( she warms involuntarily, affection and pride doing their part to ease the lingering tightness in her eyes, her shoulders. )

Hardie. His name is Hardie, for Asher. He's learning - and growing, I didn't realise how swiftly he would. We never kept dogs.

( what is she, after all, some kind of doglord? )

He sleeps at the foot of my bed - he's mostly stopped growling if my maid moves about in the night. ( her new maid, speaking of things best not spoken of. ) I've grown accustomed to his company. We walk most days. Commander Rutherford has been generous with his time, to be sure he's trained properly.