#baronyofthesilverwolf

They head to the kennels, which are heard before they are seen. Yipping and barking and little howls, high-pitched awoos and tiny growls.

A veritable hoard of pups - still pups, playful and gallumphing, for all that they are BIG pups now.

Brekke observes the puppy-ness of it all, and again gives Oak a pet. "You have done well, Papa," she says quietly to him.

Oak looks in awe.

Gwen rises, and promptly gives a troll salute "Chieftains, you're here to see the pups? Oh they're just great . Personalities are really here"

Brekke returns the salute. "Hello, Kennel Master. It seems you have done a very fine job with them."

Clem says "I forget how big they get so young sometimes. Pardon us storming the gates, so to speak, but Kourtney tells me we had let the pups get over ripe?"

A bemused look at the description.

They play furiously, but friendly.

Two are close in color to Oak, but with frosted edges to their fur, like powdered donuts. One Yaps in greeting or challenge, and the other bounds over to greet them with licks!

A pair that are almost identical but for the dark marking that looks like a goatee are distracted - one is sticking their nose down a hole, and the other is watching a Never buzzing about with wide, curious eyes.

A darker grey pup is up on a hump of snow, watching over the others, while a blaze-striped pup races in circles around the other's "mountain".

Three pups in mixed brown and white patterns are wrestling together, hard to tell apart!

A last one is a fluffy golden yellow color, matching Mischka closely, but without her darker shading.

Oak approaches, like a human visiting hobbit town

Aiden is further back, but he approaches.

"The young pups are ready to leave their mother, and go to their new homes. As the Farmhold has laid claim to the first pick, all others must wait until you have done so to choose their own dogs. While we are not put out to keep caring for them all as long as we desire, if you are ready to view them, I would be obliged." The Baron explains, after exchanging cordial greetings.

"Quite understandable, Baron, if you don't mind? I'd like to let Oak take a look over which one he thinks they should take home? While I have first pick, it would narrow it down for me to know which one to leave off for you and the Chieftain Brekke to wrangle over"

Mischka, who was pointedly ignoring the puppies who tried to draw her into play, comes over to greet Oak with a wag of her tail.

A teddy-bear-looking Terrier who won't be bigger than the pups for very long is watching over them, and carefully herds back any who try to stray. Her pink collar reads, "Dote".

Gladiola nods "Be happy to tell you what I can about them, personality wise. Health wise they're all great. Shaping up to be a great blend"

Oak saunters past the young ones to touch noses with Mischka It's the parting time. One will go with my people. I know which ever that one is, they shall be treated with love and purpose

Brekke crouches down and presents a hand to allow for sniffs and licks.

You would understand how ready I am to see them part, if you had nursed these monsters for fortnites and then had to train them by nip and paw the way to be a proper dog. Mischka sneezes at Oak, but allows, Their sire came out well enough, so I will trust your people with our pups.

One of the Splotched ones, a girl, moves forward to sniff the big blue hand, on guard, but not aggressive

Oak lets his tongue hang in an easy grin They may have gotten their appetite from my line. My own mother has stories. I shall pick one to see if they can go with me. I know what my people look for

"Hello, youngling," she says to the curious pup.

Clem also pets a few, but Oak turns, and goes into the crowd of pups to sniff and check out as well

Most of the pups bounce, or scatter, a few bark at him, some wag, but the powdered furred girl grrrs fearless like, and she remembers his ear!

And makes a lunge for it to try to clamp but her teeth have come in more, and Oak gives a canine wince

and suddenly the little splotchy girl sniffing at Brekke's hand is gone. She has moved towards her overly fiesty sister, and given a light surprise nip. As if protecting her papa!

Brekke watches this interaction and gives a slight chuckle. "A fierce daughter."

The powder one is startled! She was only seeing how far she could get, just exploring... and stares blankly at her normally more reserved sister

Gwen blinks "Normaly she's kind of middle on the timid to fierce scale. Guess she's got the guardian bug"

"Or she is attentive to rules of hospitality."

The splotchy sister gives a bark, more than one at the powdery one as if to say No. No biting those let in, even if their ears do look tasty.

The powder one barks back you're not boss, Dusk is boss! And .. I tasted it anyway and I want to sniff other people so.. . so there and goes to sniff at Clem's feet

Aiden watches, and checks his records. He has slipped away, but returned with a thick folder which proves to have pictures of each pup, drawings of their patterns for identification, even paw prints, weights at certain ages, etc.

Gladiola smirks "They're still trying to establish a pecking order. But the dark dusk one seems to be most in charge."

The darker pup with ashy-tinged fur in a ruff that may one day be majestic, but right now makes them look adorably silly yaps imperiously from their snowbank!

Oak keeps sniffing the other pups, seeing how they respond to muzzle nudges.

Aiden adds, "They all have Registry names as all who come from Silverwolf Lines, but they will surely be granted common use names by their new owners. As such, we have tried to avoid nicknames."

"It's been SO hard" Gwen lets slip

Briar adds, "I just call 'em all little dung factories. The sooner they're gone, the sooner we can stop having the shit hauler come by thrice a week!"

Clem chuckles "They are all cute as buttons. Which one seems the best at following orders, quick to learn?"

"Oh, well, the Golden is very smart , " Gladiola looks to the baron to see if he agrees, "But the Blaze one is eager to follow instruction so it's a hard say. WHich would you say ,mlord?"

"The one who has the yellow tawny fur, she takes after Mischka - smart, and independent. The blaze is loyal, he will choose one to follow and their lead is law." He agrees.

"oh my" Clem seems unsure, then looks to Oak. "Oak, you done yet? Counting on you to narrow it down."

The golden one gets sniffed and seems to realize this is for something important and is attentive. The Blaze follows that example, but while Oak greets each with pride, he moves on. He seems amused at the twins, as the good one scoots a bit then nuzzles, and the 'evil' one mostly sniffs him for food ,and then shows off the hole he dug!

But finally, he returns to the powder one, and the dark splotchy (save for that white paw) that defended him. He bumps powder playfully and perhaps to explain she should be careful as SOME big beasts will check her. Then he returns to dark splotchy to see if she will get aggressive... when...

the dark splotchy gets RIGHT in his lowered face, seems to quiver, then.. licks his nose

Brekke says quietly to Clem, "It is a puppy Fior."

Aiden watches proudly over them all.

For Brekke, this might bring up phantom memories of her husband, when an infant daughter, still in a ship, locked eyes with her father for the first time, and Frank obligingly wrapped himself around SIv's tiny little finger

Oh, a fond expression, indeed.

Aiden is mostly watching to see where Clem's gaze is settling.

Another quiet mutter to Clem. "I think that one comes with us, if possible."

Oak moves behind Celebdil and sits down. Her dark splotches a great contrast to his own pale fur (Save for her paw which almost seems invisible0