IanG

You evoke the battle and your narrator's plight afterwards very well. I guessed the ending before the boy and Jake met up again, yet it still moved me. Well done.

I hope its good news for you.

As often before you say a lot with just a few words. Not every writer has thst gift. I certainly don't.

This is an evocative, if sad, story. I took a holidsy in Kingussie many years ago and I like dogs, so it struck a chord with me. Well done.

The 'Cathartics' jibe is witty and the pedantic narrator rings true. I would never get published by someone like that, but neither would most writers.

I found this piece very moving, well done.

There's nothing wrong in being decent, so long as people don't take advantage of you. Unfortunately some people will take advantage. If you're worried about it then say something early on and try to be firm without being aggressive. If that doesn't work then you're entitled to get angry.

If this is autobiographical I hope things have improved since you wrote it.

This has a good rythem especially at the start.