Page 195 of Phoenix's Fire

My heart hung, sure he was going to say I shouldn't keep training Holly to disarm people. "What's that?"

"We don't have more dogs," he said before grinning at me. "Ayla, this was brilliant, and exactly why you needed a dog. And you trained her so fast!"

"Because Lansin made her a good dog," I mumbled, feeling my face getting warmer from the praise.

"But you taught her 'gun' and 'disarm,' just like that." He snapped his fingers.

"She just has to hear the sound, be shown the meaning, and then praised for trying," I explained. "I mean, she touched it first, then picked it up, and - "

Zasen caught my chin, lifting my face so I had to look at him. "And you're good with dogs," he said. "Ayla, that is my opinion, and it's not your job to change it. You simply say thank you and enjoy the feeling of success."

"Yeah?" I asked.

He nodded. "You're very good at this."

"Thank you," I mumbled.

Which made Kanik reach over and rub my shoulder. "And you're only blushing a little, but that's okay because it's cute."

I sputtered, looking between them. "Do I say thank you for that too?"

"Yep," Zasen said smugly. "Then you find a way to turn it back on him."

"Like how Kanik's really brave to offer to let my dog knock him down?" I asked.

Zasen shifted his jaw and tensed the corners of his mouth as he looked over at Kanik. "Yeah, that works."

"No, I..." And Kanik groaned. "Thank you, Ayla."

"And my job here is done," Zasen said. "Holly, come!" He walked a few steps away, crouching down when she reached him. "Yeah, you are a good girl. Oh, that's my sweet baby." He laughed when she pushed in to lick his neck. "Now go see your person, girl. I have arrows to make."

But Kanik shifted closer, bumping his shoulder against mine. "He likes your dog too."

"So do I," I admitted. "She's the best thing I've ever had in my life."

"Yeah," he agreed. "And you really are good with her, so let's do that again, and see if we can teach her the disarm command means coming at them from the side or behind, never the front?"

I nodded. "That's going to be harder, but okay."

"Just means I get to play with your dog," he said. "And no offense, I'm going to use a stick. Hurts less when she pulls it from my hands."

I sucked in a breath. "Oh! Then we can show her that fetch means she has to wait for someone to let go!"

"Yes!" he agreed. "Disarming is taking, and fetching is chasing after it. I like that." And he hurried over to find a big enough stick to serve as the gun.

I just knelt and petted my dog a little more. "Just don't ever get hurt, okay?" I said softly. "I know you're a weapon, but I love you, Holly. I don't ever want you to get hurt because of me."

Her response was simply to lick my hands excitedly.

Sixty-One

Meri

Lessa had made me her assistant. Every day, she came to pick me up and walk me back to her place. I knew the way now, but I enjoyed the walks with her. We talked about all sorts of things - from the clothes people were wearing to how life worked in Lorsa. The best part was how my Vestrian was getting so much better.

Ayla had been right. It was an easy language to learn since it was basically English with a different accent. I couldn't quite say words like Lessa, Jeera, or Brielle did, but they rarely had to switch to English for me anymore. Even better, I'd returned Ayla's book to her and Brielle had given me another. It was in Vestrian.

I read it every night before bed. This was a story about a woman with a glass slipper and a prince. My favorite parts were the mice, though. Yet each night when I lay down, I found myself wondering what I was supposed to be doing.