Rising Sun Valley Dear Fellow Traveller

There was a moment, however brief, where Louis was forced to guess whether her lunge was in earnest. But her bite was controlled, it sought no blood. No sharp fling of her jaw followed to tear fur.

She chose to play.

The knot in his chest loosened like dandelion seeds set to wind, and Louis spun his head, twisted foot and chest, but never righted himself as she circled him. Even in the narrow space, his retaliatory nips always seemed just a little too slow to actually catch her, but every now and then a paw would clip her as she darted. 

There was a special kind of thrill in the submission that followed, in letting her close to somewhere vulnerable. Licking his lips, the thought occurred to him that this was rather more exciting than kissing.

Tilting his head, he gave her a sharp, affectionate nudge with his snout and finally pitched forward, righting himself enough to aim a gentle nip at the ragged fur of her cheek. He laughed. His tail, a ceaseless indicator of his excitement, continued its rampant pace across the dirt.

He felt young and fearless, and both all the stronger in her company.