They sold bottled water at the Inn, right? God, she hoped so...and so did Oscar. After leaving the Plaza, she went home and changed into shorts and a tank and running shoes, clipped the dog's leash to his collar and set out at a sedate pace. Two hours later, she was dripping sweat and Oscar refused to run any more. In fact, when she paused in front of the Inn thoughtfully, he flopped down on the cobbles and refused to get up.
She stared at the dog and sighed. "Quitter," she muttered and gave his leash a little tug. He flopped over on his back, paws held under his chin. "Oh, lord. Fine." She leaned down, picked the dramatic pooch up and tucked him under her arm. She kissed his head and then started up the porch steps. Her quads and hamstrings burned nicely with every step.
It had been a day of exploration and sightseeing for Ori; and there certainly was a lot to see in this place. Hours and hours had been spent just in the Marketplace, going from stall to stall. Eventually, though, he pulled himself away from the myriad fascinating wares. He had plans for the evening, after all. His course for Lelah's place took him right past the Inn, and that turned out to be quite fortunate. A familiar form going up the steps informed that her house would be extremely empty, should he have continued his journey. "Well, hello," he called out, turning towards said steps.
Oscar let out a little barroo and his tail thumped against Lelah's back. She turned and glanced over her shoulder. "Hi!" Then she looked down at her clothing and winced. Crap. "Close your eyes!" she exclaimed and tried to cover herself with Oscar.
"What? Why?" he asked, closing his eyes obediently at the same time.
"I'm all mucky and sweaty and gross. You can't see me like this." The next dog she bought would be much larger than the 20-pound lump in her arms. He did not help cover her at all...even a little bit.
"I'm going to hurt myself...or someone else...if I try to walk around with my eyes closed. Besides, I already saw you, and you look fine." More than fine, really, but he didn't want her to think he was being some kind of suck-up. He reached out one hand, groping for the railing so he could start up the steps.
She made an exasperated sound. "Fine. You can open your eyes. Wouldn't want you to set someone's hair on fire or turn their nose into a mushroom or something." She hefted Oscar, switched arms and nuzzled his face.
"I can't really do the first one," he said, opening his eyes. Then he brightened. "I could make them think their hair was on fire, though." Then he paused, blinking at her. "Weren't you supposed to be home around now?" He climbed the stairs as he spoke, finding it much easier now that he could see.
"Oh, sh*t! That was tonight, wasn't it? Ori, I'm sorry. It completely skipped my mind. I had a crappy day." Oscar's tail started thumping solidly at her back as the wizard came closer to them and when he was in range, the little dog wriggled to be petted.
"Oh," he said, looking serious. "I'm sorry to hear that. Can I do anything to help?" Oscar looked much happier to see him this time, enough that he was willing to risk reaching out to pet the dog.
Oscar accepted the petting with regal affection and then settled in his mistress's arms. Lelah shook her head sadly. "No, unfortunately, I've made my bed and now I must lie in it. I was just headed inside to grab some water before I headed home," she said, shifting subjects quickly so that he wouldn't be tempted to pursue the topic of her bad day.
"Oh," he said again. "Well, if you want to talk about it...I'm pretty good at listening. Not that I'm trying to pry," he added hastily. He glanced around the porch, then out into the street, before finally looking back at her. He wasn't quite sure what else to say.
She took pity on him and put Oscar down on the porch and then handed Ori his leash. "He shouldn't come inside. He'll freak out and go catatonic with that many strangers around. Would you mind staying out here with him? I'll just be a minute."
He took the leash automatically, then looked down at the dog. "Well, sure. Is he going to be okay with that, though?"
She nodded. "He'll be fine. You want something, too?" Oscar sat down between Ori and Lelah, looking back and forth between them, then stood up and walked around three times in a circle before laying down. "See?" Lelah said. "He's fine."
"Some water would be fine, thank you." He knelt down to pet Oscar, if the dog would let him.
He would and did. "Okay. Back in a sec. Oscar, be good." She slipped inside and headed quickly to the bar.
His lips twitched in a little smile when Oscar willingly accepted the petting. "So you've decided I'm not so bad, eh, Oscar?" he said to the dog. He sat down on the floor of the porch next to the dog, leaning his back up against the railing. The words were relatively quiescent tonight; thankfully. Casting all those spells in a row had calmed them down. He continued idly petting the dog as he contemplated the words, getting used to what they did.
She stared at the dog and sighed. "Quitter," she muttered and gave his leash a little tug. He flopped over on his back, paws held under his chin. "Oh, lord. Fine." She leaned down, picked the dramatic pooch up and tucked him under her arm. She kissed his head and then started up the porch steps. Her quads and hamstrings burned nicely with every step.
It had been a day of exploration and sightseeing for Ori; and there certainly was a lot to see in this place. Hours and hours had been spent just in the Marketplace, going from stall to stall. Eventually, though, he pulled himself away from the myriad fascinating wares. He had plans for the evening, after all. His course for Lelah's place took him right past the Inn, and that turned out to be quite fortunate. A familiar form going up the steps informed that her house would be extremely empty, should he have continued his journey. "Well, hello," he called out, turning towards said steps.
Oscar let out a little barroo and his tail thumped against Lelah's back. She turned and glanced over her shoulder. "Hi!" Then she looked down at her clothing and winced. Crap. "Close your eyes!" she exclaimed and tried to cover herself with Oscar.
"What? Why?" he asked, closing his eyes obediently at the same time.
"I'm all mucky and sweaty and gross. You can't see me like this." The next dog she bought would be much larger than the 20-pound lump in her arms. He did not help cover her at all...even a little bit.
"I'm going to hurt myself...or someone else...if I try to walk around with my eyes closed. Besides, I already saw you, and you look fine." More than fine, really, but he didn't want her to think he was being some kind of suck-up. He reached out one hand, groping for the railing so he could start up the steps.
She made an exasperated sound. "Fine. You can open your eyes. Wouldn't want you to set someone's hair on fire or turn their nose into a mushroom or something." She hefted Oscar, switched arms and nuzzled his face.
"I can't really do the first one," he said, opening his eyes. Then he brightened. "I could make them think their hair was on fire, though." Then he paused, blinking at her. "Weren't you supposed to be home around now?" He climbed the stairs as he spoke, finding it much easier now that he could see.
"Oh, sh*t! That was tonight, wasn't it? Ori, I'm sorry. It completely skipped my mind. I had a crappy day." Oscar's tail started thumping solidly at her back as the wizard came closer to them and when he was in range, the little dog wriggled to be petted.
"Oh," he said, looking serious. "I'm sorry to hear that. Can I do anything to help?" Oscar looked much happier to see him this time, enough that he was willing to risk reaching out to pet the dog.
Oscar accepted the petting with regal affection and then settled in his mistress's arms. Lelah shook her head sadly. "No, unfortunately, I've made my bed and now I must lie in it. I was just headed inside to grab some water before I headed home," she said, shifting subjects quickly so that he wouldn't be tempted to pursue the topic of her bad day.
"Oh," he said again. "Well, if you want to talk about it...I'm pretty good at listening. Not that I'm trying to pry," he added hastily. He glanced around the porch, then out into the street, before finally looking back at her. He wasn't quite sure what else to say.
She took pity on him and put Oscar down on the porch and then handed Ori his leash. "He shouldn't come inside. He'll freak out and go catatonic with that many strangers around. Would you mind staying out here with him? I'll just be a minute."
He took the leash automatically, then looked down at the dog. "Well, sure. Is he going to be okay with that, though?"
She nodded. "He'll be fine. You want something, too?" Oscar sat down between Ori and Lelah, looking back and forth between them, then stood up and walked around three times in a circle before laying down. "See?" Lelah said. "He's fine."
"Some water would be fine, thank you." He knelt down to pet Oscar, if the dog would let him.
He would and did. "Okay. Back in a sec. Oscar, be good." She slipped inside and headed quickly to the bar.
His lips twitched in a little smile when Oscar willingly accepted the petting. "So you've decided I'm not so bad, eh, Oscar?" he said to the dog. He sat down on the floor of the porch next to the dog, leaning his back up against the railing. The words were relatively quiescent tonight; thankfully. Casting all those spells in a row had calmed them down. He continued idly petting the dog as he contemplated the words, getting used to what they did.