Blacktail Deer Plateau hey man,

It was incredible how much floof the dog had — more even than his own mother. Kindle might've played more fairly if he hadn't been so distracted by it. As it was, he was busy trying (and failing!) to find Cosmo's scruff with his teeth, a friendly grizzle rumbling in his throat.

He had a mouthful of white shed when Cosmo sprang away. Kindle followed, his tail spinning, and crawled low on his belly to try and even the playing field. For the moment.

"Ha!" he laughed, lunging for first one pale ankle, then the other, just to see if he could make the other canine dance. "My home is far from here — but my nephew's wandering that valley down there."

He rolled onto his back, going on to a more defensive play style, fending off any attacks with gaping jaws.

"I'm just mindin' him, right now," he went on, just a little breathless with laughter. "And I think he's gonna stay out here. I'll probably stay, too."

He was still concerned. The wilderness was no place for a dog, was it? A wolfdog, sure, but not one as sweet and as friendly as Cosmo.