Lucky Dog

My NaNo for 2012 was Lucky Dog, the second book in the Moonstone Chronicles. It seemed like a good idea at the time, and although I did reach the 50,000 word goal with it, it was a couple of years before the book was finished.

This actually started out as a series of three, connected stories about Jessica and Bandit, and I thought it might be kind of fun to take today’s excerpt from one of those stories. It’s pretty self explanatory.

The big black dog slunk forward a few steps, then crouched down, belly to the ground. He wriggled forward a few more steps and stopped. Suddenly, he burst from the underbrush, barking wildly.

"God damn it, Bandit!" Jessica struggled to get the mare she was riding under control as a flock of birds took wing almost under their noses. She turned in the saddle to glare at the dog, who hung his head, panting.

Jessica was not fooled by his abject attitude. "Look, you moron. If you pull another stunt like that I'm going to take you to the nearest dog pound and leave you there."

The dog was not much worried. He'd only been travelling with the sorceress a short time, but it was long enough for him to understand that, despite her short temper, she wouldn't abandon him casually.

Little more than two weeks ago he'd been human. For reasons that no longer seemed to matter, one dark night he set out to steal an amulet and Jessica, knowing only that some creature was disturbing her sleep, accidentally turned him into a dog.

Now they travelled together as they waited for the month it would take to pass until Jessica's magic allowed her to change him back into a man. The spell would have to be powerful. To that end they travelled to one of the many Wells that marked the land, reservoirs of vast magical power.

Jessica halted the mare on the bank of yet another river. "This must be the River Ells. I don't suppose you know a place to cross it?" She looked at the dog.

He trotted a few steps along the bank, stopped to look back over his shoulder, barked, and continued on. With a sigh Jessica turned the mare and followed.

For once she was in luck. Not only did Bandit lead her to an easy ford, but a short distance further lay an inn on the edge of a small town. It was a shabby inn, but Jessica wasn't in a mood to be picky. A ragged urchin met her in the courtyard.

"Rub her down good, and give her an extra measure of grain. I'll be in later to see the job's done right. You hear me?"

The young boy nodded and led the mare away. Jessica shook her head and sighed. Carrying the saddle-bags she entered the Inn, the dog at her heels.

The tap-room was empty. Jessica called out but there was no answer. It looked as though there had been a brawl here recently. Tables and chairs were overturned, a sword had been stuck into the ceiling, a pile of wood near the fireplace gave the impression of once being furniture and, if she was not mistaken, that dark pool beside it was blood.

"Looks like a real fun place," Jessica commented. "Hello? Anyone here?"

"Keep yer shirt on, I'm comin'." The surly voice seemed to come from a back room.

Jessica leaned against the counter, the dog sat close to her feet. After a few minutes a woman came out. Jessica couldn't help staring at her. She had to be well over six feet tall, and at least 250 pounds. She had long greasy hair held back by a leather cord and she was holding a meat cleaver.

"What'd ya want?"

"A room, if there's one habitable," Jessica replied, eyeing the meat cleaver.

"There be a common room, if yer travellin' alone."

"A private one," Jessica said firmly. "And a tub filled with hot water, and whatever you've got to eat that's hot." She waved a gold piece under the woman's nose.

The sight of money transformed the woman. "O course. Our very best Right away," she turned. "Ginny! Git out here!"

A thinner, younger version of the first woman came hurrying out, obviously a daughter.

"You get Thomas 'n move the brass tub to the first room. Clean it and fill it with water Mind it's hot now. Move girl!"

"Yes'm," Ginny replied. Without looking at Jessica she scurried away.

"This way M'Lady."

The room was small and smelled of dust and old sweat. Still, the bed looked soft and inviting. Jessica hoped it wasn't too badly infested with bugs. The woman bustled through the room, brushing imaginary wrinkles from the coverlet, giving the top of the wash stand a quick dusting off and opening the small window to let in a fresh, albeit cool, breeze.

"Will ye be wantin' the critter taken to the stable?"

"What?" Jessica had forgotten the dog. "No, you can leave him here, for now."

"I'll see to yer meal then. And if there's anything ye be needin', ye've only to ask for Hanah," she indicated herself with a jerk of her thumb.

"What do you think?" Jessica asked, after Hanah left.

The dog looked at the door and growled.

"I don't trust her either. But there's a good bolt on the door and one on the window. And it doesn't take much power to make them impenetrable."

"Just don't forget to make an allowance for you and your friend," said a disembodied voice.

Bandit yelped, then snarled. Jessica pulled a milk-white amulet free of her blouse.

"What's up, Howard?"

"I haven't heard from you all day. I got worried," replied the voice belonging to Howard. The rest of him resided on another plane of existence. It was his power surge that accidentally sent Jessica to this plane. The amulet was their link, allowing Howard to offer his assistance to Jessica until a way could be found to bring her home.

"You worry too much," Jessica told him. "We crossed a river and found an inn. I'm just this side of my first real bath since I left Castle Ghren. End of story."

"No need to get testy," said Howard in a tone of mild reproof.

A knock on the door ended the conversation abruptly. Thomas, who also looked like Hanah, brought the brass tub in, closely followed by Ginny, who was carrying two steaming buckets from a shoulder yolk. They stared oddly at Jessica, she wondered how long they'd been listening at the door.

It took four trips to fill the tub. Jessica's chestnut hair was pinned up on her head, her boots off and she was just starting on the buttons to her blouse when she remembered the dog.

Too big to fit under the bed he was sitting as unobtrusively as possible in a corner by the door.

"Out, right now," she told him. "And don't get into any trouble or you're on your own." The dog sulked his way out of the room. Jessica waited until the door was closed behind him then grinned. He was, after all, only human.