I sat there, watching the humans. Watched as they gathered their foods and their cloths and their wares and set them up, piece by piece, on the tables of their wooden stands. Their voices, crowding together in a song of highs and lows, quiets and louds. These smells, these sounds, were new, and I wondered if I would meet him today.

“I expect you to be sold in the next few visits, Pup. There is a market for wolves like you. Young. Hard-working. Diligent.” From the corner of my eye I see her rough hands, still strong, hanging up artwork on a metal frame. She turns and smiles wide, gazing into my eyes. “And maybe… handsome? I cannot tell anymore.”

The crackly voice of the seer. For how long have I listened to her? I stare at my hands and arms, marked with scratches and bruises from my years of training with her. My knees were still raw from yesterday’s tasks.

“Pup, your answer?”

I meet my eyes just below her gaze, my ears tall. “I look forward to working with my new master.” It comes naturally, like the other things we had practiced. “I thank you, seer, for your generous hospitality and training.”

“That’s a good pup.” Her hand on my head makes me shiver, as always. Her skin is cold, her fingers wrinkled with age. Her nails longer and thicker than mine. Her smell made from all her time on earth. She begins to softly scratch my hair, as if I was a real dog. “Your new master will come. Some time soon, I guarantee.”

“Yes, seer. I believe it.” When she returns to her charcoal drawings, I continue to watch the humans unpack and display their goods. I look back at the small rack of jewelry that we made the few nights before today. Her collection of drawings filled with trees and landscapes. Who would come to look at them? That girl with her mother? The man and woman near us, stacking books and cloths on their tables? The other man, setting up his own paintings?

Would they ever be interested in me?

A tug on the leash brings me back to the seer. “Hold still, Pup. I’m going to draw you.” I obey, looking down at the anklet – a leather band with tiny jewels. Made to look rough, but pretty, she said. If I became a servant, would the collar look like this?

My eyes follow the leash, which ends tied to a post near the seer. It is thin, but strong. The seer had mentioned a leash before, but this one was too short to carry out tasks. I remember again to keep still so the seer can draw me, and return to watching them.

The market was filled now with even more humans – vendors and visitors alike. It was louder, busier, happier for them as they argued over prices, cooed over wares, and spoke freely among each other. How was it, being a human? To be surrounded by that same laughter in the market air? To live out every day however you pleased?

Or was it difficult to be a human, too?

I thought of those fights between my siblings. A few nips and scratches between them turned into full bites and bloody gashes for me. A difficult hunt for the clan meant chasing me through the woods instead. And conflict between my mother and father meant a day of recovery, curled up in the smallest ball in the smallest den.

And yet, it was normal to me.

“Alli!”

The boy ran past, a blur with a bright cloth above his head. The woman trying to chase him was slim, but much slower than the boy.

The seer scoffed. “Human children. They need some training, that’s for sure. Hold still, Pup. You’re doing a fine job.”

The woman slows, breathing hard at our stand. She looks up at us, but with what expression? Was she asking for something?

I look at the seer, who looks at me expectantly. I edge off the seat and stand in front of the woman, bowing slightly. “Good morning, Ma’am,” I say quietly. “I am Pup. May I offer you a drink and help you look for your son?”

“Our water is free, of course,” says the seer, walking over. “Have a seat, dear. No good getting tired first thing in the morning.”

The woman smiles sadly and looks away. “Thank you, but I need to find Alli. I don’t want him causing any more trouble today.” Her voice is firm, but quiet.

“Pup’s good at tracking. He could help you. No charge.”

I nod once, raising my gaze to the woman’s face. “Our search might go faster.”

“Who’re you looking for?”

All of us turn to the boy, who is now wiping himself with the cloth. He stops when he looks at me. His lip curls. I look away.

“Alli, we were about to look for you. You know you shouldn’t cause trouble, especially at the market. You could hurt yourself or someone else.”

“Sorry,” he says, looking up at the sky.

“Let’s go to help Father.”

“Okay.”

The seer looks up from her easel at the mother. “I’m almost sure you could use a little bit of help at your stand.”

The boy looks at me and stretches his mouth into a long line.

“Oh.” The woman is surprised. “No, we’ll be fine. There’s three of us.”

“Well, then.” The seer returns to her work. “If you need any help, Pup’s right here at your service.”

“What does he do?” asks the boy.

“Oh, just about anything you ask.” The seer puts down her charcoal, folds her hands, and looks right at the woman. “He’ll even watch over your son if you ask him to.”

“Ew, him?” The boy’s eyes look above my face. “A dog?”

“Believe me, dear, he’s more boy than dog or wolf.” The seer smiles and looks at the boy.

He looks away and frowns. “Still a dog.”

“Alli, was it?”

He looks up, his lip still curled. “…Yes.”

The seer looks back at the woman. “Dear, how does this sound? My Pup accompanies your Alli for the day, and you can ask of Pup whatever you’d like. Try him out for today.”

The woman raises an eyebrow and frowns. “That’s very generous, ma’am, but why? If you want me to buy some of your work…”

“Oh, no, no! You see, I can’t keep him forever. His skills are better suited for someone who isn’t me. I’ve got all the magic I need. I don’t need him to wash, and cook, and clean everything for me, when I can do it myself!” She breaks into chuckles. “And I’m sure he’d like a change of scenery, too. Alli, why don’t you show him some of the market, hmm?”

The woman’s eyebrows are raised. The boy is still frowning. Neither of them look like they know what to do.

I bow. “I am sorry if we have made you uncomfortable. Please do not feel obligated to–”

“Fine. I want him.” His voice is direct and clear, but it lowers as he looks up with narrowed eyes. “I wanna see what he does around here.”

The seer claps her hands, laughing. “Perfect. Then, Alli, my Pup will walk with you today.” She looks back at the mother. “Dear, is that all right with you?”

The mother blinks hard and frowns. “Ma’am… I’m not so sure. Alli can be rather… rough… with the other children…”

“Mother.” The boy frowns and folds his arms.

But the seer smiles, her eyes crinkling. “Are you, Alli? Well, Pup here – he’s rather gentle, so please don’t be too rough on him.” At her nod, I step forward.

The woman’s brows wrinkle. “Ma’am… I simply cannot accept your offer. We have no use for a wolf in our home.”

“He’s not a wolf,” the boy growls. At his mother’s wide eyes, he coughs. “How about he just keeps me company for today?”

Then he and I make eye contact. I look away before the seer notices.

What was he thinking? His eyes were blank yet searching. It was like he was thinking of everything and nothing at once.

Before the mother can say any more, the seer takes apart my anklet, then moves it to my wrist like a bracelet. She hands the rope to the boy, who holds it like it is a gift. “You may test him for a day, young Alli. I do believe he’ll be a wonderful fit for you.” She winks and smiles. “He hasn’t failed me yet, but I’m sure he’ll be even more perfect when you become his master.”

“Really?” His eyes grow large. “So what can he do for me?”

“Anything you ask,” she says. “He can cook for the entire family. He can clean the house, look after the animals, harvest the crops, act as a guard while you’re asleep. Walk with you to school. Go into the village and do whatever tasks are necessary.”

“Can he read?”

“No. He is not literate.”

“What?!” The surprise on his face alarms me. The mother frowns.

“My dear boy, reading and writing are powerful tools. My objective is to sell servants that are still under the control of the master. If they could read and write, don’t you think they could have better jobs elsewhere?”

“Well… I can still teach him, right?” His fist tightens around the leash, causing my arm to raise slightly.

“You may. It is not against the law. It is simply my way of maintaining his servant rank. Feel free to teach him as much or as little as you’d like, dear. I think you’ll do a fine job if you do.”

He stares and frowns at the ground, hard. “So you’re saying I can do whatever I want if he’s my slave.”

“That’s correct.”

The mother steps in. “But it’s probably best if we treat him kindly, isn’t it? He might be part wolf, but he’s a person, too.”

“Indeed, my dear. Cruelty doesn’t get you far, you hear me?” The seer looks straight at the boy. “Power changes people. Think about that before becoming a master.”

There is silence, then he sighs. “Okay, now can I test him? Just for today?”

“What did I say?” The seer smiles. “Try him out. See how he responds. Ask him to do some tasks for you. Have him help you at your stand. You’ll see how good he is.”

“Yes!” he mutters.

“When should we bring him back?” the mother asks.

“When you’re leaving.” The seer picks up her charcoal. “I’ll be here. I have all day. No rush, sweeties.”

The mother looks at her son, who looks back at her. They seem to share a conversation through silence, and then she leaves, fading into the crowd.