Dan walked along beside Miss Thromborne dejected and worried, his head down, his eyes down, his ears down, and his tail down almost between his legs not paying any attention to where he was being lead. His thoughts were of his ruined life and all the pain and degradation that Kat had cursed him with, and especially his disgust and guilt of his encounters with Daisy and Jen. Occasionally, his nose would pick up some interesting scent or his ears would hear a noise, and his dog side would start ambling off the walk only to be met with a firm snap of his leash pulling him back along with a swat to his rear. Dan began to concentrate harder on controlling the dog he was becoming knowing it may be his only salvation, but it was very hard by now. However, he noticed that the more smacks he got, the easier it was to stop himself, and eventually he (his dog side) began to ignore those involuntary reactions to the smells and sounds.
Shortly, Dan was turned down a path beside a small house and lead through a gate to the back yard.
"Here's your home for the night, Danny. I'll get you some water while you explore."
Miss Thromborne sounded very sincere and kind, plus Dan wanted to get a drink. He had been panting hard trying to cool off all the way. His dog side kept saying, "Water. Water. Need drink." and Dan wagged his tail as he looked up at Miss Thromborne with a doggy smile even though Dan wasn't smiling.
As Miss Thromborne went inside, Dan began to look around and check out all the smells in the yard as well as any possible escape route. The fence was a tall board one with no way to see out or in and too tall to ever get over. The yard smelled sterile of any animals, probably afraid to enter the place less Miss Thromborne torture or perhaps eat them. Dan placed his scent in a few spots, dropped a load, and checked the bushes wandering along the fence wondering if he could climb them and get over and away.
He was concentrating too much on a plan to escape when his dog side caught a strong scent in the back corner as he walked the perimeter. It made Dan shudder, and the next thing he knew, he was on his back rolling in whatever this was getting the scent all over himself. It felt rather good like a back scratching then tingling as his back and tummy and chest began to get very warm. Suddenly Dan found himself changing. He looked down and around at himself as best he could only to watch his human shaped torso become more of a dog's shape. Rather than a large flat back and short sides, he now had more of a small rounded back and sides.
"NOOOOOoooooooo." Dan howled realizing he had done something dog-like again, and Kat's spell made him change more. He was losing the battle, and he became frightened, no scared, ... no, terrified that he would be this way forever. His mind reacted pulling together all its remaining human strength. Dan looked at the bushes and up to the top of the fence. He decided to try it. Reaching out with both paws, he instantly knew it was a mistake as a sharp stabbing pain shot into his front paw, and he jumped back quickly, whimpering and whining.
"Here's your water and a snack. What's the matter, boy?" Miss Thromborne shouted to Dan from the back door.
Limping his way towards her, Dan continued to make woeful noises from the excruciating pain in his paw.
"I see you found the thorns that grow in the bushes to keep anyone from climbing over the fence. Were you trying to get out by doing that?" "She stood over him now looking very strict. It was the same look she gave students who did something stupid in her classroom, and everyone knew the poor soul was about to pay dearly.
Dan lowered his head as if acknowledging his intent more than the pain as Miss Thromborne bent down towards him then shot back up quickly waving her hand above him.
"Oh, and you also decided to take a roll in some soiled grass so you smell awful, too. Well, there's only one thing to do." Miss Thromborne then grabbed Dan's collar and pulled him to the back of the yard sniffing as she went until she found the spot where his upper body had changed. Pushing Dan's nose down into it, she yelled right in Dan's ear knowing that loud sounds to a dog hurt and impress memories in them, "NO! NO! BAD DOG! No! No! NO!" With each word she emphasized it by squeezing Dan's paw and using the thorn's pain.
If Dan could cry, he would. Both his dog and human side agreed that they would not roll in this stuff ever again. Both sides thought there might be benefit of working together, using the capacity to learn and control instincts to survive now and later. Or that's what Dan thought not remembering that dogs only learn from experience and example.
When Miss Thromborne was done, she carefully searched Dan's paw and very gently pulled the thorn followed my massaging the top and sides. It felt so good to be rid of the pain. Her hands were so soothing Dan virtually melted into her arms as she picked him up and carried him to the back steps setting him down by the water bowl.
Dan looked at the bowl but then turned and looked at Miss Thromborne coming over and licking her hand before going back to lap up lots of water. "Water. Water. Good. Nice lady. She remove pain. Give water and food." Dan thought as he quenched his thirst and gulped down a small chunk of cool raw meat, not the dry food Kat had feed him. This tasted so good he wanted more. Better than steak and ice cream, Dan thought.
His training had already taught him several lessons from the leash, the pain, the tenderness and kindness. But was he ready to trust this lady so he would learn and obey.