Heron Lake Plateau And settled for the robot boy

Colt might have balked at calling Eljay kid if he realized Niamh was younger, but the man honestly didn't know her age, and Eljay's lack of confidence begged for the endearing moniker.  He knew she was young, but her maturity meant that he hadn't given much thought to an actual timeline, nor did he care if she didn't.

"You do have a tendency to find trouble," he said, and while the disapproval was joking, she wasn't wrong.  He didn't like her facing off trouble despite knowing she could handle herself; least not without him helping.  He wasn't about to be ashamed about that.  

He gave her an affectionate kiss on the muzzle after though, and winked.  "Luckily you know how to fight just as well as pupsit.  Me, I have more limited skills.  Maybe you could show me a thing or two?  Not much time for learning how pups work when you wander alone."  Better to start with the bar low than have her thinking he's some kind of pup sitting prodigy.  And he was interested; he had had Eljay show him a thing or two, but the boy was so shy he wasn't convinced the lesson had been much at all.  Niamh would give it to him straight if he wasn't doin it right.