"LARIET!"

The sharp cry could be heard all around the ranch. The cattle in the small pasture raised their heads as a black female came darting around the corner, amber eyes blazing. "Beggin'  yur pardon, ma'ams," the dog said, bending a leg into a bow. One cow mooed, and the female took off around the barn.

"Lariet, where in the hay are you!"

"Will you quit your shouting? Your disturbing the wallabies in Australia!"

The black female turned as a dusty tan dog poked his head around the corner of the red barn, looking rather cross.

"Clyde, I've toldja once, I've toldja a hundred times. I don' know what a wallaby is, and until you decide to go an' tell me, I don't care if I'm a waking 'em or not!" the black female replied, stamping her paw on the ground, a sure sign she was in no better mood then he was.

Clyde rolled his eyes. "What's got your tail in a knot?"

"Nevermin' my tail, is Mattie in there with you?"

Clyde arched a brow, but called over his shoulder. "Mattie, Brier needs ya."

A second later, a cream and brown female appeared beside him. "Evening, Brier," she greeted kindly, "Shouldn't you have headed out by now?"

The black female snorted. "Ya, we shoulda've, but that scatterbrained Lariet's gone and disappeared again! Please tell me you've seen 'im, Mattie," Brier asked, her tone slightly pleading.

The brown female smiled. "He disappeared with Dally after lunch. I haven't seen either one since," she said.

Brier huffed. "Shoulda known. Thank ya kindly, Mattie!" she said before taking off.

The black female raced past the corral of cattle again, the cows paying her no heed this time, past  the wooden house where her humans lived, and a small shed where they kept tools before she came to a stop outside a smaller barn, this one dark blue instead of brown, and much older. Nudging the door open with her nose, Brier poked her head inside.

"Lariet! I know yer in here, now come on out!" she shouted, her voice echoing off the rafters. There was a rustling in the hayloft, and Brier's head snapped up. Instead of seeing the brown eyes of the male she was looking for, she saw a pair of golden eyes.

"Dally! Is Lariet up there with you?" Brier barked.

The black border collie looked around, her ears lowering shyly. "Uh, well, you see, we were, we thought, that, uhm," Dally stuttered.

"He's stuck again, ain't he?" Brier interrupted flatly.

"Yes ma'am."

Heaving a sigh, the black female made her way to the steps and bounded up. "Lariet! What in the name of all things good have you gone an' done now?" she asked sharply.

"ow id ou ind us?" came a muffled reply.

"Yer as predictable as a salmon in spring, that's how," Brier retorted, "Now where are you?"

Dally walked over to a spot by the wall and pointed a paw at it. Arching a brow, Brier padded over and look down into a hole in the straw. A pretty deep hole, too. At the bottom of the hole, his paw stuck in the floor, was a black and gray male. Lariet grinned sheepishly. "Aheh, heya Brier."

"Oh for-! Lariet! You know how behin' we are al'ready jus' lookin' fer you! Lands sake, why'd you come up here fer? An' why'd you come with 'im?" she added, looking at Dally. Both dogs blushed in unison.

Brier huffed, shaking her head in annoyance. "Ya'll can do whatevur ya like, aftur work! Now, Lariet, gimmie yer other paw, pronto," she ordered.

Lariet held up the paw that wasn't sunk through the floor, and Brier grabbed it in her teeth. "Ow! Hey, watch it," the male said. Brier glared at him and gave a hefty tug. Lariet yelped, there was a snap, and the male's paw jerked free. Brier released his paw and grabbed his scruff. "'imb ou ig issy," she growled through her teeth, and Lariet scrambled up the hay as Brier pulled.

The male flopped foreword onto the straw. He grinned, but Brier butted him to his paws."C'mon, ya lazy bum! We're late enough as it is! Dally, you get yerself back to Miss Mcaslin! Ya'll can pick up where you left off aftur we're done with the herdin'!"

Lariet grinned at dally as Brier butted him out the door. "Git movin' or I'll start treating ya like a caribou!" she snapped.

This got the male practically sprinting his way towards the big barn, Brier hot on his heels. Waiting for them were three more dogs:  two males and a female. The female trotted up to meet them, swatting Lariet over the head. "Shame on you for making us late and having Brier run all over just to find you!"

Lariet winced, but grinned at the brown female. "Sorry sis," he said, giving all four dogs a sheepish look.

Brier opened her mouth to snap at him, but was interrupted when Mr. Mcaslin came around the corner. "There ya'll are!" he said, tilting the tan hat on his head back. The five dogs barked and crowded around as the man bent down to their level. Giving each dog a pat, the man straightened. "Awright, gang, let's git to it!"

Master and dogs headed out into the large field where about three dozen caribou grazed. Their brown and white coats dappled against the snowy background, making it easy to spot stragglers. Mr. Mcaslin whistled sharply, and the five dogs took off, each knowing what the other was supposed to do.

Brier darted in, nipping at a stubborn caribou's heels. The caribou bellowed and swung it's antlers at her, but the black female was quicker and nimbly dodged them. On the other side of the heard, Lucy and Lariet brought in a couple of caribou that lagged behind. Brier quickly looked around, seeing her fellow herders keeping the rest of the herd together.  Aside from their usual bellowing and stamping impatiently, the caribou came along somewhat willingly. A few kicked out at the dogs, or swung their antlers at them, but the dogs were used to this and knew how to avoid the broad hooves and sharp antlers.

Things went smoothly until they reached the gate. There, several caribou began to balk. This made the rest of the herd uneasy, and they began to bellow louder then before. The dogs moved quickly, barking at them and nipping their heels to get them to move foreword as Mr. Mcaslin shouted over the bellowing.

Brier jumped in front of a caribou that tried to break away, keeping it in place. At last, the caribou began to move again, stamping and bustling into the barn. Mr. Mcaslin shut the heavy doors, putting the lock in place. "Good girl," he said, patting Brier on the head. The black female barked happily as the other dogs came up. Mr. Mcaslin praised them all and gave each one a pat.

Another day of good work, and the group headed back. Mr. Mcaslin went to the house, while the dogs headed towards a small shed, where all the dogs slept. Dally came out to greet them, giving Lariet a lick on the cheek, making the male grin. Brier rolled her eyes and Lucy giggled as they entered the shed.

The other dogs were already there, having finished herding the cattle a little earlier. Six dogs looked up as the others came in. Emmett, a german shepherd mix, watched as Lariet and Dally sat down. His mate, JoBeth, a border collie, nudged his shoulder and gave him a firm look. Dally was their daughter, and it was only natural for him to be protective. The rest of them found it amusing how hard Lariet worked to prove to the older male he was good enough for his daughter.

Brier trotted over to a pile of old blankets on the floor. Stretching once, she laid down, glad to give her aching paws a rest.

"Rough day?" Mattie asked with a smile.

"You have nooo idea," Lucy said, taking a seat beside Brier. "Those caribou are so restless lately, aren't they Travis?"

The german shepherd male nodded from his place across the shed, next to Clyde and a large brown and black male.

"You okay, Mac?" JoBeth gently asked the other male.

Ol'Mac was the oldest, and largest, of them. Due to his large size, the Mcaslin's used him for both herding caribou and cattle. Lately, though, the male's age had started catching up with him, leaving him a bit stiff at the end of the day.

Ol'Mac chuckled. "Don'  you worry, non. I'm fine," he said in his deep southern accent.

"Man, at least you guys get some excitement," Nash, a australian cattle dog, spoke up from the corner.

"Speak for yourself," the male beside him, Cutter, Clyde's brother, muttered.

"What happened to you?" Brier asked, spotting a cut on the males shoulder.

"Cow took a kick at 'im," Nash said, "Getting slow, aren't ya?" he teased.

The others laughed when Cutter swatted at the younger male, narrowly missing his head. The dogs chatted for a bit longer, then one by one began to doze off. Lariet and Dally snuggled up together in one corner, Emmet and JoBeth in another, Brier, Lucy, and Mattie on the old blankets, leaving Nash, Clyde, Cutter, Travis, and Ol'Mac to dog pile in the middle of the floor.

~=~=~=~=~=~

The next morning did not start well for anyone. There was a mild rain, and within minutes the dogs were soaked and cold. The cattle and caribou were in no better mood. One cow raised such a fuss that it kicked Buck Mcaslin, Mr. Mcaslin's brother, and he had to be taken inside. That left Jeremy Mcaslin, the younger brother of Buck and Mr., to do the caribou while Mr. Mcaslin did the cattle.

This did not please the dogs that had to herd the caribou. While Mr. Mcaslin and Buck Mcaslin handled the stock and dogs with skill, Jeremy was inexperienced and often didn't know what he was doing. He was also afraid of large animals, which made it all the harder for him to help.

On top of all this, the caribou were more restless and bad tempered then they had been yesterday. A couple of them bolted from the barn the minute the doors opened, making Brier, Travis, and Lucy run after them to bring them back, while the rest refused to leave the barn. It took longer then usual to get them to move from the barn, and they bellowed and stamped their hooves with annoyance. A few kicked out, and one tried to charge at Lucy.

Everyone was wet and cross, and they had only just started to get the caribou to move. Brier trotted alongside the herd, squinting to see through the rain and keep the water out of her eyes. Her ears were ringing from the caribou's constant bellowing, and her paws were starting to numb from the cold, damp ground.

A sudden yelp made her head snap up. Jeremy started shouting, and the other dogs began barking. The caribou stamped and tossed their heads, adding their bellows to the mix. Confused, Brier barked to keep the caribou moving, though she wanted to run and find what was going on. Had one of the others been hurt? Had Jeremy? Did a caribou break away and run off?

The barks and shouts ceased after a bit, and the caribou quieted some. Brier got a glimpse of Lucy, but didn't stop to ask. She waited until the caribou were in their field. She was surprised when cousin Cody shut the gate, not Jeremy, and called the dogs over. Travis, Lariet, and Lucy ran over, but Ol'Mac was gone. Brier felt her gut clench.

"Where's Ol'Mac?" she whispered as they started back.

"A caribou kicked him. He didn't dodge in time," Travis replied, "Got him in the leg."

"Jeremy took him back to the house," Lucy added, her brown eyes wide with worry. Even Lariet looked solemn. That was how it worked on the ranch. When one person, or dog, got hurt, everyone worried.

The others were already in the shed when they returned, except for JoBeth, who was in the house and finding out what was going on. As Brier, Travis, Lucy, and Lariet dried themselves off and told what had happened to the others, JoBeth came in and told them Mr. Mcaslin had taken Ol'Mac into town to see the vet.

For the rest of the day, everyone was tense with worry. Ol'Mac was somewhat of a father figure to all of them, and he wasn't as young as he used to be. Emmet paced the floor anxiously while JoBeth watched with concern. Dally curled up by Lariet, who murmured assuring words to her. The rest of them shifted about uneasily.

Brier couldn't stand not knowing what was going on, so she periodically went up to the house to see if she could hear what the Mcaslin's were saying. Just her luck, only Mrs. Mcaslin and aunt Sally were within hearing range, as the rest waited in the den. Once she caught Jeremy talking with Mrs. and Sally, saying he felt awful, and Brier felt sorry for him. He had just been trying to help, after all. It was more the caribou's fault then his. She wished she could tell him that, but humans didn't speak dog. It was a very annoying fact.

Cody and Jeremy came to get the dogs, and the caribou were much more agreeable then they had been that morning. Jeremy and the dogs had no trouble getting them in the barn, and when they got back, Mr. Mcaslin's truck sat in front of the house. Cody and Jeremy put the dogs in the shed and hurried into the house.

"Ol'Mac broke his leg," JoBeth said the minute Brier looked at her, "He's fine and their keeping him inside for now, but the vet said he won't be able to be used for herding anymore, so he's going to become a house dog."

Brier let out a sigh of relief. "Well, at least he's fine."

"Yeah, but he's not going to be too happy about being retired," Lucy commented.

"Better then being dead," Nash quipped.

"And he's got JoBeth and Dally for company," Mattie added.

"But what are we going to do about the new dog?"

Everyone turned to Dally, who had spoken up from her place beside JoBeth.

"New dog?" Lariet asked, looking confused.

"Well, after you left mom," Dally said, looking at JoBeth, "Mr. Mcaslin said he was going to think about replacing Ol'Mac, since he'd be a dog short now."

Clyde snorted. "So? We don't need a new dog."

"They wouldn' evin' be workin' with you," Brier replied, "'sides, what's wrong with a new dog?"

"Wellll, if it's a fresh pup, they'd have to be trained," Emmett said slowly.

"Mr. Mcaslin wouldn' git a fresh one," Brier said, "He doesn' have the time to train a new dog. He'd git one with experience."

"Even so, they'd have to learn to work with us. The closest ranches only have one or two dogs for herding," Lucy stated.

"Aside from that one place that has, four, I think?" Lariet added.

"So? They'd learn to git along, just like we'all did."

"And if they don't? They'd just cause trouble and more work for the rest of us," Cutter said.

"Oh fer-! What in the sam's hill is wrong with ya'll?" Brier exclaimed. "Yer actin' like Mr. Mcaslin is gonna bring home sum pampered, pretty wuss, or a freaky lil' termite! Itsa dog, fer cryin' out loud!"

"A new dog," Cutter muttered.

Brier sighed deeply. "Travis, Mattie, help me out here," she said, turning to the only two dogs who hadn't shown any objection.

"You all didn't act like this when Mr. Mcaslin got Brier," Mattie pointed out gently.

"That's 'cause we got Travis, Nash, Lucy, and Lariet at the same time," Clyde replied.

"And they turned out just fine, didn't they?" Mattie said, arching a brow at the male, who muttered something under his breathe that made Lucy smack him.

"What's yer all's excuse?" Brier asked, turning to Lucy, Lariet, and Nash. "Ya'll got here same time I did, an' there hasn't been a new dog since."

"Hey, I came from a herding family," Nash protested, "I watched my dad work all the time. He and his pals had a system, then this new dog came along and screwed it up."

"You herd the cattle, Nash," Brier told him flatly, "A new dog wouldn' work with you."

"Not without going insane," Emmett muttered.

Ignoring him, Brier turned a questioning look on Lucy and Lariet. The siblings exchanged a brief glance, then Lucy answered. "We're just worried about how they'd work with us, that's all."

Brier shook her head in disbelief. "Look," she said firmly, "Ya'll are worrin' 'bout nothin'. Mr. Mcaslin knows how to pick a good dog, he got all of us, didn' he?" They all murmured in agreement, so she continued. "He knows what will work an' what won't. If the dog is used to workin' solo, well hey, they'll just have to learn to work withus. It's as simple as that. It'll all be fine, now ya'll quit yer worrin'."

The others murmured, but said no more. Satisfied, Brier took her spot by Mattie and Lucy as everyone settled in for the night.

"You really think it'll all be fine?" Lucy whispered.

"'course I do. Wouldn' have given that lil' speech otherwise."

~=~=~=~=~=~

Weeks passed, and Ol'Mac healed up nicely. He slept in the house at night, at aunt Sally's insistence he was too old to sleep outside, and stayed home with JoBeth and Dally while the others herded. He said he felt bad about "up and leaving" them, but they all assured him they'd rather he be retired and healthy.

Still, just how much Ol'Mac had helped became apparent very quickly to Brier, Travis, Lucy, and Lariet.

With only four of them to control the caribou, one side of the herd was left unwatched, and the caribou knew it. There were a few that had always caused trouble, but now they caused even more. They'd bolt and force one of the dogs to go chase them, leaving three to keep the herd together. The caribou sensed a dog missing, and thought it meant freedom for them. The ones that didn't bolt were far more stubborn then usual, and the ones that did bolt did so more frequently.

By the time Brier and the other three were done for the day, they were all tired, frustrated, and cross. Brier snapped at anyone who made the slightest sound at night. Lucy was so drained that she lost her usual spunky attitude and didn't even have the energy to smack someone when they made a smart remark. Travis, usually so calm and patient, practically collapsed on the floor and refused to move until morning, not caring if someone stepped on or tripped over him. Even Lariet, who was so good natured and fun loving, didn't crack any jokes at night. He'd curl up next to Dally and fall asleep within minutes.

Mr. Mcaslin came home as tired and cross as the dogs, and one night he finally declared that the caribou were more then the four dogs could handle, and would start looking for a new one.

"You mean he hasn't?!" Lucy had shrieked when JoBeth gave the others the news, causing Brier to snap at her to stop "screechin' likea cat with it's tail caught in a door".

Mr. Mcaslin left the 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 eyes wide and looking quite frightened.

Muttering to herself, Brier whipped around and started back to the others, Celyn trailing behind her like a punished pup. They went straight to the shed, where the others had already went. They all looked up as the two entered, Brier taking a seat beside Lucy, and Celyn slinking to the pile of straw at the back.

"Travis told us what happened," Lucy whispered, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Brier replied, a tad sharper then intended.

"I told you a new dog would just cause trouble," Cutter muttered.

"What if it was an accident?" Mattie suggested.

Clyde snorted. "How do you 'accidently' get three caribou to charge?"

"Quite easily, actually," Nash commented lightly, making the older male glare at him.

"Thank you, Nash,"  Mattie replied with a pointed look at Clyde, who just rolled his eyes.

"Look, whether it was an accident or not, it happened, and someone could have been hurt," Emmett spoke up, shooting both dogs a firm look. "Let's just keep an eye on her for now," he said.

"The last thing we need is another Nash or Lariet around," Clyde added.

"Hey!" both males barked in unison.

As talk turned to other things, Brier looked over to where Celyn had curled into a tight ball. Either the female hadn't heard them, which she doubted, considering how small the shed was, or she was asleep. One way or another, Celyn hadn't moved an inch since they had returned.

Later that day, when Mr. Mcaslin came to get the dogs, Celyn stayed off to the side for the most part, leaving the other four to herd the caribou. Luckily, the caribou cooperated and went into the barn without much fuss. However, when Mr. Mcaslin took the dogs back to the shed, he pulled Celyn aside. Brier caught a glimpse of him leading her to the small corrals where the Mcaslin's kept older cattle and caribou before Buck shut the door.

"Where's Celyn?" Lariet asked, looking up from beside Dally.

Brier shrugged and sat down between Mattie and Lucy, while Lariet got to his paws and trotted over to the door. Squinting, he bent down and peered through a small hole in the door the dogs used to look out. "Hey, Mr. Mcaslin's putting her in with the old timers," he said with surprise.

"At least those ones can't bolt," Lucy muttered.

"Oi, Lariet, where are you going?" Travis asked as the black male nudged the door open. "Gonna see if I can find out why they put her in there. I mean, what if she gets trampled?"

Dally beamed at his thoughtfulness, but Brier rolled her eyes. "Lariet, those ol' timers wouldn' trample a flea, let alone a dog. They don' do anything but eat all day."

Lariet shrugged. "Still. Weird, isn't it?" With that, the black male slipped out and slid the door shut behind him. Clyde waited a few minutes before sighing heavily. "All right, who wants to go make sure he doesn't get himself stuck somewhere?"

"Oh, I'll do it," Brier said, rolling to her paws and going to the door. She nudged it open, slipping out as Lariet had done moments before.

Looking around once, Brier saw Lariet's shadow under the kitchen window. Rolling her eyes and muttering to herself, she started over, passing the corrals as she went. She stopped and saw Celyn's cream coat amongst the brown and white caribou. The female looked perfectly content, and the caribou paid her no attention.

Cocking her head in confusion, Brier walked up to the house, creeping up behind Lariet.

"Lariet!" she whispered, making the black male jump.

"Geez, Brier, pipe down," Lariet told her, "they just started talking about Celyn."

"Why of all the--! Lariet! Ya git yer hide back to the shed before I drag it there!"

"Shhhh!"

Brier opened her mouth to snap back, but Mrs. Mcaslin's voice spoke up just then, and in spite of herself, Brier cocked her head to listen.

"Dear, why did you put Celyn in the corral instead of in the shed with the other dogs?"

There was a clinking sound, telling Brier and Lariet that Mr. Mcaslin was having his evening coffee. "Well, you know that phone call I made earlier to the man who sold her to us?"

"Yes."

"See, he told me that there was a misunderstanin'. Celyn ain't exactly a herding dog like the others."

"We coulda told 'em that," Lariet muttered, and Brier shushed him.

"What do you mean, hon?"

"She's one of those livestock guard dogs Buck heard about. Ya know those ones that ya can't treat 'em like a dog or their ruined?"

"Well, that explains her behavior. Did the man say what she had been, raised with?"

"Fainting goats."

"What goats?" Lariet asked.

"Hush," Brier hissed.

"Those little goats that fall over when frightened?" Mrs. Mcaslin asked.

"That's them," Mr. Mcaslin replied.

"We bought a dog, that thinks it's a goat?"

"Yup."

"What are we going to do with a dog that acts like a goat?"

"She'll be a guard dog. Man said she kept the coyotes away from his goats. Did a darn good job of it to."

"That's all fine, but we don't have goats, or coyotes, for that matter. Wolves are bigger then coyotes, and certainly bigger then that lil' dog. I've never seen a aussie shepherd so small."

"We'll see how she does, and we can always train her to be a herder." Mr. Mcaslin said.

"You don't have time to train another dog, and it'll be calving season in a few months. You and Buck will be plum tuckered out as it is." Mrs. Mcaslin pointed out.

"I'll do it."

Lariet and Brier exchanged surprised looks as a new voice joined Mr. and Mrs's. "Jeremy?" Lariet mouthed, arching a brow. Brier shushed him again and craned her neck to hear.

"Jeremy? You want to train a herder?" Mr. Mcaslin asked, sounding surprised and curious.

"Sure, I'll do it. It's my fault Ol'Mac got kicked, so it's only right that I train his replacement."

"Now Jeremy," Mrs. Mcaslin's voice was firm, and Brier could picture her with her hands on her hips, " It is not your fault that caribou kicked Ol'Mac. Those caribou can be temperamental, and usually are. It wouldn't have made any difference if it had been you or Mr. Mcaslin out there. You hear me?"

"Yes ma'am, but I still think I should train the new dog," Jeremy replied.

"I appreciate that, Jeremy," Mr. Mcaslin said, "but ya can't think that ya hafta do it. Ya hafta want to, otherwise it'll just be a chore for ya. Now, do you actually want to do it?"

There was a few seconds of silence before Jeremy replied with a definite, "Yes."

"All right. Since that's settled, you two boys get out of my kitchen so I can finish these pies in peace." Mrs. Mcaslin said in her shooing voice.

"Why, did you think we were going to swipe some?" Mr. Mcaslin replied innocently.

"Nice try, cowboy. Now git!"

The voices faded, and there was the clinking of dishes as Mrs. Mcaslin bustled about the kitchen.

Lariet turned to Brier, looking as guilty as she felt. "Well, ah, that, explains a lot."

"We jumped to a conclusion faster than'a hot footed hare," Brier muttered.

"Should we tell the others?" Lariet asked.

"No, Lariet, we're gonna' keep our mouths shut and let them'all think she's a lazy, no good, slacker of a dog," she said sarcastically. "Of course we're gonna tell 'em!"

"All right, all right, no need to get snippy," Lariet said, holding his paws up in surrender.

"Very funny," Brier replied flatly, "Now git' yer' hide back to the shed and start explaining all this to the others!" she told him, butting him in the shoulder.

"Where are you going?" he asked as she went right instead of left towards the shed.

"I owe the lil' gal a apology," the black female called over her shoulder, quickening her pace.

Brier stopped at the pen, propping her paws up on the fence to see over the wooden rails. "Celyn?" she called, but the only reply she got was from one of the caribou, who raised it's head and blew in her face. "Sorry fer interruptin', ya ma'am," Brier coughed, the smell of chewed grass and caribou breath making her gag.

"Celyn? Ya out here, sugar cube?" she called again.

Suddenly, the silence was shattered by a outbreak of barking snarling. "What the?!" Brier took off for the far side of the corral as the doors to the house flew open and the yard was flooded with light from the porch. "Something's after the stock! Pa, grab the guns!" Mr. Mcaslin's voice echoed across the yard.

"Celyn!" Brier shouted over the caribou's bellows of confusion and fright.

The black female tore around the corner of the corral and came to a halt, not believing what she was seeing. Just outside the corral were two figures fought each other in a furious frenzy of claws and teeth. A large, burly brown wolf twisted it's head around to snap at the cream form on it's back. Celyn had latched herself firmly onto the wolf's back, her teeth sinking into the wolf's neck as she clawed it's sides. The wolf howled in pain and whipped around, slamming against the fence and knocking Celyn off.

Brier crouched, preparing to rush in and help, but Celyn was quicker then both Brier and the wolf. As the wolf lunged foreword, intent on killing the small female, Celyn darted aside, the wolf's large paws landing where she had been only seconds before. With more speed then Brier had thought her capable of, Celyn jumped at the wolf, ceasing his throat with her teeth. The wolf started to shake it's massive head franticly, trying to get her loose, but Celyn held firm.

"It's a wolf, Buck!" Mr. Mcaslin's voice hollered. A second later, he came around the corral, cocking the gun in his hands and taking aim.

Celyn released the wolf and jumped back, the fur along her spine bristling with rage as the wolf turned and fled back to the woods. Mr. Mcaslin shot, the gunfire echoing in the night, but the wolf's form melted away into the shadows of the forest.

"Darnit! He got away," Mr. Mcaslin muttered, "Well, at least ya kept him from getting away with any of the caribou, didn' ya Celyn?" he said, walking over to the cream female and patting her on the head. Celyn wagged her tail, looking proud of herself. "Tough lil' gal, ain't ya?"

"Everything okay?" Buck asked as he came around the corral, closely followed by Pa Mcaslin and Cody, each carrying a gun.

"Just fine. Celyn here chased off a wolf all by herself," Mr. Mcaslin told them proudly.

"She did?" There was no mistaking the tone of surprise in Buck's voice as he looked at the small female.

"Yup. Twice her size, and the lil' gal just fought him off," Mr. Mcaslin said.

It was too dark to go after the wolf to see if Mr. Mcaslin had hit him, so Pa and Cody decided they'd do it in the morning, while Buck and Mr. Mcaslin did the herding. Mr. Mcaslin thought it was a safe bet that the wolf wouldn't come back tonight, so he put Celyn and Brier back in the shed.

The dogs looked up as the door opened and Mr. Mcaslin let Brier and Celyn in. Once the door shut, Celyn lowered her head, looking a bit fearful as she started towards her bed of straw.

"Whoa there, nelly," Brier said, sticking her paw out in front of the female, making her stop. "We'all owe ya an' apology, don' we?"

"She's right," Lucy said, looking slightly embarrassed.

"We're sorry," Lariet added, and the rest murmured in agreement.

Celyn blinked, cocking her head and looked confused. "S-so-sowry?"

"Well, yeah, we're'all real--wait justa gosh darn minute!" Brier exclaimed, turning to look at Celyn so fast her neck hurt. "Ya can speak?!"

Celyn cocked her head with a gesture that could have been a shrug or a nod. Or both.

"Is that a yes or a no?" Nash asked.

"Can, ya, speak?" Brier asked slowly. Celyn blinked and shook her head.

"But she just did," Travis said in confusion.

Frowning for a minute, Brier got an idea. "Did ya just copy what ya heard us'all sayin'?"

Celyn perked and nodded.

"So, she's not mute and was mimicking us just now? Like a pup?" Nash asked.

"Lariet said it, she was raised by goats. She probably never learned how to speak dog," Mattie replied.

"Well, if yer gonna be stickin' around, we're gonna have to teach ya how to talk, an' act, likea dog," Brier said, nudging Celyn in the shoulder. The female wagged her tail.

"We'll take that as a yes," Mattie said with a smile.

"All right, if your gonna be one of us, we gotta do something about that name," Lariet spoke up, making everyone look at him. "Celyn is a way too fancy, smancy, cityfolk name."

"Lariet!" Lucy barked, swatting her brother on the shoulder.

"Don't ya think we should ask, if she wants a name change?" Clyde pointed out.

"Do ya, sugar?" Brier asked, and Celyn nodded with a wagging tail.

"There, see? She agrees," Lariet said.

"What do you want to be called?" Mattie asked Celyn gently, but the little female just cocked her head and frowned as Lariet and Nash started suggesting names.

"Nancy?"

"Sally?"

"Bobbie Jo?"

"Lucy?"

"I'm Lucy!"

"So? Don't be selfish, she can be Lucy if she wants. Ow!" Nash exclaimed as Lucy whacked him over the head.

Celyn giggled and Brier shook her head. "Awright, awright, now, settle down ya'll. Let the poor girl think. Did ya like any of those, sugar cube?" she asked, turning to Celyn. The cream female perked and nodded eagerly.

"Which one?" Lariet asked, "Nancy?"

Celyn shook her head and pointed a paw at Brier, who blinked. "Eh? Brier? Ya like my name?"

Celyn shook her head and made a gesture towards the black females mouth, then pointed at herself. "Ya lost me, sugar," Brier told her, and Celyn pointed at her mouth again.

"Sugarcube," Mattie said, and Celyn nodded, now pointing at the brown female. Mattie smiled. "I think she likes that name."

"Sugarcube? Ya'll wanna be called Sugarcube?" Brier asked, and Celyn barked excidetly, her tail a creamy blurr. "Well, that's settled. "I hearby dubb thee Sugarcube. Welcome to Mcaslin Ranch," Brier said, ruffling the top of Sugar's head. Sugar beamed.

"And don't you worry about learning how to be a dog," Nash said, giving Sugar a friendly nudge, "I'll teach you everything you need to know."

"We want her to be a dog, not a nut-job," Brier teased, "Don' pay him no attention, Sugar. He's studyin' to be a half-wit."

"I thought I was the one studying to be a half-wit?" Lariet piped up.

"No way, that's my bit," Nash replied.

"Uh-uh, your the nut-job, I'm the half-wit."

"Am not."

"Are to."

"Am not!"

"Are to!"

"You're both crazier then a pair of kangaroo's on coffee! Now shut up and get your sorry hides to sleep before I knock both your brains into next year!"

"Yes sir, Clyde, sir," both males replied in unison, scrambling off to their sleeping places.

"Don' you worry 'bout fittin' in, no more," Brier whispered to Sugar as the cream female laid down next to her, Mattie, and Lucy. "We're all 'bout as crazy as ya can git."

Sugar giggled.

"Lariet, Nash, what did I just tell you?!"

"It wasn't us!"

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All characters (c) Me