(Untitled)

[milkbonesoldier]

The evening hours find Wells outside, not far from the lake. He's not headed for the football pitch, or the target range, or even his fire-pit; he's got other things to do tonight, and most if not all of them spring from the current occupant of the cells

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[bad_as_he_is]

There's a young man in a tree, sitting on one of the branches with a rifle over his knees and a tricorner hat on his head. He beams down at Wells and nods to the dog.

"That's a fine hound, sir."

[milkbonesoldier]

Wells makes a soft, gruff noise to the dog and looks up curiously. "She is, isn't she?" he says. "Her name's Xu Ning. Belongs to a friend of mine."

He hopes, anyway.

[bad_as_he_is]

"Zooning?"

The pronunciation isn't quite right, but it's not half bad for a boy who's never heard such names before. He slips the rifle over his shoulder before scooting over to the tree itself and scampering down. He jumps off a few feet from the ground and grins to Wells a moment before removing his hat.

"The name's Jones, sir, Tom Jones."

And then the hat's back on and he's nodding enthusiastically at the dog.

"May I see to her, sir? Just let her get a sniff of me."

[milkbonesoldier]

"Close enough," says Wells. "It's Chinese- you won't have heard it before." He himself is woefully without hat, so the only gesture he can offer in return that makes much sense to him is a small salute. "Harry Wells," he says. "Used to be with the Light Infantry."

He nods to the boy. "Go right ahead. She's a good sort- she'll sit still for you."

[ginsengdragon]

It was a lovely evening for a walk, Iroh thought, and he needed the fresh air to clear his head.

That was why, as the sun went down, he was out in the night air. As old as he was, he rarely seemed frail, but all the years of his life seemed to lie on the lines of his face as the last of the light disappeared, and he sat on a rock and looked out on the lake.

[milkbonesoldier]

There was a smell on the wind that hadn't been there before. Xu Ning lifted her head, ears pricked forward curiously. New person?

Harry sniffed the air himself and smiled a little. Not so new as that, he answered. Zuko's kin.

The dog's stance brightened visibly, and she dashed forward to meet the stranger who smelled so much like her beloved boy. With a small sigh, Wells ran along after her.

[ginsengdragon]

The dog ran up out of nowhere and the sad old man brightened visibly.

"Aren't you a beautiful girl," he said, scratching the dog's scruffy neck and behind her ears.

[milkbonesoldier]

WAGwagWAGwagWAG went the Malamute's tail. New person, familiar smell, and a friendly voice- all right, this was good. She could live with this.

"I should hope she is," said Wells, catching the words as he approached. "Zuko's taken better care of her than he ever did of himself, some days. Evening, Iroh."