“Just in case what?”
He shrugged. “Nothing.”
I narrowed my eyes. “Is it safe to go there?”
“Sure.” His grandfather called out to him, and he turned and left us there without another word.
“He’s friendly,” Ella grumbled.
“He’s a teenager,” Anna replied. “Like our brother.” She rolled her eyes. “They’re so rude at that age.”
“Do you want us to come with you?” Ella asked as she reached out to gently rub the puppy’s head.
“No, I’m sure it’ll be fine.” I looked over the directions. “It’s only a 5 km walk. I should be able to do that and turn around and get down to my hotel reservation before dark.”
“Do you have a flashlight?” Anna asked. “In case, it takes longer?”
“Yes. I checked it this morning.”
“Well, if you’re sure you can make the trip alone, we’re going to head down,” Anna said, her reluctance clear. “Which hotel are you staying at tonight?” After I gave her the name, she said, “We’ll come by and check on you later. Make sure you made it down safe.”
“Thank you,” I said, touched by her concern. “I’ll buy you both a drink and tell you all about my side trip.”
“Deal.”
I waved at the sisters as they headed toward the trail and turned in the opposite direction to find the road that I was supposed to travel. Snuggling the puppy in tighter as it whined and kicked its feet, I shushed it gently until it fell back asleep. I kept to the side of the roadway, not wanting to get clipped by a vehicle. The longer I walked, the more it became obvious the road wasn’t used much. Even so, I remained vigilant.
When I reached a sharp bend in the road, I retrieved the directions from my pocket and checked them for my next step. Left down the small road and then right at a red gate.
As I walked down the narrow road, I noticed the air growing cooler as dark clouds moved closer. My jacket was waterproof so I wasn’t too worried about getting wet, but I wasn’t sure about the road conditions or if I could manage the rest of my hike in stormy weather. I could just imagine the facepalm moment Aston would have when I told her this part of my travel story. She would be amused but also scold me out of worry.
Rightly so, I acknowledged as the first drops of rain plopped on my head. I paused my walk long enough to tug my hood into place and to tuck the puppy inside my jacket to keep it dry. Back on the road, I hastened my pace as a red gate came into view.
When I reached the gate, I hopped a puddle and grimaced as I jostled the puppy awake. “Sorry, sweetie.” I gently rubbed the outside of my jacket to soothe the puppy. “I’ll be more careful.”
In the distance, I could just make out the roof of a farmhouse. Bit by bit, the rest of the farm became visible. The house looked similar to all the other houses I had passed during the hike with its wooden shingle roof and stone exterior. There was a small barn and a fenced off pastures with sheep and goats huddling together in the rain.
Near the side of the house, there was a garden filled with vegetable plants, but it was the towering fluffy petaled sunflowers standing proud in front of the house that had my attention. They looked so cheerful, even in the rain. Like little bursts of sunshine beckoning me closer to the well-kept house.
A dark-haired, heavyset woman appeared in the doorway of the house. She opened the door and wiped her hands on a white dish towel. Her jeans and sweater were stained from hard work, and I hoped I wasn’t interrupting something important.
“Agnesa?” I asked as I drew near.
Wary of a stranger walking up to her door, she nodded.
“My name is Marley, and I was hiking on the pass. I found this puppy,” I showed her the bundle inside my jacket, “behind a boulder. The man at the café said it probably belongs to you.”
Her wariness vanished, and she rushed toward me to take the puppy. “The mother dog? Was she with the puppy?”
Surprised by her British accented English, I nevertheless nodded reluctantly. “I’m sorry. The mother dog was dead, and so were the rest of her puppies.”
Agnesa seemed heartbroken by that. “Margaritë was my favorite. I still don’t know why she ran off like that.”
“I’m so sorry,” I repeated, not knowing what else to say.
“Can you show me where you found them? On a map?”
“I think so.”
“Good.” She hugged the puppy close. “In the morning, I’ll go get her and bring her home.”
I couldn’t imagine dragging a dead dog back down to her farm. The weight would be difficult to handle, especially on the rocky slope, but this woman seemed like the type who could manage it.
“You should come inside.” Agnesa looked toward the darkening sky. “This storm is going to get worse.”
I hesitated. “I need to get down the mountain. I have a reservation.”
She snorted. “You’re not making that reservation. It’s too dangerous, especially in the dark with all the rain and wind.” She shook her head. “No, you’ll stay here tonight. I have a guest room, and I’m happy to have the company.” She nuzzled the puppy. “You can help me feed this little one and keep it warm.”
Certain this was the best and safest choice, I accepted her offer. “Thank you. That's very kind.”
She nodded and gestured toward the house. “Come inside and get dry.” She grinned. “You look like a drowned kitten.”
“Thanks,” I grumbled, trailing her into her home. As I stopped inside the entry and removed my muddy boots, wet jacket and backpack, I decided to see this as part of the adventure. A night in a farmhouse in the Albanian mountains? I couldn’t wait to tell Aston about this!
“I have another bitch who whelped a few days ago,” Agnesa said as she motioned for me to follow her into an adjacent room. “Let’s see if she’ll take in this tiny orphan you saved.”
“And if she doesn’t?” I asked worriedly. “Is there, like, formula for puppies?”
“There is,” she assured me, “but this is better.”
I stood back as Agnesa approached a closed-off area of the tile floored room where a female dog sat on a layer of towels. The dog looked similar to the one I had found, to Margaritë, and had seven puppies burrowed against her fluffy coat. Agnesa knelt down and carefully brought the puppy close enough for the mother dog to sniff. I held my breath as the dog investigated the puppy and made a strange sound. She bumped the puppy with her nose and then gingerly took it from Agnesa’s hand, holding the limp puppy between her jaws and placing it on the pile of puppies. She pushed aside the other puppies, freeing up space for the orphaned puppy to nurse.
“There you go!” Agnesa smiled at me. “Look at him. Right on the teat! He knows what he’s doing.”
“It’s a boy?”
She shot me a strange look. “You didn’t notice?”
“I didn’t check.” I shrugged. “I was more worried about getting it—him—down the mountain to someone who could help.”
“Well,” Agnesa rose from her crouched position, “you did a good thing saving him. Come on. Let’s get you something warm to drink. Do you like tea?”