[Tame] Drift 616b

The next day, Ollie was armed and ready with a handful of freshly made hound treats for his hopeful encounter with Drift. His own hounds trailed closely, sniffing his pockets periodically to in hopes of snorting some errant crumbs.

He'd brought the same three hounds on this trip - Roadstead, Sunshower and Rhubarb - and was following a very similar route down to the pier, winding through the closing merchant stalls and out onto the docks, in search of the stray they had encountered the day before.

The hounds were pleased to be out, as they always were, especially when the weather was nice. The salty breeze coming in off the sea just smelled like home to all of them, and he could see a nice spring in all of their steps as they made their way through the city.

Ollie kept his eyes peeled for the hound, his gaze darting from one potential hiding spot to the next as they walked - trees, crates, stands, buildings - hoping to catch sight of Drift again. He felt quite confident that they would encounter him again today, after yesterday's relatively positive meeting.

Sure enough, after about an hour of wandering, Ollie thought he spotted a flash of the hound's coat between two buildings. Roadstead, Sunshower and Rhubarb caught him as well, and Ollie could see a visible change in their demeanor - particularly in Rhubarb, whose tail began to swing excitedly as they walked along.

"Hello, Drift!" Ollie sang out softly, hoping that the hound could come to learn the sound of his voice. "Have you had a nice day? We're back with some more treats for you. Would you like to join us again?"

He made his way to the same patch of grass as the day before. This time, he unwrapped the scarf from around his neck and folded it neatly into a square before laying some treats on top of it. Then he retreated a few steps and sat down on the grass.

Roadstead, Sunshower and Rhubarb followed suit, settling around him. Sunshower sprawled out comfortable, stretching out as long as she could, while Roadstead took a seat at Ollie's side. Rhubarb laid herself down next to the treats, sniffing them wistfully, but leaving them well enough alone. She was just a well-trained hound, Ollie knew, but part of him liked to think that she knew those treats were for their new friend.

This time, Drift seemed a little less hesitant. He followed them out to the patch of grass and sat a distance away, but he didn't dive behind the tree again. Instead, he seemed quite content to sit out in the open, watching them, observing them, as if deciding whether or not he wanted to get close.

"He'd be quite happy with us, don't you guys think?" Ollie said, reaching out to pet Roadstead and Sunshower, who wagged their tails at the sound of his voice.

Drift's ears perked at his words, taking them in, watching him a little warily. Then after some long moments of sitting and watching, he rose from his spot and padded over to the treats. Rhubarb lifted her head happily as he came close and sniffed the scarf, then sniffed her. Once again, she beat her tail against the ground with enthusiasm, nosing at the stray as he turned to the treats and gobbled them down. When he was done, he turned to snfif at Rhubarb again. Ollie was delighted to see that he looked much more comfortable. He was willing to hang around for a few seconds, even after the treats were gone.

When Drift did finally turn to leave, he did it with little haste, and he wandered only a few steps away before sinking into the grass facing them.

"We're not so scary after all, huh, Drift?" Ollie said, hands petting Sunshower and Roadstead, who were happily watching the scene unfold before them, content to be outside on the grass, breathing in the fresh sea air.

"I wonder if there's anything else you like to eat?" Ollie continued, watching the saddle stray. "Maybe we'll have to bring some different things for you to try, huh?"

After some more moments of hanging out with Drift, he finally decided it was time to go home. By then, the sun had set and they had been out for quite a while. He rose and motioned to Rhubarb, Sunshower and Roadstead. The movement sent Drift to his feet, but he didn't flee. Instead, he watched as Ollie slowly moved toward and retrieved the scarf from the grass.

"See you tomorrow!"