In the Arms of Fenris

"Kenny, get down," Marty said. His head weighed a ton. Kenny sighed again and settled for putting his head in her lap as he stretched out across the seat. Marty looked over at Graydon and he was laughing.

"Don't worry Mrs. Henry, I'll be good to Marty. Anyone who can withstand the attentions of wee Kenny deserves my respect."

Ma Henry smiled at Graydon. "You can call me Ma," she said and turned to go back to the kitchen.

Vicky set the plates down finally and smiled as she turned to see to the customers at the counter. Kenny lay there quietly knowing Marty was pinned and all his. He knew if he was good that she'd save a bite of steak for him.

"I take it that this is the dog that ruined the picnic Dirk was going on about?" Graydon asked.

"Oh gods! He told you about that?" Marty asked wondering what else Dirk had told him.

"Yes. And about the horses you work with. I actually got a bit more information about tonight than you did. Dirk was covering his bets. Not only was I to be introduced to you, but a gal named Shelly."

"Oh... The office slut. Aren't you the lucky one," Marty said.

"One of those eh? Well, I'm glad I got introduced to you first." Graydon took a bite of his steak and got a look on his face that proved that Ma Henry had just secured another customer for life. "Oh my, this is good." He took another bite and just smiled.

"Told you it was good food. Breakfast is better though," Marty said. "You need an active lifestyle if you eat here often. Otherwise you'll stop fitting through the door. Ma Henry doesn't believe in low calorie anything."

"I understand. This is just wonderful."

Conversation died off while they ate. Marty didn't dare pause too long, because Kenny would pop his head up looking for a bite the moment her fork stopped moving. The first time he did it, Marty thought Graydon was going to choke trying not to laugh. She got down to the last few bites and put the plate over to where Kenny could have his share. He very politely cleaned the plate. Then he looked over at Graydon.

"Oh no. You don't get any of this," Graydon said. He finished his last bit and then slid the plate with bits of gravy on it over to the dog. Kenny cleaned that plate too.

As if on cue, Vicky collected the plates and put two pieces of cherry pie in their place. Graydon looked at me with a question on his lips.

"Yes, this is part of the 'usual' too. Do you want ice cream?"

"No, this will do just fine. Will Kenny want any of this?" he asked.

"No, Kenny doesn't like cherries." Marty took a bite and held it towards the dog. He turned his nose up at it and laid back down across my lap.

Graydon just smiled and took a bite of his pie. "Kenny, you don't know what you are missing. This is wonderful pie." He took another bite and savored it. "Is this going to cost us an arm and a leg? Or will you just have to babysit Kenny for free the next time they go on vacation?"

"No, it is very reasonable. Otherwise, I couldn't afford to eat here all the time. Just make sure you tip Vicky well. She'd never seat you again if you short tip her."

"Ah. Thanks for the hint." Graydon finished the last of his pie and looked for Vicky to get the check. She saw him and waved. Graydon looked at Marty with a puzzled look on his face.

"She'll be over in a minute. That guy at the counter is a regular she's been dating. Neither one will commit. I've got a dinner bet on when they will finally go to bed together. Ma says Christmas and I say New Years."

"But that's months from now. How long have they been dating?"

Marty thought about it for a moment. "Two years this April. Vicky's been divorced three or four times, so she's being cautious this time."

Graydon just smiled. He looked over just in time to see Vicky drop a slip of paper on the table. He picked up the ticket and looked from it to Marty and back again. "This says we owe $18.75. Are you sure that's right?" he asked and handed over the ticket.

Marty looked at the ticket and saw nothing wrong with it. "Yes, it's double what I normally pay. Make sure you tip Vicky about $6. Any less and she'll lock the door on you," Marty said.

"This place is a real find. Thank you. I appreciate you sharing."

"No problem. Here's my share of the bill," she said handing him $10.

"Put it back in your wallet. This is on me," he said. He put $8 on the table and then went to the cash till to pay for dinner. He looked back to see that Marty still hadn't moved. Kenny was asleep on her lap. He walked back over to the table. "Need some help?"

"No, I just have to get his attention." Marty grabbed Kenny by the ear and gave it a tug. "Off you go Kenny!" she said. Kenny didn't move. She shook his head with no change.

Graydon bent over and scratched Kenny on the ribs. He sat up so fast that the table shook. He looked at Graydon and then stepped off the bench seat. Kenny took a last look at Marty and then Graydon and walked back through the kitchen door.

Ma Henry had been watching through the hatch. She came up to Graydon. "You must be good with dogs. Normally Kenny would have had your hand for a snack," she said.

"You've got to be joking. He's a sweet dog," Graydon said.

"Kenny is their watch dog and to be honest he doesn't like many men. You've been given a real compliment. I was a bit worried to be honest when we first sat down and he came out. He won't let Dirk come near him, let alone pet him," Marty said. As she said that, Marty wondered if the dog saw something in Graydon she didn't. Maybe she aught to give him a chance before she wrote him off her list of acquaintances.

"Nice to know that someone has a good first impression of me," Graydon said. "Thank you for a wonderful dinner Ma Henry. I will be back. Good night."

"Good night. See you in the morning Marty," Ma Henry said as we headed out the door.

"Probably! Good night."

In the parking lot, Marty was standing on the drivers side when she remembered that she didn't have the keys. She turned towards Graydon to ask him for the keys. He smiled in anticipation of her request, then tossed them across to her. Marty caught them and almost had the door open when her cell phone rang. Marty dug the phone out of her coat pocket and answered it.

"Yes? Oh, hello Nick. What? Can't you handle it? I just finished having dinner and ... Fine. I'll be there in ten minutes. No, make that thirty. I have someone to take home. No, I'm not telling you who. Just wait for me. I'll be there." Marty closed the phone and stuffed it back into her pocket.

"What's the matter? You didn't sound too happy."

"It's my boss Nick. One of the horses is having a fit and he wants me to come down and see if I can calm him down. Wants me there ten minutes ago," Marty said. Marty was pissed. She wasn't ready to climb into bed with Graydon, but realized she would like to get to know him better. Taking care of Nick's mess wasn't the ending to the evening she had envisaged.

"Well, I don't mind going with you. We had horses back home, so it isn't like I'm afraid of getting shit on my shoes," he said with a smile on his face.

"Okay. It will make things easier that I'll be there sooner rather than later. Nick can be a good boss, but he doesn't like this horse and the horse knows it. Thanks."

They got in the car and Marty pulled out into traffic. Heading out, she turned onto the loop road and headed almost back towards Jessie's. She took a road off to one side and drove out into the countryside. Greenwold Acres was located just inside the county line. It was one of the few places that Nick could still have horses and be near enough for the city crowd. They headed up a small valley and just as it seemed it would dead end, the stables loomed in the twilight. Marty parked the car in her spot behind the stables and got out.

"Graydon, you can stay with the car or come with me as long as you're quiet. This horse doesn't like strangers or dogs," Marty said as she moved towards the lighted stall at the end of the stable block.

"I'll come with you," he said as he followed quietly behind her.

Nick was standing on the outside of the stall while Whiskey was kicking the stall door to bits. The cracking wood noise was growing louder and if they didn't stop him soon, there'd be no door.

"About time you got here. He's been at it for almost an hour," said Nick.

"Then why did you take so long to call me? I brought my friend with me so I'd be here sooner." Marty was pissed. Just because Nick didn't like this horse was no reason to let the horse be injured. She looked into the stall and saw that Whiskey was still clipped to the far wall. That was a bonus as he was a big horse and if he got loose, it would be trouble. "What the hell set him off this time?" she asked over the thudding hooves.

"Sheppard came and picked up his dog. Didn't take it out the kennel area like I asked, but let Max run through the stable. I was just bedding down everyone and had barely left Whiskey's stall when the damn dog started barking. Whiskey took exception to the dog and you see where we've been ever since. Can't get a hold of his owner either," Nick finished.

"You won't get a hold of Cate on a Saturday. She works up at that dude ranch in Clover county. Even if you had, she wouldn't come. Whiskey isn't that important to her," Marty said with disgust. She walked over to the stall opening and tried to get Whiskey's attention. Marty whistled to no affect. The noise level was increasing. Marty couldn't get into the stall either with him pounding the door to splinters.

"Marty, can you climb into the stall from the next one over?" Graydon asked in a soft voice. Nick and Marty both turned, as they had forgotten Graydon was even there. Nick looked from him to Marty and gave her a puzzled look. "If you can get to his head, maybe you can settle him down," Graydon finished.

Marty figured she'd better explain quickly. "Nick, this is Graydon, a friend. He and I were having dinner at the Dirty Spoon when you called," she said.

Whiskey kicked the stall hard enough to rattle the whole wall. She looked at the stall and realized that there was room to slide over from the other one. The big question was whether Whiskey would try to pulp her once she was in there.

Nick held out a hand and the two men shook. "I think that idea that might work. If Whiskey stays hitched, we could open the stall door when you climb over and we might save it," Nick said.

"I agree. Graydon, there is a bin of sweet feed across from you. Would you get a bucket and be ready to hand it to me?" Marty asked. She was frustrated that Nick was more concerned about the stall than the horse.

"Sure." He moved to get the feed while Marty took off her coat and went into the next stall to climb over. Good thing she was small enough to fit. Neither of the men would have managed. Marty saw that Graydon had the bucket and Nick was standing near the door ready to flip the latch.

"Hello Whiskey, How are you boy? Calm down fella," Marty said to the horse as she slowly moved into the stall. He kicked the door again and the whole area shook. There wasn't much time until there was nothing but splinters. Marty clucked at Whiskey and he finally turned his head towards her. This brought his back hooves against the wall opposite her rather than against the door. It didn't give as much when he kicked and this slowed him down a bit. Marty felt a touch at her shoulder and found Graydon behind her holding out the bucket of sweet feed. Marty took it and brought it around so that it was between Whiskey and herself.

"Hey Whiskey, Want some of this?" she asked as she shook it nearer him. He shied away and then sniffed the bucket again. "Come on big boy, you know you like this." Marty shook the bucket again and held it lower. Whiskey whuffed air just above the bucket which sent the smell of sweet feed into the air. Marty moved it a little lower and tried to keep the rest of herself as far from him as possible. Graydon put his hand over hers that was holding the stall wall. Marty wasn't sure if it was there for comfort or to yank her back if she fell. Marty didn't care.

Whiskey sniffed the bucket again, and then stopped kicking. He stepped forward and stuck his nose in the bucket. While he was distracted, Nick opened the stall door. There wasn't enough of it left to save. Stepping back, Nick accessed Whiskey's fetlocks. From where Marty was, she could see blood on the stall and some on Whiskey. This wouldn't be a fast clean up. Marty watched Whiskey as he ate the sweet feed. He was calming down, but his withers still twitched as did his ears showing that he was not as calm as he could be.

"Graydon, let go of my hand. I need to move farther into the stall."

"Are you sure?" he asked.

"Yes. I've got to get my hands on him. You can go help Nick find another door," Marty said as she moved down off the hay rack to the straw below. This put her level with Whiskey's withers and closer to his hooves than she really wanted, but there wasn't any choice. Marty reached up and rubbed his ears. Whiskey brought his head up out of the bucket and blew molasses breath across her face. Marty resisted the urge to wipe her face and kept rubbing his ears and worked down his mane to his withers. She could feel him calming down. Marty grabbed some straw and started rubbing him down. Whiskey turned from the empty bucket back to his hay and started munching. It was Marty's turn to breathe a sigh of relief.

She was still rubbing him down when the men came back. Nick had the vet kit and Graydon a bucket of water and some rags.

"I'll hold his head while you two treat his scratches," Marty said quietly.

"Fine by me. We have a door ready and will replace this one when we have him fixed up," said Nick. Nick moved into the stall and Graydon started to follow when Whiskey pulled up and tensed. His nostrils flared and his eyes went wide again.

"Graydon, back out slowly. He's still nervous," Marty said.

Graydon nodded and set the bucket down and moved out of the stall. He started to remove the old door while they dealt with the horse.

It took twenty minutes to treat Whiskey's scratches and get the door back on. When they were finished, Marty was sweat soaked and smelled of sweet feed. The guys didn't look much better. Whiskey was quietly eating hay like nothing had happened.

"Thanks for your help Graydon," Marty said as they walked over to the office.

"Yes, thanks. I really appreciate your help with the door and the horse," said Nick.

"No problem. Hope you plan to charge the dog owner for the door and surgery bill," Graydon said as they reached the office.

"Oh yes, and it wouldn't be the first time. I just wish that Cate was a better owner. She rides Whiskey a couple times a month and that's about it. He needs more attention than we can give him," Nick said as he sat in his chair.

"You and I both know that will happen about the same time as the next ice age," Marty said bitterly.

Nick nodded. Graydon gave her that look she'd begun to recognize as an unasked question.

"Cate got a horse because she works at a dude ranch, and not because she likes horses. Whiskey was a range horse that got attacked by dogs and should have lots of care and handling to bring him all the way back. He doesn't, and that is why he is still such a mess when a dog barks too close to him," Marty explained.

Graydon nodded. "I see."

"Well, you two can head home. I'll call and leave a message for Cate and bill that idiot Sheppard for the damages. Want me to include your dinner in the bill?" Nick asked.

Marty smiled. "Sure. It was $20. He won't even bat an eyelash at the cost."

Graydon looked from Nick to Marty and started to ask a question. She grabbed him by the hand and turned to Nick. "Talk to you in the morning," she said as they went out the door.

When they were clear of the office, Marty stopped and answered Graydon's look. "Sheppard is another guy with too much money and not enough sense. When we don't have his dog, the pound does. He's use to paying out fees for the damage his dog does. So, adding our $20 to the ticket will just be business as usual."

"Still doesn't seem very fair or ethical."

"Probably not, but you haven't dealt with that dog for weeks on end. Max is an Alsatian and mutt mix. He isn't house broken and no amount of training has fixed it. He's spoiled rotten and all we can do is cope with him. Max is one of those dogs that will never be a good pet, and that frustrates me. I like dogs and enjoy working with them. However, Max is a pain in the ass," Marty said as they headed back towards the car. She stopped mid stride. "Since you're here, do you want to see the rest of the place? I might as well bore you to death with it all at once."

"I'd love to see it. And you aren't boring me to death. Who said you would in the first place?" he asked.

"Jessie. It was one of the things she said in the kitchen when I confronted her with setting us up. She doesn't like horses and hates it when Dirk wants to come out here. She still thinks I need to grow up and get a real job," Marty said as they headed towards the kennel. It was across the paddock from the stables. Street lights lit the way. When she opened the door, they were greeted by various howls, barks and baying. It quieted down a bit when the lights flickered on, but a few were determined to let them know that Graydon and Marty had interrupted their night.

There were twelve pens per side and one large run on the back wall. Each kennel had it's own run as well. Marty went down to the dog biscuit barrel and grabbed a handful. She figured that while she was here, she'd give them a treat.

"We only have eight dogs at the moment. One just had a litter and is in the back. Bubbles the poodle. Her owner can't cope with the mess of birth, but won't get her fixed either."

"That's responsible ownership," he commented sarcastically.

"Yeah, but at least she only lets Bubbles breed with other poodles." Marty didn't think much of the owner, and actually felt sorry for the dog. They came to a stop in front of the maternity pen. Bubbles was a black standard poodle. She came up, took her biscuit, looked at Graydon and then went back to her pups.

They continued around the pens and handed out treats. Some of the dogs were okay with Graydon and others acted like they were spooked. Marty just figured that it was because he was a stranger. They walked past a pen that was trashed. On the slate was a name that explained it all. Max. Graydon looked and just shook his head.

As they got to the last pen, Ashka started to howl. A deep long noise that Marty had never heard her make. The closer they got, the more Ashka howled.

"Ashka, what's the matter hon?" Marty tried to reach in to hand her the treat and she backed farther into the kennel. She tried one more time and ended up dropping the treat in her food bowl. Marty shook her head and walked over to Graydon who had walked back over to the door.

"I've never seen her act like that," she said. "Wonder what's wrong."

Graydon shook his head. "Who knows? Maybe I didn't smell right to her. She didn't make a noise until we passed close to her. What breed is she?" he asked.

"She's a wolf hybrid. The owners transferred from Alaska and they haven't found permanent housing yet. Poor thing. I'll have to check on her in the morning to see if she's okay. Oh, I want to check on Whiskey once more before we go."

"Alright."

As they walked back from the kennel, Marty could still hear Ashka howling. She hoped Ashka would quiet down soon. Marty left Graydon to go warm up the Volvo while she peeked in on Whiskey. He was asleep in his stall, Fetlocks wrapped and blanket over his back. Marty closed the stable door and headed for the car.

Graydon had started the car and then moved over. Marty climbed in and buckled up. "Where to now?" she asked.