Word count: 535 // +5 points
I ramble a lot in this thread for some reason. Sorry!
A German shepherd? Alduin wasn’t sure what to make of his breed, but kept most of his confusion hidden from his face. He’d only ever known wolves, thus dogs were quite the mystery to him. The shepherd may as well have said he was an alien and it would mean the same thing to Alduin. Curiously, his eyes rose from the mark on Toby’s chest to his face where they lingered there for, perhaps, a moment too long. He noted the differences, smiled at the similarities, and wondered briefly if he’d met dogs before and hadn’t realized it.
Those were thoughts for another day, however; Alduin had a patient to care for. His yellow eyes fell back to Toby’s chest, focusing on the gash left by the brute of a female. A frown spread across his lips as he mused over what it could mean. He knew no one whose name began with a ‘P’, nor did he know of a pack that called itself anything with a ‘P’. A shake of his head indicated he could not guess at what Toby’s mark could mean, and it brought a certain sadness to Alduin’s heart. Not having the answer bothered him, and not being able to make an educated guess worried him. For now, however, he would save his fears for later.
“Forgive me, Toby,” he began softly. “I cannot find a suitable answer for you. Perhaps, though, it stands for ‘pretty’? I could understand the girl being jealous of you, at the very least.”
He smiled warmly, trying to put the shepherd at ease as he took the last of the makeshift bandages into his hands.
“If you will excuse me again,” he said as he moved to wrap the strips around Toby’s chest.
Alduin moved as quickly as he could so as not to make the closeness awkward for the black dog. In his haste, he found that his muzzle came to rest on Toby’s shoulder briefly when his arms reached around his back. Amelia eyed the shepherd carefully, wondering if he would, perhaps, snap at her wolf for the contact. A threatening hiss left the weasel’s mouth to warn the brute of her vicious intentions should he try anything silly.
“I truly am sorry for this, Toby,” he said with a little sigh as his muzzle passed his ear. “I should be done in a moment.”
The tundra wolf continued his work at a steady pace, and then tied a knot in the front of the dog’s chest to complete the wrappings. He lifted his hand and moved to pat his patient on the shoulder, a satisfied grin presenting itself proudly on his lips.
“That should hold until you find yourself a proper healer,” he stated.
While not entirely proud of his work, he knew it was good enough to do the job for now. He sat back, putting his weight onto his arms and crossing his legs so he would be comfortable. Amelia was quick to hop into his lap and bury herself in the warmth of her wolf’s fur. She kept her eyes facing Toby, however, for she was far too suspicious of him to let him out of her sight.
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