"I'll set you to drying, I think," she said with a mild half-smile. "Let me get some water for the basin first." She started for the door and glanced back, hearing him setting the food aside.

"He can have whatever's left, if you're finished." It might have been an innocent suggestion had she been talking about him feeding one of the other noble's pets and not a mabari. As it was, the hound's back end started shaking, his tail wagging back and forth in excitement at the idea. "You can handle that, can't you?"