging at a noticeably lower degree. This was the chance he had given himself to get out of returning to Aldrick, and her answer was a voice of reason. Even if he didn't like it. He had just stepped into the courtyard when his head suddenly sat straight up on his head, ears rotating forward to catch the soft undertones of a voice on the breeze. Immediately, his hackles were up, tail straight out behind him.

"Do you hear that?" he breathed, not taking his gaze away from the direction of the sound. Another quiet help reached his ears. "There it is again." The next minute, he was sprinting down the alley, forgetting completely about the german shepherd he was dreading to meet, and about the black dog that was beside him. He took a sharp left at the next intersection, scrambling to the right to stop himself from knocking over two kids and their overworked mother.

Since the last help, he hadn't heard another. Hudson was certain he was headed in the right direction, however, because the scent of anxiety was filling his sensitive nose. Dakota had caught up easily, fitted with limber legs and slim physique which were much more suited to running than his bulky frame. As he took the next left, he started to hear more of the commotion. A woman was explaining to a man that her bag of money, pointing in the direction he had taken off in.

His nose followed her finger, leading his legs in the thief's direction. "Let's get him!" Hudson barked, forcing his well-used legs to go faster, his arthritic limb screaming in protest. Now there was a new smell - sweat, gold, and the sea, taking Hudson back to the ocean for a split second before he remembered what he was doing. They may have been late to the scene, but four legs were faster than two, and soon they could see him running in the distance. Hudson watched in dismay as he leapt over a fence, too high for either dog to clear.

"You go around to the right," he panted. "We can trap him in the next alley." Hudson peeled off to their left. He would get that woman's money back if it was the last thing he did. Or else Dakota would.

[iceland.]

✧ D A K O T Ａ ✧

- knight- female - headed towards edge of town - feeling conflicted - tags; Hudson, Aldrick

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xxxxxAs they made their way back towards Aldrick, Dakota felt the weight of disappointment settling over her but as she began to think why she shoved the thoughts away. She couldn't being to let any sort of feelings dictate the decisions she made. Not when it came to her job. With a sharp inhale she raised her head and continued walking.

xxxxxOnce the pair had made it back to the courtyard, Dakota was about to call out to Aldrick when she suddenly stopped. She felt her hackles rise as her head swung around to face Hudson. She hummed in agreement paying more attention to the city around them. She couldn't tell where the first help came from. The sound bounced through the buildings echoing around them. She felt her heart begin to race, the familiar pounding filling her chest. There she thought as Hudson confirmed what they hear and began to race in the direction of the call. Hudson flew past her, his paws slamming into the cobblestone beneath them, had they been in a different situation Dakota may have been impressed with the power there. Instead, she focused on her own feet, making sure every step she took was surefooted. As they turned a corner, Dakota dashed around a family that has crossed in front of the pair, racing ahead as Hudson regained his speed.

xxxxxShe strained her ears, listening for any signs of the woman who called for help. She knew the sounds came from this direction, but without another call, Dakota didn't know where to go from there. She continued running forward, her breaths coming in heavy pants as her muscles worked. She slowed from sprint continuing to move quickly, as she threw her had around desperate for another clue. "Come on love, give us another sign." she murmured to herself. Hearing Hudson's yell she spun, darting after his fading figure.

xxxxx Finally she picked up on the scent they were after. It smelled of the sea with the musky scent of fear mixed in. Keeping pace with Hudson she kept a mental note of his position. The last thing the pair needed was for him to turn and for Dakota run into him. Her muscles screamed for relief but upon seeing the man they were after, adrenaline took over. She picked up speed, so close. They were so close. Suddenly the man moved to leap a fence and Dakota's stomach dropped. There was no way either dog was going to make it over that wall, not without human assistance. "I'll meet you there." the female nodded as she took off in the other direction.

xxxxxThe world was a blur around her, the only thing that mattered was catching that man. People leapt out of the dog's way as she picked up speed desperate to cut the man off. Barking in warning Dakota kept moving, forced to sometimes dodge bystanders who hadn't the chance to move before she passed them. Suddenly the turn into the alleyway appeared and Dakota was forced to quickly slow before making the turn lest she lose her footing. She could hear him now, his boots pounding the road, his breaths ragged and desperate. Dakota wasted no time taking off in the direction she hear him making it to the mouth of the Alley.

xxxxx The man was scrawny and wirery. Much more so than she would have expected given his athleticism with jumping the wall. Her teeth bared and the exit blocked Dakota hoped Hudson would get there quickly. The man looked too desperate, too twitchy to go down easily. She let out a snarl, hoping the man would realize the threat for what is was. If he tried anything, he certainly wasn't going to get away with it without being seriously hurt himself.

[avicularia]

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male || seven years old || tagged; dakota

As Hudson turned away from Dakota, he felt himself beginning to flag. Built more for strength than speed, he could not run nearly the distance lither dogs could cover, despite training hard in his weakness. Still, he would not allow himself to stop. Loyalty kept his paws moving forward over sticks and stones. Hudson arrived at the turn in the alley a few seconds after Dakota, legs scrambling on the cobblestones for purchase as he nearly tumbled into a cart laden with apples.

Breathing hard, he rounded the corner and saw Dakota already in place, growling at the man who was now turning away from her. He started taking off down the opposite path before he saw Hudson stepping into the his path. The dog's pose matched his friend's, eyes locked on him with his hackles raised and teeth bared. A deep, threatening growl emanated from his throat. Hudson frantically searched the man's movements, waiting for the glint of a knife. For all he knew, this was the man that had killed those two knights.

Lucky for the two dogs, he was smarter than he may have at first seemed. Despite his petty condition, he dropped the bag of gold and put his hands up in surrender, placing his back against the cool stone wall behind him while he watched the dogs' approach. As soon as he had dropped his prize, Hudson began barking. HIs attention was drawn to the mouth of the alley, where he was hoping a knight would soon appear. His owner was far from here, but surely someone was nearby.

Today wasn't his day. No one came near the trio, despite his efforts. Frustrated, he turned back toward Dakota. "We'll have to take him back ourselves," he grumbled. And that's when it happened. The man must have gained what little courage he could while they all waited for the next move. He produced a blade hidden in one pocket, slashing out at Dakota before Hudson could react.

The dog surged forward, teeth trying to find the wrist that was attacking, but only finding air. Something cold bit into his neck, forcing him to wriggle away, a soft yelp escaping him. Again, he attempted to subdue their attacker. But the man was fleeing once more, escaping the dirty alley to the sunny street ahead. "Dakota," he huffed, feeling something damp on his shoulder. "Are you okay?" First, he must take stock of their health, ignoring the thief; he was far from his mind now.

[iceland.]

✧ D A K O T Ａ ✧

- knight- female - headed towards edge of town - feeling nervous/excited - tags; Hudson

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xxxxxContinuing her snarling, Dakota felt more nervous. It felt like minutes passed with her staring at the man, blocking his exit and forcing him to turn back when in reality only moments had passed. The man seemed to be panicking, which in some many was scarier than someone who seemed calm and collected. Those who were panicked made rash and sudden decisions, they were unpredictable. That unpredictability is what scared her the most. She couldn't help but remember her time as a squire when she got the now faint scar on her hip. That man too had been panicked and even though dozens of knights surrounded him he lashed out sealing his fate but not without injuring a few in her party, Dakota included.

xxxxxA sigh of relief escaped when Hudson finally rounded the corner. Feeling safer Dakota began to move closer towards the man, closing the gap between her and Hudson. She joined in his efforts trying to alert a patrol that was hopefully nearby. useless she thought to herself when it became evident that no one would be coming and nodded to Hudson. Before she even had the chance to react the man finally lashed out, she leaped at the last second scrambling back but not before the felt the bite of the blade. Warm blood oozed into her thick fur, matting the hair on her chest, the blade caught the point of her shoulder. Taking a step she winced, but realized the wound was not serious. A mantra of curses that would surely have the gods nervous repeated in her mind. She knew it, even though he didn't look like he have any weapons, he was too shifty to be defenseless. She felt stupid for not seeing it sooner. Dakota stopped herself before she allowed herself to spiral into a chasm of self-blame. She looked to Hudson and watched as he went to bite the man only for him to slash his knife. Dakota didn't think, she simply lunged, grabbing the leg of the man she sunk her teeth into the tender flesh of his calf. The man let out a shout but Dakota was too late. Hudson has already been cut. Coward she thought as the man began to run off, this time with a little less agility.

xxxxx"I'm fine, it's not much more than a scratch. You?" She was concerned for the male. Looking at him it looked like the assailant managed to get his shoulder. With his shorter and lighter coat, Dakota could see the blood as it leaked out, staining the brown fur red. She approached Hudson, "we should go back and get you treated." She knew it was the right thing, but she also hated the idea, she didn't want the thief to have a chance and escape. Didn't want to give that kind of hope to him. If he escaped once, he'd become overly confident and try it again, thinking he could escape once more. The thought sicked Dakota, but the health of her commander and friend took precedence no matter what. There was no point in catching a thief now and risk permanent damage to Hudson, not when they could easily return later and track him.

[avicularia]

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male || seven years old || tagged; dakota

Hudson had been trained to chase and subdue a subject despite injury, but his knight was not here to urge him forward. He felt anger bubbling up inside him, and he allowed it to rise, washing through him like an ocean wave. Snarling and snapping at the air only once, he breathed deeply and overcame the urge to run the man down and bring him back. Defeat replaced the anger. There would be no heroic take down today. But as long as Dakota was okay, maybe they could make sure he was captured in the near future.

Ignoring the dribbling of blood down his neck, he put his nose to the pavement and breathed in as deeply as he could, collecting even the smallest particle of the man's scent into his adept nose. Immediately, he was once again taken back to the sea, though there was a hint of fear and an undercurrent of mold and mildew, as if he resided in some cellar. Closing his eyes, he pinned the scent's memory in his mind.

"Okay, I think you're right," he finally admitted, turning to face his friend. "But we should also get you treated." He wasn't looking forward to the trek back. Worse, they'd have the kingdom worried, having been injured without an assailant in sight. They had failed, and no one liked the bitterness of defeat. However, he could not risk their lives to tail a subject that no one would be the wiser about if the two perished on the journey. They must relay this information to all who cared to hear. And they must be in good enough health to help catch him. At least, that's what Hudson was thinking as he turned away from the alley that had almost spelled their doom.

Hudson was tired, and his gait showed it. He started at a slow walk, paws dragging. "Then we'll go get him," he said stubbornly. Suddenly, the male stopped, looking back at Dakota fondly. "Thank you. I think your bite saved us both and got him running again. And, he'll be much easier to find." He offered her a warm smile, knowing she must also be feeling failure. "This isn't over yet..." he trailed off, thinking hard. "How do you feel about the sea?"

[ossa di cervo]

🟄 ember

location; fountain in town 🟄 tags ; cassian
"Can't keep the prince waiting.." the fae mocked the brute's words, rolling her eyes so hard it almost hurt, "The prince can wait. He doesn't work all day like us." Us? Ember pinned her ears back and coughed, "Like me." she whispered quietly, shaking herself to try and rid her coat of the immense embarrassment she suddenly felt. The female moved along steadily, allowing a select few nobles reach down and scratch at her ears as she passed. A few raised comments about the other dog following behind her, some had questions regarding seeing him with the prince's dog previously, others simply questioned what a farm dog was doing with stuck up Ember.

Eventually Ember led Cassian to the kennels where she resided and escorted him through the fence opening. The other hunting dogs were still out roaming the field, some lounging, some playing tug, others sniffing out some small time game. "This is home." the female muttered, mostly to herself, slightly disgusted with most of her kennel-mates. She led Cassian into the stalls where the two of them were greeted with horse whinnies, some hanging their heads over their stall doors. Ember approached one specifically, taking a second to exchange a few nuzzles and puffs of breath, "This is my master's horse. We work together most chases." she explained but immediately questioned herself as to why she felt the need to share that information with a farmer's dog. She snorted and then began to move again toward an empty stall. There were a few makeshift hoses along the wall and the floor was wet, "Here," the approached one hose, turning the spigot carefully with her paws. It took some time but soon enough the water was flowing in a nice arc before them, "Normally the master turns it on. But here it is. Now you can bath to your hearts content and not splash innocent bystanders with your sheep dung."

🟄 finn

location; near town/main road 🟄 tags ; toast
see last post [too lazy to link right now lol]