#odyssey

“Wish I’d brought paint now.”

"Just.. he would."

She pokes it.

And in she goes

A hand reaches and trails a finger over the writing, then moves after! “Wait for me!”

"Sorryyyyyyyyy......"

And off he goes as well...

A large chimera glowers "Vali? that you?" It' looks like a cross between a bulldog and a rhino

It's not on the trod

"Oh, what a handsome boy!"

He wags and pants, then says "Damn it, don't do that. I'm suspectible to flatter to a distracting degree. You're not Vali... darn it"

"Sorry, no. Just passing through!"

"Damn. Son of a bitch owes me money" A sigh "Well, if you see him that after a few more years I'm going to just quite waiting"

"If we see him, we'll pass it on."

“Definitely.”

"Thanks. Tell him Barkthalemwel is not here for anyone to laugh at!"

A solemn nod. “No one laughs at his jokes these days either.”

"So.. somethings are constant" Barkthalemwel nods "Well, thanks for passing the message on"

Snerk.

And the Chimera sighs and curls up waiting for his money

The two of them continue on the trod. The Silver seems strong enough.. winding and moving over the bay like a walkway ramp

“What would a dog spend money on?” He wonders aloud.

"Lots of bones? If TwoBit was, for sure."

“Still not convinced that’s not a guinea-pig.”

"Well she thinks she's a real dog..."

Then in the distance... they see it. A rainbow bridge

Eyebrow.

and dozens of dogs walking it...

"....oh...."

A bony German shepherd in a Black Robe guides them and says "Yes yes, there is a farm... and trees that squirels cannot climb...they just slide down"

But every dog grows excited, andd then.. sad and looks back. "They'll be okay wont' they??" One spaniel says "My family?"

Dagmar puts a hand over her heart. Big blue softy.

Dog ghosts? Cool. A nod, respect.

But he keeps his backpack with snoozing cat CLOSED.

"Yes yes.." The Death of Dogs ala pratchet says "You taught them well. And they will never replace you, but they will share what they learned with you with another dog. "

"He better" The Beagle spirit says "I loved that kid but he was STUBBORN.. " A sigh "Miss him"

One big bumbling mutt asks "Is.. is the final place?"

The Grim Rover sighs "I shouldn't tell you this... but No. It's a waiting place. When they get to THEIR farm. " he clears his doggy throat "THEN, THEY CALL YOU..AND YOU JOIN THEM , ALONG WITH EVERY DOG THEY EVER LOVED"

"Heaven!" one poodle beams

The Death of Dogs coughs "Mostly. You may have to share with with Cats"

"Oh hell" The Beagle says

and off they go.. or more accurately, the trod our heroes are on peels away from it

A soft sigh.

He gives her a pokey elbow nudge.

“Nice to know it’s there.”

"I - true!"

“Did you know that dog heaven is also squirrel hell? It’s very efficient.”

She laughs.

"What does a squirrel have to do to merit hell, I wonder?"

The Squirrels know what they did!