Hollow smiled as Bane questioned the antler, and the territory, "No Bane, beyond our borders is a whole world full of color, full of beauty. But I just like it best here." He motioned with his nose to the antler, "Has your mother told you what a deer is? It's a big slender brown animal, we hunt them for food, and this is its antler, it goes on the deer's head." Hollow let Bane look closely at the thing for a few moments while he circled the pup scenting for any danger, or food. Hollow was beginning to feel hungry. Do you want to take that back to your mother Bane?" Hollow asked Bane the question just as he came around to stand in front of the boy. He gazed upon a pup whom looked almost kin to Hollow himself with a softness that anyone but the pup could see. Hollow was making good on his own personal promise to himself to protect young Bane.
"How off?" Of course, the word was mumbled as he looked over the antler, sniffing, licking, and chewing at it in wonder. The adult wolf said it was from a brown animal, called a deer and this sat on it's head and they ate them. If this was all true then, how was these 'antlers' off the deer's head now? Did they fall off? "Antler stick. Mom. Yes." Bane confirms with a nod, eager to give this prize to his mother as he struggled to try and get a grip on it with his tiny milk teeth and lack of strength. Not to mention the size of the thing made it quite awkward in trying to move about, though boy did Bane desperately try, if only with a certainty that once he did get it home, his mother would be proud.
But it was time to go, not time to reflect. First he answered the pup's inquiry. "When the deer grows, it's antlers shed just as your fur will thicken and grow through the winter and shed in the summer." Though he was not sure the pup would truly understand what that meant for a few months at least he still felt pride in helping to teach the boy. He bent his broad head to grasp the antler in his own strong jaws, careful not to scar it. "Well my young friend, let us take this to your mother then, maybe sometime she will let me take you across the whole border with me, I can show you all of your home, and then the fields beyond, where you can see the mountains, they are huge stones bigger than all of the trees in the forest." Hollow spoke softly with a smile, it was time for them both to leave, Bane had a good adventure today, Hollow thought, but he knew the boy must be getting tired. So now, it was time to go.
Taking a few steps forth when Hollow dipped his muzzle down to take the antler, carrying it for him, Bane yawns, feeling a weariness in his long limbs he had yet felt before. He had not traveled so far from the den before and the traveling was taking it's toll on the youth. One day, his limbs would grow stronger, faster, and he knew he would get farther when this time came. Until then, he was willing to adhere this wolf's will for him to go back home and return this prize to his mother. Bane nods his muzzle ever silently and begins quick steps into the direction of his den.
Fin.