Rating: G
Word Count: 280
Challenge: Written for the

Author's Notes: Thanks to
We were heading out for a run when a scent tugged my muzzle towards the corner of the Consulate stairs. I froze, nostrils flaring, and looked up at pack-Ben.
“That same scent-mark again?” he asked.
I flicked my ears. Pack-Ben nodded and started jogging down the street. I’d catch up to him once I finished investigating.
I wet my nose and sniffed delicately, determined to catch every nuance. Not dog. I was certain of that; there was too much wildness to it, like a breath of cold, free air from the North. But not wolf. At least not any species I recognized. Yet there was something so familiar about it.
Male. Young. Healthy. Well-fed, and not on kibble. A whiff of rich beef and bright spices danced across my tongue, even second hand. The male smelled friendly and puppy-eager. I lifted a leg to make my own mark on the stairs, dominant but not aggressive.
The Consulate door opened. The tall one came out dressed in red and moved into position for Guard Duty. A gust of wind swirled his scent towards me. Male. Young. Healthy. Well - I sat bolt upright, ears astonished. It wasn’t the same, not with serge and soap and skin naked of fur, but …
The tall one looked up and down the street, glanced my way, and then held a single finger to his lips. The set of his shoulders made it a request, not a command.
I considered. The spicy beef smells good, I mentioned, politely oblique.
The tall one’s lips twitched in a tiny smile, and then he settled into position, staring expressionless straight ahead. We had a deal.
Comments
The male smelled friendly and puppy-eager.
What a perfect description. *g*
Fraser stuck his head back into the car. "Come along, Diefenbaker."
Dief moaned.
"Something wrong with the mutt?" Ray asked.
Fraser was blushing. "He says that he's full, and this is getting ridiculous. Which," he said, shaking his head and looking at the wolf, "is just silly. I didn't give you that much -"
Dief huffed.
"Oh. You've been extorting food from Ray, as well, all this..." Fraser trailed off.
Ray cleared his throat, scanning the street. "So, uh, Fraser. Since the wolf's not feeling so hot, you wanna spend the night at my place? We can, you know, look after him better there."
Fraser snapped into action, jumping into the car. "Excellent idea, Ray."
Puppy-eager is exactly how Turnbull would be as a... well, as a whatever he is.
I like this. I enjoy Surfer Dude Dief (which is how I generally imagine dogs sounding, though being in CA I might be a teeny bit biased), but this more complex perception of his thought process - the idea that he habitually thinks in bigger words than RayK uses - is fun, too.
There are hidden depths to Dief. Yep. ;)