By the end of the first day, Luna and Abraham had been about ready to faint into their evening bowls of stew.
Luna felt filthy beyond compare - never in her life had she been so grimy, mucky and sweaty. But with her toil had come a new sense of achievement, as if she’d actually improved at a menial task. With every swing of the hammer, she’d felt herself mastering the unwieldy weapon better and better until finally, the distant bells had rung her in for supper.
She’d managed a total of six spears for the day’s work, but it hadn’t felt enough. With Pupper at her side, she’d be reminded of the culling every time she glanced over and that had been a powerful motivator.
So much so that when it was time for the feeding, she’d felt uneasy leaving her job unfinished. Therefore, she remained silent throughout the meal, staring into her bowl - rummaging through her mind to search for a solution, only to find that the presence she had spoken to inside the coffin… echoed her thoughts. Her dread. Her sympathy. But it also seemed to understand the necessity of population-control. She, better than anyone, had seen what ravenous hunger could do to people; she could only imagine what it’d do to hounds. They, unlike the Logoruum, didn’t need to pretend to be civilized about these things.
She’d been shocked to see Abraham. He’d been covered in skins and furs, half of which had been obviously burnt - as had both his eyebrows, eyelashes and spots of his scalp. But he’d seemed happier than she’d ever seen him. When questioned, he’d been avoidant, but throughout the dinner - his dreamy gaze directed at the girl at the end of the table had revealed all she needed know. She’d seen those same eyes long ago, staring at her.
“Hey, how’d it go, girl?” Jorn finally stopped mumbling his hushed conversation with Serah to ask the thoughtful, dirty Luna. She looked up, dazed, and nodded decidedly. “Six spears… but I’m guessing I’m continuing tomorrow?” He grinned his golden teeth and raised his thumb in her direction.
“Dang right - you run into any meat or gators out there? I felt bad leavin’ you with only Pupper, but Braille’s a bit o’ a daddy’s girl; like this’un here.” He pointed at Serah who had finally looked up to smile warmly back towards Abraham.
Luna shook her head. “No- what’s a-”
“You might question me for what reason you’re hammerin’ down those-” This time, it was her turn to cut him off.
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“It’s helping in teaching me how to use that hammer-thing. I guess you’re saying I should use that?” His smile faded as he was cut off and after a momentary frown, he raised a lecturing finger at her and spoke:
“Out here, we don’t interrupt each other. But yeah, that’s the jist of it. You like it?” She turned her head to look at the dirty hammer-thing leaned against the wall. It wasn’t a gracious thing - not like Logan’s swords. But it was definitely effective, she could say as much already.
“We’ll learn how to use it…” She muttered and glanced back at it.
“That’s the spirit! You already a team - better than Toofy ever’s done.” He chuckled, albeit with a passing frown.
Luna took notice of that. She rested on forming a question, but before she could follow up, Jorn continued: “Well, we better get to restin’. Ain’t no one else gonna protect this swamp if we don’t.”
Abraham sighed and rose up with his bowl in hand, only to be stopped by the insistent Luna: “Jorn… what did you mean by that? Logan’s strong - he and his sy-... meat must be closely connected, aren’t they?” Jorn and Serah exchanged a passing, uncomfortable glance before the old man shifted uncomfortably on his wooden throne.
“It ain’t a dad’s place to talk about his boy’s personal business. Even to his Luna.” Luna couldn’t really argue with that reasoning. But she’d be sure to question Logan as soon as he returned… she had a lot to question him about.
Abraham collided back to his seat as soon as Serah opened her mouth to speak a melodious question through her bright-white, warm smile: “Oh! You met the fellas today- whatcha think? I heard you and Pupper got alone out there - stayed with you all day.” Luna could do little but smile in return of the beautiful gesture.
“Yeah, she’s great. She looks a lot like Braille, doesn’t she?” Serah nodded excitedly. “Damn right, she better. She’s her granddaughter - bit young, but she’ll get there. She don’t get along too well with the others, so I’m sure she had fun out there with ya.” This puzzled Luna. Most of the hounds appeared as if they got along quite well, but in retrospect she realized that Pupper hadn’t really stayed around the others. She’d either trotten after Braille or she’d been with her in the mire.
Jorn chimed in from the throne: “Ah, don’t get no ideas, my dear. I don’t think she’s fit for a service-dog, she’s a gentle soul - ain’t ever even seen her teeth. That, and she’s dumber than a pile of bricks.” She could scarcely argue with that. She was fast, but the head-first slam into the wall had driven that point in well.
“I’m sure she’s got other strengths. Some of the hound out there are huge, but she’s nimble and small. I bet she’s faster than them.” Realizing what she said, after having seen that sprint come to an abrupt end, she imagined that played to one of her weaknesses rather than her strength. Jorn and Serah both raised an uncomfortable eyebrow before staring sideways at one-another. The old man questioned hesitantly: “Y-you and Toofy… how the fuck did you find each other?”