Nell laughed, but there wasn't much humor in it. "M'not sure interesting is the word most people around here would use." She shrugged. "But they were good to me - Leah especially - much as they could be I think."

She smiled a little sadly. "My dogs. or rather my husband's old hunting dogs. I loved them so much and they loved me back." She swallowed hard thinking of the day she'd come home and found the churchmen had killed them and left them on her front porch. She'd never been able to get all the bloodstains off.

"Pretty sure they're the only things that have ever really loved me."