The Duel (Lennia)

[Damian]

"My parents' house is there." he said, pointing to a nice looking home made of bricks and stone. Damian lead the way there, smiling and waving as he saw a few people that he knew. The man walked up the steps to the front door. "Before I knock, I have to warn you. They are kind of embarrassing, if you know what I mean..." But all parents were embarrassing. But none more so than Damian's.

[Lennia Silverwind]

Len was curious now. "No I really don't know what you mean" She didn't have parents who were embarrassing nor did anyone say embarrassing things about her. She just wasn't around long enough for that.

[Damian]

"You'll see." he sighed, and raised his hand to the door. He loved his parents dearly, but as he waited for the door to open, Damian rocked back and forth on his heels, awaiting the embarrassment that was to come when it opened. And after a few seconds, sure enough, his mother came to the door and gasped.

"MY BABY BOY!" she squealed, and threw her arms around him and held Damian tightly, kissing him.

"Hi Mom." he managed, finding it hard to breathe because of how tightly she was squeezing him.

"And you brought a friend!" she said, letting go of her son and taking Len in her arms and hugging her too. Damian looked over his mother's shoulder at Len and made an apologetic look at her. 'Sorry' he mouthed.

"Frank! Frank! Get out here! Dami is back!" his mother yelled happily into the house. Then she turned back to her son and Len. "I'm sorry, come in, both of you." Damian stepped inside the house, and looked around, praying that they had kept it clean. Knowing his mother, it was. His father came down the stairs, and Damian froze.

"SON!" his father said with the same enthusiasm as his wife. Frank hugged Damian and picked him up before setting him down again. Already Dami's face was growing red, only to turn a deeper color when Frank turned to Len. "Who's this? Are you Damian's girlfriend?" He hugged Lennia too, picking her up and setting her down again.

Damian stepped infront of Len. "Mom, Dad, this is my friend, Lennia. Len, these are my parents, Frank and Mary." he introduced them. "Friendly folk." he repeated, whispering to her so that his mother and father wouldn't hear him. "I'm so sorry about that."

[Lennia Silverwind]

Len smiled when Damian's mother embraced him but was slightly taken aback when she was hugged. They walked into the house, Len still a bit shocked. The house was very nice. She blushed a deep red when Frank said girlfriend. She swore her face was the same color as her hair. When she was put back down she caught her breath not realizing she was holding it. "It is a pleasure to meet both of you" She said in a kind voice. Whispering back to Damian, "It's alright"

[Damian]

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss." said Mary.

"Welcome to the village!" that was Frank.

Damian looked around the house, trying to find something a little less shocking to lighten the situation. "Are Hunter and Sparks still around?" he asked.

"Yes!" said his mother excitedly. "They're in the basement. And they have a surprise that you should go see! Why don't you take your friend down there while I fix up some dinner?"

"Six surprises." added Frank. "Go on and see."

Damian smiled, having half an idea of what the 'six surprises' might be. He turned to Len. "Do you wanna meet Hunter and Sparks? I promise they won't pick you up or anything." he mumbled the last bit under his breath again to hide it from his parents.

[Lennia Silverwind]

Len nodded. "Sure" She said and followed Damian. She would be fine as long as no one picked her up. She did want to know what the surprises would be.

[Damian]

Damian lead the way down to the basement. There were already lanterns lit down here, and he could see that they had kept their basement clean too, thank God. The basement had a warm carpet on the floor to make sure it wouldn't get too cold down here, and Damian noticed that it had changed since the last time he had been home. There were two couches too, one on either side of a chessboard. "Hunter? Sparks?" he called, and one of them came running. Hunter. "Hey boy!" he said, crashing to the ground as the big bloodhound leaped onto his shoulders. "Where's Sparks?" Hunter barked happily and trotted proudly over to a blanket, where Sparks, the female, and six puppies lay. Some were nursing, others were crawling around on the blanket and squealing quietly. Their eyes were still closed, and they couldn't have been more than a week old. "This is Hunter and Sparks." he introduced them, and smiled when he saw the puppies. "Hunter! Sparky!" he whispered joyfully. Damian went over to Sparks and started to pet her head, which she put in his lap. Hunter was sniffing at Len. "She's friend." Damian said, and Hunter licked her hand and rubbed his head against her leg in greeting.

[Lennia Silverwind]

Len was very surprised to see the dogs. She smiled as she noticed the puppies. She pat Hunter's head letting him great her. She liked dogs, they were so nice. "Their so adorable" She said mentioning the pups.

[Damian]

"Would you like to hold one?" Damian asked, still petting Sparks' head. She seemed more tired than he remembered, and assumed that the puppies were tiring her out. Dami laughed, "Poor Sparky." he said, and she licked his fingers. One of the puppies finished nursing and began to crawl around as best it could. It grew tired quickly though, its belly full of milk, and fell asleep under the lantern light. The other ones continued to crawl about, exploring this new world.

[Lennia Silverwind]

Len smiled and sat down next to Damian. She reached her hand slowly out for one of the pups to sniff. Carefully she started to pet it. It was one of the smaller pups but it was so fluffy. It's cold nose hit her balm and she giggled.

[Damian]

Damian laughed as he watched Lennia, and cradled the sleeping pup in his arms. "You like that little one, huh?" he asked. "How'd you like to take it home, when it gets a little older?" Damian offered. "Mom and Dad will give the puppies away when they're old enough. This house is too small for eight bloodhounds."

[Lennia Silverwind]

Len looked up at Damian. "Yes, that would be great" She said. Len turned back to the little pup that was now trying to play with on of his siblings. "Your parents are nice, I don't see why you would be so embarrassed except for your dad" She said.

[Damian]

Damian laughed. "Yeah, I'm really sorry about that." he said. "But just you wait. It gets worse. I love 'em, and I'm glad you like them, but they are embarrassing. It's just because it's your first visit though. If you ever came back a second time, they wouldn't act this weird, I promise." the Fire Spirit chuckled. Sparks and Hunter each took one of the other pups between their paws and began to bathe them. "You can hold it if you want to." Damian told her, picking up the one that she had chosen and placing it in her hands. "It won't bite you, it doesn't have any teeth." The little puppy crawled about in Len's arms and began to suck on her fingers.

[Lennia Silverwind]

Len smiled down on the pup. "Well I will have to come back to claim this little one" She said teasingly. She wouldn't mind coming back. She placed the little one with it's mother so it could get something to eat then sleep. Len looked up at Damian. "Should we go see if your parents need any help?" She asked.

[Damian]

"No." he said, chuckling slightly. "Mom won't let you because you're a guest. They'll call us when supper is ready." Damian pet the little puppy that he held and set it down next to Len's puppy. Sparks and Hunter went along, cleaning the pups that came near them. The Fire Spirit picked up the pillow that Sparks had been laying on and fluffed it for her, setting it down beside her as she rolled over onto it again so the puppies could feed if they wanted. Hunter watched over them all like a guardian, separating the pups that fought and puting together those that woud get along. The male stopped to lick his mate's face, before settling down beside her and watching his children eat.