#anywhere

Connor looks up at his other hand, where, he hopes, Dagmar is at the end!

"Well, kiddo, we made it."

"Really wishing I brought Edelweiss"

He squeezes her hand, and reaches forward to offer one of his hands to the dog to sniff. "I know you. Your name is Whoozagoodboy, right?"

The wolfhound sniffs the hand, and stops growling, but he still remains close as he waits for someone to respond to his alert.

Aiden himself comes... well, sidhe are dignified and do not hurry, but he arrives at a fast pace, glances over who is in the garden, and then stops to straighten, and walk out.

Nadeen moves with him, when she sees Dagmar, she smiles "Dame Dagmar, Gerd, and Connor.. happy holidays"

Without even needing a word from the Baron, his hound relaxes and returns to sitting at a vigilant post.

"Welcome to Silverwolf. Please come. Eat, drink, make merry. Miss Gerd, Wudlig will be glad to see you. Dame Dagmar, Dame Lavender has eagerly awaited your visit."

"Connor. I am glad that you were able to join us. Come in." He finishes.

"Squire Connor." He corrects after a moment.

"That's a very spiffy looking outfit, Squire" Nadeen observes

"Thank you for the invitation to your celebrations. I brought my squire along, as you allowed a guest."

Connor straightens up and beams. "Thank you, Baroness. It keeps me from being naked."

"Yes, it looks lovely" Gerd bows "Oh, I hope the puppies are well, your lordships?"

Aiden frowns just slightly, but then he nods. "Very well. Their eyes have opened, and they are now mobile and alert, they run, walk, and play, as would be expected of a month old. Do you wish to see them? That is, have you come to observe them for your choice? I would advise waiting until at least 8 weeks to determine personality traits, and of course the earliest we would allow any to leave the dam would be 12 weeks."

As he goes on, the frown has faded as he gains traction speaking of them.

"Oh I want to," Gerd addmits "But the Chief has dibs on that I think" A smile 'Seeing them first I mean. She's not a woman given to displays, but I do believe she looks forward to it"

Connor pipes up, "I like puppies, too."

Aiden looks to him, and nods. "Then you shall see them. Gerd, please feel that you may observe them without any obligation nor intent of making a choice that belongs to your Baroness."

"Come, the Garden is cold, and Marigold has a spread inside that must be done justice."

Connor is looking at Nadeen, in hand with Aiden, and shuffles a bit - looking like he might want to go greet her a bit more informally...

Nadeen whispers "I like puppies to, kiddo"

"If you would excuse me, Baron - I would go to see Dame Lavender?"

"Of course. I believe I saw her...." Aiden lets Dame Dagmar know where Lavender was last sighted.

Connor cannot resist any longer, and hops forward to give Nadeen a big hug around the midsection! "I wasn't sure if Fancy Baronesses with Baronies still liked hugs, but your Baron-knees still feel the same." Patting her on the knee with a smile.

Nadeen bends down and picks Connor up for a hug "I like Connor hugs, a lot" She admits then smiles at Dagmar 'Dagmar hugs too, but she's all trolly now" A wink

"She's always been all Trolly. She's the best at it, after Gerd. Well, Gerd has been a troll longer.... but it evens out!"

"Gerd does have the most troll experience, yeah."

"Thank you" Gerd says wryly

Dag rubs the back of her neck, debating. Arguably, less audience would be less pressure?

Dee is near the horses, of course

Connor pipes up, "Oh, we brought birthday presents? Only for the horses, though." Indeed, he did ask Dagmar to make some of her special horse cookies...

Nadeen fusses over Connor "Are you getting more muscular? Look at these arms, all ripped" She ..exagerates

"Ripped? Oh no! Not my new special outfit!" He turns around, exaggerating a look over his clothes for any tears. "I didn't even climb a tree yet!"

"Well, yeah, they're these oat apple things I make for ours... if that's okay?"

Aiden takes a moment to acknowledge that Dagmar spoke, he's intent on Connor, but then turns and nods. "Dame Dagmar, you have fame as both a skilled horsewoman, an honorable guest, and a strong proponent for proper animal care. I would not have any fear for my steeds safety or wellbeing in your care. Although, keep watch over the diamond-starred yearling, Joker. He will steal the entire contents of your treat bag if not attended to with vigilance."

Connor BEAMS at the praise of his knight, tail wagging. "Yeah, she's OK."

"Thank you, Dagmar" Nadeen smiles "They'll love it" Then Nadeen chuckles at Connor "Well, we do have trees, but hopefully you'll spend sometime in the warmth too?"

Gerd observes stoicly, seeing the baron's reaction to his own son

A soft chuff of laughter. "I know how Connor's yearling is. Foals are incorrigible. Thanks for the warning."

"Oh Joker's just full of life, that's all" Nadeen sounds more than a bit fond of that yearling despite the fact he is indeed incorrigible

Connor releases Nadeen from the hug. "You have a tree? We have presents to put under it."

Aiden realizes that they are all still standing in the garden, and gestures for all to come in - or retreat to the stables, as desired.

"Miss Gerd. I believe that Wudlig was in the foremost antechamber." Aiden offers.

"Thank you, Baron Aiden," SHe blushes then looks at Connor and says "You and your dad get to know each other again, Kiddo. I'll not be gone long"

And she heads off

Nadeen says "Yes, we have a tree, it's really lovely. You should see the ornaments"

And she guides them to it if they wish

Connor trots along excitedly. “And I got an entire HOUSE of my own for Christmas, some assembly required… I just have to make the down payment and.. um, something called a mortgage…”

"A house? Oh my"

He realizes belatedly that both Gerd and Dagmar have fled, and he clutches a sack with gifts to his chest, suddenly looking rather bashful.

"Aiden, your son is into real estate" A smile

"Is that so?" He looks down at Connor with curiousity, and the pooka nods mutely up at him. A moment before he can manage, "It makes sense, I already have both summer and winter homes, and even if I don't have a House of my own, I at least rent space in the closet?"

Aiden blinks, and reaches down to tentatively, awkwardly pat him on the shoulder. "I suppose that you do, yes."

Tail-wag!

"Shall we exchange gifts?" The Baron asks, half to Connor and half to Nadeen. Christmas Day has come and gone, but some were held back.

"Let's" Nadeen smiles, and looks over at Connor "I love presents, don' you?"

"I've not had one in ages and ages." He sighs a bit, "If Only we'd come a few days later, I could say I hadn't had one all year."

The Baron is pulling out a couple packages from under the tree. One is small and slender, and the other almost as tall as Connor himself. The smaller one has Nadeen's name on it, the larger, Connor.

He blink-blnk-blinks. "For ME? It's not a box to send me to Abu Dhabi, is it? Lilly would miss me, even if they promised to return my des... des... desic... dried out body back."