Gift-Fic: Forgotten Vows!Dead!Lightning and Scraps Meeting
by: Flaming Trails

“Someone drowned him?!”

“I wasn’t any happier when Sam told me either,” Lizzie said, watching as Scraps and Lightning regarded each other curiously from their owners’ arms. “I mean, the poor little thing is barely more than a puppy! But he’s here now, and he found Sam and me, so at least he’s got someone who loves him.”

“True,” Victor said, stroking Scraps’s head as the skeletal dog wiggled in his embrace. “Yes, yes, you can make proper introductions in a moment…at least he’s not wandering around all lonely and dejected after his untimely demise.”

“Mmm – though, honestly, I don’t know if Lightning is capable of being dejected,” Lizzie admitted, looking down at the corgi as he vibrated in her grip. “He’s naturally a very happy and excitable little fellow. We named him ‘Lightning’ because of the crooked streak on his head, but as it turns out, he lives up to the name in speed too. I didn’t know corgis could run that fast!”

“Aren’t they used to herd sheep and cattle and such in their native Wales?” Alice asked from her nearby seat, drumming her fingers on a pile of books beside her. “Or perhaps Lightning is just an unusually speedy member of his breed.”

Lightning barked and squirmed, tail wagging to beat the band. “I shan’t rule out the possibility of ‘both,’” Lizzie replied, chuckling as she struggled to keep her grip. “Oof – I think we’d best put them down and let them get acquainted, Victor. Otherwise he’s going to pop out of my arms like a bar of soap.”

Victor laughed. “Scraps is very intent on meeting this newcomer himself,” he agreed, bending down and putting his dog on the floor. “But he generally got along well with everyone…except the dog that tore him to pieces,” he added in a darker tone.

“Lightning’s not going to do that,” Lizzie said as she plonked Lightning at her feet, then grimaced. “Unless he tries to steal one of Scraps’s bones to chew on – I’ll stop him if he does, promise.”

Fortunately, the vow seemed unnecessary – the two dogs bounded toward each other cheerfully, sniffing first faces, then butts, with nary a growl or whine. Once the formalities were done, Scraps barked twice and play-bowed, tail wagging. Lightning yapped back and copied suit (as best he could with his stubby little legs, anyway), and they promptly began chasing each other in circles around their owners. “Well – seems like they’re quite fond of each other,” Lizzie said with a satisfied smile.

“Seems like they are,” Victor agreed, grinning himself. “I’m glad – I know you take good care of him, Elder Gutknecht, and I appreciate it a lot. But it’s good for him to have friends of his own species.”

“I agree,” Elder Gutknecht assured him. “There’s not many dogs around this village anymore, so I’m sure he was a little bit lonely. I’m happy to host Lightning when he’s in town – and to lend Scraps out for the occasional ‘play date.’ ”

“Same here,” Lizzie said, smiling as the dogs continued chasing each other, weaving around the books and under a giggling Alice’s legs. “Sam and I do our best, but Lightning’s got so much energy for a dead creature, it’s hard to keep up. It’ll do him good to have a buddy he can run around with to his heart’s content.”

Crash! Alice jerked her hand back as the stack of books beside her suddenly toppled. Lighting and Scraps zoomed by, heedless of the destruction they’d wrought. “…that being said, maybe we should do this someplace other than your tower, Elder Gutknecht.”

“Agreed.”

The End