King Elk Forest if all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail

He made no attempt to reclaim the stick, and instead was the anchor against which she, the elegant ship, strained. His toes spread and his blunt nails gripped at the earth, as with a widened stance he held his ground. She was spirited, and he admired her fire, but in the end she conceded to him. It was but a moment after she dropped her end of the stick that he surrendered his, and the stick fell and lay still in front of his paws. He reclined on his haunches then.

"No?" he lifted his ears, cocking his head. "I suppose so. Just wouldn't be right be leaving an ol' rogue like me out here unsuper— He was caught off guard by her sudden surge toward the stick, and she was able to grab it uncontested as he looked on and grinned. "Vised," he finished. He made no move to reach for the stick himself. "Tell you what. If you want to take me home with you, I'll let you keep that stick as payment for your trouble," he winked.