Adrian kept Anubis secure until Barkley had closed all the doors leading into the room. While the little creature would probably just get lost running around the manor, Adrian didn't want to waste his time on such nonsense. The last thing he needed was some cute little dog huddled in a corner afraid of his own shadow.

Once the room was closed Adrian released the fur in his grip. Anubis scrambled from the table, hitting the floor with a soft thud, and dove under the servant's table on the back wall. Adrian shook his head at the silly thing, wondering just what had put him in such a state.

"Is it really wise to let him roam about, my lord?" Barkley asked.

Adrian huffed out a laugh. Barkley was probably acting so formal because of their guest, but the commander wasn't worried. "He's a small pup, and he can't cause any harm in here as he is. Isn't that the same reason why you hired him? Because he can't actually do anything but raise an alarm?"

"Yes, but you were the one who said he'd be fine off leash," Barkley countered. “And then you carried him back.”

The lord nodded and shed the cloak that had protected him from the soft rain outside. Anubis probably hadn't even realized it was still misting rain; the cloth had magic woven in to keep water out, and Adrian's own magic had been heating the air around them to keep them both warm and dry. "And he was. He was wonderful. A bit too wonderful. I want to know more about that little mystery. Do you have the paperwork on him?"

Barkley frowned and waved at the bag next to Adrian’s favorite chair. "Assuming Nikhal can still do his job, the contract should be with the morning’s work. I asked for the past few contracts just to get an idea of him, but I can reach out to Dog Services and to the Records Council to see if there's more. Most slum dogs don’t have much magic. Did something happen?"

"I don't think it was magic," Adrian admitted as he picked up the thin paper where the agreement was outlined. "Tell the kitchens to prepare lunch. I’d like to try the judgment test with him."

Barkley stiffened and his eyes narrowed, his hand going down to rest on his baton as if it were his usual sword. The soft boots he wore shifted on the rug as his stance widened. "The judgment test? You think he'll pass?"

"I'm not sure," Adrian answered as honestly as he could. It was entirely possible that the morning incident was a fluke. Maybe the dog had been reacting to something else; the waitress, or the rat, or some hidden instinct. Or maybe he was just being cautious and didn't want Adrian to consume anything because of Barkley's threats. "If he does pass we’ll be asking him back. That’s not a skill I want to let waste away in a back alley. If he doesn't pass… we’ll see. There’s other ways he could be useful." Adrian's eyes flicked down to the dog's current hiding spot.

There was a whimper from under the table, but Adrian couldn't bring himself to feel bad. Barkley left, careful not to give an opening for Anubis to flee out the door, and Adrian started reviewing the current contract. The last three were also in the bag, so Nikhal must have sent a runner down to get them.

If Anubis had the talent Adrian thought he did then his skills would be highly sought after by any noble. All nobles were (however distantly) related to the royal line and were therefore always in danger of being attacked, poisoned, or stabbed in the back. Magic rings to detect poison relied on certain conditions. A dog who could smell poison? Or however Anubis was detecting it?

He'd have to keep such a treasure secret from everyone, including the royal family. If anyone found out about that talent then they'd either steal Anubis for themselves or kill him. Even Adrian should (if he was being completely honest) report such a rare ability to the king.

The contract Barkley signed was for the morning, until the first strike after the noon bell. "Lunch" was a vague term, and it seemed the agreement was more specific. It was also longer than his previous jobs, which had occurred over the three previous days and were only a few hours working at a hospital, of all things. Based on the papers before him Anubis only earned a few coppers each day. Adrian was paying much more for his time and his silence.

"You can come out whenever you like, little puppy," Adrian called out. He hoped he wouldn't have to drag the creature from his hiding place and order him to comply; that could be problematic, and tamper with the test. There was silence for a moment. Perhaps Anubis was too frightened to face him? "You will take the test and pass, there is nothing to fear." A direct contradiction of what he told Barkley. The old captain needed to see confirmation, though Adrian already knew in his gut he was keeping the dog one way or another.

The little fox-face was just too cute.

There was a growling sound that Adrian identified as a huff. It seemed the little dog didn't believe him.

Adrian scanned the hospital contracts for any sign that Anubis had caused trouble. It seemed the healers were happy to have him, though, and pleased with his contributions. He was favored over the other dogs who came to help. For some reason the patients always seemed to relax more when he was around. The job was almost a volunteer position, though, and there weren't any signs of other jobs. From what Adrian knew of Dog Services, they didn't allow their wizards and wizard-kin to participate in anything illegal, which left out dog fights and experimentation—

Oh. Experiments. Anubis had started fighting them when Adrian had said Anubis needed to take a test. These contracts were very explicit about illegal activity. "You do realize that a test is not an experiment, right?" he called out. It felt a bit silly to be talking to the air, but until Anubis came out from his hole, that was what he would do. "Surely you've taken tests before in school."

Except nothing in the papers Adrian had indicated his background. Dog Services was mostly for young wizards to earn a few extra coins while they focused on their education, or for retired mages to spend their idle hours contributing to the areas in need, but some chapter houses in worse areas of town used wizards and mages from the streets. Homeschooled or self-taught mages who might not know how to work magic beyond a few tricks.

And Anubis had come from a poorer section of the city.

"I speak the truth and I do not appreciate your lack of trust," Adrian tried. "No magic will be worked on you for this test. Though if your past work is anything like these jobs I see here, you've made a habit of consorting with liars. Trust must be hard to come by."

A head peeked out from under the tablecloth with narrowed eyes and one fang showing in the most adorable look of unimpressed pouting Adrian had seen in a long time.

"The dying prefer the comfort of a mistruth to ease their passing," the nobleman said as his blue eyes focused on the angry black glare. Adrian took the time to slip out of his boots, tossing them to the side and following them with the bracers he'd worn to the pub. It put more of his tanned skin in the open for tiny teeth to dig into, but the show of trust was rewarded by a small paw stepping out into the open as the black nose twitched in curious wonder. Adrian wondered what Anubis saw; the earrings he wore, heavy and jeweled, marked his rank and his position and the weighted decorations in his hair were signs of his status as a wizard and mage. Even the length, heavy and cumbersome as it was, marked his role. Did the pup even know what such things meant? Or was he some uneducated cur from the streets? "We don't allow lies here, Anubis. It’s just a test."

The creature seemed to roll his eyes, and Adrian bit back the automatic anger at the disbelief. Talking would be easier if it wasn't so one-sided. And Anubis was still in animal form, as well; his reactions were limited. The dog instincts had a slight impact on human logic that could cloud the mind. (Adrian had first-hand experience, and he was going to get Anubis cleaned at the kennels. Adrian might even join him in dog form. The handlers could do with an inspection and the treatment they gave felt wonderful after a long day of training. Assuming Adrian had enough energy left at the end of the day to make the change, that is.)

"Maybe we'll save those discussions for later," Adrian sighed as he collapsed into a chair. He picked one next to the fireplace because they were more comfortable, though that put him further from the papers he was meant to be looking over. Getting Anubis to stop pouting seemed more important. "After you pass we can talk. I bet you're hungry. Would you like to eat with us?"

Anubis laid on the ground and put his head on his paws, a clear negative.

"Maybe you'll change your mind when the food gets here," Adrian shrugged. "I'm starving; I bet you are too." He leaned his head back against the side of the chair and tried to relax. The fire was warm, and if he listened hard enough he could hear the rain outside picking up into a heavier drizzle. He strained his ears trying to hear it, and ignored the small shuffles he heard when Anubis moved. He ignored the soft pad of paws on rug, and didn’t move when a small wet nose touched the side of his hand. Anubis crawled under the chair again, and Adrian smiled. Adrian let his magic circle the small dog in warmth, and felt the creature sigh. The small puff of air brushed his ankle.

Adrian didn’t move. Trust was a delicate balance with animals, and just because Anubis wasn’t fully a dog didn’t mean he had blind faith in a stranger.