“Dog hounds first,” George said, and he opened the door to the back of the dog hound pen. The hounds hopped off their benches to greet the visitors. George forgot his duties for a moment in the pleasure of the pack welcome. He bespoke the hounds silently with his private greeting before dismissing them to investigate the newcomers.
When he finished, he found Dyfnallt looking at him oddly. “Fond of you, they are,” he said.
“The feeling’s mutual,” George said, sheepishly. “We have some lovely hounds.” He fondled the one closest to him. “This one here is Dando, one of my favorites. The captain of the team, for now. We’re breeding from him this season.”
Gwion asked about one of the restless hounds circling around him. “And this one?”
“That’s Cythraul. He’s a handful, and then some. Good st
