8
On the fifth day of Rise of Iron, my true love gave to me:
Five, wolf puppies!
"It's not going to wooork." Efrideet said in a sing-song voice as she sat, upside-down, in a nearby chair, legs crossed over the back of it with the right one swinging nonchalant circles in the air.
"I'm going to have to agree with 'Deet on this one; they're wild animals by blood and nature. Training them... with our kind of limited resources and time." Felwinter, who was nearby, leaning against a wall, looked up from his book, shook his head. "It just won't work, you two."
"Shame upon you, yee of little faith!" Jolder declared boldly, struggling too keep the animals in order. "We shall tame these beasts, and then we shall see who's laughing then, hmm!? Tell them, Sal!"
"It will be difficult." He agreed from where he sat on the floor, cross-legged, holding one puppy by it's sides, trying simultaneously to keep it close enough not to escape, but far enough to keep it from licking his face. "But in the end, we believe the rewards will be worth it."
"I still fail to see how this will help us defend the mountain." Perun stated from where she was crouched near the fireplace, sharpening one of her knives. Jolder looked at her challengingly, holding up one puppy in her right hand.
"Picture this;" she started, "a crew of Fallen trying to make their way up the mountain while we're not here. Then BAM! A pack of wolves rise up out of the snow, and BITE THEIR THROATS OUT!"
"Jolder's gory fantasies aside, wolves die a lot more easily than Guardians. Please, tell me you haven't named them?" Felwinter asked witheringly. He was answered as one of the puppies escaped Jolder and tried to jump on Saladin's knee.
"Oh, no you don't Silimar Jr.!" she lunged, rolling onto her side to avoid crushing the puppy she had held close to her chest, as well as the ones at her knees. She reached out and scooped the escapee up with her free arm.
"Silimar Jr.?" Perun chuckled.
"They both have attitudes." Saladin explained as Jolder fell over.
"Gotcha!" she proclaimed triumphantly as Felwinter shook his head in exasperation. The puppy she held to her chest wriggled and escaped, pouncing on her hair, which was now spread across the floor. He gnawed at a lock of her brown hair, as the puppies that had been near her knees climbed over her right leg while the left one bent upwards. One of them tried to jump over her plated limb, but failed, ending up drooping across her leg, while the other one put her paws up on Jolder's knee, stretching her neck to chew on her brother's ear.
Saladin chuckled, still holding his own puppy away from his face.
"What are you laughing at, big guy?" she demanded.
"You." he answered, grinning slyly. With an offended gasp, Jolder grabbed him by the collar of his armor, pulling him down towards her, and dropped the puppy she had caught onto his back, while the puppy he was holding, now close to Jolder's face, licked the other Titan on her nose. The two of them laughed, Jolder's face soon slick with puppy saliva, and the wolf pup she'd dropped on Saladin's back soon stood with his back paws on his shoulders, half-perched on the black man's head. Efrideet giggled from where she sat, while Perun shook her head, smiling as she continued to sharpen her knife. Behind his book, Felwinter smirked as the puppy on Saladin's head let out a high-pitched howl, causing the two wolf-laden Titans to laugh even harder.
Thus were the days before the Ironsbane.
This was kind of sweet/funny/feels-y sort of one-shot of pre SIVA Iron Lords. I like to think training attack dogs was Lord Saladin's idea, and I can totally imagine his close friend Jolder being in on the plan. It was fun to play with the Iron Lord's personalities; I'm thinking of doing something with their cousins, the Iron Wolves.
OH MY GOSH THERE'S ONLY A WEEK LEFT!
RAISE THY HAND IF THOU ART GOING TO STAY UP TILL 2 IN THE MORNING TO PLAY ROI ON THE 20TH! SAY "I"!
I hope you enjoyed this cuteness overload. I WILL GIVE FREE COOKIES TO ANYONE WHO DRAWS THIS SCENE!
This next chapter is a bit different from what I've written so far, but I was feeling emotional from writing this so...
Enjoy!
Read and REVIEW, my lovelies!