barking up a different tree

He had put off further diplomatic visits for some time, working on getting Aerie settled and his own malinois pups better trained. And they were - for the most part. They were scrawny, long-legged adolescents now, and for the most part they obeyed, except when they didn't. Except when they found something chewable. Except when they got bored.

The long journey north was tiring them out enough, and keeping their clever minds occupied enough, that they caused relatively little mischief on the trip, and he was fairly certain that they would behave themselves during his unannounced meeting with this pack's alpha as well. They ate constantly though, and half his attention was always on finding fresh game along the way to supplement the dried stuff he'd brought along, because they ate prodigious amounts of food to replace the energy they burned keeping up with him.

When they reached the snowy border, a murmured command had both pups down on their bellies waiting alertly while he stepped forward to call for the alpha.