Page 29 of Sun Warrior

“Puppies like their bellies scratched.”

“Oh, well, um…” Sora stared down at the pup, who was still lying splay legged in the crook of her arm. Hesitantly, Sora used her index finger to gently scratch the Terrier’s soft, plump belly.

The puppy began to wag her tiny tail so excitedly that most of her body wriggled along with it, and she made happy little grunting noises. Sora couldn’t help but smile. She traced her finger up to the pup’s chest, enjoying the soft warmth of her black fur.

“Hey, look at this. I thought she was all black, but there’s a splotch of blond on her chest. It looks like a perfect crescent moon,” Sora said, tracing the light spot with her finger.

O’Bryan looked over her shoulder and his pleasant face broke into a delighted grin. “I didn’t notice that before, either. I thought all the pups were solid black, but this little girl has been marked as special.”

“Special?”

O’Bryan nodded. “When a dark-colored pup is born with a light spot on him or her, that is a sign of favor from the Sun. The Tribe calls it being sun-kissed. We believe it portends greatness.” He gave the pup a scratch under her chin. “Wonderful things will happen to this little girl.”

“Sun-kissed, huh? That’s a pretty name,” Sora said.

“It’s not herrealname. We won’t know that until she chooses a Companion and tells him or her,” O’Bryan said.

“To me she’ll always be Sun-Kissed.”

The pup yawned mightily, then squirmed farther up into the crookof her arm, buried her face in Sora’s armpit, and went instantly to sleep.

“She’s sleeping. Again. Is something wrong with her?” Sora whispered, not wanting to alert Rose.

“No, nothing at all. Puppies sleep. A lot. It’s a blessing, really, because they can be exhausting to try to keep out of trouble.”

“Don’t I know it? I’ve been living with Mari and her creature. Do you know Rigel will actually eat twigs and chew rocks if you let him?”

“Yes, well, that’s just one reason it’s a blessing young canines need to sleep a lot. They tend to get into things they shouldn’t when they’re awake.”

“He’ll eat my freshly baked bread if I don’t keep an eye on him, too. He’s really gotten good at sneaking around quietly when he thinks I’m not watching,” Sora said.

“Don’t ever forget they’re as smart as we are—they’re just a different kind of smart,” O’Bryan said.

“Really?” She looked down at the soft, warm little creature sleeping so trustingly against her body. “That smart?”

“Really. In some ways they’re smarter than humans. They can smell layers of scents we can’t, and they can distinguish the scents from each other, even when they’re mixed.”

“You mean Rigel could identify all the ingredients in a salve I’ve made?”

“Absolutely,” O’Bryan assured her.

“Huh. That’s interesting. I’m definitely going to talk to Mari about putting him to good use when they get back. I mean, if he can identify what all is in a salve, then why can’t he search out and find each of the ingredients for me—or Mari?” Sora said, stroking the sleeping puppy absently.

“He can, but a Terrier would be even better at it. They’re Hunters, used to relying on their noses even more than the Shepherds.”

“I don’t understand how those big Shepherd canines can live up in the trees with you. Look at Captain.” Sora jerked her head toward whereCaptain and Sheena were walking beside Lydia and Sarah. “He’s enormous. How can he possibly climb a tree?”

O’Bryan stifled a laugh. Though his eyes were sparkling with subdued humor, he answered Sora as if he enjoyed teaching her about his Tribe. “Our canines don’t have to climb trees. The Tribe has created a lift system so that none of us have to climb trees. We also have ropes and pulleys all around the city. It’s much easier to rappel with a canine strapped across your back than you’d think it would be—even an adult Shepherd.”

“Rappel? I don’t even know what that word means.”

“It’s a quicker way of getting up and down—especially down—from the city. It’s hard to explain without showing. If you’d like, I could show you sometime.”

Sora’s gaze caught his. “I won’t be going to your city. Ever.”

O’Bryan’s perpetual smile slid from his face like tallow from a melting candle. “I can show you anywhere, really. All I need is a good length of strong, thick rope and an anchor. I could rig a demonstration pretty easily. It wouldn’t be like in my city, but I could still make it so that you understand what it means to rappel.”

Sora hated that she’d taken the smile from his face—and then she was annoyed at herself for caring whether the Companion smiled at all.