85th/Autumn/517
Aster was getting sick and tired of watching Navi go running off. "Some guard dog you are," she sighed, as she stared down disapprovingly at the mutt. Oblivious, Navi wagged her tail and let out a happy bark. For the third time that season, the dog had suddenly bounded off after something that had caught her interest; it had taken Aster the better part of the morning to try and track the dog down.
Normally, she wouldn't have bothered, but she figured it was about time she tried to do something. Armed with a half a pound of beef jerky in a small paper bag that she had stopped to pick up on her adventure to find Navi, she now stared the dog down. Navi was sniffing at her pocket where the jerky was, tongue lolling out as she sat, clearly expecting a treat.
"I don't think so," Aster told the dog. They were in a small park, a clear area of grass with trees and benches scattered around, mostly enclosed by surrounding buildings. A few people milled around, enjoying the cool weather of autumn after the city had cycled through the warmth of a summer illusion. A few people cast amused glances to the ethereal creature scolding the large dog as if she were speaking to a child, but Asterope paid them no mind.
Navi was already familiar with a few basic commands; sit, lie down, and paw she almost always obeyed. Less frequently obeyed were calm, stay, come, and heel. Crouching down, Aster stuck her hand out palm up. "Paw." Obediently and eagerly, Navi slapped a large paw into Aster's palm. "Good girl." She stood again. "Now lie down." Again with eager movements, Navi flopped down onto her stomach.
"Very good," Aster praised. Reaching into the bag in her pocket, she pulled out a strip of jerky, breaking it in half and tossing one of the pieces to Navi. The mutt jerked her head up to catch it, jaws snapping shut as she chewed noisily, tail whipping back and forth through the grass.
Now that the dog knew just what was at stake, Aster had her sit back up, and began to take slow, measured steps back. "Stay," she said, firmly, hand held out in front of her. She had seen Nara train animals before, and it didn't seem too hard to do. Food was an obvious incentive; surely with enough repetition and rewards, a dog as smart as Navi could learn just about anything.
Word Count: 417
Ledger :
"Common" | "Nari" | "Pavi" | Thoughts
"Other People's Speech"
"Other People's Speech"
