Benjamin & Others

This was not a location he'd intended to wind up at, based on what he knew of the country family. Mrs. Johnson was a widow, and her son had turned into something of a delinquent in the past few years since his father's brutal death. It was only with help from the PDP that Martha was able to keep her land and continue her livestock operation - and it was through this organization and John's sporadic involvement with it that Benjamin found a very unlikely link to Conan.

Raimi had stayed with family for a short while last year. What's more, casual talk from John to a few younger members of the PDP had revealed that another teen was staying at the residence, by the name of Tahmores. Benjamin didn't know much of anything about this particular kid, and the lack of information was enough to warrant a visit.

A streak of black, accented by a few splashes of white, came barreling over the ground when Benjamin pulled down the long lane. "We've got a visitor!" A striking resemblance to his father, only with a slightly stockier skull and grayed eyes, Nak was bouncing along dangerously close to the vehicle.

Tahmores*Elder Brother

No matter how bad things got around the ranch, and how odd John's behavior got, Tahmores had stayed around and done everything he could to keep the sprawling ranch home afloat. Far from his first days here, the boy had become quite accustomed to sleeping indoors, so long as he had a window to see out of, and had taken up slack wherever he could to make up for Mark's death and the frequent absences of his adoptive brother. It always bothered Tah to see how subtly upset Martha could get when she failed to understand John's actions, but he had never been a great one for talking effectually with people; he did better with canids.

But as a result of how he'd picked up the habits and chores of the farm, the wolfboy, who'd be twenty in just a couple months' time, was long and lean, and built heavily with a kind of wiry muscle that never failed him. He could do farm work all day, and after that, the strangely dexterous fingers would help Martha with mending and cooking when night came. He was doing his best to be the glue that kept the family together.

So perhaps it was unsurprising that he instantly responded to Nak's bark - due to his unconventional upbringing, he knew which of the ranch's protectors had barked, and essentially what the bark meant. Only moments later, it was followed by Brother's deep, growly voice and an all-too-familar, deep baying.

Martha's companion was hardly a warrior anymore - the shoulder wound that she'd taken in the last big attack that had killed Mark had never healed properly, and now there were days where it was clear that it was very difficult for her to walk because of the pain. But she was still a fairly young dog, and her deep connection to Martha kept her close by no matter where her mistress went, and no matter how far she had to walk to follow her. Ever loyal, the half-crippled cocker-pit mix wouldn't let the old injury keep her from protecting her mistress as best she could. It was the addition of her voice that got Tah's attention most - Rihanne was outside, which was unusual. He put aside his work at mending a bridle and came out onto the porch, giving an expert whine and whistle combination that would usually bring most of the collective dogs in closer to him, if they weren't in an overly protective-aggressive mode, and waited for the car to come to a stop.

Benjamin & Others

Anywhere else, Benjmain wouldn't have been quite as hesitant as he was being now in trying not to run over the hyper canine that was bouncing so dangerously close to his moving wheels. Since hitting Nak would a rather horrible way for him to first greet the family, the man bit back his irritation and moved along slowly enough. Not that he needed to worry - the ebony hybrid was a sure-footed as his father, and cunning as his dam, and bounced around as nimbly near cars as he did with the heavy-footed cattle and horses in the fields. "The car doesn't smell familiar. I don't think I've seen it before." Nak's high, sharp bark rode in the air again, alerting the others before Tahmore's soft noises got his attention. Tongue lolling from the side of his parted jaws, the yearling bounded back towards the young man and took up a place with him and the others that were gathering.

Timber didn't dally in responding either, or to place himself squarely in front of the other guardians and the human, even though he was one of the smallest in the group. Benjamin finally rolled to a stop a few yards from the gathering, and after a moment to contemplate the creatures that assembled in response to his arrival, he dared to get out and take a few steps from his car before nodding in Tah's direction and hailing him with a smile, "Hello, there. You must be John?" He knew it wasn't of course - this one was Tahmores, but aside from that... he didn't really know what to think of the young man.

Tahmores*Elder Brother

Before the car had even managed to pull all the way into the drive, the core group was gathered - Rihanne hauled herself up and parked herself beside and a little behind Timber, eyeing the incoming car cautiously just as she had when all of her limbs had obeyed her. That wasn't to say that remaining standing was a pleasant thing for her - it made her shoulder ache - but it was a habit that she just couldn't break. Martha had taken her in here as a yearling who'd started out in the rough fighting rings even before coming to the ranch; she couldn't get out of the pattern of defending all that she'd learned to hold dear, even if she wasn't much of a fighter anymore.

However Brother didn't respond to either the whistle or the whine that would have usually brought him obediently to the young man's side - he was up further than anyone, watching the car intently, and the moment Ben stepped out, the wolf bristled and let out an airy snarl. Tah's keen ears caught the sound, and saw the stiffness settle into Brother's back - whoever Ben was, Brother didn't like him. "Brother! Jiya mutshet!" He let out that command in his native tongue, and when it had no effect, put a bit of snarl into the calling-whine. All of the dogs should recognize that tone - he was reminding Brother that he was 'pack leader', so to speak. Brother ceased his snarling instantly - but he still didn't look happy as he backed up and took his proper place beside Tahmores. But as he passed Timber, he muttered, "The two-legger smells like nothing I have ever known... he's a fox and a man all rolled into one. I do not like it." But as he was putting out this warning and taking his place, Tah shook his head to the man's question. "No - that's my brother. Tahmores is my name." He never hesitated to call John his brother - near to four years now, for better or worse, this family had become his own; whatever sort of oddness the younger man had taken on recently, he was still Tahmores' brother. "You'll excuse the dogs, I hope - we don't get visitors here very often. Not human ones, anyway."

Benjamin & Others

A white-tipped, feathery tail wisped to the side once, brushing briefly against the shoulder of the pit-mix who was standing slightly behind him. With the rest of his old family and friends gone, he knew Rihanne almost longer than any of the other canines, and saw her as one of his closest friends. The tail-touch was as much of an assuring gesture as a human's hand touch would be to a comrade's shoulder. Her shoulder trouble had only made the collie more protective around her, even if he spent more time roaming around the yard than he did venturing into the house to be with her or Martha.

Tahmore's snarling accent to the whine caused even Timber's ears to move down briefly. As he looked up to Marth and John as his alphas, it hadn't taken long for Tahmores to take up that status too, and place him an a position of authority. "You're right, Brother. Something about him... it just doesn't sit right."

"Oh, Tahmores? Ah, so you're the one he speaks so highly of." Benjamin smiled again, and because of the tension he could see in the canines, the man remained right where he was rather than move forward. Dog body-language wasn't his forté, but the messages that Brother was sending were hard to miss, "I'm sorry, my name's Benjamin Linus. I'm one of the PDP's major sponsors."

Tahmores*Elder Brother

Rihanne acknowledged the little twitch of Timber's tail by shifting her weight, just so subtly, so that without ever taking a step, she was just a little closer to him. They were old comrades by now - there was very little need for words between them, usually. Her little stub of tail wriggled once, twice, and then lay still as she listened to the varied canines around her - and kept her nose alert. "The kind of water that makes the car go... dogs... horses. And a cat. Just one - female. Another male two-legger who smells tangy and salty, and like old wood. Soot, ashes... and that strong spray stuff Martha wears sometimes, only a different kind. Not his - it's a lady-smell." The hybrid quietly listed off the things that her keen nose told her about Ben, covering everything from the animals the man had been in contact with today to the trace of Cass' perfume and the smell of Mikhail's house left on him from the last time he'd visited them; whatever her physical inabilities, her nose was as astute as ever.

After Brother returned to him, Tahmores left off of the snarls and whine - he knew that his abilities with canines disturbed almost everyone besides Martha and John, who had become used to it by now. And he certainly wasn't going to reveal such intimate knowledge to an outsider, even though he had nothing but Brother's unexpected aggression to go on. But his face was friendly enough as he nodded to Ben. "Oh, I see - what can I do for you?" At his feet, Elder Brother snorted. "I do not like it," he repeated, and pressed one paw into Tahmores' bare foot, causing an amount of pressure that expressed to the young man that he was not happy about letting this visitor come close to them. Tah understood it, and made a gesture - 'hold off for now', he was telling Brother. 'He hasn't done harm yet.'

Benjamin & Others

The varied descriptions ran through the collie's head, settling into his memory as Rihanne described the man in a way that was just as descriptive to him as a human might list off some visual aspects. Together, they formed a sort of mental-scent image of this strange human male, and coupled with the way that Brother was so anxious about him, the general picture of Ben was not a good one in Timber's mind. "None of the animals smell familiar. I'm wiling to side with Brother's hesitation - we can't risk anything." He rumbled quietly, even if attacking another human was entirely forbidden in all but the most extreme cases. That didn't mean he couldn't let his feelings be known though.

"I was hoping to have a few words with John. Is he here?" Benjamin responded, turning his blue eyes away from Tahmores briefly to look towards the house, and what he could see of the distant barn. No sign of the teen anywhere, or Martha for that matter; though, the woman was currently tending to the horses in the Barn, in preparation for a small show in town today.

Tahmores*Elder Brother

Rihanne shifted her weight uneasily, mostly taking pressure off of her shoulder but also subtly expressing that she agreed with Timber - they didn't know enough about this man to know he was friendly, and if Brother didn't feel comfortable with him... well, they'd all learned to trust the wolf's judgment since he'd come here. Even the normally anti-wolf mix had come to respect and care about both Brother, and Timber's mate Artemis, who came from one of the most notorious wolven families around here. So if Brother was so blatant in expressing his distrust, they were all going to be on their guard.

Tahmores was listening to the sounds of the canines around him as they discussed the issue - he couldn't understand the exact words they were using, but he could get the general idea, and often a little more, due to his years living with wolves. So he understood that the general opinion of Ben was guardedly negative, and that made him watch his words and actions carefully. "I have not seen John this morning," the young man answered quietly, his lightly-accented voice even and clear. Elder Brother pressed against him a bit though, because he knew the boy's moods well enough to know that he was worried - and because 'John' was one of the many words he'd learned since coming here, Brother even knew what he was worried about. Tah didn't acknowledge Brother's reassurance, but he didn't push him away, either - his focus was on Ben.

Benjamin & Others

Having absolutely no leverage in this situation, Benjamin couldn't afford to try and play games with Tahmores. He just didn't know enough about the young man, and he was different enough to put Ben on edge. Tah had a way of communicating with animals, and his subtle body language was almost like an entirely new dialect for Ben - he just couldn't follow it quite as clearly as he did with others. "Might I have a few minutes of your time, then?" All politeness and etiquettes, the short man would try for any sort of information he could. He wasn't sure what to make of Tahmores, but the young man had definitely been here when Raimi was around, if John was to be believed, so it was worth an attempt to try and speak with him.

Tahmores*Elder Brother

He could feel the tension of the canines around him - feel it as a sort of vibration through the air that rolled against him, alighting with shocks on his skin. "He is wary of us - that is good," Brother murmured, smelling the beginnings of fear in Ben as the man worked over how little he really knew about Tahmores. "I do not think he will try anything - but I am not willing to find out the hard way." This was one of those places where the fact that he'd raised Tahmores was making the ordinarily friendly Brother a little more guarded than he needed to be. Tahmores was a man now, and perfectly capable of defending and taking care of himself - even now, the young man's knife was on its leather thong around his neck, disguised under his shirt - but Brother still remembered the stumbling, fumbling teenager he'd helped to raise.

"Certainly," Tahmores answered, nodding and gesturing toward the picnic table to indicate a place where they might sit for their talk - with the dogs so worried about it, he didn't want to invite Ben into the house. "See here - mak thiktet," he murmured to the dogs, and Brother removed his paw from the boy's foot and reluctantly stepped out of his way. He had to run a hand briefly over Rihanne's back to convince her to let him by - she was chiefly Martha's companion and guardian, but with John so often gone these days, her mistress had really been counting on Tahmores for companionship and help - so Rihanne's protection extended to him, knowing how badly Martha would be distressed if something happened to the young man. It took Tah a moment to wind through the crowd of canines, and even so, both Brother and Rihanne moved with him, following him to the table. The cocker-mix sat down near one of its legs, taking the pressure off of her shoulder, and though Brother was too obedient by now to hop up on the seat next to Tahmores, he tucked himself near the boy's feet, where he could get after Ben very quickly if he suddenly became a threat.

Benjamin & Others

Timber's almond eyes watched as Benjmain moved from his place near the old car and crossed over the yard with Tahmores' permission, to take a seat at the indicated picnic table. Adopting a stiff-legged walk, the dog stalked after the others as they trailed the two humans to their place of discussion, "I see what you mean now. There is something about him... and 'fox' describes it well." Timber pronounced in a low tone, seating himself back on his black haunches, in a position that let him clearly see both men at the table. Nak wasn't quite so reserved as the others, and bounced right over to Ben to sniff at his pants, and an offered hand. He had perhaps the only active tail at the moment, swaying merrily after he'd had a few moments to investigate the stranger, "I don't know guys, he smells funny, but he looks pretty harmless."

Enduring the investigation by the yearling, Benjamin obligingly put a hand out for Nak to sniff over, and once the young hybrid was satisfied with his investigation, the man scratched briefly at his head. Unlike humans, canines and their wild counterparts were creature he just couldn't manipulate - he could subdue most by force and training, but there just was no way for him to get inside their heads like he did with his human victims. Taking the one victory with Nak where he could, Ben turned his attention to Tahmores, "As one of the PDP's primary funders, it's in our interest to learn about the members and their families. I know yours in particular has had some rough times in the past few years." Using 'your' was a subtle way for Ben to figure out if Tahmores did or didn't see himself as part of the family group. If he did, that meant he was definitely a stable member here, and someone he needed to focus more on.

Tahmores*Elder Brother

"Use caution, Nak - many humans seem to be quite harmless." That was Rihanne's low voice as she studied Ben intently, carefully sniffing for the tang of metal or the whiff of gunpowder that would mean he had a weapon on him. She was one that didn't try to crush Nak's friendly spirit - after all, they had far too few openly friendly canines around here - but she was often the voice of caution, trying to remind him to be careful and not let his curiosity override his judgment. He was young yet, and Rihanne understood that - that was why she continued to repeat such cautions. "You wouldn't think they are harmful - no claws, precious little of fangs, slow, blind and deaf - but some of them are beastly things. I lived among the wrong kind of men before I came here - I know that of which I speak."

While the dogs were still discussing the visitor and trying to come up with some working analysis of him, Tahmores devoted his attention to Ben, running his bare feet through Brother's fur as he did so. He noticed how Ben used the word 'family'; most did not say that, because he didn't look a thing like Martha or John, and it was very clear they weren't related by blood. Most everyone thought he was a guest at the house, and treated him as such. Apparently, Ben had done his research. He was about to answer when a hawk's shriek split the quiet - and the goshawk that had become accustomed to roosting on the farmhouse roof swooped down and landed on Tahmores' shoulder, chattering nastily and looking as though she'd gladly peck Ben's eyes out. The young man lifted a hand to stroke Elderwild, all the while turning his keen eyes to the trees to look for her master. When Ravenwing did not appear, he left off his search, and answered over the goshawk's chattering, "We have had a bit of trouble yes - but we're getting by with the PDP's help; we've got a round of new calves this year that'll bring in more milk next summer when they come of age, and the sheep went crazy this year - we've got a large group of lambs that'll be old enough for shearing come the fall. It'll be a needed bonus - I'm still trying to rake in supplies to fix the barn roof - it leaks a bit, after that big storm that blew through." And while he was telling Ben this, Elderwild was chattering in her usual irritable way. "What's that man doing here? He's not one of ours - get him out of here before I decide he's a tasty snack." Of course, the bird wasn't going to eat Ben, persay - but she had been known to attack strange men with volleys of painful, blood drawing pecks and scratches from her talons; only Tah's influence was keeping her from doing so already.

Benjamin & Others

With his young age came the general naivety of the world, and the fact that there had been little troubles around the Ranch for some time only inflated this sense of freedom and trust with strangers. "It's okay, he's being nice." The yearling responded, his tail waving a little more when an insistent nudge forced Ben to pat distractedly at his head. Apparently, Ben wasn't much of a dog-person, but he played the part to appease Tahmores and the others, for now. When Rihanne spoke of the injustices of men, his wigging tail drooped, and his ears wilted a little - he'd heard vaguely of the Pits from his father, and though he didn't know of his uncle who had almost been killed there, he understood that there were such things as 'bad' humans. Sometimes, he just needed to be reminded.

Canines were one thing, but birds - Benjamin jumped a little when the goshawk alighted on Tahmores' shoulder and started to chatter in a way that couldn't be mistaken for happy noises. She was clearly irritated, and the sight of those talons and beak made the man's pulse spike a few beats higher. People he could control... birds and dogs, not so much, and that always made him a little more leery. "That's good to hear, especially after all the trouble. I understand you're no longer having so much trouble with the predators?" It took a few moments before he could pry his eyes away from the cranky bird to look back at Tah; his speech was still impeccable and clearly thought out, but there was no hiding the surprise that creeped into his gaze, "With just you, Martha, and John here, it's remarkable that you've managed to maintain everything so well and keep the place running." He spoke this in a congratulatory manner, while again seeking the same confirmation that Tahmores was a permanent resident - and that it was only the three of them here. He couldn't mention Raimi just yet, but he was slowly working up to it.

Another set of blue eyes was watching the scene unfold, quite a distance from the others. Aidan had responded belatedly to the commotion, and now stood at the edge of the house to watch the proceedings. It was Nak again who spoke up, "He seems nice enough, but... hey, you really wouldn't eat him, ..would you?" The youngster asked the ridiculous question in awe, his giant silver eyes turning up to the bird in fascination, not quite sure if she were just joking, or she was being serious.

Tahmores*Elder Brother

"For the moment," Rihanne rumbled cautiously in response to Nak, though with her twitching nose not coming back with any scent of weapons, she relaxed just a bit. But then Elderwild made her appearance - and the tone of the conversation changed so subtly; apparently, Ben wasn't so comfortable around birds. "She's harmless mostly," Tah assured Ben, noting his surprise and the concentration on the goshawk's built-in weaponry. She chattered some more at Ben before she settled to preening her slate-colored feathers, keeping her keen gaze always upon the stranger but settling a bit under Tahmores' influence. "Her bark's worse than her bite," he finished. 'Unless Ravenwing decides he doesn't like you - then you might have problem,' he thought, but didn't say.

And then, he returned his attention to the conversation at hand, and answered, "It's been a lot of work - but I'm rather used to it. I've been here several years; this is home, and so I know how things work and which animals have what attitudes - it helps some. And the predators have backed off alot, particular as our number of dogs has grown. We used to have only three or four dogs around here - now we've got just over a dozen. It discourages attacks, for the most part.

But even though she'd stopped chattering so irritably, Elderwild was, as usual, not disposed to be polite to the dogs. Her temperament was such that sweetness and gentleness of manner were offered almost exclusively to Ravenwing - and occasionally to the wolfboy or Martha. "Think I won't?" she snapped at Nak, shuffling her wings and turning her beady little eyes to him. "He's a scoundrel of a thing - and he doesn't belong to us. Why shouldn't I?"

Benjamin & Others

"You have quite the knack for animals, I see." Benjamin pointed out through his surprise, working hastily to drew in his more assured self and dismiss the slight fear he'd let shine through. He wasn't about to speak his mind on the goshawk, or admit how that constant staring riled him more than he ought to let it. He knew it was entirely silly, but the fact that he couldn't say any sly remark or cunning bit of information to gain the upperhand over her was a very frustrating thing. Without a shared language, his best means of defense was useless. Shaking his thoughts away from this, the man spoke up on what Tahmores was saying now, "I see a lot of them have wolf blood? If your family is ever interested in obtaining a King Hound or two, we'd be happy to arrange that." Working up a good note for himself, and trying for any method that would get him more involved with the little family - and thus closer to finding out about Raimi's brief existence here - Benjamin offered Tahmores this.

"Oh..." Nak's ears flattened back at Elderwild's snapping words, but his wide gray eyes couldn't be any more curious than they were right now. "...so, you'd really eat him then?" Intimidated by the bird, particularly because of his young age, Nak still had the enthusiasm to tilt an ear to the side and turn his surprise into suspicion, "Wait... you're just saying that, aren't you? Dad says we don't eat humans." Timber had parted his jaws to cut in, but stopped himself at the last minute with a light sigh. Nak was a smart one, but he was still in a phase of incredible gullibility.

Tahmores*Elder Brother

"Something of a way with them, at least - though I'll admit I'm better with dogs." There, that was almost a casual comment coming from Tahmores - as long as they were on the topic of dogs, he could relax some and not worry about the canines' uneasiness with Ben; dogs were a neutral topic. "Elderwild's a little overprotective, for certain - but I've never known her to go after someone without a really good reason." Of course, that was the issue, wasn't it? Because he knew as well as the guardians that the bird wanted to go after Ben, and only Tah's firmness was keeping her in line. And then he turned back to the subject of dogs - Ben had found a treasure trove in that topic, and a way to connect with him. "Yes, we have many hybrids, but to my knowledge, only Artemis - mate of Timber, that black and white fellow there - is full bred; well, she and Brother here, of course." He nudged the wolf contentedly with his foot, and went on, "They're a bit harder to get to know than some of the tamer breeds, but just as loyal once they grow attached to you." He wouldn't mention that he had a particular gift with wolves - that would give far too much information to Ben. Instead, he murmured, "I know we had a couple of King Hounds at one point - Du Hast and Gladiator. I'm not entirely sure what happened to them... I was gone from home for quite a while, and when I came back, they were gone. Of course - their presence kind of threw off the other dogs. Martha might have chosen to have them placed in other homes... I honestly wouldn't know."

Elderwild continued to click her beak sharply every now and then, blatantly letting everyone know that she didn't like Ben. She continued to focus her gaze on him almost in a challenge - she was a predator bird, and any long eye contact was a challenge from her. She didn't answer Nak's suspicious words, other than to flick her gaze briefly at him and flip her tail in his direction - and straight after that, a call very similar to her own ear-rending shriek hit the air. Instantly, she pushed off of Tahmores' shoulder and took to the air, emptying her large-bird bowels a couple of feet away from Ben as if to send the message that of what she thought of him - and then she disappeared over the trees that enclosed the home.

Benjamin & Others

One thing that John hadn't mentioned was Tahmores' time with the wild packs in the Valley. He had grown rather standoffish lately, but he respected Tah like his own brother, and to mention his involvement with wild wolves to the PDP was something he just wasn't going to do, in order to avoid them trying to seek the young man out, for better or for worse. What he had spilled was Tah's abilities with the canines, describing him something as an expert - and that was about all Benjmain had to go on. "John has said as much. I must admit, I underestimated the significance of your work; from what I've seen in the past few minutes, you've got an impressive ability to keep control of them with little effort. To do that with a full-blooded wolf, that's saying something." Ben remarked casually enough, tones bordering towards light praise still so that he didn't come off as too prying. "Du Hast? The name seems to ring a bell, though I'm not really involved with that aspect of the PDP. In any case, it sounds like you're doing just fine with the canines you have." That end of his ploy was cut short, but now that he'd found something that Tahmores was more open to talking about, Ben dug further, "Where did you come about obtaining your canines, if I may ask?" Benjamin managed not to start at the shriek that hit the air, though he didn't entirely hide the disgust and annoyance when Elderwild left him a not-so-little present upon take off.

Tahmores*Elder Brother

Tah didn't look too upset that Elderwild had expressed her dislike for Ben in such a rude manner - that was just her way. But noting their guest's disgust, he murmured apologetically, "She's a one-man bird for the most part - and that man isn't even me. She's got a thing about unknown people in her territory. Nothing personal, you understand." And then, he allowed himself to be lead back to the more positive topic, and answered softly, "It's like working with any other sort of animal who naturally lives in a regimented power system - you have to let them know who the lead is. Past that, there's very little 'control' involved, as such. They know what needs doing - they just need to be reminded every now and again. I've done a bit of work with the Wolf Center on the topic, as a matter of fact. You'd be amazed the sort of ignorance about wolves I've found in an area of the country that is positively crawling with them."

With that established, he listened carefully to Ben's words on Du Hast, but couldn't really offer the man any information - he hadn't known the pair of hounds was coming until they'd gotten here. Instead, he turned his attention to the latter question. "Timber's been here longer than I have - I understand he and his family were the original guardians here. And the rest have mostly come to us, though some are the offspring of others."

Benjamin & Others

He'd carefully shied past Tahmores' first comment on Elderwild's behavior, his suspicious mind not sure whether to take it as a subtle hint that Tah really knew who he was, or just a random fact that the young man had stated. When the goshawk's behavior was broached again, Benjamin nodded his head in acknowledgment, "Territorial, that makes since; completely understandable, as this is my first visit here." Trying to put his name in the clear, and dismiss the frustration that the animals had inflicted so easily on him, Benjamin found another crucial bit of information that he could work on as Tahmores went on to explain his knowledge of canines, "I've been to the Wolf Center a few times, and I agree - there's too much ignorance in this city when it comes to certain things. Wolves being high on the list." Where normally the PDP focused the wolf as the enemy, Benjamin wasn't so stupid as the suggest such a thing with a person who was so close to the creatures. He went along with the other's words, all the while thinking of all those he knew that worked at the facility. There weren't many that came immediately to mind, and none were any of his people, but it was a definite place he could check. "I'd like to invite you to speak with some of our trainers some time, if you're interested in such a thing. And..." Benjamin shifted to the side a little as he dug into his pocket, producing a miniature notepad scribbled on with this thing and that. Flipping back to a mostly-blank page, he tore half of it off and began to etch out his cell number with a pen from his shirt pocket, "Would you mind giving me a call when John returns? And if you think you'd be interested in my offer, please feel free to call."

Tahmores*Elder Brother

The young man reached to take the bit of paper from Ben, tucking it into the pocket of his pants so that he could find it later. "I'll tell him you stopped by," he promised, though he did not entirely promise to call Ben - it could have been an honest oversight on his part, or a deliberate evasion. Brother got to his paws as Tahmores stood to shake hands briefly with Ben, his snarl coming back into play but not making any move otherwise against the man. "I'll remember - thank you, sir," the young man told him, but even as he was saying this, Brother told Timber, "I've changed my mind - he's a snake. Waiting in the tall grass to strike when you aren't looking, and venomous too, in his sweet words."

Benjamin & Others

"Thank you." He stood on cue as Tahmores did, all smiles again as he reached a hand to meet the other's in a shake. That snarl from Elder Brother certainly didn't go unnoticed, and it was with a strong presence of mind and will power that Ben deflected the alarm that tried to express itself. "He's very protective of you, I see." It was another attempt to place the animals' collective aggression against him as no more than the guarded response to a stranger in their territory, "Thank you for your time. I hope to be hearing from you soon." Another flash of a smile before he turned and walked briskly away, not faltering as Timber stood upon his passing, body tense again.

"By our masters' orders, we cannot do him harm on our suspicions alone." The collie rumbled with minor disappointment, agreeing fully with Brother's assessment of the man, "Let him make one false step, however..." Timber had rarely put his fangs to human flesh, but Martha and the others knew the collie had it in him to attack people as readily as he did wolven invaders, if they proved a direct threat to his family.

Tahmores*Elder Brother

Once Ben had stepped away from Tah, Elder Brother closed the distance, pressing his weight defensively against the young man's leg and directing cold eyes after the stranger. Tah himself reached down to scrub at Brother's ruff, his eyes following Rihanne as she got up and half-circled Ben's car, in a motion reminiscent of herding sheep - and she was herding away from the home, sending a clear message that she wanted the guest to leave. "Shhhh, Brother," he whispered to the wolf, who whined briefly and pressed more tightly against him. "I know you don't like him - I'm not so sure about him myself. He is intelligent - and that can be dangerous."

At the same time, Brother was giving a sharp nod to indicate he agreed with Timber's assessment. "I'll be straight behind you in that case, Timber. One false move..." His voice faded off ominously, and he dared flash a fang briefly in the direction of the retreating man - like the collie, nothing would stop Elder Brother if he thought the family was threatened. They'd finally found marginally happier times - he would give a great deal to see to it that these times lasted.

Timber & Others

Starting to feed off the hostility of the others, Nak's feathery tail went skyward and he trotted in a quick clip after Benjamin to see the man to his vehicle. Ebony ears perked up, he followed after the old car a ways as Ben backed it out of the drive and circled around to drive out of the lane. "Do you think he's really bad?" Despite all his show of bravado as saw the man off, Nak's voice was still lit with curiosity by the time he came sprinting back down the lane and slowed towards Rihanne, "He smells like other animals. Not very many of them, though."

Tension evaporated from the collie's taut muscles only when the sound of the vehicle rumbled out of hearing range. His stiff tail loosened and hung in a more friendly manner, even if his hard-set eyes remained suspicious, "I don't know what it is about him, but there's something off about him. I don't know..." Brown eyes turned to where Aidan was standing at the side of the house, wondering whether or not he should utilize one of the hybrid's free-roaming kin to try and figure out where this man lived, and what he could learn from the creatures that lived with him. "At least we know he's intimidated by us. He can't hide the scent of fear."

Tahmores*Elder Brother

Rihanne didn't follow the car as it backed down the drive, because her shoulder was aching powerfully now - but she did wait for Nak to return, just to be sure that all was well with him. As she had while the pups were growing up, she'd always been one to look out for them, and it was a habit that would die a hard death. As he came back toward her though, she was somewhat more relaxed than she had been the whole time Ben had been here. As she began to move back toward the house, her subtle head movement inviting Nak to walk beside her, she answered him. "I do not know, little one," were her first words, indicating that she was feeling protective of him indeed, for as soon as they'd reached six months, she'd stopped calling the pups 'little'. "The only thing I can tell you is that something feels wrong about him. After a little while, you learn that smell is not the only resource to use when dealing with strange animals and two-leggers. Sometimes, it is only a feeling at the pit of your stomach - but this one is so strong, and shared by so many of us, that I am inclined to believe it is true, though our orders keep us from acting without proof."

As soon as the car was out of sight, Tah stepped away from the table, and plopped himself down on the ground where he was more comfortable, allowing Brother to cuddle against him for a few moments. As he did so, the wolf told Timber, "Yes - and he's not quite sure what to think of Tahmores either. He was especially frightened of Elderwild, but he was uncertain of the boy as well."

Timber & Others

The yearling was still a little clumsy with social things, but he was quickly getting the hang of it all, enough to see the little head movement as an invitation to walk beside her. Mindfully adjusting his pace so that he wouldn't be out pacing her, Nak slowed his nimble legs to an even stride and walked in a loose gait, "I don't feel anything but rumbling in my gut." He announced mumblingly, a little dejected that he wasn't sensing the same thing that all his elders were. "This 'feeling' - is it something that comes with age? Like wisdom?"

Timber was confident enough in the man's departure to plant himself in the grass as well, stretching his forelegs in front of him and opening his lean jaws in a wide yawn. "If he's so uncertain of us, we may be able to use intimidation to keep him at bay." The collie suggested, a little more idly now that feelings had relaxed amongst the group. An ear turned back to hear Rihanne and Nak walking back from the drive, and he had to grin inwardly at his son's comments, "Kids... they'll keep you on your toes. And have a million questions about anything and everything."

Rihanne*Others

However Timber felt about it, Rihanne had never ceased to be an endless fountain of knowledge for the pups, and never seemed to tire of answering questions. This was no exception - and with the immediate threat gone, she was relaxed enough now to give a low chuckle. "Something like that, Nak. Experience is really the key there. You've got that feeling already - like the way you know meat's gone bad and you really shouldn't eat it. It's inborn - but it takes a while to hone into something that you immediately recognize and know what to do with." That said, she nudged him just a bit, fondly, as she might have done to his father. If she noticed the way he had shortened his fast steps to keep pace with her, she didn't say anything - she knew that Timber looked out for her very carefully, particularly now that she couldn't move as fleetly as she once could, and honestly wouldn't have been surprised if he'd mentioned something to his newly-grown children on the topic.

And the general air of relaxation finally reached everyone, enough that Brother relaxed some more. As Tahmores got up to continue his chores, knowing he hadn't much time to idle about, Brother stretched himself on his side in the sun, soaking up some of the warmth as he teased, "Yours in particular, Timber. I can't count the times I've fetched one or the other of them out of the barn, out of the sheep pasture, away from the chicken coop - or wherever it was they were making mischief at the time." He chuckled, and stretched out his long forelimbs. "They turned out good though, I have to give you that."

Timber & Others

Knowing his son had the habit of asking questions first and thinking about his words after the fact, Timber had made it a point to explain about Rihanne's shoulder - both to prevent the youngsters from pestering her about it if they ever noticed the stiffness, and to keep them from trying to engage in rough play with the mix. Nak, for all his boundless interest and strive to learn things, was at least sensitive enough not to question her over the old wound, or ask specifically how and when she got it, "I wish I were older already." The yearling sighed, in a manner that wasn't all that dejected any more, especially not when Rihanne gave him a fond nudge, "Elderwild was just kidding, wasn't she? She really wouldn't eat a human, would she...?"

Timber contentedly stretched his head down over his front paws, basking in the sunny morning and soaking up the renewed peace over the area. The strange human was still in the back of his mind, but he'd had so little trouble with humans in the past, aside from a few pertinent cases, that he didn't put much more thought to it. "I have to thank you guys for helping us raise them." Timber murmured in an almost sleepy voice as the sun started to get the better of him. But this drowsiness couldn't keep a side-long glance from drifting towards Brother, "Speaking of pups, I'm surprise you haven't found yourself a special someone."

Rihanne*Others

Rihanne smiled fondly, her stump of tail wagging just a bit. "Don't hurry it dear. There'll come a time - oh, much sooner than you think - when you'll look back and wish you were younger again. And then I'll be laughing with you." She shook her head a little bit at that, in the tolerant way of older creatures with the younger ones. By this time they'd reached the house, and she eased herself down onto the ground, her bad leg angled awkwardly to one side. And she let out a sounder, more thoroughly amused chuckle. "No, Nak - she would not eat him. I've known her to scratch and peck at unknown men when they come here, going for the eyes in the way that predator birds do, but her kind does not eat humans. Rodents mostly, smaller birds, and fish are their main diet."

Brother stopped dead in the middle of his stretch, indicating that he was a little startled by the sudden change in the conversation. He and Timber had been over this topic several times before of course, though usually in the reverse order as he had prodded and poked at the collie, who had so obviously been more than fond of Artemis. It wasn't the first time that Timber had turned the topic about on him - but it was definitely the first time in a great while. Seeming to realize now that he'd frozen, Brother took the moment to relax his stretched limbs and roll onto his stomach so that he could face the collie more squarely; he was calm and collected, but if he'd been human, he'd have been blushing hotly. "You always find a way to startle me with that topic, Timber," he admitted slowly, but he didn't sound angry - just a little uncertain. "Up to now, my primary focus in life has been looking after Tahmores - but he is grown now, and can look after himself. He does not need me anymore... but then all these things happened with John, and we started having so much trouble around here. It's just now beginning to die down a bit... I admit I've found other things to do." Excuse to keep yourself busy, his mind told him, prodding a bit at him as well. It wasn't that Brother didn't want a family of his own - it was just that his entire existence had been centered around caring for Tahmores, and now with the young man grown, he was... kind of lost as to what to do now.

Timber & Others

His black muzzle wrinkled a little to one side in a look of good-natured disagreement, "Yeah, but you and dad get to go to more places with the Masters. The only time I get to ride in the car is when I have to go to the vet." In recollection of the Wolf Center, the usual place that he and his siblings went to on account of their mixed blood, Nak shivered. Part of the reason he wasn't taken for more car rides like Timber and Nak was the simple fact that he couldn't be trusted yet, and had twice bounced right out of the vehicle after Martha had come to a stop, and spent the better half of an hour running around and ignoring her sharp commands to come back. He wasn't quite mature enough, or trained to an extent where he was as unquestionably loyal as the older two canines. "Oh... I figured that, I mean. I didn't really think she'd eat him... but she does have giant claws. And a giant attitude."

A small smile, teased with a grin, encompassed Timber's muzzle when Brother froze for a moment. He raised his head now, glancing once to where Rihanne and Nak were talking, then squarely to Brother, "You'd make a good mate, and a good father." He encouraged, talking in mostly an idle manner, though he was fully sincere in how he spoke, "You've spent so much of your life looking after others - it's time you found someone that will look after you as well. Besides, now's a good a time as ever, particularly now that our numbers here are steady and the Valley has seen some quiet times lately."

Rihanne*Others

Rihanne wriggled a little to get comfortable, and snuffled a bit to get something itchy out of her nose. After a long moment of making strange faces, she sneezed sharply, and then felt much better. It was then that she answered him, "If you'd stay in the truck, they might take you more places." She didn't sound annoyed though - she knew this was to be expected of younger dogs, and particularly the active, curious Nak. And she wasn't surprised when he returned to the topic of Elderwild, either. "It's very typical of her to be so snippy - she's just never been taught any manners. She's got a sharp tongue to go with the beak. But she's a good defender, and she's never hurt one of us or the Masters, so we tolerate her less charming qualities."

Brother was a little awkward in this talk, now that it was turned around. He'd gotten a lot of amusement out of teasing Timber over this very thing, and was now finding out just how difficult it was to be on the other end. "Glad you think it's so funny," Brother teased back, just to make himself feel a little better, but clearly not upset with Timber for turning the tables on him. And then he sobered, listening to the collie's frank assessment of what sort of mate and father he thought he'd turn out to be; and he had to admit, he was pleased to hear such praise out of Timber. After a few long moments of silence, during which he let his thoughts on this topic absorb more deeply into his consciousness, he murmured softly, "I'll admit... there was... someone in Ochotona." He paused there, and took a deep breath to steady his nerves before forging doggedly on. "It never amounted to anything... but it might have if I hadn't been so busy looking after Tahmores at the time." Even that was quite the step for Brother - as much as it was very clear just where his loyalties lay and who he was most prominently attached to, and that he was unabashed about showing his affection for those he cared about - he wasn't really one to put those sorts of feelings into concrete words. Admitting aloud to Timber that he'd even been attracted to a femme was really quite an effort for him.

Timber & Others

Rather than lying down, Nak was sitting on his haunches, his shoulder blades poking out sharply as his head was drooped down to be more at Rihanne's level. He hadn't quite built up the muscle or fat to round out his lanky frame, though he was destined to be smaller like his father, in any case, "I know, I know..." His mutter quickly turned to a cheeky grin, "...but boy was that fun! All those sounds, the scents... it's so much different than out here! You can only experience to much from inside the truck, anyway." He knew it wasn't a good excuse for disobeying his Master, but the impulse was just too strong at the time. Fading away from those jovial times, Nak looked fleetingly to the sky, as if expecting to see the gray raptor overhead, "She was certainly snippy with that human. I guess her attitude is a good thing, sometimes. Especially when she uses it against the cats!"

The collie failed to cover up a little laughter, returning his head to his paws as he went on listening to Brother hesitantly step further into the conversation. Timber had been highly reluctant about the whole thing when he was the single male, so he had some sympathy for the poor brute at the time, but like Brother, there was a factor amusement in trying to talk to him about it, "What's her name?" Abandoning the light mirth for a more serious tone, Timber queried his friend on this, trying to sound hopeful as he did so. He didn't take much stock in the wild packs, but he knew from talk by Aidan that the previous Ochotona pack had suffered some casualties in the war last year. Mostly younglings, but Timber was going to be cautious anyway.

Rihanne*Others

The fae shook her head just a bit, her face tolerant as she listened to the yearling go on about the excitement of that little romp; she was only five herself, and remembered the days where everything had been new and amazing to her, as it was to Nak now. So she didn't discourage him from this talk, nor did she expect that he would ride tamely in the truck the next time he headed for the vet. "I did not know your father when he was a pup - but I knew your mother when she was even younger than you, and I seem to remember she had a mischievous nature like you," she told him fondly.

"Karai," he whispered, and the way he said it was soft and gentle, almost like a prayer. Clearly, whatever he'd said about the friendship never amounting to anything wasn't altogether true - at least, not on his end of it. He'd put her out of his mind and kept her there - but now with the topic being brought up, apparently some feelings of his own were being brought to his immediate awareness again. "I don't know if you have heard of her here - but she is fairly well known among the wild ones of the valley as a fosterer for pups. She was one of the first to take to Tahmores and accept him as part of the pack, once she figured out that he was still young, for a two-legger." Fortunately for Timber's caution, Karai was also one of the few wolves in the valley who had consistently proved non-human-aggressive, and had never participated in the the attacks on the ranch. He didn't know whether the collie knew her or not, but Brother was fairly certain that she could not have a negative reputation here. "She has children of her own - but they are grown. I know she has no mate, but I never asked her why. I figured it wasn't my business."

Timber & Others

His tail was thumping the ground now to hear about Artemis being a pup. With his father nearby, Nak lowered his voice to a sly whisper, "She knows a lot more about the wild things than dad." He'd heard a few stories about his father, but the collie rarely ever spoke of his earlier days, simply because so much trauma had happened then to overshadow the good days. "And he doesn't like us going out in the Valley, but Sundile and I think it's fun to explore. Besides, nothing has ever attacked us before. Except that raccoon that one time..."

'Karai'. The name did spark a faint recollection, nothing of which was connected to any red flags. He couldn't quite pin down why the name was familiar, but at least it wasn't one he associated with danger and threat. Following the way Brother's tones changed, Timber knew there was something more to this female that the wolf felt, so he carefully attempted to fan the flames, "She's good with young ones, and human-tolerant - those are both definite pluses. What does she look like?" Picking out all of the positive notes he could find, and breathing a sigh of relief to hear that this wolfess was apparently a tamer one than some of the more blood-thirsty individuals, Timber found himself a little curious about her.

Rihanne*Others

Rihanne didn't think it her place to inform Nak that his mother had spent most of her early life in the wilds, and was a former member of a pack who had caused them a lot of grief in the past. Indeed, when Artemis had first come to them, Rihanne had been rather rude and guarded with her for that very fact - the fae's mother was all-too-well known at the ranch, and the father was no stranger, either, though not so notorious as his mate. But if Timber hadn't told his children of this, Rihanne wasn't going to say anything; instead she murmured, "I suspect she's just a little more well traveled than he is - she used to wander some, as a young thing. The wilds are not such a bad place really, as long as you remember to watch your back - but do not tell your father I said so - I'll deny it."

Now that they'd kind of gotten away from discussing feelings, Brother was relaxing some, and began to describe the wolfess in a more calm manner than he had used throughout the beginning of the topic. "Silver straight through - lean through the face and ears. She's blind in one eye, and has a good bit of scarring on the left side - an old injury, as I understand. Perhaps a little shorter and more petite than Artemis. Blue eyes that can cut straight through you like blades one second and warm up the next - they're about the only expressive thing on her, honestly. I..." he paused there, looking for words, and then ventured, "From what I've gathered - her life hasn't been all that happy up until now. Lots of things going on... she seems sad, a lot of the time." His hesitant enjoyment in the conversation flickered there - but he perked up after a moment and said, "But if you can get her talking about pups, she's got a nice smile."

Timber & Others

He was blissfully ignorant of the horrors that could take place, and that did take place in the time before he was born. He and Aidan's newest litter from last summer had so far enjoyed a life that held little in the way of hardships and dangers. To them, the most stressful thing so far was the vet, and the nasty shots they got when they went there. So far, he knew next to nothing about his grandparents, either on his mother's side or his father's. "Hey, can you take us out there sometime? Do you know any cool places to go?" His ears perked and his tail batted the ground again, before he whispered encouragingly, "And you can trust me - I won't tell dad!"

The collie's head tilted a few degrees to the side, deep in thought as his mind's eye painted a picture of the wolfess that Brother was describing to him. The image still didn't ring a bell, but he nodded once he'd finished explaining, "You've got good taste." It was meant as an encouraging tease, yet still spoken in a way that would detract from the more serious aspect of their conversation, "I'll tell you one thing, I was far from happy for many, many years. Having a mate doesn't necessarily cure that, but it does help. A lot. More than I could hope to explain; you should visit her, Brother." He prodded gently at the other, "Just go and talk to her a bit."

Rihanne*Others

The copper mix didn't quite know how to respond to that question; she would willingly escort the yearling through the wilds when he was a bit older - but she didn't want to do so and risk upsetting Timber. She was quiet a long moment, considering Nak carefully, and then murmured finally, "By the time you're old enough - and wise enough - for me to take you out to the wilds, you won't need me to escort you. By that time, you'll be a fighter in your own right, if you take after either of your parents at all. But if, when that time comes, you still want me to show you around, I'll take you, yes." There was deep wisdom in her voice as she said that, knowing all too well that the peace here could not last, and her naive young friend would likely have that moment where, like the rest of them, he would grow up very quickly, and all at once.

The wolf smiled at that, and it was closer to the cheeky grin that he so often used. "Not that you'd have an appreciation for silver femmes," he teased lightly, for of course Artemis was a beautiful shade of silver, reminiscent of her mother. But he let his face grow a little somber as Timber covered the other end of the topic; he and Rihanne knew almost better than anyone else just how unhappy the collie had been for those many years after his family had been killed. He'd barely seemed alive until Artemis came into his life - now it was like he was a totally different creature, renewed and refreshed by the bond between them. It was this thought - and the tentative hope that a similar experience might see a similar change for the better in Karai - that made Brother lean toward the thought of going to visit her as Timber suggested... but his eyes flicked toward the house, where Tahmores was still employed with his work. Clearly, he felt as though he was abandoning his duties, if he left... but finally after a moment, he looked uncertainly to Timber. "You'll... look after him? While I'm away?" He sounded strangely like a worried parent as he asked that of the collie - even with Tah fully grown, he still found himself concerned over the young man, as all parents tended to be for quite a long while even after their children had become adults. He'd spent so much time in constant companionship with Tah, taking care of Tah, raising Tah, protecting Tah, playing with Tah... he almost was lost on how to function without him. But if he were accounted for - if Timber would look after him while the wolf was gone... Brother would trust him, and persuade himself to go see about that pretty little fae.

Timber & Others

The answer got his ears to sag down and his tail to go limp in blatant disappointment, since he was looking for only one answer to the question, and that was a 'Sure, I'd be happy to take you!' Nak should have known better than to expect that reply, since even the jovial and outgoing Tahirah wouldn't take them adventuring any further than hearing distance from the Ranch. None of the adults wanted to risk upsetting Artemis and Timber by leading their children out into potential danger, "But then it won't be fun anymore." One good counter quality of his curiosity was that he lost interest quick enough in things, and didn't go on to beg Rihanne to change her mind. That wasn't to say he wouldn't try later... but he gave it up for now and plopped down on his belly, "I bet it's fun out there... maybe Aidan will let me see his family sometime. He says the live in the city - since that's not the wilds, maybe it's alright if I go there...?"

This would have been Timber's moment to blush in a rosy glow when the comment was turned back at him. He grinned again, lightly, but didn't say anything in return. Artemis had been the best thing to happen to him in a long time, and without her, he'd still be the hollow shell of his former self, forever looking back on what his life and been and never looking forward to what it could be. All nuances of teasing aside, Timber again took up the air of seriousness, this time leading his muzzle into a dip and focusing his eyes on Brother to reaffirm the truth of his words, "With my life."

Rihanne*Others

The wolf couldn't have asked for a better answer than the one Timber gave, and the steadiness behind the familiar chocolate eyes told him that the his friend meant it with all the seriousness he had said it with. "I trust you to that," he answered quietly, showing a depth of bond between them in that he would trust the collie to take care of his beloved brother in his own absence. Still, as he got to his paws, he had to take a deep, steadying breath, and look back just once more to the house. As intimately as he and Tahmores understood each other, he would not be able to make the boy understand that he was going on a visit, so there was little point in saying goodbye to him. "It's only a couple hours' run - I'll be back tomorrow," he promised, though if the 'talk' he was going to have with Karai turned into something more, he might understandably be a little longer than that. But with only those words - and every intention of returning in twenty-four hours' time, he gave Timber a last nod... and turned, trotting wordlessly into the treeline.

Now the city was a place that Timber might be a little less alarmed about than the wilds, and so her answer was less cautious. "You might talk to your father about that, but I can't see that he'd have too many objections. Just stay off the roads - cars won't stop for you." And then she looked up at movement, and looked puzzled to see Brother's form vanishing into the trees. Her brow furrowed, and she murmured almost to herself, "Now what do you suppose...?"

Timber & Others

Timber rose to his paws, briefly stretching his front end, before shift his weight forward and stretching his hind limbs. Giving himself a good shake, the collie held Brother's gaze, needing no further words to say to know that they shared a certain bond of trust. The only thing he had to say was "Good luck." And he offered that with a wry little smile before seeing the wolf off towards the timber line. After giving his pelt a good shake, the dog trotted dutifully in the direction of where Tah was working on the equipment, and settled down a few yards from him.

"It's okay, because I'll go with Sundile and her brother and sister. They get to go in town with their dad sometimes, so I don't see why I can't." He was making the case with the wrong adult he knew, for it was Timber and Artemis that ultimately would let him go or force him to stay. He was mostly bouncing his ideas off of Rihanne for now, and would have kept going if he hadn't followed her suddenly shift in gaze, "I wonder where he's going?"

Rihanne

"I'd still advise talking to your father about it first," Rihanne told him cautiously, but knowing perfectly well that her words were liable to go unheeded, since she was speaking in the interest of caution. Nak... just wasn't a cautious fellow. But then, he hadn't really needed to be; his puphood, and those of his brothers and sisters, had been peaceful and ordinary enough. But her attention was completely taken from this topic by how Elder Brother trotted decidedly away from them and disappeared into the trees. It wasn't that she thought he was leaving... no, but she was worried because he had gone without Tahmores, which was very unlike him. And he and Timber were two of the oldest friends she had, so seeing odd behavior in him concerned her some. "Timber?" she asked softly, her eyes directed after Brother. She didn't say anything more, but her question was clear anyway. She didn't mean to pry into personal business... but it was so odd for the wolf that she couldn't help it.

Timber & Others

His nose wrinkled up at the suggestion, as he clearly didn't agree with the need to talk with his father about it, though that was definitely the right course of action to take. Whatever more could be said was lost as she called to Timber, and that's where all of Nak's newest source for interest turned to. The collie looked back, connecting Rihanne's trailing gaze to where Elder Brother had disappeared into the woods, and knew what she was asking him in so little words. "He's gone to reconnect with an old friend." A light smile was issued to try and ease any worries the pit-mix might have, and to let her know Brother's departure was a good thing. "A wolfess named Karai, from the northeastern section of the Valley."

Rihanne

"Ah..." that was the copper fae's answer, and her eyes lit with knowledge. However diplomatic Timber was being about it, Rihanne was nobody's fool. "What you mean is that our esteemed friend has a good case of the spring fever, then. Undoubtedly helped along a little by someone we know." That was her smiling tease against Timber, for all of them were thoroughly aware that it had been Brother who had finally talked the collie into pursuing a relationship with Artemis that had turned into such a good thing for him. She hauled herself up and moved over to him, nudging him roughly in a playful fashion, and teased, "Isn't that so?" But at the same time, she was working around the name 'Karai' in her mind... and coming up with ideas. "I have heard of her... I still have ears in the wild lands, thanks to my half-sister's influence. Reports of her are good - but she has strong connections to the Lurkers through her first pack, though as I understand her function in the wars has been watching pups while the adults fight. And I understand that one of her earliest fosters - and the most notorious - was Kali, that black fae who has given us no end of trouble. I do not know how that speaks for her." Her tones were cautious - since Brother wasn't here to hear her concerns, she wasn't so reserved about voicing them. She didn't think Karai would be a threat to them... but they needed to be careful, just in case. They certainly didn't want the constant wars of the Lurkers to come to the ranch because of her.

Timber & Others

His smile widened to Rihanne's response, unable to hold back a look mischief, "A certain somebody might have done some prodding." Timber flipped his muzzle at the pit-mix when she came towards him, buffeting her back playfully when she came nearer to him, "He's due back tomorrow, and hopefully not alone." It was more of a confirmation that Timber had indeed tried to send Elder Brother off with the intentions of finding a mate, and from there, he allowed his words to fit a quieter tone of talk. It was all good and merry to have Brother finally getting a gal in his life, but they also had to keep in mind that this prospective gal was a wild wolf... and that didn't usually mix well in the sort of environment they were in. "Kali...?" That name too sounded familiar, though he never knew that it was one of Karai's daughters. More than anything, it brought up a third name, "Nightcrawler - I think that's the name of the one who was in love with her." Somberness quickly took over his mood, pressing him to speak carefully and quietly. The little black wolf had once saved the life of his brother Stallis, and tried to spare Masenas. But, that was neither here nor there in speaking of Karai, "I don't think her offspring should hold any influence on her behavior. If Aidan's brother is anything to go by, blood relations should not be taken into account."

Rihanne

Shifting away from the more lighthearted teasing she'd been prodding at Timber with, Rihanne turned her attention to the more important end of the topic. "As I have been made to understand it, she and Kali are not related by blood - apparently, she adopted her as a pup. And if I have been made to understand this correctly... Kali later betrayed her. That was quite the talk of the wild lands at the time. It was said that Karai did everything in her power to raise Kali up morally, and with love and caring - and was partially successful, which would explain why Nightcrawler liked her. But she always had a dark nature, it seems - she eventually turned to the bloodthirsty methods of hers that we know so well." That was the situation as she understood it, in any case... and after a moment or two of thought she went on softly, "I think perhaps it would be best, for Brother's sake, not to bring up Kali around Karai, however... as I understand it, that betrayal was nearly the end of her. She sank into depression for a long time - much more is said, of course. But I'll spare you the details."

Timber & Others

Because he was hopeful that Karai would become something more than just a friend for Elder Brother, and thus be a figure that was seen around the Ranch, Timber was investing his interest in all that Rihanne had to tell him. One of the key points was that Kali had been raised by Karai with the hopes of setting her moral compass in the right direction, but somewhere along the way, despite the silver fae's best efforts, something went awry. Kali's personality was not to be reflected on the kindly wolfess, nor her name mentioned, "I will have a talk with my children about this, in case they should ever come across her name." With that set in mind, he knew he had to be careful about what he said to the fae, making note of how Brother told him pups were definitely a highpoint for her to talk about, but also keep in mind that Kali was a taboo subject. "Do you know anything else about her? I could see if any of Aiden's relatives have anything."

Rihanne

With it established that all of them were going to do their utmost to ensure that Brother's potential mate would be comfortable among them so that she would hopefully be willing to stay, Rihanne managed a smile. Because of everyone, she understood all too well just how one couldn't depend on offspring to be like... well, perhaps not as well as Artemis. After all, the silver fae was the opposite example of Karai and Kali - she was the human friendly, decent on of them, and her parents the notorious ones. In view of that, and in view of how wrong she'd been in being so initially guarded and almost cruel to Artemis, she knew that she couldn't make such a mistake again. She determined here and now to judge Brother's friend on fair terms. So with that in mind, she told Timber, "To be perfectly fair - I have no reports of any aggression on her part, except where pups or other helpless ones were being attacked. She is a protector like us... I understand her manner is gentle and quiet. Shy - I think her personality will complement his well." The copper mix did often admit it, but her depth of knowledge about Karai revealed that she had significant connections outside the ranch - either that, or her half-sister Minx knew Karai pretty intimately.

Timber & Others

From the start, where the conversation had revolved around whether or not this potential mate was trustworthy, things had progressed to the level where Karai was accepted in their minds as far as her being safe around the humans and various animals. The context had now shifted towards how to keep the silvery fae comfortable and avoid stepping on any nerves if she came by, and Timber had to admit that it was much easier to think about this side of the problem when he wasn't worried about protecting his own family from a possible enemy. "It sounds like she's got a natural gift for protection; she'll fit right in, as long as she can become acclimated to our Masters and the livestock. And if she's stuck on pups, she should at least feel more at home - I imagine Aidan and Tahirah will have a new litter sooner or later." Timber shifted a little, leaning his body to the side and taking the moment to scan over the yard and the timberline. Off towards the corner of the yard, Nak had gotten up and intercepted Aidan, and was now keeping the blue-eyed hybrid at bay with his recounting of Ben and Elderwild. Aidan tried a few times to politely disengage himself from the conversation, only to have the lankly Nak continue to pester him for his attention.

Rihanne

With Nak occupied in pestering Aidan, Rihanne shifted her weight to the ground again, hissing just a bit as she took her weight of the bad leg and settled onto the ground. "It's going to rain later," she predicted. And she was usually pretty accurate. "Two hours - maybe a little less. Best get the Masters in before then - Tahmores got a cold the last time, out chasing Nass down." It hadn't been a bad thing of course - the young man had just gotten a bit too wet when he hadn't come in, in favor of chasing down the wily horse. But it had worried Martha, the pit mix knew, and she was keen on seeing that it didn't happen again. And with that little prophecy made, she moved on, and answered him, "I imagine that she will be good for watching any pups we have if the fighting starts up again, heaven forbid. She's rather well known for turning no pup away - regardless of descent, background, or which pack they came from. I'm sure she'd take to any pups of theirs - even if eventually she has her own in tow as well."

Timber & Others

The yapping of three more youngsters carried across the yard when Spark and his two sisters dashed over to greet their dad, and join Nak in a session of questions and answers. Timber was looking back at Rihanne at this point, thus not noticing the pleading look that Aidan attempted to shoot his way, "Nass will have to be corralled, and..." Timber's eyes scrunched briefly together as he thought about something, "It might be wise to check the pastures again, after the rain. With a wet as the grounds are, those cows are liable to get themselves mired down again." The collie knew his friend well enough not to second-guess her prediction about the rain, nor to comment on the hiss she'd voiced against the pain of her shoulder. He never liked to hear the discomfort, but he knew that Martha had the medicine to dull the aches, and these little pills she slipped into peanut butter treats for Rihanne whenever the pit-mix was particularly stiff.

Rihanne

Watching the trio of youngsters as they pounced on the chance to romp with their father, Rihanne shook her head tolerantly, and wiggled her stub of tail. And it was because of this that she saw what Timber had missed, and decided to rescue poor Aidan from the all-too-curious yearling. "Aidan! A word," she called, both to attract his attention and to give the father reason to excuse himself from Nak. Then she returned to the conversation, and murmured, "I'll handle Nass - he's a stubborn one, but a good nip or two'll send him in the right direction." Usually of course, Nass was Brother's job - but with the wolf obviously otherwise occupied, Rihanne was more than willing to take up the slack, and still nimble enough on her feet to dodge anything the stallion threw at her, even if she wasn't fighting material anymore. But thoughts of Brother turned her to thoughts of Tahmores, and she murmured, "The boy's gonna be upset when he finds out Brother's gone."

Aidan & Others

The four yearlings might have trailed right along with Aidan if not for Rihanne's phrasing of 'A word'. That they understood as otherwise meaning a private talk, and it generally wasn't about anything good. Grudgingly, they lingered behind as the mult-hued hybrid made his bid for freedom. "Thanks, Rih." Stopping with a swaying tail, he had to dip his head and mumble this, right before he plopped his own haunches down on the lawn, content to listen to the current conversation. "Where'd Brother go, anyway? You all seemed pretty riled about that two-legger that was here - is he investigating that?"

"No- but if you can have your allies look into that, it'd help. We don't know where the man lives, but he's got a bad vibe about him." Timber answered with a sniff, "Brother's gone off to reacquaint himself with an old friend."

Rihanne

Rihanne smiled a little bit to Aidan's thanks, and whispered, "Looked like you could stand a bit of rescuing." That was a soft tease, so contrasted against how hard her personality could become if ever she perceived a threat to the tight-knit group that had become her family here. But when he asked about Brother, her eyes lit a bit. "Say - you might know more than me... do you know anything about someone called Karai? She's supposed to have stayed a long time in Scaria's pack - do you know of her?" She offered that query softly, carefully skirting around saying that the fae had Lurker connections, knowing that was kind of a sore subject with Aidan. "You have more ears out there than I do," she told him, her clear chocolate eyes showing intelligence as she said it. "Have you heard anything I don't know?"

Aidan & Others

Watching Aidan sit down, the yearlings quickly lost interest and ambled off to find a new victim. Thankful for the reprieve from youngster duty, the hybrid smiled lightly at the idea of Brother hooking up with a gal; they may not have said it in so many words, but he could read between the lines of the conversation, "I recall her." The issue of his blood family was not quite as tense as it was with the exiled Aminita, mainly for the fact that it had been the adults' idea to send him to infiltrate the place, though Ankh's constant interference and outright attacks made the family relations strained at best. Wordlessly appreciating the way Rihanne didn't abruptly bring up the Lurker name, he thought about his niece and the old packlands she had lived in until the war broke out. "Scaria spoke highly of her, I can say that. She could always be counted on to watch the pups, and to keep a calm demeanor. Though..." A wrinkle came to his snout, and it was as he thought about his nephew Desmon that he spoke at length, "...she and Desmon had been captured, and the humans did something to them. Hurt their minds, somehow - and she got the worst of it, from what I've heard. Des sometimes fouls up his words, but Karai - they did something to her memory, I think."

Rihanne

Rihanne growled under her breath, a sound that hadn't been heard out of the gentle fae in all of these months of peace, up until Ben had come here this afternoon. And one fang flashed white against the ruddy fur of her muzzle - that was a rare display of loathing and anger in her. "The test-place" she snarled, and it was quite obvious that she had no liking for hearing that either Karai or Aidan's nephew had been sent there. Her fur was standing on end and her ears laid back. "That evil place... they cut you open and sticks things inside you and play with what's under the skin - and then when they get done they tape you back together again and expect you to go on with your life after they've sliced through every muscle you have. The two-legs at the pit are bad - but the ones at the test-vet are much, much worse." There was something deep and dark at the back of the warm, gentle brown eyes - Rihanne had a very personal reason to hate the labs.

Aidan & Others

Aidan and Timber alike were startled by the animosity displayed by their usually calm, even-tempered friend. The way she spoke, in loathing detail of the horrors that went on behind those infamous doors, let them both know that her descriptions came from more than just word of mouth. She knew the place personally, and it reminded the collie just how lucky he was never to have been there. The vet seemed bad enough... but the test-vet was infinitely worse, "That could have been reason enough for her to be wary of humans, and understandably hateful to them. Aidan, do you have any knowledge of her history with humans?"

The larger canine shook his head, his reply coinciding with what Rihanne had said earlier, "No, not as far as I've heard. They did something to her head, but what they did, I have no clue."

Rihanne

The mix took several long seconds to come down from the peak of her fury - she still didn't bring her ears forward again though, proving that whatever memory had been aroused by that reference had not entirely left her mind. Some of the tenseness left her frame sheerly because remaining so stiff was making her ache, but she was clearly no longer in the light mood she had only moments before been in. She was silent in a tight sort of manner as the other two talked, and then after a moment, she let out a deep breath she'd been holding, and her ears perked up a bit - they didn't come forward yet, but they moved from where they were plastered against her skull into a more wary, watchful position. "She may still be human friendly... not all of us who come out of that are vicious." Her tones were whispered and held a quality that was almost sad - and even as she finished, she struggled up to her paws again, the warm eyes blinking closed for a moment. "It was there that I was born. And there that Minx and I - watched our mother die." Her voice trembled just a bit, and she cut that last word short, turning her head a bit so she was facing away from them. But when her voice came back, it was cool and level - her business-like tone, that said she didn't really want to talk about her falter in emotion. "For Brother's sake, I hope that his friend has recovered enough from her experience to give our Masters a chance," she murmured, turning to face them again, her expression once again composed.

Aidan & Others

Rihanne's tension and stirred feelings over her experiences at the lab had a resounding affect on the other two, who's ears had turned simultaneously, each canine shifting one towards her, and the other outward to any sound that came their way. Timber again flicked his tail against her, this time resting it against her leg in an act of consolation for her pain, "They are a group of humans I won't be reserved with." Because Timber himself was a little closed on talking about deep emotions, he said this to aid Rihanne, speaking on his fury against the two-leggers that had hurt her so. Aidan growled his agreement, but spoke instead to pick up on the topic that Rihanne spoke on last, "I hope so too. She's a guardian at heart; I don't think the humans have broken her so much as to destroy that in her."

Rihanne

Rihanne offered Timber one corner of a smile for his implied comfort - there wasn't much happiness to it, but there was appreciation for his friendship and support. And with as few words as that, the sorer topic was dropped between them, and she went on quietly, but more stoically. "'The purest gem with a single deep flaw is often the rarest and most beautiful of all'..." she murmured half to herself, as she stretched a bit, shrugged her good shoulder - and finally calmed, allowing her ears to come cautiously forward again. And she smiled a little there, in a half-wistful way, and explained. "There was a fighter two pens over named Taco - we all called him the philosopher. Lots of the others underestimated him for that. He was always saying crazy things like that." She shook her head a bit, and reached to give one ear a good scratch with a flexible hind foot. "That particular bit never made sense til now."

Aidan & Others

They both looked at her after hearing this, now devoting all their ears her way for the moment. More than anything, they were both happy to see their friend relaxing after being so riled and upset about the laboratory. They could hope to protect her from wild animals and the like, but the humans... there was only so much they could do against them, and nothing about the past they could shield her from. "He sounds like a wise one." It was Timber that murmured this, loosening his own muscles after tensing up at Rihanne's initial reaction. "And I'm sure that'll prove true about Karai when she arrives - if Scaria's right, we shouldn't have to worry much about her being troublesome." Following this, Aidan bobbed his head in a nod, "It'll also earn us more leeway with the wild packs, particularly with my son's."

Rihanne

The mix had learned early that getting angry and staying angry at humans really didn't do her much good - the humans didn't care that she didn't like them, and any attempts to express her dissatisfaction often led to punishments, most of which involved whips or beatings. So she'd learned to settle her anger quickly, and dwell on other things - that was why she was so quickly able to put aside her old pains in favor of looking forward. "Doubtless there are very few packs around here that haven't at least a single member who can claim Karai as an adoptive mother or former sitter - I believe it will be difficult to find a place where her influence has not been felt. If she chooses to stay, some of the wild packs will think twice before coming to cause trouble here." She spoke those words softly in agreement with Aidan, and then went on, "Where is your son, now? My memory seems to fail me." She'd known at one point who ruled each pack, and where they had a bit of influence through blood ties - but she wanted to refresh her memory.

Aidan & Others

Timber quietly kept his voice back at this point, leaving Rihanne and Aidan to talk things about about Karai where it involved the politics of the wilds. Timber knew vaguely about this and that, but he held absolutely no sway over the canines outside of the ranch. So it was Aidan that responded in a positive tenure after he'd thought over Karai's influence, "My own allies are under obligation by the Lurkers to leave us be, and if Karai should come to live with us, you're right - that should only increase the number of packs that will not attack our land." Glad to find a positive note to turn too, Aidan glanced sideways to Rihanne when she asked of his son, before his eyes ventured again for the tree line, "Quaidah, solo lead of the Ancient Guardians." There was a touch of pride in his voice for saying this, and he used that to keep out what old sorrow might have otherwise risen. He'd lost several offspring to the war, and others to the clutches of the Haunters, so to focus his mind on the mild-mannered Quaidah was a way of reminding himself that there was still hope for ending the turmoil that had cost him his offspring.

Rihanne

"Of course," the fae murmured with a nod, just as soon as Aidan mentioned just where Quaidah had ended up. "I remember hearing of it at the time - good things are said of him, and of the Guardians as well. And unless I am mistaken... were not several of Karai's children members of that pack at one point? Before they disappeared?" Her memory of what Minx had been telling her was foggy, but accurate. When all of them had reached yearling age, both Saxton and Aderyn had moved in with the Ancient Guardians for a brief period of time - and then suddenly one day - they'd disappeared. No one had seen them since, or either of their two other siblings. It had been one of the greatest sorrows of Karai's life, because her children - ill conceived by the forcing of an evil male whose only concern was satisfying his own wants for violence - had been the single greatest joy in her life. And with them gone - she'd receded dramatically into seclusion. "I only hope he can draw her out of that," she whispered on the tail end of her thoughts. "It is said that she has not set foot outside of her homeland in over a year since her children went missing - that she seeks out no one and does not answer those who call her."

Aidan & Others

"I think so." Aidan confirmed, trying to recall all of the names and faces he knew from his son's pack that he'd encountered. There were still some he didn't know, but for the most part, he did his homework and could recall the various members of the mountain group. "It was some time ago, but that does seem to be about the time that she became reclusive." Timber was listening to everything said, resting his muzzle across his front legs all the while. To him, a lot of this was new information, while for the pit-mix and Aidan, it was rehashing past news to set their facts straight and try to figure out this shy fae before she came into their ranks, "Brother can get her to answer, if no one else can. And between him and the yearlings, I'm willing to bet that will be enough reason for her to stay."

Rihanne

Solemnity set back into Rihanne again; she understood all too well that losing one's family could be quite a blow. It was something that Timber understood better than he'd prefer to as well. Finally, she nodded slowly to Aidan. "Aye - that's what we're all hoping for. If he - uh oh. Here it comes." She interrupted herself there, and with good cause; while they'd been talking, it had been getting on toward supper time, and now Tahmores was on the porch, alternately calling for Martha in English and letting out a low, whining howl to let all the dogs know it was time to eat. And soon enough, he would undoubtedly notice that there was one missing...

Timber & Others

Nak was already leading the little group of explorers towards the porch, flying across the ground in a streak of black and white highlights. Stardust burst from the underbrush next, in a flash of white fur that stood out amongst her darker-furred siblings and friends. Quickly over-taking Nak, the yearling shot by him and bounded onto the porch to greet Tahmores with an eager round of nuzzling and licking. Sundile and Spark scrambled up the steps just after Nak, and together, the four hounded the young man in a melee of wet noses and eager whines, all in the manner of excited young ones greeting their packleader after a hunt and awaiting food. Sage approached the group next, her wolfish build and mix of blacks and browns making her look almost more like Sundile than her own brother - and indeed, she had the build of Artemis.

Aidan stood along with Timber, though he lingered behind to wait with Rihanne while the collie sauntered forward to take up his duties in looking after Tah. "This'll be a long night." The hybrid murmured, watching as Timber stood expectantly just outside of the youngling mob, patiently waiting for the yearlings' enthusiasm to subside before he could work his way forward.

Far out from the porch, Tahirah stood in the yard, watching the others congregate for their meal. The white pitbull had never gotten entirely use to the humans, at least not enough to go near the house. The barn she was fine with, and she had no trouble letting the humans interact with her if she were given space, but she simply never went too close to the main dwelling.

Rihanne*Others

Initially, Tahmores was perfectly happy to sink into a squat and allow the yearlings to gather in around him with the friendly jostles and shoves that went with excited canines. He joined the chorus of whines and yips just like a pup himself, accompanied by healthy doses of petting and gentle rough-housing. But as the moments went by and the varied dogs, wolves, and hybrids gathered, his green eyes instantly picked out the one that wasn't there. At first, he didn't seem all that worried - Brother was known for his pup-like way of hiding under the porch or in the bushes and pouncing on Tahmores when he passed by with food. But as he got up from his crouch and moved past the group of canines to set out the bowls of food - some on the porch, and several out in the yard itself for those like Tahirah who didn't really feel comfortable coming close to the house - his eyes kept searching the furry masses of browns, blacks, grays, and whites, looking for the familiar colors of his 'brother'. After a few long moments, he called the wolf's name aloud - and then again, when he received no answer. He was so distracted for a moment that he didn't notice how he'd kind of wandered away from the house - he'd followed his instincts to the edge of the clearing, scanning the treeline vainly for Brother. He looked calm - but the dogs would be able to smell worry beginning to rise in him. Where was Elder Brother?

Timber & Others

Keen teeth gnawed and mouthed playfully at his hands, particularly from Sundile and Spark as the two were a bit more boisterous than the others when it came to tussling with others. As soon as the food was out, their attention was for the kibble, and eating it as quickly and noisily as they could. Tahirah gave a few sways to her lanky, short-furred tail, but danced lightly away from Tahmores when he put the food out, and waited for him to move away before she began to eat. Aidan soon joined in, but Timber uncharacteristically left the bowls behind in favor of shadowing the young man. For all that Tah could communicate with and understand in the canines, Timber knew he couldn't relay something as detailed as where Brother had gone too, but there was one thing he could do. There was no bit of worry or anxiety in the dog's body as he trotted dutifully after the human, only an attentive gaze to match his guardian ways. When the scent of worry started to rise, Timber put his cold nose against the man's leg, trying to catch his attention, before he'd turn his brown eyes up to convey the look of confidence.

Rihanne*Others

Rihanne was slower than the others about getting up onto the porch and over to a food bowl, but she knew that she wouldn't have to fight for a place. As much as she wasn't much of a fighter anymore, she was still well-respected, and had her own regular place to eat. She had a bit of trouble positioning herself so that her bad shoulder was favored and not supporting much of her weight, but she managed it finally, and settled peacefully into her meal, watching Timber and Tahmores carefully as they headed for the treeline.

Most humans would have jumped at a cold nose pressed into the back of their knee; Tahmores took the icy sensation as it was meant to be: an attention-getting tactic. His gaze shifted curiously down to Timber, and his head cocked reflexively to one side to indicate curiosity - without any words or sounds at all, he was asking the collie, 'What do you want? And his answer was immediately forthcoming - where most two-leggers would have missed it, Tah read the certainty and reassurance in Timber's eyes, and relaxed some. Even if their disparate language wouldn't let them communicate the details, he knew that Timber knew where Brother had gone, and was not worried about him - so the wolf was expected back, and not in any danger. That reassured him enough to make him stop searching the trees - instead, he began to make his way back to the porch, a short whine and a brief toss of head inviting Timber to walk beside him as he settled down on the steps.

Timber & Others

Contrasting their energetic ways, the yearlings didn't heckle Rihanne at all when she stepped up onto the porch to join in on the feeding, aside from turning a few little nuzzles her way before digging back into their own bowls. In the Lurker fashion, Spark and his two sisters were noticeably more submissive and respectful than Nak, who needed a bit more prompting than the others to be obedient.

The gaze was held in concrete fashion for many moments before Timber swished his tail from side to the other to express as jovial mood. Tahmores' body language spoke louder than words to tell Timber that he'd gotten enough of the message to understand, so the collie had swung his tail merrily and turned about to follow him back to the porch. He didn't settle in to eat - he was too preoccupied in his job to watch of Tah, but he was relaxed enough.

Rihanne*Others

With it established firmly in his mind that Brother was coming back, and that the other dogs knew where he had gone, Tahmores was able to relax. He was still liable to sleep badly overnight, out of instinctive worry - but he wouldn't be overly demonstrative about his concern. Indeed, he settled on the porch steps and buried his fingers in Timber's soft fur, humming quietly to himself as the dogs crunched down their supper.