This is such a stirring scene. I recall hearing that single woof from our snug house that night, and wondering what it meant. Professor Sidler and I are so grateful for those dogs and their fearless mistress.
Leeli made her way downstairs in the quiet of the house. She knew there were wounded Hollowsfolk in most of the rooms and didn’t want to disturb them. When she reached the bottom floor she heard the murmur of voices and the clink of dishes being cleaned in the kitchen. Oskar stood at the door and smiled when he saw Leeli.
“Leeli! I’m glad you got your rest. It was a day to write about, I say!” He bowed, which made his swoop of white hair flop from his bald head. When he straightened, the white strands stood up like a plume of feathers until he palmed them down again. “Someone is here to see you.”
He opened the door and Leeli stepped out into the cold night. First she saw Thorn O’Sally standing beside Kelvey and their father, Biggin. They smiled proudly at her, then stepped aside so she could see beyond them.
Dogs had congregated in the front yard of Chimney Hill—it seemed that every dog in the Hollows had come. They sat at attention, tails wag- ging furiously, though their faces were grave. Baxter limped forward and barked once. Hundreds of dogs answered with a single woof.
Leeli smiled so wide her lips cracked and she grunted with pain. Baxter cocked his head and whined at her in answer. She stepped down from the entrance and moved through the dogs, patting heads and scratching behind ears. There were so many that they made a pool of warmth in the cold night.
“I don’t know dogspeak half as well as you, but it was pretty clear they wanted to see you real bad,” said Biggin. “They wouldn’t leave us be until we marched straight here from the houndry.”
“They’re waiting for orders,” Thorn said.
“And they’ll only take them from you, Miss Wingfeather,” Kelvey added.
“I don’t know what to say.” Leeli stood in the sea of dogs and looked to Biggin for help.
“Tell them what they’re supposed to do next,” he said.
Leeli felt one of the dogs licking her ankle. She knelt down and found Frankle, the rowdy pup. Leeli clapped her hands and he jumped into her arms. She stood up with Frankle as still as a sleeping babe in her arms and looked around at the Houndry Corps, feeling a pleasure that made her proud and humble all at once.
“We fight back,” she said. Then she whistle-clicked the same words in dogspeak.
Frankle raised his head and howled with all his might—which wasn’t much. The rest of the dogs joined him. Their howls rose into the night and the Hollowsfolk who were awake to hear them were glad.
—From chapter 24, “Visitors at Chimney Hill.”
What scene this week stirred your heart, or made you laugh, or just felt right? Share it below in the comments! Then join us in the forum for bibes and friendship. There’s been a flurry of activity this week. Here are a few good conversations to get you started: Andrew’s sly sneakery; fruit (FRUIT!); ridgerunners and trolls; Turalay; guilds; sadness and lament; recipes; and the hope for a Wingfeather CD. 🙂 See you there!
My choice for this week also centers on Leeli. I think she has been in her brothers’ shadows sometimes, but not this week. Don’t underestimate this young warrior!
Podo reined up the horse at the west end of Priminy Avenue, just before the cobblestone road descended to the harbor. The city was coated with a fog that made the sun reluctant to break through, as if it too dreaded the coming battle. The grownups kept glancing at the sky, and Leeli wished they would stop pretending like they weren’t worried. Whenever they looked at her they gave her a smile that said , Everything’s all right, little girl. But she knew it wasn’t. And she could handle it. It was the same with her limp- she didn’t mind help now and then, but she didn’t want to be treated like she was helpless or naive.
“Seems like this might be close enough, don’t ye think?” Podo reined up the horse and looked down at Leeli.
Leeli grabbed the reins from Podo and shook them. “A little closer.”
“No need to get feisty,” he said, glancing at the foggy sky again.
“I think there’s plenty of need to get feisty.” Leeli answered. The way her eyebrows worked when she spoke removed any doubt that she was Podo Helmer’s granddaughter. “The bats up there could attack at any moment, and we can’t sit here all day doing nothing.” She noticed with some pleasure the way Podo and Nia exchanged surprised glances.