The cool air felt pleasant against Claudia’s flushed skin. She wore a wide grin as they stepped out of the bath, whereas Lestea’s face sagged with exhaustion. On their way to their room, they bumped into a knight with a large, leashed hound. The dog was adorable, with dark-brown fur and a long tail that whipped around excitedly.
The sister stepped in front of them and spoke briefly with the knight before returning to their side to explain the situation. “The dog is here for the evening service on behalf of its master. A servant brought it here, as they apparently reserved accommodations without asking if they were pet-friendly.”
And, as it unfortunately turned out, the inn was very much not pet-friendly. With no other options, the servant had asked if the grand cathedral could look after the hound for one night. It was a friendly dog, rolling on its back to show its belly to the women. With permission, they were able to pet it.
“I’ve seen people attend service with their dogs before, but I’ve never heard of someone sending their dog on their behalf,” said Claudia.
“If they attach a message to the dog’s collar and send it along, it’s allowed to attend in their place on its own,” the sister informed her.
Claudia struggled to absorb this. “On its own?”
“Yes, well, knights will leash it at the entrance and accompany it inside, so it’s not completely alone.”
Claudia wasn’t sure if she should be amazed at how obedient these dogs were or shocked at the audacity of their masters. She couldn’t settle on an opinion; there were so many ways to view this situation.
“Are other animals allowed to do the same?” Lestea asked.
“As long as they can deliver the wishes of their master, yes. There are intelligent cats and birds capable of doing this as well.”
The church generally allowed any animals on its grounds as long as they posed no threat and had no destructive tendencies. Maybe this was an extension of that policy.
“It seems the church is quite welcoming, then,” Lestea said diplomatically. Then she muttered under her breath, “Awfully broad-minded approach for such a conservative institution.”
Only Claudia was close enough to hear it.
Lestea was right about the church being old-fashioned and stuck in its ways, but it was welcoming where faith was concerned. They had saved many people.
Claudia cast one last glance back at the dog as they left. It was funny to think that prayer was supposed to be a blessing from the Capricious God for humans when a canine, of all things, was here doing it on someone else’s behalf.
Lestea leaned in, her breath hot on Claudia’s ear. “You already have a loyal hound right here.”
“Stop speaking nonsense.”
“I was being completely sincere.”
Claudia’s lips thinned. “My apologies, then. I’d rather you speak nonsense.”
Was this Lestea’s way of getting back at Claudia for her behavior in the bath?
Glowering at her, Claudia said, “It would bother me less if you’d said you were joking.”