Fedor shrugged off and neatly folded his town clothes before trudging out into the yard. Prising the axe from the wood-pile, he whistled to the pair of Laika hunting dogs rolling in the dust beside the kitchen door. Misha and Mikhail darted past him, snapping at each other in their hurry to take the lead. They barked a lot, much to his father’s disgust, and Alexis could often be heard bellowing at them from within the house. But they were brilliant hunters, and both affectionate and loyal to Fedor.