Under the warmth of this shaggy giant, who became a devoted guardian to them…
As fate would have it, Nikolai Sergeyevich lived alone in a spacious home on the outskirts of town, raising two young children by himself. Every household duty rested squarely on his shoulders. As the chief engineer at the district car depot, Nikolai often had to travel for spare parts, equipment, and vehicles. Without the support of old Pakhomovna, a kind-hearted and compassionate woman, he would have been forced to either leave his well-paying job or send the children to an orphanage.
Nikolai’s younger daughter, Nina, could hear but never spoke. Doctors advised waiting until she turned six, and if she still remained silent, they suggested placing her in a specialized institution. However, Nina refused to be separated from her older brother, Sasha, who was just a year ahead and understood his mute sister perfectly. Because of this, neither child attended kindergarten.
But it wasn’t just her brother who understood little Nina. In the yard, inside his kennel, lived a massive, shaggy dog named Sultan, a fierce guardian whose thunderous bark made the windowpanes tremble. Sultan acknowledged only his owner and Pakhomovna, keeping a firm distance as any true guard dog should. To everyone else who lingered beyond the wooden fence or stepped into the yard, he was an unyielding foe.
Yet, Sultan adored the children. They could crawl into his kennel, cling to his thick, shaggy fur while riding on his back, or even dress him in their father’s worn-out jacket, doing whatever their hearts desired. The dog eagerly joined in their games, embracing every playful adventure.
Nikolai often observed his daughter murmuring softly into the ear of her towering companion. Sultan listened with keen attention and responded instinctively, as if he understood each word, whether a request or an affectionate whisper, greeting Nina with slobbery kisses that sent the children into fits of laughter. Deep down, Nikolai believed there was an unspoken bond between them, the silent little girl and her solemn, loyal protector.
Pakhomovna was utterly dependable, yet age had begun to take its toll. “You need a housekeeper, Nikolai Sergeyevich. I wish I could help more, but my strength is fading, these aching joints give me no rest. You can’t manage alone,” she sighed, her tone filled with concern.
During the November holidays, an old colleague passing through came to visit Nikolai. They shared a meal at the table, reminiscing, and later that evening, Nikolai accompanied his friend to the station for his departing train. To pass the time, they stopped by the station’s buffet. The waitress, a pleasant, middle-aged woman, flashed Nikolai a warm smile as she poured his beer. And that was how he met Galina.
Nikolai started visiting the station buffet more often, walking Galina home in the evenings to the old wooden house where she rented a small room. She confided in him that she was alone, having recently relocated to their town from another region. Her husband had fallen on the front lines, and they had never had children.
Before long, Nikolai invited his new friend over for a visit. Galina arrived dressed up, bringing treats and toys, and spent the entire day playing with the children, drawing, reading fairy tales, and laughing with them. Nina and Sasha quickly warmed up to this lively, affectionate woman.
However, her introduction to Sultan was far less welcoming. The dog met her every movement with a deep, menacing growl and refused to accept the treat she had brought as a peace offering. “Don’t worry, he’ll come around. He’s just not very sociable,” Nikolai assured his uneasy guest.
During the New Year holidays, Galina left her tiny rented room behind and moved in with Nikolai for good. They soon got married. She left her job to become a full-time homemaker, eager to settle into her new life. Enthralled by her husband’s spacious house, she wasted no time organizing it, rearranging furniture, beating out carpets, and scrubbing the windows until they gleamed.
Nikolai finally felt truly happy. The children were cared for, the house was tidy, and he no longer had to worry when traveling for work, what more could a man ask for to feel at peace?
Galina, however, grew increasingly irritated. The children constantly needed attention, consuming nearly all the free time she had gained through her fortunate marriage. Gone were the days of leisurely wine nights with friends, flirting with men, spontaneous barbecues, and evenings spent dining out in restaurants.
Over time, Galina drifted away from her nurturing role as a mother, instead unleashing her mounting resentment on the troublesome and demanding children. Whenever their chatter or laughter grew too loud, she would punish them by shutting them inside a cramped, pitch-black storage closet, so tiny they had no choice but to sit still in terror. Aunt Galya strictly warned Sasha never to reveal the punishments to their father, threatening dire consequences if she did.
As time went by, the children figured out how to escape punishment, making sure to avoid Aunt Galya’s gaze. They would dash into the yard, seeking refuge in Sultan’s kennel, feeling truly secure only under the fierce dog’s protection. Sultan loathed Galina, never allowing her to get anywhere near him.
Frustrated, Galina complained to her husband, insisting that Sultan be removed. But Nikolai refused to consider it, telling her to simply keep her distance. Infuriated, she couldn’t bring herself to poison the dog, she feared Nikolai would find out. Besides, Sultan rejected everything she offered, his fur standing on end as he growled, snarled, and bared his sharp teeth.
Whenever their father left on business trips, Aunt Galya invited guests who lingered late into the night, drinking wine, snacking, and dancing to the tunes of the radio and records. Hungry and teary-eyed, the children fled home in advance, spending the night in Sultan’s kennel, nestled against the warm side of their shaggy guardian, who lovingly watched over them.
A tall, sturdy fence shielded everything from the neighbors’ view. Only Sultan’s barking at strangers or passersby broke the silence, but no one paid any attention to it.
As summer waned, the forest brimmed with mushrooms, and nearly every weekend, they collected an astonishing haul. On one such outing, Galina wandered to an old, deserted quarry. Stepping close to the cliff’s edge, she spotted a rusted iron trailer below, long abandoned by workers.
The first frosts of the season arrived. Early in the morning, Nikolai departed for another business trip. After seeing him off, Galina woke the children, bathed them, dressed them neatly, and took them out shopping. They picked out sweets and toys.
They strolled down the street, clutching their new toys. Neighbors admired what a devoted stepmother Galina seemed to be, while the children beamed at the sudden kindness of Aunt Galya. But upon returning home, she abruptly locked them in the pantry. Sasha wept, pleading for food and water for himself and his sister. No one responded. They remained there until late evening.
Once night fell, Galina, having drunk to steel her nerves, pulled the thinly dressed children outside, warning them to stay silent. “We’re going to Dad for mushrooms,” she told them. Nina had to be carried the entire way. They crossed the empty highway, passed through a strip of roadside woods, and finally reached the quarry. Inside the trailer, she bound the children and gagged Sasha. Struggling, she forced the corroded bolt shut and walked away, leaving them behind.
Her intoxicated mind devised the next steps. Galina threw open the gate and front door, dismantled the children’s beds, and scattered their toys across the room. By morning, when the frost had done its work, she would raise the alarm. For now, she could rest easy.
Sultan let out long, mournful howls, the eerie sounds grating on her nerves. As usual, Galina drained the last of her vodka and drifted into sleep. Meanwhile, the powerful dog, summoning all his strength, shifted the heavy kennel. The carabiner snapped, and Sultan vanished into the night.
Stepan, a seasoned driver and former frontline scout, was navigating his truck along a lonely highway at night. Exhausted from the journey, he was eager to get home to his family. Suddenly, a massive, shaggy dog bolted onto the road, hurling itself at his vehicle. By some miracle, it wasn’t struck.
The dog barked sharply, then sprinted toward the forest before circling back to the truck. It repeated this strange behavior several times. Uneasy, Stepan sensed something was wrong. He stepped out of the truck and, with growing concern, followed the dog into the darkness.
Stepan quickly untied the frozen children, wrapped them in his jacket, and rushed them to his car. The woman and the dog were nowhere in sight. He brought the children to the police station, where Sasha, regaining his composure, recounted the events and provided an address. Paramedics soon arrived and took the children to the hospital.
A local officer and a detective set out for the given location in Stepan’s car. Upon arrival, they found Sultan in the yard. For the first time ever, the dog allowed strangers onto the porch. Recognizing the dog, Stepan pointed him out to the officers. Sultan, growling and barking, tried to charge into the house, but they held him back.
Inside the house, the police discovered Galina, heavily intoxicated. She initially denied any wrongdoing, but as her lies unraveled under the officer’s scrutiny, she finally broke down and admitted to the crime.
Hearing the commotion, concerned neighbors started to gather outside. The policeman, jotting down Stepan’s statement, turned to him and asked, “Can you describe the woman who stopped you on the road and led you to the quarry with the dog?”
Stepan rose to his feet, approached a portrait of a young woman, and stated with unwavering certainty, “Why describe her? It was her!”
The gathered neighbors let out a collective gasp, and an eerie silence settled over the room.
The policeman studied him intently. “Look carefully. Are you absolutely sure?”
Stepan didn’t hesitate. “As sure as I see you standing here now. I have no doubt — it was her!” He gestured toward the portrait again.
Just then, Nikolai arrived home earlier than expected. When the police informed him of what had happened, his face drained of color, and he clutched his chest. After taking a moment to steady himself, he finally spoke. “That woman… she was my first wife, Olga — Sasha and Nina’s mother. But that’s impossible… Olga drowned three years ago when the children were still very young.”
As Galina was led away, desperately pleading for Nikolai’s forgiveness, Sultan suddenly lunged from the darkness, sinking his teeth into her leg. His fierce bite left a lasting mark, a permanent reminder of both him and the children she had wronged. It took great effort to pull the enraged dog away from the shrieking woman.
Once alone, Nikolai could no longer contain his emotions. Tears streamed down his face as he sobbed like a child. He brought Sultan inside, wrapped his arms around him, and pressed his face to the dog’s snout, his warm tears soaking into the fur.
In the kitchen, he took out an entire stick of sausage and gave it to Sultan as a well-earned reward. Then, locking the house behind him, he rushed to the hospital to be with his children.
As time passed, in Olga’s hometown, beside her black marble monument, a striking sight appeared, on the pristine white snow, glowing like embers, lay a large bouquet of red roses.