Page 158 of Wind Rider

Beside him, Laru grumbled, making Nik laugh. “Oh, don’t be so grumpy. Everyone knows you are already an excellent father.”

“Puppy smell is intoxicating, isn’t it?” Claudia called over her shoulder. She and Davis had rigged their litter so that they could share pulling it between them.

“I believe it is how they survive,” said Dove, who was walking on the other side of the litter. One hand rested on its rail. The other held a long stick that she kept sweeping out in front of her so that she knew when to step over forest debris in the path. “They are terribly helpless when they’re little.”

“Oh, I don’t know. I think they are so beautiful that we would love and care for them even if they were stinky,” said Lily shyly. Though Dove was becoming more and more independent, Lily chose to remain close to her ex-mistress. The two young women chatted easily and were obviously good friends.

“They’re definitely cute,” said Mari. “I can’t wait to see what this litter is going to look like full grown.”

“Don’t you mean who?” Davis said, chuckling softly. “Cammy or Mariah?

From his spot on the litter, snuggled against eleven pups, Cammy barked in agreement.

Mari laughed. “I think we can already guess which ones will take after their father.” She touched the soft heads of the pups as she spoke. “This one, this one, this one, and this one are all blond, and smaller than the others. I’ll bet they’ll look just like their brave father.”

“I hope they take after him, too!” said Claudia, smiling over her shoulder at Cammyman.

Walking beside her Companion, Mariah huffed happily.

“Oh, good! There you are, Lily!” Rose hurried up with one of Fala’s pups in her arms. “Would you watch this little boy for me? His two sisters are sound asleep, but this one won’t settle. He always has been the mostcurious of the litter, and for some reason today he’s being extra precocious. Fala and I want to hunt ahead, and he’s just not big enough to come with us yet.”

“Of course!” Lily held out her arms and a harried-looking Rose handed the pup to her. The bright-eyed Terrier looked up at Lily, licked her face, and wriggled his whole rear end happily.

“If he’s too whiny you can let him walk beside you for a while. He shouldn’t wander—he knows better.” Rose gave the pup a hard look and scratched him under his chin, where there was a grayish-white patch of hair growing like an old man’s beard.

The pup yapped in excitement and wriggled some more.

“Okay, I’ll let you walk, but you have to stay with me, and when you get tired you can curl up with Cammy and the other puppies,” Lily said.

“Whether he agrees or not, that sounds like an excellent idea. I’ll get him when I come back,” Rose said.

“No hurry. I like watching him,” said Lily.

“Hey, you’re not hunting alone, are you?” Mari asked.

“Absolutely not! Sheena and Captain are joining me. Oh, and Antreas said he found wolverine scat. Would you pass that down the line so everyone knows?”

“Sure,” Mari said as Rose jogged away to join Fala, Sheena, and her Captain. Mari turned to look behind her at Sora, who was walking on one side of O’Bryan, with Jenna, carrying her Companion, Khan, on his other side. O’Bryan pulled one of the smaller litters, and the two young women took turns spelling him when he got tired. “Did you hear that?”

“Sure did. Chloe and I will go back and tell the rest of the Pack, and I’ll also tell them to tighten up the line. With wolverines around, we don’t want anyone to be straggling.” She took Chloe out of her sling. The pup touched noses with the little male Rose had dropped off with Lily.

“Khan and I will come with you. He needs the exercise. I think he’s getting fat.” Jenna lifted her pup from her sling and studied his round belly. “What do you think, O’Bryan?”

“I think he’s as well fed as he is well loved.”

“Which means he needs the exercise,” said Sora. “Just like Chloe. Be back in a little while, and then I’ll take the litter for the next few miles.”

“No rush. I’m not tired at all, and Antreas says the bridge we have to cross is pretty close. We’ll all get a short break then while we line up to go across,” said O’Bryan.

“Okay, well, don’t wear yourself out.” Sora nodded to Jenna, and they started down the line of the Pack, passing the news about wolverine sign and making sure everyone remained close and safe, with their pups trotting behind them, chubby butts wriggling in perfect time together.

Mari watched them for a little while before turning to Nik. “Is it normal that I’m missing Rigel’s puppy days? He’s big and magnificent, but I do miss his gangly legs and floppy ears.” She petted the top of her Companion’s head, which was now as tall as his father’s.

“It’s completely normal. Puppies are magickal.” Nik lowered his voice and whispered: “But adult canines are much less trouble.”

“I heard that!” Claudia said.

“Yeah, so did I,” said Davis. “We know we’re in for trouble times eleven.”