Luke had tensed, unconsciously, as if he expected Theoden to turn away his recommendation for the sole reason that he was still a youth. Luke, being something of a troublemaker and an orphan now for many years, had grown accustomed to people - adults, in particular - doubting him on principle. They saw the dark leather jacket, the bulge of cigarettes in the pocket, and assumed that he was good for nothing but raising hell. It had taken him time and a lot of hard work to prove himself to the kennel master, who was among the first to really have faith in his abilities in... too long, and part of him expected he'd have to do the same with Theoden. Anger already burned in his belly, picturing the way the kennel master would offer Theoden the very same dog and Theoden would agree to it, even when he denied Luke's suggestion. And so, when Theoden reassured him that he was sure he'd made a fine choice, there was a flash of surprise in the boy's eyes, a slight glow of pride that he would have been mortified to find was visible to the older man.
So lost in that moment of surprise that he lost all ability to speak, Luke bobbed his head a bit (looking just a little dumbfounded) as Theoden crouched to get inbetween the naughty Sasha and Indy. Luke whistled at his pup but was ignored until he physically tugged the pup away to give the two some space. Indy sniffed at the man's hand, his tail wagging even more now, and even favored it with a gentle lick of his own (rather unlike Sasha's just-this-side-of-painful attentions). When Theoden stood, Indy gave a soft sneeze and got to his feet, but did not move from his spot even though it was clear he wanted to. He was waiting for one or both of the men to give their go-ahead, which Luke did with a quick nod. The dog sniffled at Theoden's shoes, plopping back into a sitting position at his side.
Luke's grin was instant, and appreciative, as Theoden spoke. "That's right! That's what my master called him as well," he agreed with a nod. His throat flushed, just a bit, with pride as the man praised his choice. "Uh, thanks," he mumbled, looking just a tad awkward, but he recovered himself quickly. Hefting Sasha, Luke gave the two some space as Theoden requested. Confident that Theoden would find nothing wrong, either in temperament or conformation, he went back to studying his master's journal while he awaited Theoden's final decision.
In no time at all, Theoden was lifting a hand to call him back over, and Luke (firmly shutting the door to Sasha's kennel this time) trotted over. "I agree," he said, nodding. "The two of you will do well together, I think."
"Indigo?" Luke repeated tentatively, then nodded and smiled again. "I like it."
"Woof!" said Indigo, the first comment he'd made since being withdrawn from his kennel, and Luke laughed.
"I think he does too," Luke agreed, then turned to the business side of things once more. "For Indigo, the master said he could only go to a good home, but the price was negotiable. We accept trades or coinage; he's priced at..." Luke thumbed through a ledger at the back of the journal with a small frown, seeking Indy's name. "800 doubloons." Luke paused, considering the man for a moment. "Hey, you're that smith guy, aren't you?"
Luke flushed dully again and swallowed hard. "I just meant, we could use some work around here, if you were willing to work something out in trade. A few of our kennels have started to rust, and we haven't been able to house the dogs there for fear they might accidentally eat some of it. We could also use some leaders, clasps and the like, for some of our searchers," Luke shrugged, trying to look nonchalant about the whole thing. "I mean... just an idea." |