The Bloodhound laid on the navy colored carpet of the bedroom, staring at the woman who was resting on the bed. Her gaze was pinned on the empty wall across from her, the sadness that filled his lady nearly so strong that the mutt could smell it. The young yet nearly fully grown canine crawled forward on his paws, lifting himself up once he reached the bed to look into the eyes of his owner.
While their noses nearly touched, the woman's gaze seemed not to notice her beloved Ceardian Bloodhound. A small tear escaped her eyes and the dog licked her cheek to try and ease her sadness. The woman's eyes snapped suddenly to focus on the dog, a sniff escaping her and her hand lifted weakly to pat the bed. With the invitation, the dog gingerly crawled up into the bed and curled up on the empty half of the bed besides his owner.
The Court lady twisted and wrapped her arms around the dog causing him to snort and shift for a small moments to find comfort. The sheets on this side of the bed smelled less like his lady and more like his master- the man that kissed the woman on the cheek and had carried him about when he was a puppy. The Bloodhound gave a long sniff, notice the age of the smell, how long it had been since his master had been home. Perhaps that's why his lady had locked herself away and refused to leave her bed for days?
Distantly, the dog could hear the sound of an infant's cry. The baby that had rarely been held in his lady's arms. He snorted again and the lady shushed him quietly, her fingers moving to scratch behind his ear.
"Arno," his lady said quietly, her voice sounding weak with disuse. The canine stilled upon hearing his name and the womm sighed lightly, pressing her cheek to his fur and closing her eyes. Arno felt her breath slow as she fell into a sleep, knowing it was rare in these times. The Bloodhound listened to the quiet snore of the Ailor as the crying of the infant elsewhere in the house quieted as well, hopefully soothed by a nanny. The silence of his home brought a sense of eeriness to the dog- when would the sound of joy return?
