[He's just a weird overachiever in addition to being from the sort of culture he came from.

Though he hadn't even for one moment wondered about why they were invisible and didn't understand why such a question would matter. But as to whether or not they could see them...

He put a hand to his chin and thought.]

Perhaps if we threw mud on them? Or perhaps some paint. Something that would make them visible to us?

[He shrugged.]

Where I come from, children begin to learn by observing then they are allowed to participate as they grow older. It is easy enough to learn if you just pay attention.

[And she's observant! And hardworking. Despite the fact that he wasn't being what most would consider nice about it, he actually had no doubts that she'd pick it up if needed.]

[He nods.]

Patience and perseverance.

[What could go wrong indeed. He doesn't laugh, exactly but there's a wry twist to his smile.]

I believe some would say that asking that is the same as courting disaster.

[His gaze is fixed more on the ground now.] We should look for tracks first. Even if they're invisible they should still leave traces when they walk.

[He nods after taking a look at the tracks.] Let's go.

[He's following too and the trail leads to a clearing. Where it disappears beneath some thicker grass. But hey, you know what's great? If he pays attention to the grass he can see where there's a parting in the grass where the sheep are standing.]

It is best to grab them under their jaw and tip their head back. Then we just have to tip them and we should be able to keep them still.

[Since he was sure the usual vocal commands they use back in Turkieye wouldn't work here.]

I can do that part if you'd prefer.

Then I leave that part to you.

[And then slowly creeps forward.

AND INSERT SOMETHING ABOUT APPROACHING SHEEP SLOWLY WHILE NOT LOOKING DIRECTLY AT THEM AND PAUSING FREQUENTLY THAT CAME FROM A BRIEF GOOGLE SEARCH.

He had to watch the movement of the grass to get a sense for where the sheep's head is or when to pause but getting close was the hard part. Once he was within reach it was muscle memory to find the correct spot on the sheep's head and tip it into the right position.

The familiar Turkish commands for it to be still was unlikely to be understood, but he said them anyway, hoping it'd help keep the animal calm.

He looked up and nodded to Zelda when he'd accomplished his goal.]

[He kept a firm hand on the sheep's jaw and the other holding it down. The position left the sheep with no real ability to kick or push away so he didn't have to push down hard. He's pretty still, because the sheep wasn't fighting. It was hard to tell without seeing its ears but from the way it was holding still Mahmut doubt it was being hurt.]

It's fine. Animals are far more honest than humans. If we hurt it, it will make its displeasure know to us.

[Probably by bleating at them and attempting to kick.]

Shearing sheep is like cutting hair for people. If you are worried, then don't cut it so close to where the wool meets its skin.

[He nodded, running one hand over the sheep's body, to check. It wasn't perfect, but given that this was her first time doing this and that the sheep had been invisible it was a passable job.]

I would say you're finished. And you've done a decent enough job for your first attempt.

[And she should know by now that he doesn't give out praise easily. He prods the sheep back to standing, gave it a quick pat and watches the way the grass moves as it walks away from them.

And it's more of the same thing, with Mahmut approaching the next sheep, holding it down and letting Zelda do the shearing.

Doing this made him feel a pang of homesickness. Not just because he's been away from home since he came here, but also because he had been away from these things since he left for the war.

Though the question remains...what are they going to do with all this invisible wool???]

[He'll help gather the wool as well. He's really not sure what good it would do. Perhaps they could use it as some sort of stuffing?]

No, but these kinds of skills are known by most citizens of the Turkieye Stratocracy. After all, before our people settled down, we had been a nomadic tribe and skills such as sheepherding were integral to our survival. It had been to the point where we had once been known as the Conquerors Who Marched Alongside Their Sheep.

[He missed home. That was something he didn't want to admit to anyone but he sounded so damn wistful it might be easy to tell anyway.]

I may be a soldier and a statesman, but I cannot call myself a citizen without knowing at least how to handle sheep.

Sheep can provide many resources and during times of war, they are a source of fresh food that can travel alongside an army. All that's needed is to march along routes that have grass for them to graze on.

[Which had led to his foster father's death but he'll...not talk about that.]

Which is unsettling. I would feel more comfortable if we could have access to more information.