Post by Therdde on Jun 19, 2009 10:34:23 GMT -5
Characters:
Jage - Female Dog (Elkhound)
Benny - Male Dog (Foxhound)
- Harvest Fields -
The fields are always lovely in spring. The goldenrods have yet to flower, but it's still a lovely place to be. Fresh winds whip across the rolling terrain as the mid-morning sun shines down. And, right smack dab in the middle of it all...are paws. Paws and a white, furry belly, turned upward toward the sun's rays. Jage is sunbathing, looking completely at home with everything - a rare but welcome moment for her. Her eyes are shut, her ears flattened on the ground, her upper lip succumbing to gravity and drooping a bit to reveal fangs, making her look like she's grinning inanely. All her worries have flitted away in the gorgeous weather - for once, no thoughts of Jolon, of the dog pack she's all but left, of trouble, of...well, anything. Just relaxation.
While Benny has been scarce recently, oddly preferring to be off on his own ever since the failed attempt at joining the dog pack, he is still around. He is eating well enough, and though the self-imposed solitude is definitely odd, for him, he does not appear to be upset or depressed. Perhaps Jage hasn't noticed this, but she'll get a chance to, now. The foxhound is just coming from a long and pleasant swim in shallow waters that had warmed enough to not freeze him, and his approach of Jage is as stealthy as the male dog can manage. He is planning mischief, and the droplets of water on his short fur are probably how he intends to do it.
Jage is as out of it as she's ever been. In the heights of bliss and with the whipping wind concealing his approach, the aging elkhound has no idea of the disaster that is about to befall her. It's unlike the hunter to leave herself so vulnerable, but the tall grass and bright day have her believing that she's both hidden from view and that anything that might cause her any trouble is probably sleeping. And...well, everyone has their off days.
It has been so hard to come all the way here with the occasional water droplet trickling down his face and tickling his nose without shaking to dry his fur. The warm day has gotten rid of some of it, but Benny is certain he can still startle his 'Aunt' Jage. It's all good-natured fun, of course, and when he manages to spot her, just briefly, lying down, he stops walking forward and spends a moment just breathing quietly, his mouth open in a wide grin. The wind quickly allows the grass to shift again, hiding Jage from his view, and shortly after it does, he leaps forward to close the distance, doing so with a playful bark. When all four of his paws touch the ground, /then/ he finally allows himself to shake water off of his fur.
At the bark, Jage opens her eyes. By the time he lands, she is already upright, her eyes massively wide as if trying to overcompensate for how sleepy she is, her ears twisted backward 'til she looks like a small furry missile, head drawn back and legs far apart lest she lose her balance. What's happening? What? That bark, it's Benny! She stares goggle-eyed at him, and realises too late what he's about to do. With a yelp that sounds very strange coming from the capable hunter, Jage is pelted by water droplets. Water! Horrible, horrible water! She bounces, she prongs, but she doesn't get away in time - but all the activity all at once excites her sleepy mind. The elkhound takes off, half-mad with both disgust for water and glee that Benny is back, careering in wide circles and barking madly. Finally she all but buries her nose into the ground and almost somersaults before landing on her back again, wriggling to get the horrible feeling of water off her.
How could /anyone/ hate water? Be surprised by it, yes, which is what Benny was hoping for, but /hate/ it? The idea that someone could never occurs to him, and so once he is mostly-dry, he looks at her, laughing silently and bouncing more than a little. It takes him a second to stop his silent laughing so that he can greet her. "Jage! Hi!" After greeting her, he hops towards her, once. Obviously, someone woke up in a very good mood this morning.
A few more wriggles before Jage is up on her paws once more, her tightly-curled tail wagging furiously. The only thing stopping her from bowling Benny over is the fact that he still looks a bit wet, and who knows how long the hydrophobia is going to save him? She barks a few more times, excited and happy. Look at him! Look how...well he is! "Benny!" she says at last, and it seems saying the name is enough to tip the scales. She bounds toward him and rears onto her hindlegs, pawing at the air to get him to spar. "I have missed you!"
As Jage rears up, Benny crouches, smacking the ground with his forelegs and grinning mischievously. Now is not the time for speech, but when she says she missed him, he barks an agreement. Yes, he has missed spending time with Jage too... But that won't save her from the bundle of energy that is Benny! After barking, he leaps forward again. The move is not executed with great strength. He does not want to risk hurting her, if he even touches her at all, but he clearly know how to play 'rough'.
Jage meets the lunge chest to shoulder with a fierce rush of happiness. Not only is Benny back, but he still plays like an elkhound. Shaking the last sleepiness from her as her forepaws hit the ground heavily, she bulls heavily against him, side to side as she nips at his neck, intent on getting him by the scruff and pulling him down. Is that the best he can do? Surely not! She's no longer as strong as she used to be, but if she has anything to say about it she'll give this cheeky pup a run for his money!
She might not be young, but Benny remains as thinly built as any Foxhound, and so is at a bit of a disadvantage. He cannot prevent her from grabbing ahold of his scruff and pulling him down, but neither does he give up simply because she has manages to put him ot the ground. Though in an awkward position for exacting retribution now, he still tries to twist out from her hold so that he can actually reach her as he growls playfully. Very little truly goes on in his mind, right now, other than, 'This is fun!'
Ah-ha! She's still got it. Now that he's on the ground, Jage does what many an elkhound would declare the best part of any game and does her level best to clamber onto him like a big, heavy blanket. He's proving hard to pin down, though. Not that she minds - it would be hardly be fun if it were no challenge. Again she seeks to clamp her teeth onto his neck, scrambling to match his attempts at escape.
Benny didn't make it easy to pin him from the beginning, and he's not about to start now. With a loud and daring bark, he tries to roll over even as she manages to catch hold of the skin and fur at the back of his neck again. Luckily, the skin is just loose enough to keep this from really hurting, and he does his best to smack at her with anything he can. Forepaw. Hindpaw. Tail! Whatever might give him an opportunity to get away.
Jage would not have expected anything less from the younger dog, and the sudden attack of flailing limbs is enough to make her back off. Only for a moment, though, for now a new game starts. Digging her nose against the ground as she did to dry herself, the elkhound flops over onto her back right next to the prone foxhound, nipping at him from upside-down and making rumbling noises deep in her throat as she paws at his muzzle. She barks, but her position stops her from making much noise and it comes out as a high-pitched yelp.
Benny won! Or... At least he got himself into a position where he wouldn't definitely lose. Before he can get his bearings, though, Jage is on the ground right beside him and nipping at him. She's fast, for someone old enough to be his mother! The paws and nips are enough that he cannot /possibly/ attempt to mount a counterattack. as he has to keep his head turned form her to protect his sensitive nose, ears, and eyes. Hmph! When she barks, or yelps, or... yelp-barks, he rolls away from her to get his feet back under him, moving as quickly as his still-young body will let him. There's just no way he can beat her in a battle of strength... So he'll obviously have to use his superior intellect! ... Or, y'know, his speed. Yeah, speed is good.
Damn, he's up on his paws again. Jage rolls over and sits up, panting and watching him carefully, a twinkle in her eyes. She welcomes the respite more than she cares to admit, but she's ready for whatever he wants to try next. She's happy enough to let the play continue for the moment. After all, it's so rare that she gets to play with such abandon, one of those things she doesn't know she misses until she's doing it. She stands, squaring her shoulders in preparation as her curled tail wags wildly behind her. Alright, Benny, the next move is yours.
Just as Jage is willing to continue playing, Benny is willing to not question why she's allowing it for as long as it lasts. He feels comfortable around so few animals out here, and the one he is most comfortable around, Jage, is seldom willing to do this, so he is going to take advantage of every moment of it. He hops back as she gets to her feet, then spends a moment just watching her... Before he turns to dart away. C'mon! He played the wrestling game! Now let's play the tag game!
Cheeky dog! As he starts, so she drops into half a play bow, her eyes locked on him with as much focus as if he were a rabbit. She might not be able to catch him, but she's certainly willing to try, oh yes. Jage keeps her position, as still as a statue for a moment, then as he turns to run she gives chase. It's easy to see she has no hope of keeping up with him...but she has a few tricks up her proverbial sleeve.
Of course she can't keep up with him! But neither is Benny stuck, mentally, on just running. What fun would that game be, if there were no chance at genuine competition. Still, he /does/ try to get enough distance between himself and Jage that he'll have time to do something, aided only by the sound of her behind him, as he keeps his eyes ahead of him even though he knows this land well enough to know that there shouldn't be anything in his way.
Jage is rapidly winded. Speed is not her forte, but guile is. The elkhound stops suddenly and drops into the long grass, flat on her belly, clamping her jaws shut to stop her panting giving her away. As quickly as she dares, she crawls a short distance to the left of their path and lies in wait. She's played chase with enough fast dogs to know there's one thing they hate, and that's not being chased anymore. Well...let's see if Benny can find her before she gets him.
Yes, Jage's intellect is truly superior to Benny's, as he is drawn immediately into her trap. As soon as he doesn't hear her behind him any more, he stops running, and as he stands there, doing nothing to hide his own panting, it is easy for him to tell that he 'lost' her too soon. That prevents him from doing what he was planning on doing, likely something very similar to what Jage is /currently/ doing. Rather, he creeps forward. Despite the silence of his steps, he continues panting, having no idea that Jage is lying in wait for him.
Three more steps...two more steps...one more... Jage cannons out of her hiding place, into Benny's side. There is no finesse, no plot, no plan to pin him. It's just an all-out tackle which, if everything goes according to plan, will end up with a tangled (and perhaps a little bruised) heap of hound in the grass.
Benny yelps loudly as he is suddenly hit from the side by an entirely unseen flying object. There is a little bit of pain there, but it's more surprise than anything as his feet fly out from under him and he goes tumbling to the ground with a mass of fur on top of him. Almost as soon as the yelp is over, the laughing begins, and through both the laughing and his panting, he says, "Okay! You... You win!"
It's pure luck that Jage happens to end up on the top of the heap, and she huffs her peculiar, foreign little laugh. It might have been an accident, but she isn't about to give up her victory. She hauls herself off him to let them both catch their breath, though she doesn't move far away. "I have missed you, Benny," she says again, as if there was no gap, no insane playtime between their first words and now. "You have been keeping well! I am so very proud." She looks over his healthy form, giving an approving nod.
Benny pulls himself to his feet with an exaggerated wince. Before any concern could spread, though, a grin every bit as mischievous as his first one shows that he is not really hurt... And also keeps him from appearing embarrassed at the praise. "Thank you, Jage. I've missed you too. Have you been well?" Besides just how she looks, he means, but if that's all she answers, he will accept it.
"Well enough, " the hunter replies, giving a smile and shaking her head at his antics. "As you find me. My winter was fruitful, and I am finding myself back in my fields more and more often now." She gives a shrug. For someone who wanted a pack so badly, Jage doesn't seem too concerned that she, like Benny, has drifted away from them. "They have welcomed me back well," she laughs, looking over them.
Benny gives a smile to Jage, all mischief in his expression gone as he says, "I liked the fields." True. Most of his experiences there were very good, and the family-like relationship he has with Jage is more lasting than any friendship he has forged out here. He steps toward her to nuzzle against her, something he does not normally do, since she likes her personal space. In this instance, though... Whether it feel right, or whether he has just forgotten, is difficult to determine.
Benny is one of three individuals out here that Jage would ever let invade her personal space so, and she leans her nose forward encouragingly to return the affection. "Where have you been keeping yourself, Benny? I see that the wild life is agreeing with you." She is curious to know what has become of her nephew during his absence. "You are fast as ever, But still without subtlety," she teases gently, flicking an ear.
This time, he cannot quite hide his embarrassment. Yeah, he has done well... And he is kind of ashamed of that. Taking a step back again, though he forces himself to keep eye contact with Jage, he says, "I just... Needed some time alone." Time to understand that he wasn't going to get his old life back, that simply trying to survive until he could wasn't enough. "I've been... Well, lots of places, but I spent most of the winter alone in the forest."
Jage nods, neither approving or disapproving. "I understand. You have tested yourself and you have done well. Passed." She gives a half-smile. She doesn't ask why he needed the time. She can guess, but she would rather he tell her when he's good and ready. "And now? You have come out to visit your ailing aunt Jage?" The elkhound winks.
Benny chuckles at her question. "If that was ailing, I'm glad I never wrestled with you in your prime." He's joking, but even so, he keeps his eyes on her, prepared to move out of the way if she decides to teach him a playful lesson for daring to imply that she is past her prime. "I'm tired of being alone. I think, with your permission, I'd like to stay here again." Benny has grown up. He is capable of being every bit as playful as ever, but he's also capable of much more calm moments, now.
For a moment, Jage's eyes threaten retribution. But he's right, she is past her prime, and so she gives a pleased chuckle at the compliment instead. Then with care, she listens to his request. "Of course you can, Benny," she answers emphatically. She, too, has been feeling the lonely days and nights passing her by, and she would readily admit that she needs his company as much as he needs hers. "You are welcome here as long as you would wish to stay." Her tail wags away.
Benny smiles brightly as she accepts his request. "Thank you." It's genuine, as he realizes that she did not have to accept his presence here. Then, however, he switches back to joking. "I even promise I won't roll onto you during my sleep." Unless it gets /particularly/ cold, or she just seems to really need to be rolled upon, anyway.
Jage bumps her nose against Benny, snorting. "You should not make promises you cannot keep, Benny." It doesn't feel right to call him pup anymore, not after the trials he's been through alone out there. "You do not have to make yourself at home, here. It will always be a home for you."
Jage - Female Dog (Elkhound)
Benny - Male Dog (Foxhound)
- Harvest Fields -
The fields are always lovely in spring. The goldenrods have yet to flower, but it's still a lovely place to be. Fresh winds whip across the rolling terrain as the mid-morning sun shines down. And, right smack dab in the middle of it all...are paws. Paws and a white, furry belly, turned upward toward the sun's rays. Jage is sunbathing, looking completely at home with everything - a rare but welcome moment for her. Her eyes are shut, her ears flattened on the ground, her upper lip succumbing to gravity and drooping a bit to reveal fangs, making her look like she's grinning inanely. All her worries have flitted away in the gorgeous weather - for once, no thoughts of Jolon, of the dog pack she's all but left, of trouble, of...well, anything. Just relaxation.
While Benny has been scarce recently, oddly preferring to be off on his own ever since the failed attempt at joining the dog pack, he is still around. He is eating well enough, and though the self-imposed solitude is definitely odd, for him, he does not appear to be upset or depressed. Perhaps Jage hasn't noticed this, but she'll get a chance to, now. The foxhound is just coming from a long and pleasant swim in shallow waters that had warmed enough to not freeze him, and his approach of Jage is as stealthy as the male dog can manage. He is planning mischief, and the droplets of water on his short fur are probably how he intends to do it.
Jage is as out of it as she's ever been. In the heights of bliss and with the whipping wind concealing his approach, the aging elkhound has no idea of the disaster that is about to befall her. It's unlike the hunter to leave herself so vulnerable, but the tall grass and bright day have her believing that she's both hidden from view and that anything that might cause her any trouble is probably sleeping. And...well, everyone has their off days.
It has been so hard to come all the way here with the occasional water droplet trickling down his face and tickling his nose without shaking to dry his fur. The warm day has gotten rid of some of it, but Benny is certain he can still startle his 'Aunt' Jage. It's all good-natured fun, of course, and when he manages to spot her, just briefly, lying down, he stops walking forward and spends a moment just breathing quietly, his mouth open in a wide grin. The wind quickly allows the grass to shift again, hiding Jage from his view, and shortly after it does, he leaps forward to close the distance, doing so with a playful bark. When all four of his paws touch the ground, /then/ he finally allows himself to shake water off of his fur.
At the bark, Jage opens her eyes. By the time he lands, she is already upright, her eyes massively wide as if trying to overcompensate for how sleepy she is, her ears twisted backward 'til she looks like a small furry missile, head drawn back and legs far apart lest she lose her balance. What's happening? What? That bark, it's Benny! She stares goggle-eyed at him, and realises too late what he's about to do. With a yelp that sounds very strange coming from the capable hunter, Jage is pelted by water droplets. Water! Horrible, horrible water! She bounces, she prongs, but she doesn't get away in time - but all the activity all at once excites her sleepy mind. The elkhound takes off, half-mad with both disgust for water and glee that Benny is back, careering in wide circles and barking madly. Finally she all but buries her nose into the ground and almost somersaults before landing on her back again, wriggling to get the horrible feeling of water off her.
How could /anyone/ hate water? Be surprised by it, yes, which is what Benny was hoping for, but /hate/ it? The idea that someone could never occurs to him, and so once he is mostly-dry, he looks at her, laughing silently and bouncing more than a little. It takes him a second to stop his silent laughing so that he can greet her. "Jage! Hi!" After greeting her, he hops towards her, once. Obviously, someone woke up in a very good mood this morning.
A few more wriggles before Jage is up on her paws once more, her tightly-curled tail wagging furiously. The only thing stopping her from bowling Benny over is the fact that he still looks a bit wet, and who knows how long the hydrophobia is going to save him? She barks a few more times, excited and happy. Look at him! Look how...well he is! "Benny!" she says at last, and it seems saying the name is enough to tip the scales. She bounds toward him and rears onto her hindlegs, pawing at the air to get him to spar. "I have missed you!"
As Jage rears up, Benny crouches, smacking the ground with his forelegs and grinning mischievously. Now is not the time for speech, but when she says she missed him, he barks an agreement. Yes, he has missed spending time with Jage too... But that won't save her from the bundle of energy that is Benny! After barking, he leaps forward again. The move is not executed with great strength. He does not want to risk hurting her, if he even touches her at all, but he clearly know how to play 'rough'.
Jage meets the lunge chest to shoulder with a fierce rush of happiness. Not only is Benny back, but he still plays like an elkhound. Shaking the last sleepiness from her as her forepaws hit the ground heavily, she bulls heavily against him, side to side as she nips at his neck, intent on getting him by the scruff and pulling him down. Is that the best he can do? Surely not! She's no longer as strong as she used to be, but if she has anything to say about it she'll give this cheeky pup a run for his money!
She might not be young, but Benny remains as thinly built as any Foxhound, and so is at a bit of a disadvantage. He cannot prevent her from grabbing ahold of his scruff and pulling him down, but neither does he give up simply because she has manages to put him ot the ground. Though in an awkward position for exacting retribution now, he still tries to twist out from her hold so that he can actually reach her as he growls playfully. Very little truly goes on in his mind, right now, other than, 'This is fun!'
Ah-ha! She's still got it. Now that he's on the ground, Jage does what many an elkhound would declare the best part of any game and does her level best to clamber onto him like a big, heavy blanket. He's proving hard to pin down, though. Not that she minds - it would be hardly be fun if it were no challenge. Again she seeks to clamp her teeth onto his neck, scrambling to match his attempts at escape.
Benny didn't make it easy to pin him from the beginning, and he's not about to start now. With a loud and daring bark, he tries to roll over even as she manages to catch hold of the skin and fur at the back of his neck again. Luckily, the skin is just loose enough to keep this from really hurting, and he does his best to smack at her with anything he can. Forepaw. Hindpaw. Tail! Whatever might give him an opportunity to get away.
Jage would not have expected anything less from the younger dog, and the sudden attack of flailing limbs is enough to make her back off. Only for a moment, though, for now a new game starts. Digging her nose against the ground as she did to dry herself, the elkhound flops over onto her back right next to the prone foxhound, nipping at him from upside-down and making rumbling noises deep in her throat as she paws at his muzzle. She barks, but her position stops her from making much noise and it comes out as a high-pitched yelp.
Benny won! Or... At least he got himself into a position where he wouldn't definitely lose. Before he can get his bearings, though, Jage is on the ground right beside him and nipping at him. She's fast, for someone old enough to be his mother! The paws and nips are enough that he cannot /possibly/ attempt to mount a counterattack. as he has to keep his head turned form her to protect his sensitive nose, ears, and eyes. Hmph! When she barks, or yelps, or... yelp-barks, he rolls away from her to get his feet back under him, moving as quickly as his still-young body will let him. There's just no way he can beat her in a battle of strength... So he'll obviously have to use his superior intellect! ... Or, y'know, his speed. Yeah, speed is good.
Damn, he's up on his paws again. Jage rolls over and sits up, panting and watching him carefully, a twinkle in her eyes. She welcomes the respite more than she cares to admit, but she's ready for whatever he wants to try next. She's happy enough to let the play continue for the moment. After all, it's so rare that she gets to play with such abandon, one of those things she doesn't know she misses until she's doing it. She stands, squaring her shoulders in preparation as her curled tail wags wildly behind her. Alright, Benny, the next move is yours.
Just as Jage is willing to continue playing, Benny is willing to not question why she's allowing it for as long as it lasts. He feels comfortable around so few animals out here, and the one he is most comfortable around, Jage, is seldom willing to do this, so he is going to take advantage of every moment of it. He hops back as she gets to her feet, then spends a moment just watching her... Before he turns to dart away. C'mon! He played the wrestling game! Now let's play the tag game!
Cheeky dog! As he starts, so she drops into half a play bow, her eyes locked on him with as much focus as if he were a rabbit. She might not be able to catch him, but she's certainly willing to try, oh yes. Jage keeps her position, as still as a statue for a moment, then as he turns to run she gives chase. It's easy to see she has no hope of keeping up with him...but she has a few tricks up her proverbial sleeve.
Of course she can't keep up with him! But neither is Benny stuck, mentally, on just running. What fun would that game be, if there were no chance at genuine competition. Still, he /does/ try to get enough distance between himself and Jage that he'll have time to do something, aided only by the sound of her behind him, as he keeps his eyes ahead of him even though he knows this land well enough to know that there shouldn't be anything in his way.
Jage is rapidly winded. Speed is not her forte, but guile is. The elkhound stops suddenly and drops into the long grass, flat on her belly, clamping her jaws shut to stop her panting giving her away. As quickly as she dares, she crawls a short distance to the left of their path and lies in wait. She's played chase with enough fast dogs to know there's one thing they hate, and that's not being chased anymore. Well...let's see if Benny can find her before she gets him.
Yes, Jage's intellect is truly superior to Benny's, as he is drawn immediately into her trap. As soon as he doesn't hear her behind him any more, he stops running, and as he stands there, doing nothing to hide his own panting, it is easy for him to tell that he 'lost' her too soon. That prevents him from doing what he was planning on doing, likely something very similar to what Jage is /currently/ doing. Rather, he creeps forward. Despite the silence of his steps, he continues panting, having no idea that Jage is lying in wait for him.
Three more steps...two more steps...one more... Jage cannons out of her hiding place, into Benny's side. There is no finesse, no plot, no plan to pin him. It's just an all-out tackle which, if everything goes according to plan, will end up with a tangled (and perhaps a little bruised) heap of hound in the grass.
Benny yelps loudly as he is suddenly hit from the side by an entirely unseen flying object. There is a little bit of pain there, but it's more surprise than anything as his feet fly out from under him and he goes tumbling to the ground with a mass of fur on top of him. Almost as soon as the yelp is over, the laughing begins, and through both the laughing and his panting, he says, "Okay! You... You win!"
It's pure luck that Jage happens to end up on the top of the heap, and she huffs her peculiar, foreign little laugh. It might have been an accident, but she isn't about to give up her victory. She hauls herself off him to let them both catch their breath, though she doesn't move far away. "I have missed you, Benny," she says again, as if there was no gap, no insane playtime between their first words and now. "You have been keeping well! I am so very proud." She looks over his healthy form, giving an approving nod.
Benny pulls himself to his feet with an exaggerated wince. Before any concern could spread, though, a grin every bit as mischievous as his first one shows that he is not really hurt... And also keeps him from appearing embarrassed at the praise. "Thank you, Jage. I've missed you too. Have you been well?" Besides just how she looks, he means, but if that's all she answers, he will accept it.
"Well enough, " the hunter replies, giving a smile and shaking her head at his antics. "As you find me. My winter was fruitful, and I am finding myself back in my fields more and more often now." She gives a shrug. For someone who wanted a pack so badly, Jage doesn't seem too concerned that she, like Benny, has drifted away from them. "They have welcomed me back well," she laughs, looking over them.
Benny gives a smile to Jage, all mischief in his expression gone as he says, "I liked the fields." True. Most of his experiences there were very good, and the family-like relationship he has with Jage is more lasting than any friendship he has forged out here. He steps toward her to nuzzle against her, something he does not normally do, since she likes her personal space. In this instance, though... Whether it feel right, or whether he has just forgotten, is difficult to determine.
Benny is one of three individuals out here that Jage would ever let invade her personal space so, and she leans her nose forward encouragingly to return the affection. "Where have you been keeping yourself, Benny? I see that the wild life is agreeing with you." She is curious to know what has become of her nephew during his absence. "You are fast as ever, But still without subtlety," she teases gently, flicking an ear.
This time, he cannot quite hide his embarrassment. Yeah, he has done well... And he is kind of ashamed of that. Taking a step back again, though he forces himself to keep eye contact with Jage, he says, "I just... Needed some time alone." Time to understand that he wasn't going to get his old life back, that simply trying to survive until he could wasn't enough. "I've been... Well, lots of places, but I spent most of the winter alone in the forest."
Jage nods, neither approving or disapproving. "I understand. You have tested yourself and you have done well. Passed." She gives a half-smile. She doesn't ask why he needed the time. She can guess, but she would rather he tell her when he's good and ready. "And now? You have come out to visit your ailing aunt Jage?" The elkhound winks.
Benny chuckles at her question. "If that was ailing, I'm glad I never wrestled with you in your prime." He's joking, but even so, he keeps his eyes on her, prepared to move out of the way if she decides to teach him a playful lesson for daring to imply that she is past her prime. "I'm tired of being alone. I think, with your permission, I'd like to stay here again." Benny has grown up. He is capable of being every bit as playful as ever, but he's also capable of much more calm moments, now.
For a moment, Jage's eyes threaten retribution. But he's right, she is past her prime, and so she gives a pleased chuckle at the compliment instead. Then with care, she listens to his request. "Of course you can, Benny," she answers emphatically. She, too, has been feeling the lonely days and nights passing her by, and she would readily admit that she needs his company as much as he needs hers. "You are welcome here as long as you would wish to stay." Her tail wags away.
Benny smiles brightly as she accepts his request. "Thank you." It's genuine, as he realizes that she did not have to accept his presence here. Then, however, he switches back to joking. "I even promise I won't roll onto you during my sleep." Unless it gets /particularly/ cold, or she just seems to really need to be rolled upon, anyway.
Jage bumps her nose against Benny, snorting. "You should not make promises you cannot keep, Benny." It doesn't feel right to call him pup anymore, not after the trials he's been through alone out there. "You do not have to make yourself at home, here. It will always be a home for you."