The Dog and the Hunter

The little brown beast stared up at him with bright blue eyes. It stood only a few feet tall, but it watched him with the ferocity of something five times its small size. Clumps of blackened brown ooze slid from its head in coagulated rivulets down its face and bubbles of muck burst as it shifted back and forth on its tiny feet. Antsy and agitated it held both its wee hands out and shook them to reiterate its previous demands, splashing muck outward in arcs and staining the white floor with each motion.

Edemeir sighed as he surveyed the destruction the tiny creature had made in his home. The trail of filth stretched from the front door throughout the entire house--brown, black and green streaks of mud and muck smeared all over every surface and wall--and a giant brown circle in the centre of the main room where it had dumped what appeared to be bucket loads of mushy swampy garbage and then rolled its filthy self through it and all over the hand-woven carpet. He looked down at it, censure clearly written on his face and it smiled brightly and wiggled it's outstretched fingers before speaking in a slightly squeaky child-like voice "Baaaaaaabaaaaaa" it waved it's arms again, coating his legs in splatters of clinging muck, "I no longer wish to be dirty. Bath please."

With another great sigh Edemeir picked up what he assumed was his child--he could not be completely sure under all that filth--and moved to do as she demanded, pointedly not commenting as she played in his hair, filling it with dirt and swampish filth while he carried her to the bath he'd already been preparing before he'd found the little muck monster literally rolling around on the floor giggling madly. Slowly the brown coating was washed away and with its removal a beautiful little djinn girl appeared. Bright blue eyes showcased in a heart shaped face shown out, their inner fire burning brightly with poorly contained amusement. Riotous golden locks curled into her face, their subtle orange hue making her hair appear to glow, while her pale slightly grey toned skin lent an ethereal air that completely mismatched her mischievous nature.

Satisfied that he'd managed to erase the muck demon from existence--if only temporarily-- Edemeir dried his little girl, careful to avoid her tiny fangs as she nipped and snapped at him playfully, then shooed her towards the changing room where he'd laid out clothes for her. Once he was sure she'd actually done as he'd asked he bathed himself, emerging only to find the girl wriggling along like a worm across the floor having tangled herself in one of his waist sashes she'd apparently decided to play with. Laughing he knelt next to her and watched her progress across the floor and waited.

Finally frustrated enough to ask for help she flopped over onto her back and wiggled her tiny clawed toes at him-the only thing she could move freely at this point-and pouted. "Baba! Fix me!" Carefully Edemeir untangled her from the yards of fabric, extremely amused at how thoroughly she'd managed to trap herself in so short a time. Setting her on her feet he adjusted her night kurta which she'd managed to put on backwards, and tied the strings to her pants that had threatened to fall to her knees the second she'd stood. Motioning his finger around, he watched her as she turned to make sure she hadn't snuck something random into her clothes before getting tangled. Satisfied she was relatively unburdened of sharp things to poke him with while he was sleeping he patted her head. "It is a clear night Kia'manat. Would you like to sleep outside tonight?"

Hopping up and down like a loon Kia loudly voiced her approval of this idea and ran as fast as her small legs would take her to get her favourite blanket to lay on. Dragging the oversized thing back she shoved it at her father and ran outside, heading to the spot they always used for nights when the sky was clear enough they could look at the stars. Stamping in excited frustration she waited as her father followed her and laid out the blanket, not even waiting until it was fully on the ground before jumping on it and rolling from side to side manically. "Staaaaaaaars Baba! I love the stars. They are so pretty."

Chuckling, Edemeir laid down beside his daughter and looked into the dark night sky and the bright bodies that winked back at him. "They are little one. They are."

Wiggling her way into his side after making him move his arm so she could fit, Kia followed his gaze to the sky and the constellation she knew he was watching. "Baba," she said quietly "you're missing Ommi again aren't you?"

Closing his eyes briefly before answering, Edemeir gave the answer he always gave her, "I always miss your mother little one. But it is the nature of things that she is not with us now." Ruffling her hair he continued, "As it is the nature of things that I have you and the stars with which to remember her."

Kia sighed as she knew she wouldn't get anything further from him on the subject and watched the Little Dog as it travelled the sky. After a few minutes-an eternity of patience for her- she finally curled back into him and asked quietly if he would tell her the star story again. Edemeir hesitated, as he always did, but rewarded her patience in asking by starting the story.

"Once there was a great hunter, who travelled the world freeing those who had been imprisoned and righting the wrongs that had been done to others. In time as she travelled the hunter became well known for her brave acts and her fame spread far across the lands. But the hunter was humble and did not wish for infamy and fame so she hid her face behind a mask and gathered to her trusted companions that would guard her identity. "

"Like the dog!" Kia chimed in.

Nodding, Edemeir continued, "Yes little one, like the dog who was very close to the hunter and fought hardest to protect her from harm."

"But it didn't work did it Baba?" she said quietly as he paused.

Edemeir sighed. "Why don't you tell me the story instead Kia'manat?"

Kia giggled before patting his middle "Sorry Baba. I will tell you it though." Wiggling a bit to get more comfortable she stared back up at the sky. "One day the gods called for the hunter for a great task that only she could do, but accepting meant that she had to leave the world and her companions. She was so happy to help but then was sad because she knew she could not come back. To her companions she passed to each a present so that they could always keep her in their hearts and to the dog she gave her light for she had always loved him best. Then she left and one by one her companions drifted apart and the world returned to the way it had been before the hunter had risen. But the dog, the loyal dog waited for the hunter, even knowing she could never return. "

Pointing up at the sky Kia twirled her finger at the constellation Canus Minor. "The gods saw the dogs sadness and though they could not bring the hunter back for her task was not complete, they could not bear to separate such love and so they placed the dog in the sky that he could wait for the hunter." Flinging both arms out Kia laughed brightly "cause when she is done their souls will be reborn and the hunter and the dog will be together forever!" His eyes covered by his hand Edemeir could only nod, his ability to talk momentarily lost as he fought the urge to cry as Kia continued "Like Ommi. One day her soul will come back and then we'll all be together forever and she will sing me songs and brush my hair and watch stars with us and love me like you do Baba."

Finally managing to stamp down his sadness, Edemeir chuckled quietly and ruffled her hair again, turning her back into his side. "Everyone loves you Kia'manat. Now quiet, you may continue watching the stars but it is time to sleep soon."
"Sing to me Baba?" she asked as she pouted then yawned widely and pressed her face into his side.

"If you will sleep?"

"Promise Baba."

Face tucked into his side she sighed happily as he sang to her.


As his daughters breathing settled and he was sure she was asleep Edemeir turned his face back to the sky and the constellation his wife had loved. Every night he watched for it, regardless of whether clouds blotted out the sky or storms raged across it. He watched because he missed her desperately, and like the dog of the story he would wait an eternity for her to be returned to him.