Bibliophilism

    That brown stubby tail was a blur of motion as a kindly smile was cast in Belle's direction. The cocker spaniel motioning with her nose for the castle's mistress to examine the list of titles for herself. A small paw reaching out to gently spin the parchment around so that it was orientated the right way up for Belle to read, “Why, thank you. You know this place far better then I would and perhaps the locations of these will jump out at you more,”

    She liked Belle. Something about the young woman had instantly made Lady feel comfortable and welcomed. There was more then just a passing resemblance between the sharp eyed mistress and Lady's own human owner back home. However, where Darling had a gentle thoughtfulness to her, Belle seemed to have more direct impulse. The cocker spaniel had always had an ability to tell what a person was like, and sense their abilities. Even when she was younger and less sure of her place in the world. To her, Belle seemed like someone who would stop at nothing to achieve a goal.

    Lady dropped down onto the floor in a graceful sway and a jingle of license tags. The shelves where far taller then her canine height. However, smaller tables stood at attention all around the room with one or two more books, or with scraps of paper and fabric ready to be used as bookmarks. Putting her paws on one of these allowed the cocker to stand onto her hind legs and crane her eyes across the shelves. Quickly taking in titles. Her eyebrows peeked and she smiled as the tome in question jumped out at her instantly.

    “Not that I don't mind browsing. I've always enjoyed a good study. In a way, this place also reminds me of my home,” The honey colored spaniel hopped down from her perch and padded over to the shelf. Her lush ears rolling and fluttering in waves of deep red about her shoulders. “My home also has a library. Although no where near as large as this one.”

    Putting her for-paws on the lip, she gently nudged the book towards her with the tip of her nose until enough of the volume was visible for her to carefully wrap her maw around it's spine. Lady carried the book in her mouth with absolute delicacy. Her head held triumphantly high as she pranced back to the table and chair where her satchel and the list where located. Placing the book on the seat of chair, she rose up to the table to put a small check next to the title. Holding a quill with one paw rather dexterously. Gathering her next title, the gentle canine then crossed the thick carpet to the other side of the bottom floor to approach a ladder with thick wide steps that hung off rollers on the side of the shelf.

    “When one of my humans had her baby, she would read him poems and small stories from a great book with beautiful engravings on it. When I had my own litter, I used the same book and read to them whenever I could growing up.” She looked over her shoulder at Belle, and gave a soft chortle. “I got to the point where I had most of those poems memorized. Much to my mate's annoyance.”

    Placing a fore-paw back on the broad step rung, the cocker spaniel gently hopped up. Despite having four feet, Lady was surefooted enough to keep her balance. She practically flowed up the ladder a few steps, until she was at head height, and able to get some bearings on origination of the shelves. Once she knew how things where arranged, it would make finding the next title in the second half of the list far easier.

    Lady could feel Belle's passion in her voice, and her own enthusiasm rising in direct response. There was something contagious about such a dedication. The stubby docked tail at the base of the cocker's rump was set to quivering merrily as she climbed up the ladder rung by rung in search of the next title. She was surefooted enough to keep her balance, and she tilted her head to to side to look down the line of tombs. The spines all proclaiming the words within.

    “Oh, well...let's see, I do believe that it had the same title as the first poem. A Nursery Rhyme “La-La-Lu”, if I recall correctly.”

    The delicate spaniel's expression softened as she recalled much simpler days. When Jim Jr. was very small, she was the lone house-pet of Jim Dear and Darling, and the sun seemed to always beam on their little family. Indeed, the great library seemed to grow just a little bit warmer from their joined delight. “Size doesn't always mean everything, one can say. It's the joy it brings that matters most. A single book can hold such riveting tales,”

    Returning her attention to the shelf directly in front of her, the cocker dropped a set of rung, and dipped her head into the one directly below it. Where she found the title right where the pattern of classification would lead it to be. Gently, she wrapped her teeth around it's spine and pulled it out with the same delicacy as she would a pup. She smiled around the book, seeing Belle gleefully began to tap into her knowledge, and flow about the floor. Placing the book atop the chair next to the previous volume, she turned on the spot and pranced across the polished floor with it's rich colored tiles. Her paws seeming to glide along it's glossy surface.

    “Still, do excuse me for asking, but did you collect all these yourself?” She tilted her head to the side slightly, eyebrows risen in interest. “It's such a marvelous collection. Full of such care and attention.”