Stavanger Bay show some backbone

"Just like you!" Luke beamed, momentarily dropping into a play bow before he resumed a seated position. They had just met of course, but as far as Luke was concerned they were indeed friends.

"I don't know yet," Luke explained. "My friend said she'd like to settle in a forest with a river running through it, but she hasn't picked the exact spot." He paused, smiling at Levi. He sensed by the aimless motions of the pup's paws that Levi was a bit bummed that he would not be joining the bay. He intended to fix that, to give the young wolf something more positive to think about. "It won't be too far," he went on to say, "You could definitely come see me when you're older. Here," Luke shoved the backbone toward the boy. "Why don't you keep this until we meet again? I don't want to lose it while I'm wandering around." He grinned, tail wagging. As much as he loved finding the bone, the blue-nosed wolf had a very soft spot for pups, and it was true that he had no den to stash the vertebra in. He could cache it, but this seemed a far better option.