Rilana withdrew her hand, feeling foolish for putting her hand on a stranger. Smiling sheepishly, she moved with Trix to put distance between themselves and the dog breeder. The moon fey ignored his unspoken ire, not caring if he thought ill of her for interrupting a sale. Likely, troubling herself to steer Trix to a more reliable breed would come to naught, but it felt right to try.

At Trix's jump, the white and silver raven sprang from Rilana's shoulder and fluttered over to a fence separating the Ebon Brutes from the foot traffic. The dogs sprang at the fence, barking in a raucous clamour, frothy saliva on their lips. They were easy to taunt, and the raven amused itself hopping back and forth just out of reach, screaming [color=fff200]"Bark bawk bark,"[/color] in a mocking voice and then laughing rudely.

[color=00aeef]"I heard you say that you were looking for a guard dog,"[/color] Rilana replied, getting right to the point without bothering to introduce herself. That would come later, if the pretty human was interested in hearing her out. [color=00aeef]"I fear that the only thing you could rely on these dogs to guard is their own dinner. I haven't heard of their breed before. I...I'm not from these parts obviously, but I do know that this man isn't the only one selling these...brutes."[/color] It was a fitting name, she had to admit. [color=00aeef]"I've seen at least one other today. I also know a little about dogs."[/color] She grinned a little, [i]I know a little about dogs [/i]ringing as an understatement. [color=00aeef]"I mostly train wolves, bearhounds, and Moon-sledders, but I don't like the look of these."[/color]

A frown creased Rilana's brow and her lips pursed in an icy sort of way as she glanced back at the dogs, who only barked louder at the raven when their noise went un-acknowledged by their master. How could the moon few convey what she knew, which was more instinct than education, in just a few moments to a complete stranger. [color=00aeef]"Being scary isn't enough,"[/color] she started, a bit slowly at first as she collected her thoughts. [color=00aeef]"Dogs that act like this are just as likely to terrorize you as some thief because they are too unruly to train."[/color]

The druid didn't want to say anything directly damning about the dog breeder, but it was clear that she thought the man was trying to upsell his mongrels unfairly. Rilana gestured politely down the street. She had seen a breed she recognized and would rather recommend.

[color=00aeef]"I would, but my advice is free. I'm not interested in your money. I noticed a huntsman with some duck dogs and hounds, but he also had some Mountain Ridgebacks. Some people call them Stone Dogs or Stone Crest Hounds because that's where they were first bred. The miners used them for protection against the dangers of the mountains and the entrances to the Underdark."[/color] Provided that Trix came with her, she brought her under the shade of a redbud tree so that they could observe the dogs behind the fence. (As they moved away, the raven followed, leaving a pasty white smear on the Brute Hound breeders fence.)

Most of the new dogs were obvously hunting hounds, their long ears and distinct baying bark giving them away. But resting in the shade was a pair of large steel-gray muscular dogs with black markings at their feet, chest, and muzzle. They had a short, glossy coat, triangular ears that folded neatly at the sides of their face without being too droopy, and thin tails that curled up gently at the tip. But their most noteable feature, apart from their watchful, stoic gaze, was a ridge of fur down their backs that appeared darker than the rest as it lay against the grain.

Unlike the other dogs, these lay calmly in the dusty grass, peering up at their observers without giving anything away. There were three ridgeback pups playing nearby, but like their parents they seemed less rambunctious and more reserved, pausing after an ear tug or a pounce to look around. They seemed dignified, but something in their eyes was, rather than half-crazed, was standoffish enough to imply their worth as guard-beasts. 

[color=00aeef]"Just watch."[/color]

Rilana walked up to the fence and put her hand on it. She had the attention of both the adult ridgebacks, but they didn't get up. Some of the other dogs came up to the fence, tails wagging and smiling mouths open with tongues lolling, but the druid ignored them. Rilana moved towards the gate. No reaction. She reached out and touched the gate-latch, and the male ridgeback stood. The moon fey jiggled the latch until it clanked and the 70lb dog gave a single booming bark, his muzzle in the direction of the huntsman, who was currently selling a pair of tan hound pups to a half-elf, but his green-grey eyes were on Rilana. 

[b]"Fayo, easy,"[/b] the huntsman said in a deep voice, moving down the fence to help them. Fayo seemed to relax, the stiffness in his tail easing, though the watchfullness didn't lessen. [b]"Can I help you, ladies? I still have several hound pups left from the summer breeding. They'll be ready for hunting by the end of Saffra."[/b] He did a slight double-take when he looked into Rilana's porcelain-doll face but his honest smile didn't falter.

[color=00aeef]"Actually I was just trying to explain the merits of the Mountain Ridgebacks as a guard breed to this young lady. Yours are quite handsome."[/color] She put on what she hoped was a winning smile. The huntsman seemed surprised, but at what, Rilana failed to deduce.

[b]"Oh? Well it's actually lucky that I have pups this year. I keep Fayo to guard the other dogs. He is quite smart. But a friend of mine came down from Stone Crest with Briga last year and took ill so I ended up with her and soon after that, a litter."[/b] He turned to Trix.[b] "Your friend is right. Ridges are smart and loyal as they come. Training 'em early is important, but unlike some of them more popular breeds they'll protect you without messin' up your house and runnin' off honest visitors. I have a bitch and two dog pups, and if you're interested I'll let any of them go for thirty-five gold pieces. That's fifteen less than I charge fer hounds, but it wouldn't sit well with me since I didn't plan for the litter."[/b]

Both Rilana and the huntsman glanced at Trix expectantly.