"H'lo, shepherd!"

For all the irksome nature of the task, it hasn't dented Ver's good cheer any. He smiles without lifting his head, taking out another handful of acorns and splitting them rapidly between the piles. Most of them go to the right this time; the left pile's only growing slowly.

"Getting the good acorns out of the bag--should still be plenty for Alvi, though. Didn't want to waste anything we could eat."