Slightly less right :o(

Hello Earthlings,

Unfortunately, I didn't get the early start that I'd hope for.  I didn't sleep well last night and so didn't get up early.  Then I had a really crappy morning, but I won't go into details.  I did manage nearly 500 words over lunch though.

So, without further ado, I bring you the first snippet of my novel, which has been given the working title "Mongrel."

    Daisy stared without really seeing at the small flock of sheep gathered on the hill before her.  It was a warm, sunny day and they seemed perfectly content to graze and doze right where they were.  She could count them without a thought and, should any danger approach, her quick, lean muscles would allow her to spring readily into action from her seat upon a warm rock.  As such, Daisy allowed herself a moment to consider her life.

    On the hilltop to her left, she could see the white fluffiness of her sister’s flock, though Rosie was out of her light of sight.  A ways behind her, hidden by thick trees, was the estate.  She and Rosie had been brought to the estate together three years ago, when they were both young and afraid to be away from their mother.  

Rosie was her elder by a year and seemed to be her superior in every way.  She was faster, stronger, and was given a larger flock than Daisy.  It was also widely agreed that Rosie was much more shapely than her younger sibling, with thicker black hair and a prettier pattern to her spots.  She suspected that the Master even considered showing Rosie to see how she would compete against others of their breed.

When the Master had first come for them, three years ago, Daisy had cowered at her sister’s side.  The unfamiliar Master, who she had not even seen before that day, frightened her.  The idea of travelling out into the country had terrified the young girl who had never been beyond her own front yard.  Rosie, though, had been bold and welcomed the adventure.  Daisy could tell that the Master immediately took a liking to the bolder sister.

The estate was huge and baffled Daisy, who had spent the previous fourteen years of her life in a house with only four bedrooms.  The other humans on the estate made her nervous and sometimes eyed her with a territorial challenge in their gaze.  She always dropped her head and left the room in those situations.  Rosie sometimes yelled at her for that, telling her that she was shaming their breed and that she could easily have taken most of those humans if they pressed a challenge, but Daisy prefered to spend her time with the animals, especially her sheep.  They were simple and quiet and peaceful.  Daisy liked peace.

Daisy did very well with the sheep.  She understood their minds and could easily predict what they were going to do.  In fact... she clicked her tongue warningly and a wooly body froze on its way to some perceived greener pasture.  He glanced back at her and, seeing her intent gaze upon him, quickly scurried back to the rest of the flock.  He was well aware that his normally soft-spoken minder could be less than gentle if she had to chase him down.