Hickory is crouched to pounce again when a white paw suddenly appears on his toy. He stands slowly, his head tilted curiously and his tongue lolling from his mouth. The larger wolf doesn’t seem like he wants to play, but Hickory wags his tail a few times, ever hopeful. Though the other wolf is chuckling, it’s not exactly the kind of laughter that Hickory has come to associate with a genuinely good time; it’s actually closer to the nasty little laugh his brother used to do when he was about to report Hickory’s mischievous antics back to their parents when they were pups. The red and black wolf doesn’t particularly like being treated like a child – unless it’s by actual children, and then that’s quite wonderful – and he shuffles his front paws worriedly.

The white wolf asks what he’s doing, and the perpetually happy Hickory perks up his one good ear. Maybe he does want to play? Though he is perfectly capable of entertaining himself, the young wolf is not a true loner at heart, and the idea of having a companion has his tail wagging a few more times. “Playing.” He tells the white wolf, just in case it hadn’t been clear. Hickory doesn’t know quite how long the other has been watching him – he’s not the most alert of creatures – so perhaps he’d missed the entirety of the red wolf’s antics.

“Wanna play?” he asks hopefully, gesturing toward the fish tail with his dark nose. He stretches his front paws forward, tapping them on the ground before leaping back, his good ear pricked curiously.