((continued from here viewtopic.php?f=6&t=1557&p=23085#p23085 ))

"You know anything about them? Spinewolves I mean. I sort of know bits and pieces, but I didn't know they were this strong as pups." The tamer asked as she came closer, trying to pull Charlie along, back to his kint. Clarabelle was in her own, sulking about the new additions. She didn't like having to share her time with Taegan.

"Ah, no. Only seen 'em in a book, once. They always looked interesting though. I've kept most everything, but not a spinewolf, yet."
She wondered if he had heard her earlier.
"So, as I was sayin', would you like a bit of help with these guys? I'd be happy to. I've got nothing to do after the festival, besides go home. And that's no fun."

Taegan gave her a sidelong glance as he tugged on Charlie.

"I haven't really thought about it. You'd have to get up real early every morning to help out. Feeding and cleaning, watering...its a real chore just with Clarabelle, let alone these two. But, if your up to it, then yeh. I could use the help. Have to start training these two now if we want them upto performing standards. And when Charlie is old enough, he's gonna need to be broken in. I figured Caz here could do some cool stuff like pick predetermined people out of the crowd and stuff. Like a sort of magic trick. I dunno, haven't worked out the kinks yet." He lifted the white osta and rubbed his nose against hers. She licked it between purrs. Smiling at Giana, he tilted his head.

"What about that guy you were with, he'd be cool with you and me spending like...all our time together?"

"I could ask him, but honestly, we met five days ago. I'll still see him often enough, and this sounds like something I'd be interested in. As long as you don't mind some o' mine coming along with me after the festival, I'm game. I'll have to go back in a little bit today, though--wanna see how he did. Oh, and who's Clarabelle?"

Taegan grinned. Five days? That wasn't enough time for girlfriend claims. He nodded to her and gestured.

"Sure, sure. We can go back in a while. Here, come with me." Pulling the spinewolf and walking towards a black kint, he stopped, handing the osta kitten to her and tying Charlie to a nearby stump. Walking around the kint, he gestured for her to follow. The wall of the wooden mobile home was raised up on poles and a set of bars replaced them. Inside a large dark mass was laying down, snoring by the sound of it. Taegan pulled a handful of jerky from his pocket.

"This is Clarabelle. Hey, lazybones, wake up." The shape moved slowly, lifting its massive horned head. Black glittering eyes opened to look at them and the mouth opened into a wide yawn, massive teeth on display around a pink tongue. Standing, stretching thickly muscled forelegs, the chrove turned to rub against the bars, a deep baritone purr coming from her barrel chest. Taegan reached in to rub her nose, offering up a piece of the dried garmon. Clarabelle took it without hesitation, crunching it up happily. She looked nice enough, but if Giana watched carefully, the black eyes didn't come off her and it seemed the over sized scaly cat was standing protectively over something. The blonde tamer looked at Giana and grinned, he didn't miss the body language.

"She's always like this with strangers. As long as you don't try to touch Binkie, we can try and make introductions if you want." He walked as he spoke, standing beside the kint where a door would usually be. Instead it looked like the whole side was meant to drop open.

"Ah, well. She's beautiful! I'd be happy to meet Miz Clarabelle here."
Giana'd never seen a chrove up this close, but she wasn't afraid of them at all, and had always wanted to.
Could you pet chroven?
((going away to hollaaaaaand--might be extremely slow with posts. sorry.))

Grinning, Taegan pulled out the latch holding the side up and lowered the wood carefully. Standing up, he walked into the kint slowly.

"Hey there beautiful, its okay, you leave Binkie over there. Come on Clarabelle." He spoke with obvious affection to the chrove, who turned around and approached him, purring. She rubbed the top of her head against the blonde, who stumbled under her weight, trying to avoid the horn like ear poking into his thigh. Patting her under the chin and around the ear, he gestured to Giana.

"Now, Clarabelle. This is...er...." He paused, then chuckled.

"What's your name?"

Giana walked forward, slowly, not wanting to startle the big animal.
"I'm Giana, Giana Match for long, Gi for short."
She smiled. "Pleased to meet you, Miz Clarabelle."

The large black creature growled deep in her chest as Giana approached slowly. Taegan gave her a scolding look.

"Knock it off girl, this is a new friend. Here," He handed Giana a piece of jerky.

"Put your hand out slowly, let her smell you and give her the jerky. Slowly." The blonde tamer kept his blue eyes fixed on the big cat, who had ceased her growling, but still seemed slightly tense. Her thick tail twitched at the end.

Giana gently took the piece of dried meat from Taegan and extended her arm as slowly as she thought was necessary. A little slower than new-bander-wolf-slow, in fact. Purely because of the fact that although meeting Clarabelle was exciting, it was also very likely that if she made the wrong move, she could get her arm torn off.
Hopefully this worked out, hm?

Clarabelle turned her large muzzle towards Giana's outstretched hand, sniffing at the meat. A pink tongue extended to lick raspily at the offered food, before taking it between huge, sharp teeth. Making a sort of purr as she crunched down the meat, the chrove didn't seem to be acting in a threatening manor. When she finished, she smelt the witches hand carefully, when something caught her nose. Smelling a little more carefully, she followed the scent closer to the girl, towards her chest. Taegan placed a hand on her neck.

"Clarabelle.." He said in a warning sort of voice. But the chrove was sniffing interestedly at the small white fluff ball in Giana's hand. Caz didn't seem the slightest bit concerned and sniffed the chrove back, soft little chirrups coming from her. Clarabelle seemed to make a decision. She gave the little osta a huge lick, then moved to lick Giana's jaw and cheek. Satisfied, and purring deeply, she turned in a tight circle and made her way back into the kint, picking up Binkie in her huge jaws. Taegan grinned as he shut the door.

"Well then! I think she likes you, and its funny. When I came over with Caz earlier she hissed and threw a big tantrum. Seem's she doesn't mind the cub when I'm not holding it. You temperamental mongrel." He directed the last comment at the black chrove, who lay down with her teddy bear between her forelegs, purring, eyes half shut. Stepping down, he grinned.

"So! What do you say? Wanna work with me?" His blue eyes twinkled and he crossed well developed arms across his chest. Charlie yelped and pulled on the leash in the background, bored of being tied up.

"Of course! That'd be great! I like these guys."
She scratched the small white osta she was holding.
"Listen, I've gotta get back now...Warwick's probably done. Thanks for letting me meet everybody!"

Taegan looked momentarily elated, then crestfallen. He scowled at the mention of the wick she'd arrived with and reached out to take the osta kitten from her hands.

"Yeh, no problem. I suppose you need to talk to Balder about pay and stuff. Be here in the morning, early. I'll show you how to feed and muck them. Then we can work on some training and familiarization." He spoke in a sort of offhand way, as if he wasn't interested. Reaching up with one finger, he patted the little white kitten, rubbing her soft fur on his chin.

Giana handed him Caz, and waved.
"I'll see you!"
Why had he looked so unhappy when she mentioned Warwick?
She waved goodbye to Clarabelle and Charlie as well, and left.