Something wet brushed his face. Garmadon jerked back, blinking…but then relaxed as he was met with Ochre's soft yellow eyes.
The dog wagged his tail, paws up on the couch.
Garmadon smiled, the sense of relief he'd felt yesterday flowing over him again. He stroked Ochre's head. "Hey, bud…"
The dog tried to lick his face again, but Garmadon grimaced and moved his nose away. His smiled returned, though. "It's nice seeing you again…" He chuckled quietly. "I missed you waking me up."
Ochre grinned, his tongue sliding to the side of his mouth.
Garmadon slowly sat up, glancing around. He was glad none of the ninja had tried to question him yesterday after he'd revealed that Ochre was his… He winced.
He subconsciously patted the dog's head. Ochre licked his hand, and Garmadon glanced at him. He couldn't really feel it through his glove, though he wouldn't be able to feel it anyway because his hand was metal and wires…
He frowned, then gently shoved Ochre's paws off the couch. "I don't think Wu would appreciate you up here…" He shifted, moving his legs off the couch.
The dog instead put his nose on his knee.
Garmadon patted him again, a smile of amusement appearing on his face. The fact that Ochre was even here at all, or that he could actually pet him and interact with him without the fear of people becoming suspicious, was amazing.
In fact, it was almost unbelievable. Why had Wu let the dog stay?
Garmadon frowned, rubbing behind Ochre's ear.
The dog's tail wagged, and then he whined.
Garmadon felt his small smile return. "You're probably hungry, aren't you?"
Ochre's ears pricked, eyes sharpening.
That's definitely it… He should probably get up and—
A jolt of surprise went through him. He realized how…relaxed he was… Garmadon blinked. The feeling seemed so foreign… His gaze went back to the dog, and he bit his lip. The feeling of being watched, or judged, or scrutinized…the fear…it was small, now.
Garmadon gave a hesitant smile. "Thanks, Ochre…"
The dog wagged his tail, then back up a few steps, staring up at him.
"You're thirsty too, aren't you?" He swallowed, realizing how dry his own throat felt.
Ochre's eyes lit up further, his tail wagging excitedly.
"I guess I should get up then, huh?"
The dog barked.
Garmadon smiled. "Alright, alright…" He shakily stood.
Garmadon walked into the kitchen, Ochre bounding ahead of him.
Wu looked at him, a cup of tea in his hand. He smiled. "Good morning, brother." His gaze went towards the dog uncertainly.
"Um…good morning." Garmadon glanced around the kitchen. Ochre needed food…but he was still reluctant to use the food here. He'd have to catch a rabbit or something…
Ochre sniffed the ground, licking up crumbs.
Wu watched him, frowning.
Garmadon swallowed uneasily.
Ochre then trotted over to him, whining.
Right…he needed some water, too… Garmadon mentally shook himself. Could…he just bring the dog to the creek? There was a small one in the woods. But…that would take hours. Food he could do that with, but water…Ochre needed that up here.
"Is something wrong?"
Garmadon jumped, looking at Wu. "I…uh…what?"
Wu rose an eyebrow, looking a little concerned. "Is there something wrong?"
"Um…" He glanced down at Ochre, who was still staring up at him. I have to… But he's my dog, I should be responsible for him, I shouldn't rely on Wu for something as simple as WATER! Garmadon bit his lip. But Ochre…he wasn't him. He didn't deserve to not have water. And he wasn't about to hold back water from Ochre just because of his own personal problems. A feeling of anxiety ran through him, his stomach tightening.
Ochre's ears went back in concern. He nosed his hand.
Garmadon patted him, feeling the anxious feeling loosen slightly. I can do this… He looked up at Wu, who was still giving him a worried look. "I…uh…" He swallowed. "Could…is there…" Why is this so difficult? Just spit it out! "Um…do you…have a bowl or something I could borrow?" The anxiety tightened, clenching—
I don't deserve this, I shouldn't be asking—
Idiot—
Ochre nosed his hand again, going by his side and leaning against his leg. Garmadon patted his head, trying to suck in a breath. The dog grounded him slightly.
Wu blinked. "Er…yes. Of course. For what?"
Garmadon blinked as well. He…what? Yes? He ran his fingers through Ochre's fur. "I, uh…for Ochre."
Wu blinked again.
"My dog," he quickly clarified.
Wu's gaze flicked towards Ochre. "Oh…of course. For water, I assume?"
Garmadon nodded, swallowing. "If…that's okay?"
Wu rose an eyebrow at him. "Yes, of course."
He nodded again, then glanced at the cupboards. "Um…" Where…?
Wu took a sip of his tea, then walked over to a cupboard, digging around. "Hmm…I have glass bowls. No plastic for some reason…though we should really switch from how much those ninja break things… Let me look somewhere else." He moved to a different cupboard, the lower ones. "Aha! This will work." Wu pulled out a medium-sized, metal mixing bowl. "Zane uses this for cooking, but I'm sure he'll be fine working without it."
Garmadon frowned uneasily, but nodded. "Alright…thank you." Wu handed it to him, and he hesitantly took it. He glanced at the sink. The feeling of anxiety arose again, remembering the last time he'd taken water.
Wu went back to the stove, refilling his cup. He glanced at him. "…Is there something wrong?"
Garmadon looked at him, then to the sink. "I…uh…no." He walked over, swallowing.
Ochre followed him, trying to nose the bowl in interest.
Garmadon lowered it, letting him inspect it.
The dog licked it, tail wagging.
He moved the bowl away from him then, turning the sink on. The water rushed down, loud and—
Water filled his lungs, the dark, terrifying liquid dragging him under. Garmadon struggled, tried to break free—
Something nudged his leg, jerking him back. Garmadon blinked, realizing he still held the bowl and the sink's handle.
Ochre whined, leaning against him.
He took a breath, putting the bowl under the water finally. It steadily filled, Garmadon trying to remain in the present and not get sucked into the past. When it was almost to the brim, he turned the sink off and took a step back.
Ochre barked excitedly.
Garmadon glanced at him, a small smile briefly flitting across his face. He looked around the kitchen, searching for a place to put—
"You can put it in the corner there."
He looked up, seeing Wu pointing to the corner by the door, opposite the fridge. He nodded, swallowing, and walked over to said-spot, setting the bowl down.
Ochre started lapping at it happily, tail wagging.
Garmadon and Ochre had left soon after, leaving Wu to ponder.
That…was probably the first time he'd seen Garmadon smile since finding him. Even if it was brief. And he hadn't missed the way the dog had pulled him back from whatever dark place he'd gone, when he'd turned on the sink.
He frowned, staring down at his tea. He still didn't know why Garmadon had a dog. His brother had never seemed like the dog type. And he supposed it was odd that his dog had ended up all the way in the city…but Garmadon had looked genuinely surprised about that when Kai had mentioned it.
Wu took a sip, savoring the warm, comforting flavor of it.
A dog…
He frowned. Why did his brother have a dog?
What…else was he hiding?
But maybe he was making progress, at least. Garmadon had actually asked him for something, which his brother had avoided doing before. So that was good.
Wu sighed, staring into his tea.
The ninja watched as Garmadon made a wide berth around them, staying near the wall, as he headed for the large doors leading out of the courtyard. Ochre trotted close to his side, tongue hanging out the side again.
As they both disappeared out the door, Kai turned to them, crossing his arms. "Has anyone else noticed that that dog has been following him everywhere…?"
Lloyd looked away.
"Yeah. He did say the dog was his, so that would make sense." Cole shrugged.
"It also explains why the dog was so excited to see him that first time, in the dragon stalls," Zane added.
"So…why do you think he has a dog, anyway?" Jay asked.
They all shrugged.
"Garmadon doesn't seem like the type…" Kai scowled. "I still think he's up to something. Maybe—"
"Let's get back to training." Lloyd abruptly turned to them, readying his sword.
They all shot him a concerned look.
Lloyd tried hard to hold his authoritative stare, trying not to look away at their gazes.
Everyone finally got into a ready stance, deciding not to question him. They all knew what it was about, anyway—Lloyd didn't want to talk about Garmadon.
Or the dog, Lloyd thought quietly. Though they didn't know that piece of information. He started sparring with Cole, keeping up almost robotically—dodging, then swinging his sword, then blocking. It was routine, anyway.
And he had the feeling Cole was going easy on him. Lloyd grit his teeth.
The dog flashed back into his mind. How it stayed by Garmadon's side. Garmadon seemed to like the dog, too. He pet it often, gave it lots of attention…and the look in his eye…
Lloyd ducked, then landed a solid kick to Cole's stomach, causing him to stumbled back.
Cole wheezed, partly bent over, as he tried to regain his wits. "Yow…"
His teeth clenched. Christofern…that dog… Lloyd shook his head, shoving the awful feelings to the back of his mind.
He was not jealous. No.
And besides, if his father—Garmadon—liked a plant and a dog more than him, why did he care?
Cole straightened, swinging his hammer a few times. Then he paused, raising an eyebrow. "You okay?"
Lloyd sucked in a breath, trying to steady himself. "Yes."
Cole didn't look like he believed him, but he swung at him anyway.
Lloyd leaped back. The dog's face appeared in his mind again, the plant… His throat tightened.
No no no—
Not now!
He tried to blink back the sting of tears. He needed these emotions gone, NOW.
The blast erupted before he could think.
Cole gave a startled yelp.
Lloyd blinked, taking a step back.
Cole groaned, now laying on his back on the ground. "Ugh…where did that come from? I thought this was weapons only…?"
Lloyd shook his head. "Right…sorry."
"Maybe we should just quit for the day…"
"No, we can—"
"Lloyd. I'm sorry, but I don't feel like getting beat up today…though you're welcome to go against Kai."
Lloyd frowned, looking away.
The other ninja glanced over concernedly.
Lloyd turned, walking back towards the monastery, ignoring their looks. He didn't try to slam the door, but it shut harder than he'd intended. Lloyd winced.
He blinked again, trying to shove the tears back, and leaned against the door. What is wrong with me? He ran a hand through his hair.
I am not jealous. That's ridiculous. And especially not of a DOG. Or a plant!
He grit his teeth.
Garmadon followed Ochre into the kitchen. The dog had seemed to suddenly want to go inside, so he'd reluctantly followed him. He hadn't been doing anything, anyway—aside from sitting outside the monastery courtyard.
Unfortunately, it seemed like the ninja were in the kitchen now. Itwasaround lunch time though, he supposed…
Ochre walked over to his water bowl, lapping at it.
The ninja watched the dog, gaze flicking to him every so often.
Garmadon stayed near Ochre, avoiding their gazes.
The dog then walked over to the table, ears pricked.
Garmadon shifted nervously, not daring to follow him. Not near the ninja. He'd just…stay back here.
Jay handed Ochre a piece of turkey from his sandwich.
The dog happily gobbled it up.
"Good boy, Fritz!" Jay smiled.
Fritz? Garmadon resisted the urge to correct him…even if it was a stupid name.
"I doubt his name is Fritz…" Zane said.
Jay shrugged. "Eh. Garmadon probably named him something evil-like an—" his gaze briefly flicked toward him— "I…I mean…uh…well, Fritz is probably a way better name, anyway…" He laughed nervously, then ducked his head, taking a bite of his sandwich.
Zane looked at Garmadon curiously. "What is his name?"
Garmadon blinked in surprise. "Uh…I…" He fiddled with his glove.
"What, you didn't name him?" Kai raised an eyebrow skeptically. "Typical…"
"So it can be Fritz?" Jay perked up.
Fritz? "No. His name is Ochre." Garmadon swallowed nervously as everyone suddenly stared at him.
Jay pouted.
At his name, Ochre bounded over excitedly to Garmadon.
Garmadon patted his head, a sense of relief coming over him, and he relaxed slightly. It would be okay. Ochre was here. He'd be fine.
"Ochre?" Cole blinked. "Huh."
Zane gazed at the dog curiously. "I am interested to know why you chose that name."
Garmadon rubbed Ochre's face, who was leaning against his leg now. "Uh…" Why did I name him that…? The name had just…come to him.
"Is it because of his eyes? I could see how that would work. They're not quite an ocher, but they may be close enough." Zane cocked his head.
Garmadon blinked. An ochre yellow…that's what he'd originally thought, but…it didn't feel right…
"Ever wondered how pirates feel?"
He started a little, the voice having dulled since Ochre had gotten here. It was so sudden—
Ichor.
He blinked.
Ochre…
He'd been thinking about Ichor when the name had come to him…
And…Ochre sounded a lot like Ichor. Why did I not realize this until now?
That's why he'd named him Ochre…sure, his eyes were close to an ochre yellow, but…it was also because of Ichor, wasn't it?
Ochre's name suddenly felt a lot heavier than before.
He realized Zane was still staring at him expectantly. "I…um…" Garmadon tried to shake himself out of his thoughts. "Uh…yes."
Zane nodded. "A curious name. It's very creative."
Was that a compliment…? Or was he trying to insult him…? No, that didn't sound like Zane…
He mentally shook himself again. "Uh…thank you…" Garmadon turned, patting his leg to signal to Ochre, and hurriedly left. The dog trotted after him, falling into step with him.
After Garmadon had left, the ninja started eating their lunch again.
Lloyd ate slowly, the feelings from earlier still not leaving him.
"Ochre is such a lame name…" Jay pouted. "I still like Fritz…"
"I like Ochre better…" Cole stole on of Jays' sandwiches, shrugging.
"Hey!"
"He appears to like the dog a lot…" Zane still stared at where they'd disappeared.
Kai huffed. "Yeah, right. I'm sure it's all an act. Like with that plant he had. He just left that thing, even though he was so protective of it…"
Lloyd picked at his sandwich, frowning. And he left me…
"He's messed up," Kai grumbled.
There was silence after that.
Garmadon stood outside, on the courtyard's porch. Ochre sat next to him. The dog had found some food earlier, a squirrel. Garmadon was glad he'd done it himself…he didn't want to kill something else. Not after what had happened last time.
"Good evening, brother."
Garmadon felt a spike of anxiety. Why does he have to sneak up like that? He patted Ochre's head, turning to glance at Wu. "Good evening…"
Wu smiled. "How are you doing?"
Garmadon eyed him uneasily. "Um…fine." And for once, he actually was. He stroked Ochre's head.
Wu's gaze flicked towards Ochre. "How long have you had him?"
Garmadon shrugged, looking away.
"Hmm. Are you going to bed soon?"
"Yes."
Wu paused for a moment, then turned to head back inside. "Alright. Goodnight, brother."
Garmadon listened as the door opened, then shut. He sighed. He ran his fingers through Ochre's head for a bit longer, feeling himself relax. Then he turned, heading inside as well.
Wu entered his bedroom, shutting the door behind himself. His brother did seem to be doing better…he wasn't sure if he was making progress, or what had happened.
Though maybe the dog was helping…he'd noticed Garmadon pet the dog a lot, usually when he looked anxious. Which…was almost always, but today he'd looked…calmer.
Wu frowned. That was interesting…
He was still curious about the dog. And how, and why, his brother had a dog in the first place.
The dog had probably been a stray. Garmadon must have found it or something…