"Come on, Fly," Will called encouragingly, pitching his voice just a bit higher than he normally would have. This was their first show together and the young shedu looked more than a little nervous at all of the activity and bustling going on. The bright sun beat down on the ring that they had just entered, although the brisk breeze that blew in from the coast lessened the heat that would probably have been baking them otherwise. A small little chirrup sound came from his side and he glanced over to see Fly hesitating at the sight of so many humans crowded around the ring. He reached out and patted the top of the young feline's head, earning another chirrup and a loud, rumbling purr of happiness. Will smiled as they stood, waiting for the signal for their turn.
The judge stepped back a few paces before nodding towards him. Will put on his best showmanship smile and took a few steps forward to lead Fly through his paces. He let out a startled squawk as he hit the end of the lead and felt as though he had somehow stumbled into a cartoon show. It was amazing he hadn't been yanked off his feet. He turned around and his brown eyes widened some as he realized that Fly had not only lost his bout of nervousness but his attention span as well. The young shedu had risen up momentarily on his hind legs, batting ineffectively at the air. It took Will a moment to realize that Fly had spotted a few seagulls lazily drifting on the currents of air around the area and was trying to get to them. He could feel his cheeks turning red and knew that it was most definitely not the bright sunlight causing that.
"Not today, buddy," he told the feline before he dug into his pocket and pulled out a tiny bit of corned beef hash. It was insufferably messy to keep anywhere on his person but it was very good at getting Fly's attention when he needed it. "Come on, Fly," he repeated. The shedu's nose twitched at the familiar scent and he dropped back to the ground with a happy little noise, burying his muzzle against Will's hand to swipe up the small treat. "Ready now?" he asked rhetorically before he clicked his tongue and set out at a trot again. This time with Fly thankfully at his side, showing off his moves in hopes for another small bit of a treat. (Word count: 421)
