My First Bark

Excuse me if I look a little disheveled. I was busy playing in the dirt when Ash told me to come post my first Bark.

I know Ash needs help running BarkingProse and I really do want to do my share, but it’s hard to get started.

Ash told me to think about something fun and just tell people about it. He said not all our Barks are serious and I’ll have lots of time to practice.

Maybe sometime I’ll post a silly Bark, but for my introduction I want to talk about Tess.

I was born shortly after Tess died. We passed each other on the rainbow bridge. She had given up her fur to live as a spirit dog. I was leaving the spirit world to take up my new life as a companion dog.

She stopped on her journey to tell me what my life would be like at Asherpark. I listened quietly and tried to remember everything Tess told me. She explained that I could go forward with the soul randomly assigned to me, or she would give me her soul.

I had no idea what I should do, so I asked her what she thought. Tess said her death had been really hard on her people and her best friend, Asher. It would bring comfort to her pack at Asherpark if they saw signs of her in me.

I quickly agreed, having no idea what I was getting myself into. It was all so confusing. I wasn’t sure if I was doing the right thing, but Tess was persuasive and I could not say no to her.

Tess said her soul would mingle with my developing soul to form my own identify. She assured me I would be my own soul, but with many of her traits and habits. She said her strong points were her loyalty and her famous nose that was as good as any hound. I would have those traits and a few quirks that she had not polished out during her time at Asherpark.

Tess asked me to stay very still as she slipped her soul into mine. Then it was time for us to part. Tess wished me godspeed and said I’d love the raw meat at Asherpark.

As she disappeared over the far end of the bridge Tess turned and barked, “Tell Ash I will come to him in the ravine.”

I was so exhausted I fell into a deep sleep and didn’t awaken for three weeks, when I was born into the world.

There is more to tell, but it must wait for another time.