dog searching to Mrs. Mcaslin, who would leave every other morning and not return until late afternoon. Brier and the other three coped as best they could, but the long term exhaustion was starting to have it's effects. None of the four could stay awake for more then a few minutes, and after Travis had fallen asleep with his face in his food, twice, they knew they wouldn't last much longer.

After a few more weeks of searching, Mr. Mcaslin heard of a man who had a herding dog for sale. Deciding to go and see the dog himself, Mr. Mcaslin left after breakfast. Buck and Cody handled the herding that morning. The caribou were particularly stubborn that morning, and in her frustration, Brier nearly bit one. If the caribou hadn't kicked out at her just then, she probably would have. As it was, she narrowly managed not to get struck by the broad hoof.

When the four returned to the barn, they all took their usual positions: Brier and Lucy on the blankets, Lariet by Dally in the corner, and Travis in the middle of the floor.

The rest left them alone, talking quietly amongst themselves, until Buck and Cody came to fetch them. Upon hearing their footsteps, Cutter would bark, and then they would go about rustling the four awake. Dally woke Lariet, Nash roused Travis, and anyone feeling brave would attempt to wake Brier and Lucy. This job was usually left for Clyde or Mattie.

Once more, Brier and the other three herded the caribou back into the barn with difficulty. Once they were in, and Cody had clasped the lock shut, they trudged back to the shed. Travis half-dragged Lariet, who didn't even try to get up when Travis dropped on the floor, the black male falling beside him. Neither male moved and aside from a grunt when they hit the floorboards, neither said anything. Brier collapsed on the blankets and Lucy plopped down heavily beside her, landing on the black females head. "Ow," was the only response.

Mattie clicked her tongue sympathetically and Dally laid down by Lariet and Travis, giving the black male a swift lick on the cheek.

"Dang, you guys look like the living dead," Clyde commented, giving a low whistle of amazement.

"Maybe ya should get outside more," Nash joked.

Lucy glowered at him but didn't bother with one of her usual sharp reply's. The others gave him stern looks, and the black male held up his paws in surrender.

JoBeth and Ol'Mac came in moments later. "Mr. Mcaslin got the new dog!" JoBeth announced.

This got everyone's attention, and all heads snapped to her.

"He did?"

"Where is it?"

"Please tell me it's not a pup."

"Yes, he's bringing it now, and it's not a pup," Ol'Mac answered each question in turn.

"Come on, quit looking like your dead and get up. He's bringing it over now," JoBeth said, trotting up to Lariet and Travis and giving them both a sharp prod in the back of the head. Groggly, the two got to their paws and sat up as the border collie did the same to Lucy and Brier. The two females stirred, bonking their heads together just as the door slid open.

Mr. Mcaslin entered, speaking quietly to the cream colored dog that was in his arms. Darker spots dappled it's coat, and a pair of bright amber eyes looked curiously around.

"Here ya go, girl," Mr. Mcaslin said, gently putting the dog down. Almost immediately, the dog trotted away from him. "Ya'll be nice to Celyn, ya hear?" Mr. Mcaslin said before shutting the door.

For a minute, no one said anything as the cream female looked around the shed, cocking her head and looking  puzzled. Nash broke the silence. "Howdy."

The female looked at him, blinking her amber eyes.

"Name's Nash," he continued, walking over to her with a friendly smile. "You're Celyn, right?"

The female just nodded.

Silence fell for a minute, then Brier spoke up. "Oh fer cryin' out loud, Nash. Don' introduce the rest of us or nothin'," she said, getting to her paws and walking up to them. "I'm Brier. That's Lucy, Travis, Lariet, Dally, Emmett, JoBeth, Ol'Mac, Clyde, Cutter, Mattie, and you've met mister half-wit."

Nash shrugged with a sheepish grin.

"Now, since we know yer name, where ya from, sugar cube?"

Celyn just blinked and cocked her head, so Brier tried something else. "Ya got any family?"

Still nothing. Frowning, Brier waved a paw in front of the females face. "Hullo? Can you hear me?"

Celyn nodded, but remained silent.

"Maybe she's just shy," JoBeth suggested.

"Or maybe she's mute," Ol'Mac said, looking at the female curiously.

"That it?" Brier asked, and Celyn frowned slightly at her. Assuming that meant yes, Brier smiled. "Well why didn' ya just say so, sugar?" 

Celyn blinked at her. "Figure of speech," Brier said quickly, "Well, we can tal--, uh, we can find out more about each other later. Ya'll must be tired. I know we are," she said, glancing at Lariet and Travis, who were slowly sinking back to the floor despite their efforts to stay upright.

Celyn looked blankly at her, so Brier gave her a light push. "C'mon, I'll show ya where ya can sleep," she said, trotting over to the old blankets. Celyn, however, walked right past them and to a pile of straw the Mcaslin's kept in the shed for the dogs, though none of them used it. Straw was annoying to get out of their fur.

The cream female pawed at the straw, making a small space for herself, then sank to her knees before laying her head down. Brier exchanged a look with Nash, who arched a brow in confusion. "She lays down like a cow?" he whispered, and Brier shrugged. "Maybe she's got a bad leg or sumthin'" she suggested quietly.

The next morning, when Jeremy brought the dogs breakfast, Brier watched Celyn closely. While the others crowded around Jeremy, wagging their tails and licking his face, the cream female sat back and waited until Jeremy put the dish in front of her. She wagged her tail politely, but otherwise ignored him. Brier frowned slightly and watched the female from the corner of her eye as she ate her own food.

Jeremy put down the last dish and headed towards the door. A sudden gust of wind made the door close behind him with a slam!

The reaction was instantaneous.

Celyn jumped so violently that she knocked her dish over, causing the others to look up just as she went rigid and hit the floor.

For a minute, none of them reacted. Then Nash, who was closest, poked her. She didn't move.

"I didn't do it," Nash said quickly as Clyde walked up and prodded the female. Still nothing.

"Is she breathing?" Mattie asked worriedly.

"Yeah, she's breathing," Clyde replied, frowning, "But she's as stiff as a--"

At that moment, Celyn sprang to her paws, looking around at them all with a questioning look.

"board," Clyde finished, looking dumbfounded as the little female started eating the food she'd knocked onto the floor.

"Wha, what in the world was that about?" Lariet asked, looking as baffled as everyone else.

Celyn just looked at him and blinked, then continued eating. Lucy gave Brier a questioning look, and Brier bit her lip. Was Celyn just fooling around, or was there something else wrong with the female besides being mute?

When Mr. Mcaslin came for the caribou herders, Brier pulled Lariet and Celyn aside. "Lariet, I want you to keep an eye on Celyn here," she said, "You, stick by him, awright?" she told the female, who blinked, but nodded.

Feeling a little better about things now, Brier took her place by Mr. Mcaslin as they started towards the barn. Celyn seemed to obey her orders and trotted alongside Lariet.

The caribou were in a surprisingly agreeable mood that morning, and they came out of the barn without much fuss. Things went smoothly, and it wasn't until they were half way to the field did Brier notice Celyn was no longer by Lariet. Frowning, Brier cast a quick look around for the cream female just as Lucy barked in alarm. Her head snapped foreword, and the black female quickly jumped aside as three caribou burst from the herd.

"Travis!" Brier shouted as she took off after them, the german shepherd hot on her heels.

As they caught up to the caribou, Brier saw a cream coat amidst the brown legs. She blinked and looked again. Celyn?!

"Git' the caribou!" Brier called to Travis, who nodded and swerved to the left, circling the caribou as Brier ducked in between the thundering hooves. Celyn looked wide eyed and panicked, and Brier's ears flattened against her head in anger. Barking to get her attention, the black female snapped at the smaller ones paws, chasing her out of the caribou's path and herding her the opposite direction.

Brier looked back to make sure Travis was okay, and saw the male herding the caribou back to the others. With that under control, Brier turned on Celyn. The cream female flattened herself to the ground as Brier unleashed her fury.

"What in sam's hill was that all about?! Do ya'll have any idea what just coulda've happened? Someone coulda've been hurt! What were ya doin'?! Messin' around?! Ya listen, an' ya listen good! I don' know what kinda herdin' ya did back on yer farm, but that's not how we do it 'round here! If ya go an' cause anymore trouble, ya'll can bet yer life that ya won't be workin' with us much longer! That clear?"

Celyn nodded meekly, her