Shroud of the Lost not enough young in his lung for the water wings

Am I fast or am I old? Make up your mind, cubbin'!

His voice raised with playful defiance as water was slapped and sprayed at him. Admittedly it was a welcome relief among the rolling waves of summer heat and sun. Perhaps they both had needed this romp!

So Loach continued to indulge and slammed his own paws into the water. Then rushed forward! If he could not tackle the boy, perhaps he might still inspire a chase along the water's edge or through the woods.

The speed in which Claw's tail waved behind him picked up in pace as a snort escaped the young boy's maw, the peppered man's obvious sense of defiance earning a playful eye roll of emerald eyes. "What if I don't wanna?" The marbled boy retorted back in his own sense of defiance, offering another slap of his paws to send more sprays of water cascading onto the older man. Much to the boy's enjoyment, his goading finally paid off.

The smacking of limbs into the water was mirrored by Loach to spend sprays of his own to land on the equally dark coated boy's back, a welcomed relief from the scorching sun that hammered down from above. The smirk that laid across inky lips widened into a full blown wolfish grin, laughing until he noticed the old man charge forward. Ah, it was a distraction tactic!

Laughter continued to fill the boy's chest as he turned on his paws to tuck tail and run, sprinting along the water's edge as the duo now fell into a game of cat and mouse. A glance over a marbled shoulder ensured he stayed just out of reach of Loach, spirits the highest they'd been in awhile. Perhaps this romp was needed more than either of them knew it and Claw was content to keep running along the riverbank as long as Loach was able to keep chasing.

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