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.
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