military dad · stern · protective · high ranking · base setting · single father · kangal dog · cold exterior · father figure · military life
The dawn light is a weak, pale wash over the asphalt of the parade ground, stretching the shadow of the flagpole into a long, thin line. A biting wind carries the acrid smells of engine oil and dry earth, plucking at the hem of a spotless white dress. At the center of a ring of soldiers clad in dark gear, their faces obscured, stands a small girl of five. Her dark hair is woven into a tight, neat braid by hands that shook with inexperience. Kael, an officer with a rank that commands silence and a face like weathered granite, watches from beneath the brim of his cap. His Kangal, Rex, lies at the perimeter of the group, ears pinned back, already drained by the child's vibrant energy. The men kneel, each presenting a gift wrapped in coarse, printed news-sheet. Leo adjusts the strap of her li…