Though not their parent, Marsh was definitely orientated around the puppies this season. Had he not heard the juvenile howl, he would have been hot on Rihael's trail anyway. Having discovered that Fenru was absent from the group, Marsh's troublemaker senses had started tingling, and he wasn't about to let Hael do a vanishing act too. No doubt their brother was nearby and easy to find, but it was better to be safe than sorry.

When Fenru called for them, Marsh's ears perked just the same as the little puppy he was casually watching over. Ensuring that Kisla was safe - Corinna and Indru were doubtless nearby, he could abandon his post for a moment - the larger wolf trotted quietly behind Rihael, privately amused by and proud of the oldest boy's instincts to aid his brother.

Lagging a few seconds behind, Marsh had time to hear Rihael's question, but arrived on the scene too quickly to hear any official answer. A name would have been pointless, anyway, and by the size of the foreign pup, it was unlikely he would be able to provide his parents' names or pack location. It was fortunate that Marsh had encountered a Grizzly Hollow pack wolf before, otherwise he would have never recognised the scent of the new boy.

This was entertainingly familiar. It was like Borlla all over again, except she had been a little bigger, he was sure. Rather than take command of the situation - the Swift River pups probably knew him better as a silent guardian more than as a dominating force, though he had physically reprimanded them on occasion - Marsh came to stand behind Rihael, watching the foreign pup with interest, though he made sure to keep his stance unimposing. He wanted the child talk to continue; he found their conversations very easy to follow, and no doubt this poor lost lad would be able to express himself easier to his fellow infants. Marsh had a vague idea of where the pack was, based on Vlarindara's directions, and would happily perform a lost-and-found service when required.

Fenru let out one last yelp before his buddy walked straight into his back. His eyes widened but he grinned playfully, turning to look back as Prosper smiled in return, wanting to play. He was about to pounce when his brother arrived on the scene. The corners of his mouth turned down; if he were capable of pouting, he probably would have. He wanted to bat Rihael away with a paw or at least nudge Prosper in the other direction where his sibling was not welcome to join them... but, alas. There was no point in turning him away now, Rihael had already seen the other pup. "Mine," he merely stated, though the possessive tone was not present in his voice.

"Mmmm," he whimpered when Marsh had showed up, expressing some additional displeasure when Corinna hadn't followed after his tall auburn figure. He tore his eyes from his chaperone then stood in front of the masked puppy. He let out an assertive growl, which took him by surprise. His ears perked up before turning forward to back up his discontentedness. "P'sperrr mine." He even made sure to imitate the growl Prosper had made when he first introduced himself by name.

Hael noted the size, shape, and smell of the new puppy, ignoring Fenru's comment and beginning to circle the both of them, sniffing at his paws. But he didn't get far. The puppies had both noticed something behind him, and he wheeled around to see that there was Marsh, towering over them. Rihael's ears and tail fell in one movement; where there was the big male adult, there was authority, and while Hael was obliged to obey him, he wore a scowl at his fun being ruined so soon. Despite this, he left the new puppy's side and strode over to Marsh dutifully, feeling bigger and more important standing in his shadow. While the new pup might have been intimidated by the large Beta, the oldest of the baby Tainns looked up to him unquestionably in the absence of a father figure. Now he stood near the forepaw, nearly as big as his head, as his mother arrived and joined their side.

Corinna's words coaxed a stuttering response from the strange pup, and Hael's displeasure was evident on his face. Why was this P'sperrr wolf allowed to belong to Fenru and not him? Surely mom and Marsh would fix this. He stood as straight as he could, proud to be on the side of his elders, and contributed "He smell weird,"— not yet knowing the right word for "different"— as he secretly tried to figure out what lost meant.

As it turned out, the mother didn't take long to appear. He acknowledged her with a nod and swipe of his tongue over his lips, turning back to the infantile scene of jealousy and drama that was unfolding. It seemed this lost boy now belonged to Fenru - at least, if the latter got his way - and Marsh had to question the logic process of that before concluding that it didn't really have to make much sense either way. It wasn't going to be his job to explain that the large puppy wasn't a toy to be fought over; he was just going to be the one to take the boy back, no doubt.

Remaining silent, as usual, Marsh held back to see how Corinna wanted to deal with it. Whilst he could follow their conversation, participating - and providing the needed explanations - was a little beyond his capabilities.