SSWM Word Count → 627 :: Ideas... Wayne could offer 'em a horse to ride back. :3 And we can just say the horses are getting tired when they're closer to CdC, causing them to dismount, since Regner didn't come to the borders on a horse. xD

It was a chilly day, but the horses still needed to be exercised, and Wayne knew that they were unhappy being cooped up in the temporary pen. Normally, they were free-roaming animals, even if that might change when the stable built. However, he couldn’t risk any getting snatched away with the festival grounds so close to Casa di Cavalieri territory, and so he’d helped erect the makeshift corral for them. For a change of scenery, he ventured out into the Seabreeze Brink area, close enough to their pack but different enough that his mind was stimulated. The crisp winter air helped him think, even if he shivered. He was simply glad for his more wolfish coat; the lupine blood did not seem as dominant as his domestic dog ancestry, even if he was a half-and-half hybrid, but it did strengthen him in all the ways that mattered.

The snow crunched under the hooves of the two horses the cowboy had brought out with him today. He sat proud on Buckeye, glad that the stallion could take his large frame, though if the light bay weakened he did have backup in the form of Fern. The giant mare trailed obediently after the former Court horse, her head bobbing with her gait, flaxen tail flicking behind her. Blankets were draped across the backs of both horses to help them fend off the cold, but their heavy winter coats would be protection enough once they got warmed up.

The Labrador grinned as Fern trotted close enough to nip him, though he had to click his tongue to redirect Buckeye’s attention when the bay tried to snap at her. Luckily, the animals under the cowboy’s care had overall good temperaments, and once the horse realized that Fern was Fern and not some stranger, he chilled out.

The trio of canine and equines ran out from the pack territory, through broad elk trails in the wooded areas, into fields and along shores. Wayne yelped to call a halt at key points, giving them some time to rest between galloping, removing their blankets when their bodies were warm to the touch. He drew them near a shallow stream to get a drink, smiling and combing his claws lightly through their coats in the sweet spots that he had discovered. At one point, Buckeye shoved him into the water, where he grinned and barked at the horses as if they were fellow dogs. “Still got it,” he called to the older stallion, who shook water from his mane when splashed.

But it was then that Fern neighed, her attention intently focused toward the wood. Her ears swiveled to pinpoint some sound, and the cowboy quickly jogged to her side, one comforting hand on her shoulder as he tried to figure out what was troubling her. His other hand went to the small knife at his belt, used more for practical purposes rather than fighting but another advantage if he needed to defend himself and the horses.

The smell of a pair of wolfdogs struck him—one old and one young, male and female, healthy and sick. Perplexed, he called Buckeye to him and began to lead the stallion forward toward the source of the scent that had startled Fern. The mare walked behind him, her head at level with his shoulder, no lead needed to guide her.

Finally, Wayne caught sight of the golden-furred canines: a giant elder with a wrapped bundle of puppy in his arms. Brows knitting together with worry, he let out a bark to let the pair know that he was there. He recognized the urgency in the old man’s steps and wondered where he was rushing to, and what the state of the child was.

“Sir! D’ya need help?”

SSWM Word Count → 360

The stranger turned toward him, copper eyes thinning, but Wayne maintained a relaxed enough posture despite his size. Well, not that his size would be especially intimidating in the face of this old-timer; the fellow was at least a foot taller than him! Such a large stature was rare, but with a hint of amusement he noted also that Jazper was around the same size. He could only imagine what the golden wolfdog looked like in his prime, to still stand so powerfully in a withered age.

The gruff bark in return did not put off the young man, who was used to blunt speech in situations not even as dire as this. He frowned, his brown eyes shifting to the fur-wrapped bundle in his arms. Illnesses such as colds and brief fevers were normal, but depending on the age of the child, it could grow deadly. In the wilderness, unsheltered by a pack, the fatality rates would only be that much higher. Worry darkened his expression as he took another step forward, the horses standing uncertainly behind him as they eyed the large loner.

Mention of Casa di Cavalieri made the Labrador mutt laugh once in surprise, his head shaking with wonder. “I’ll do ya one better; I’m part of Casa,” he said, the relief and enthusiasm in his tone unbridled. He would be able to help this poor pair out more than he’d initially thought. Thoughtful, he glanced over his shoulder at the horses then reached out for Fern. The mare put her large chestnut head in his hands as he looked at her carefully, and then he turned back to the elder.

“Fern should be just large enough to carry you and your granddaughter,” Wayne went on. It would make travel faster, and he wasn’t blind to the way the man was keeping his weight off one leg. “We can take ya straight to the pack territory. You know how to ride a horse?” He was only glad that the female was good with new riders, if the man happened to be unskilled. Fern would know to follow him back along their route to the pack boundaries.