"Talk to the Queen. Check. Piss off Elaine. Check. Blame it on Cario. Check." Faer smiled as she traversed the halls of the castle, her boots clacking against the artistic tiles. The sounds echoed off the many marble columns that lined the walk way. 

Light scattered across the floor and reflected onto the metal of her chest plate, causing a god-like effect of outlining the guard in holy luminescence. It faded as she turned down a hall that lead to a dead end, doors on either side, their wooden frames rimmed with metal. 

Faer swung her helmet at her side as she passed the closed entryways, only stopping when she got to the farthest one, cast in dim shadows, a worn down welcome mat at the entry way. She produced a set of keys from a leather pouch at her side, unlocking the door and stepping into the darkness of her apartment. 

"Home, sweet home." She said aloud as she flipped on the light switch, studying her cozy, but simple, abode. 

Straight ahead was the living room, a couch pushed to one wall to the left, a TV stand across from it, in between was a small coffee table. Behind that was a window with the curtains drawn, blocking out any light of day. To the right was a doorway leading into a even smaller kitchen, big enough for 2 or 3 people to stand and work in with enough space. On the left was a another opening, the door slightly ajar, more shadows and darkness lurked beyond it. 

"Herbie! Come on, boy!" Faer called, dropping her keys onto a small table near to door, setting her helmet next to it. The guard went to the kitchen and opened a cupboard above the counter, getting a dog dish with "Herbs" written on the front, setting it on the counter. 

Heavy footsteps ran from somewhere in the apartment, approaching the kitchen quickly. Faer was taking out a bag of dog food when a heavy body smacked into her side, knocking her over.

"Woah! Hey, buddy!" Faer laughed as a wet tongue slipped across her face, leaving a trail of drool on her cheek, licking repeatedly in between excited barks and yips. The fire elemental pushed off the furry body, sitting up as big paws thudded against her armor, nails clicking on the metal.

"Herbie!" Herbie barked at the sound of his name, his tail wagging so hard his haunches shook with it, his ears half down as he whined and barked at his owner. Faer pushed him onto the floor so she could regain herself, trying to calm her laughter.

"I wasn't gone that long, was I?" She asked as she ruffled Herbie's fur, course gray hair with mottled black and white. His large, pink tongue hung from his mouth as he barked again, flashing clean, white teeth that lined his gums. 

"It's only been since this morning!" Faer rubbed his ears, smiling as Herbie shoved his muzzle agianst her chest, attempting to sit in her lap, leaning heavily against her. She couldn't help but laughed and hugged the gentle beast, feeling his tail smack against her side in rhythm. 

"Get off me, you big doof!" Herbie complied and stood impatiently as Faer got up, opening the rustling bag of dog food and grabbing the scoop inside it. His ears flicked as the food poured noisily into his bowl, nearly knocking over the guard again as he dove at it. 

"If you were hungry, you could have at least told me." Faer patted the dog's back and got his water bowl, surprised that it was empty. She rolled her eyes and refilled it with tap water from the kitchen sink, placing it back on the floor beside the wall. 

Herbie scarfed down his food in seconds, pushing the bowl around with his muzzle as he searched for more, sniffing loudly. He licked up what flavor of the dry food had been left in the bottom, turning to lap loudly at the fresh water.

As he finished his meal, Faer went to the dark room across from the kitchen, again turning on the light to reveal a decent sized bed, the covers tucked in perfectly, pillows lining the head board. Wrinkles in the comforter gave away where Herbie had been sleeping before she had gotten home.

Faer chuckled and walked to the opening by the bed in the wall, a bathroom with only 1 toothbrush on the counter. A hair brush was next to it, along with a used wash cloth dropped nearby. The toilet was near the bathtub where the shower curtain was still pushed open from earlier use. 

The monster relieved herself and began taking off her armor, throwing the different metal plates on her bed loudly. Herbie returned from the kitchen and stepped back as chain mail and a tunic was flung out of the bathroom, peeking his head in.

Faer undressed herself and turned on the water, starting the shower as steam rose from the stream. The guard stepped in carefully and pulled the curtain shut, the water she used came from a well that was made to produce water safe for fire elementals such as Faer. 

Herbie trekked in and stuck his nose between the wall and shower curtain as Faer washed her hair, noticing the snuffle of puppy curiosity.

"Wanna bath, Herbie?" Faer laughed as Herbie's tail thumped against the wall, inviting the husky in, making room so he could stand below her. 

"Remember, we're just friends." Herbie barked at the comment and sat on the bottom of the tub, watching Faer rinse out her hair and continue to clean herself. When she finished she grabbed a bottle of dog shampoo and washed the canine as well, sheilding her face and laughing when Herbie shook out his fur. 

When they finished, she turned off the water and stepped back out, leaving the curtain open as Herbie scrambled after her. She wrapped a towel around her body and used an older one to dry off Herbie's fur, letting him shake again and trot back out of the bathroom.

Faer walked out and got into new clothes, drying out her own hair with the same technique her dog had used. When she finished, she flopped onto her bed with a drawn out sigh, smiling as Herbie lept onto the mattress next to her, licking her ear.

"N-not there!" She laughed, trying to escape the tickles as she pushed his head away, ignoring his growl. 

"I just got clean." Faer told him, looking at him with a calm smile as he studied her carefully. He nudged her shoulder with his paw and growled at her again as if he were saying something.

"No, I'm not hungry." Faer rested her head on a pillow and watched the canine's ears flick, listening to him huff. She smiled more when he rested his head next to her shoulder, almost as big as her. 

"I just wanna sleep." Herbie gave her a side long look as if saying "That's what I did all day.". Faer nodded and closed her eyes, getting comfortable next to her canine friend. 

"Need to go to the bathroom?" A soft growl.

"You better not have peed on the couch again." Padding of a tail wagging. Faer peeked open an eye to see Herbie looking at her with his ears laid back, his warm, brown puppy eyes meeting hers. 

"Did you?" He growled quietly.

"Herbie." He looked away and whined, ashamed.

"It's okay. Just, next time pee on the table." Herbie wagged his tail and licked her chin, nuzzling her arm. She reached out a limp hand and stroked his fur, her eye closing again. 

"I'll take you for a walk tomorrow.." She mumbled as she drifted into sleep, reassured by the presence of her best friend.