[Explore] Subpar Cookies

Days had passed since their last attempt to befriend the black stray, and the Tiller brothers were still arguing about it. It had gotten heated at moments, with Ollie vehemently claiming that they had come very close to succeeding and Rob passionately disagreeing with the notion that they could predict, in any way shape or form, what may or may not have happened.

 

"He didn't bite," Rob said firmly, refusing to budge, as Ollie threw up his hands in exasperation.

 

"Figuratively! He didn't bite figuratively, but he quite literally ate the treat, didn't he?! He literally bit - we just failed to show up at the right time, in the right place! But if we had just been there, I'm telling you, it would have been a done deal!"

 

"You can't know," Rob insisted, shaking his head. Leeward and Fathom followed along dutifully behind him, Fathom looking quite unaffected by the world around him, and Leeward perking up at every stranger that went by.

 

"I can make an educated guess, and I'd say mine is pretty damn well educated!" Ollie said, voice significantly louder than its usual volume. It didn't seem to occur to him that he was causing a ruckus right around bedtime, and that the people in the houses they were passing were probably tucked away on their cots and beds, looking for a good night's sleep. This was much more important.

 

"Doesn't matter anyway," Rob answered, rolling his eyes. "Out of treats."

 

Both Leeward and Fathom perked a bit at the word "treats," and when it became clear that none were forthcoming, both returned to snuffling about on the ground as they walked checking out the scents left behind by other hounds and the pesky little duskrats roaming the streets of Ynnis.

 

"Out of those treats, yes," Ollie intoned. "But not out of all treats. I've got these nice autumn squash ones from the festival as well. Maybe not as good as those other ones, but worth a shot."

 

Rob chuckled at his brother's insistence, folding his arms over his chest to shrug and give Ollie a sidelong glance. "Have at it."

 

They had returned to the spot where they had seen the stray last, Ollie having determined that this must be part of the hound's usual territory and that revisiting it often would leave their scent for the hound to get used to. Every time they reached this area, Ollie could tell from the hounds' body language that they could smell the stray, and this time was no different. They both seemed to perk up, looking in the same general direction, and Ollie could have sworn he had seen the tip of a black tail disappear around the corner, staying adamantly out of sight.

 

They had come with Leeward and Fathom to pick up Ollie's scarf again the day after leaving their last Spooky Treat, and Ollie had been thrilled to find the cookie had disappeared. Rob had tried to calm him by offering that it might not necessarily have been the stray that had taken it, but Ollie refused to be brought back down to earth. 

 

"I think I'll do the same as last time," Ollie declared, untying the scarf from his neck and whipping it off with a flourish. He pulled one a treat out of his pocket - a regular one that they had made for purposes such as this - and coiled the scarf up into a neat circle, setting the cookie down into the center. "Not for you!" he added, shooing Leeward and Fathom away before they could snatch it up.

 

Rob let out a soft hum, leaning against the fence to watch with quiet amusement as Ollie fiddled with the setup, trying to make it perfect.

 

"What do you, Rob? This looks about right," he said finally, straightening up. He was using his body to block the two hounds, who were desperately trying to dodge around his legs to get at the treat.

 

"Subpar treat, but nice scarf," Rob answered with a chuckle, reaching to grab Fathom and manually move him away from the treat. The black hound was much easier to maneuver, and was a bit more easygoing than Leeward, who had a slippery side to her. He watched as the orange hound tried to dive in between Ollie's knees to go for the treat, before Ollie was able to wrap his hands around her chest and push her out of reach.

 

"I think it might just work this time!" Ollie said, beaming as he hung onto Leeward.

 

"Fingers crossed for you," Rob said, shaking his head, smiling. That level of optimism was endearing, and even he couldn't pretend otherwise. Ollie looked giddy with excitement. "Let's move so he doesn't get wary."

 

Fixing the leash back onto Fathom's collar, Rob led the way as they made their way back up the waterfront to their home.