Chapter Sixteen

Bev's gaze immediately searched the room for Biscuit, and she found him sprawled out in front of the fireplace, fast asleep. But at Merv's loud bellow, he woke up, growled at the fire then seemed to notice Bev. His entire body shifted as his tail began thumping on the ground and that trademark smile spread across his snout. He trotted happily over to Bev and nuzzled her leg, and she couldn't help but give him a welcome scratch behind the ears.

"What happened?" Bev asked, although she had a pretty good idea already.

"I tried my best to keep him at my place, but he destroyed everything and spent the entire time whining at the door." Merv gestured to the air with his long claws. "My ears hurt, and I'm exhausted trying to keep him out of everything. He won't listen to a word I say. Practically bounded back here when I let him out of my house. I think he wants to be with you."

Biscuit's tail was wagging so fast it wasn't visible anymore, and he kept trying to lick Bev's hands hanging by her side.

"I'm so sorry, Merv. Really," Bev said after a long moment. "I shouldn't have left him with you."

"No, no, I insisted. Silly of me to think I could keep a laelaps from their familiar," Merv said with a shake of his head.

"Do you…know much about laelaps?" Bev asked. "I have some light reading about them, but nothing substantial."

"They've got the best magical sniffers around," he said. "Can track a magical object from miles away, even. Loyal, too, that checks out. But they're also supposed to be highly intelligent which…" He cast his small eyes toward the dog, who had started circling the room sniffing the floor. "That's up for debate. He's either very intelligent and very keen to get what he wants, or he's just a klutzy fool."

"Maybe a little of both," Bev said as Biscuit knocked over the fireplace kit with a loud crash and, unfazed, kept sniffing the floor. "I'm sorry you had to come all the way out here to bring him—and so late."

"I would've come earlier, but you know how I despise the sun," he said. "Where have you been, though? I've been waiting for hours."

Bev told him about the livestock being set free, and how they'd spent all night searching for them.

Merv shook his head. "More than a few hiccups. And this one, you can't blame on the laelaps."

"No, I guess I can't," Bev said, scratching Biscuit's ears. Was she actually…excited to have him back? She couldn't help the smile on her lips as he leaned into her pets. "Suppose we'll have to find the real culprit. My new theory is someone in town has a great deal of magic. Maybe in the Middleburg delegation, but maybe not."

"Good thing you have a magical sniffer to help," Merv said. "Now if you'll excuse me, I've got a journey to get back home."

"Oh!" Bev only remembered that Allen had returned Merv's blanket and ran to retrieve it from the back of the room. "I thought you might want this one back."

He held up his large claws. "No, no. Please. I insist you keep it. And I hope to hear from you after the festival is over. Maybe you can stay for a cuppa." He paused. "But you know, leave the laelaps at home next time."

~

Bev walked Merv out and saw him off before turning back to the mischievous little dog sitting by her feet. He was awfully well-behaved at the moment, sticking close to her and not going very far. She closed the front door behind her, and they walked through the front room.

"I can't say I didn't miss you," she said. "Are you hungry?"

He opened his mouth in a smile.

"Who am I kidding? You're always hungry. Let's see what I can find."

Bev walked into the kitchen and let out a low groan. It was an absolute mess, and she didn't have the energy to tackle the mountain of dishes tonight.

"You know," she said, walking to the bucket of potato skins on the ground and dumping them out for Biscuit to gobble up, "you could grow some thumbs and help me clean up around here every once in a while instead of eating my garbage."

He ate, and Bev scrubbed a few dishes, putting a few more in a bath of lye and water to ease the load in the morning. She let out another sigh when she considered how busy she'd be tomorrow. Find a missing pig, bake some bread, get dinner squared away, maybe even do a wash of her tunics…

"Yeah, it would be nice if you could help out," Bev said, looking at Biscuit. "Or at least find that pig."

He looked up as if understanding her. But no, he wanted to go out to relieve himself as he trotted to the back door and sat expectantly.

"Okay, okay." Bev walked to the door and opened it. "But make it—hey!"

Biscuit shot out the door and disappeared into the night.

The last thing she wanted to be doing at one in the morning was following her dog (laelaps, whatever) through the dark, but something told her she should. Based on his direction, she was pretty sure she knew where he was headed, which also made her more curious.

The small thicket where he'd seemed to hoard all his treasures was up ahead, and Bev held her breath, worried what she'd find inside. Biscuit, of course, zipped through the underbrush while Bev was stuck pushing through the branches and brambles.

Biscuit began barking excitedly, and Bev thought she heard a voice.

"Hello?" Bev called and immediately regretted it. What if Biscuit had led her to the mysterious magic user? They probably didn't want Bev barging in on their magical doings. She stopped, listening for the sound of the voice again, and when she heard nothing except Biscuit's loud brays, she pressed on.

There was something ahead, and when Bev pulled the last branch out of the way, she let out a gasp of surprise.

"It's…the missing pig."

Or so Bev assumed—why else would a pig be hanging around a forest thicket in the middle of the night? She drew closer and found the telltale collar around its neck, marking it as one of the showing animals. The voice must've been the pig's excited squeal from seeing a dog show up out of nowhere.

Biscuit was sniffing around its hindquarters, his tail wagging excitedly as the pig snorted and sniffed at the ground.

"Good boy, Biscuit," she said, half amazed that he'd done…well, exactly as she'd asked him.

Maybe there was something to this laelaps-familiar thing that Merv was talking about.

"Let's go home," Bev said. "Help me get this pig moving."

That was easier said than done as the pig was about as stubborn as Biscuit and refused to move. Bev had to get behind him and shove him forward to get him moving, and even once he was mobile, he kept stopping every few feet. Biscuit, bless him, nipped and growled at the pig's back legs like a cattle dog herding sheep, but the pig was slow-moving.

"You know," Bev huffed as she once again got behind him to push him forward, "for someone who traveled so far, you're awfully hard to move."

Eventually, they found a slow but steady gait through the middle of town toward the pasture. Bev kept glancing at the pig for any signs that it was somehow…not really a pig. Much like Biscuit being mistaken for a dog, it was plausible this animal was really something else. Biscuit had found him quickly, and if he was a magical sniffer, he would've been drawn to him.

Or, perhaps, Bev had asked her laelaps to do a job, he'd done it, and there was absolutely nothing special about this creature, other than its stubbornness. Biscuit certainly didn't seem interested in it now other than to move it along.

"Just a pig," Bev said to herself.

A pig who stopped abruptly again in the middle of the road.

"Come on, you little…" Bev grunted as she assumed the position again. "Not much farther. Tons of mud for you to roll around it. Food too!" She pushed. "Just…a…little…farther…"

The pig took a step forward, and Bev fell flat on her face.

"B-Bev?"

Bev looked up into the concerned gazes of Claude and Ridge. "Good evening, gentlemen."

"I take it you found the last pig," Ridge said, reaching down to help her up.

Biscuit growled ominously, and Bev shushed him. "Be nice."

The growling stopped, but the dog still looked wary of the two men.

"It's my fault," Claude said, backing up a step nervously. "I told you, dogs hate me."

"He's not a… Anyway." Bev didn't feel like explaining. "Yes. We found the last pig now. And if he'd move a little faster, maybe we could all go to bed."

The pig let out a loud snort.

"Were you two out looking for him?" Bev asked. "I thought Ida told everyone to go home."

"She did, but I felt so bad," Ridge said. "I swear, I didn't see a darn thing. We don't even know how long they'd been out. Thought they'd gotten so quiet because they'd all gone to sleep." He was babbling now, and Bev couldn't help noticing how young he seemed—maybe the same age as Claude.

"It's all right, Ridge," Claude said. "These things happen. I promise, I'll send a letter along with Petula that'll vouch for you."

"Surely, their punishment won't be too severe," Bev said, looking between the two of them. "It was an honest mistake." Or, more likely, the actions of someone with a nefarious goal in mind.

"No, once we return to the capital, we'll probably be sacked—or worse." He lifted a shoulder. "Her Majesty doesn't like failure. Perfection at all levels was drilled into our minds from the moment we started training." He sighed. "I hope it's not thirty days…"

"Of what?" Bev blinked. "Surely not jail."

"Let's not discuss unpleasant things," Claude said. "Look, why don't you take the pig to the pasture, Ridge, and Bev and I can walk back to the inn, hm? It's been a long night for us all."

Bev wasn't about to argue with him. "Here. All yours."

"Thank you." He took the pig by the collar. "You really saved my, uh…" He grinned. "Bacon?"

"Har har." Bev turned to go with Claude. "Have a good night. We'll see you in the morning."

~

"You seemed awfully invested in getting the livestock back," Bev said as she and Claude walked back to the inn. "Thought you said you didn't care for that part of the contest."

"And you seem to have your dog back," Claude replied with a smile as Biscuit kept his distance with his lip curled up in a silent snarl. "I thought he was with Merv."

"He was, but, uh…" Bev laughed. "Well, let's say it wasn't a good fit."

Claude laughed. "That's an understatement. Couldn't believe that mole wanted to take him. Anyone could've seen that mistake from a mile away."

"Merv's got this sunny sort of optimism," Bev said. "It's part of why I like him so much. That, and he tends to know a lot of things about…" She decided against finishing her original thought. No matter how nice Claude was, it wasn't prudent to discuss magic and magical items with a stranger. "Hospitality. And tea."

"He did have a nice collection," Claude said. "And the handmade goods were phenomenal."

"You never did get a chance to ask him to teach you, did you?" Bev said with a sigh. "Well, if you hang around after the festival is over, maybe you can pay him another visit with me."

"Leave the dog at home, though, right?"

"That's what Merv said," Bev said, glancing down at Biscuit, whose hair was still standing on end as if Claude were a dangerous viper. "Biscuit, calm down, buddy. Boy, you weren't kidding about dogs not liking you."

"It's a curse, I swear."

"Well, I'll keep him out of your hair until the festival's over," Bev said. "Gotta keep him out of everyone's hair, that's for sure."

"But you're still looking for his owner, right?"

Bev honestly wasn't so sure. "If someone shows up claiming ownership, I'd be happy to hand him over. Whether he'd go is another story. He's somewhat attached to me now."

"Clearly," Claude said, glancing at him. "He hasn't been more than two steps away from you this whole walk back."

"I'm glad I don't have to get up and search for that pig again," Bev said as the inn came into view. "It's already going to be a long morning, what with the late hour tonight and the mess in the kitchen. I'll be lucky if I get everything done before noon."

"Must be tough running things all by yourself," Claude said.

"Not nearly as tough as working for the queen." She shook her head. "Thirty days in jail for a small mistake like that? Seems overly harsh."

"I don't pretend to know the details," he said. "But there's a reason the queen won and the king didn't."

They passed the butcher shop. Had Vellora had yelled at Ida for being late? "So I've been told."

He shook his head. "I find it fascinating you have no memory of anything beyond five years ago."

Bev lifted a shoulder. "There's probably a good reason I don't. Digging to find more would lead to a whole bunch of trouble I don't have time for."

"To my eyes, it seems trouble finds you," Claude said as she opened the front door. "Thank you. I suppose I'll see you in the morning? If you need a hand in the kitchen—"

"Absolutely not," Bev said. "Now you get on to bed. You've got livestock to judge in the morning."