Page 2 of The Shtriga
Dots peered down at them curiously as they craned their necks to sniff at him. Since he didn't look afraid, I slowly lowered him onto the ground, and he gave the two dogs a cautious look before sniffing at them. Clip leaned down and licked Dots's face, and... they were friends.
Dust and Wooly, my two bunnies, kept their distance. They were the shyest of the bunch, and it would take them a while to warm up to Dots.
Taco, Nugget, and Roast spotted Dots as they came into the room from wherever they'd been, and they raced over, clucking madly about the 'intruder.'
While in most houses, dogs barked at the mailman, I had three hens to do that, and they were mighty good at chasing people off my lawns. It was hilarious to watch too. I'd gotten—stolen might be the right term—them from a farm when I'd heard the owner planned to eat them because they'd stopped laying eggs. It turned out all they'd needed was a less stressful environment, because I'd been making omelets from their eggs for months now.
My phone buzzed, and I kept an eye on my charges as I checked it, finding a message from Sofia, one of my employees. We wouldn't be opening for a few hours, but she was my only bartender, and I hoped she wasn't calling in sick.
Sofia: Hey, Nolan. A bunch of us are going camping next weekend. Would you like to come? It'll be lowkey. Hiking, bonfire, stuff like that.
It wasn't the first time Sofia had invited me somewhere, but like every other time, I politely declined the invite.
I enjoyed hiking, but I spent a lot of time with Sofia at work, and it was easier to keep my distance there because we were occupied. But spending time together outside of work would involve talking. Talking meant getting to know each other, and that led to closeness, which led to care, which led to love, which inevitably led to loss, and then heartbreak.
I was old. Hell, I was ancient. And at first, I'd been fascinated by people. What dragon wouldn't be? I'd befriended many, and then lost them all because no one lived as long as a dragon.
I'd lost every person I'd ever loved, whether as a friend, a child, or a lover, and I was tired. I was tired of the cost, of the grief and pain.
My fur children were all the companionship I needed, because losing them didn't hurt anywhere as bad, and it was all I could handle anymore.
