Arrow Lake Will uphold any old authoritarian rule made up on the fly

Dragomir was just about to gather his strength in his thighs when Kazimir touched him lightly on the back, distracting him. He craned back his head and peered curiously up at the underside of her throat with an expectant blink. Normally Aure drew his attention in a similar fashion, though she tended to coddle much more than most strangers did. He was accustomed to responding to it, and it was good he did, or he might have missed out on a wonderful opportunity.

He let his belly press against the cool ground as quivering eyes tracked Kazimir's movements, ears tilted toward the bubbling stream. Sitting still was hard. Every leap of a droplet from the water's surface caught his eye and made his muscles twitch with the desire to rush forward, but he summoned all the willpower available to him and managed to stay still. Still enough, at least. His anticipatory trembling could be excused.

Everything happened so quickly after that. He could hardly keep his excitement down as his eyes darted to and fro, following Kazimir's splash and the sudden slick of greenish-silver that broke the surface, the quick jab of a snout into the water and then droplets flying as she crested back with her prize in her jaws. It was so exciting and overwhelming, Dragomir might have peed himself. His tail windmilled when Kazimir brought it back to him and dropped it for him to inspect.

Dragomir wasted no time bounding forth to meet the fish... and wasted even less springing back from it with wide eyes, which he cast toward Kazimir in a silent question, when it suddenly flopped.