Inspiration: Fraki

 There's no secret.  Brandr is definitely part ranger.  And no ranger is complete without their loyal companion, Fraki.

By Sannse - Photo by Sannse. Taken from en.wikipedia.org, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=13777

This was a simple, easy choice.  I started with looking at the dogs that existed in the Viking Age (approximately 792-1166 ce) and found the Norwegian Elkhound, a doggo that has been found alongside their human companions for 5000 years.  It was love at first sight, and I instantly knew that Brandr needed this furry friend. He is, of course, named for Odin's own hound, Freki.

While his first appearance in print was Wyrd of the Wolfkin, Fraki's first chronological appearance will be in the short story "The Hearth in the Hills" in the anthology Of Mistletoe and Snow, to be released November 24, 2020.

Read about Norwegian Elkhounds here and here.