Word Count :: 341
Wayne remembered what the alpha had said at the mentor ceremony, the reasons that he had been chosen for the eager bronze and black girl. Patience, discipline, hard work—the values fell on his shoulders; it was up to him to teach her. He supposed that they’d just missed a lesson on patience, but he didn’t want to stop the girl from eating if she was hungry anyway. At least she was considerate enough to leave him some fish, and as he finished nibbling on his last one, the puppy crawled over to rest her head in his lap.
The Labrador mix smiled warmly at her and stroked her head gently and affectionately. When she spoke up about her grandfather being out and her exploration to find bad guys, he frowned faintly, glancing at his arm.
“If you find bad guys, you need to come tell us,” Wayne said softly. “You’re a big girl, but you ain’t so big to fight yet.” He paused, not wanting to scare her, but hoping that she would understand the message now rather than when she became an unruly teenager. He’d never truly hit that stage—he thought—but it was prime time for a kid to want to defy the rules and strike out on their own, often when they weren’t ready. He wanted his lessons to stick with her even as she became a warrior in her own right. “See, I’m kinda big and they beat me up pretty bad.” He gestured at his shoulder, smirking. “But they’re gone now, and I hope they don’t come back.”
After seeing how easily Casa di Cavalieri could defend its borders, he doubted they would be stupid enough to return.
Clearing his throat, he looked back at the puppy again and grinned faintly. “Wanna go explore together?” he suggested. Perhaps the opportunity for an actual lesson could come along while they were out walking, but really he wanted to get to know his apprentice and be able to say he’d spent time with her at all.
Image courtesy of just.jim @ flickr; Table by the Mentors!
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