Training Zarp

Evangeline lay in the training clearing with her head on her paws, waiting for Zarp to make an appearance. She could sense Joker nearby, watching them. She could understand his interest in the training of all of the pack's trainees. The pack relied on all of them. But she guessed Joker was just glad he didn't have to train this one. He'd been stressed since he'd started training Sheba. He didn't like it. At the moment, however, Zarp was running late. That wasn't good.

Zarp wandered into the Junkyard cautiously, his head drooping. How come he had to be trained by a girl? He'd already had Sheba being so patronising to him because she was being trained by Joker. Why couldn't he be trained by Joker too?

Evangeline raised her head as Zarp came into the training clearing and put a paw on his head, clipping him with a claw enough that it would sting slightly.
"That's for being late." She told him. "Don't let it happen again." She sat up, careful not to take her other paw off of the tail of the mouse she had trapped there. "Are you ready to catch this?"

Zarp wagged his tail excitedly.
"Yes I am!" He said happily. "Let it go, I'll catch it!"

Evangeline gave the pup a bemused look and released the mouse, which immediately dashed away in an attempt to find its freedom.

Zarp sprang after the mouse and tried to jump on it, but it easily escaped through his paws.

Joker caught the mouse as it ran in his direction and took it back to Evangeline, who nodded gratefully as she took it from him.
"Don't have your legs going everywhere like that." She told him. "You basically let it escape. Try again."
She released the mouse.

Zarp launched himself at the mouse, but tripped over his own paws and went tumbling over it.

Evangeline sighed as Joker once more retrieved the mouse and brought it back to her.
"You're too excited." She told the pup as she took it from him once more. "Calm down."

Zarp nodded in response and attempted to calm himself down.

Evangeline watched the pup as he tried to calm himself down, wondering if he would do it this time.

Zarp took a deep breath and nodded to Evangeline.
"I'm ready." He told her.

Evangeline looked at Zarp for a moment before she took her paw away from the mouse, releasing it, and it made yet another bid for freedom.

Zarp launched himself at the mouse once more, but once more it easily escaped him. He let out a small squeak of annoyance.
"I don't know what to do." He told Evangeline. "Please help me."

Evangeline's expression softened as Joker brought the mouse back to her once more.
"The first step is admitting that you need help." She told Zarp softly. "Come here. I'll show you what to do."