Flick and Troop

Flick lay in a field, and watched Troop bound here and there, chasing rodents and trying to catch birds. It was hot, and the welcome break from training had come none too soon for him. Earlier, he had gone swimming in the pool in the glade, and contemplated going back to cool off. He dozed for a bit, under the hot afternoon sun, and was awakened by the sound of hoof beats in the distance. When he say Troop abandon his play with the mice and field birds, Flick jumped up, hoping it was Aerylon he heard galloping towards them. Although he was happy at the guild hall, he missed Penny almost as much as the little terrier did, and she had been gone several weeks. Troop stopped and looked back at him, and Flick grinned, because he could tell by the look on the dog's face that Penny was home...

Encounter in the Forest

It was humid in the forest, and Aerylon could barely be coaxed to a light trot and Penny traveled through. Troop panted and stopped every quarter mile or so, wanting to stop and laze away the day, but Penny whistled for him to come, and the little group made their way through the lush forest. Birds sang in the trees, and the sun glinted off of Penny's armor as they traveled through clearings and under breaks in the canopy of trees.

As the sweat rolled off her brow, Penny wiped her face with a soft cloth, wishing for nothing more than the chance to swim in the cool pond outside the guild hall. She encountered few creatures in the forest, just a few giant insects and spiders, but she was ever vigilant for the horrendous tree vipers her friends had told her to beware of. Occasionally, one of the huge bees or a spider would attempt to bite her, but her flaming sword cut through them like butter. Oddly, she wished for a more challenging battle and hoped to find one of the formidable vipers she had been told to avoid.

While Aerylon deftly picked his way through the dense underbrush, Penny daydreamed about her last encounter with the Baron Von Drake. She chuckled as she remembered the sheer joy she had felt as she felled him with one blow. Even though she know she could not have done it without the incredible strength of her comrades-in-arms, she still felt a swell of pride when she thought about it.

Dolfie's Funeral

The snow was so deep in places that Penny had to carry Troop as she led Aerylon up the mountain path. The wind was chill, and she drew her cloak tighter around herself and the little dog. She carefully picked her way through the loose rocks, snow drifts and icy patches, steadily making her way to the Ethereal City, where she hoped to lodge for a few days to rest herself and her animals, and to replenish her supplies.

Ahead a bit, on the edge of the path, she saw a murder of crows, eating someting on the ground. Troop saw them too, and eventually wriggled out of her arms and bounded down the path. She hurried forth, and saw that it was the corpse of Dolfie, whom she had met a few times, but did not know well. His decaying body was a pitiful sight, eyes already devoured by the crows that were now harassing the little terrier, who was growling and barking wildly at the black birds.

Feeling sorry for the hapless Dolfie, she shooed the feasting ravens from his body, and set about removing what she could salvage of his gear. She drug him over a ways and proceded to bury him properly. Soon. she had build a respectable cairn of stones over Dolfie, and stood back to look over her work. Wiping her brow, she pulled a rusty training sword and helm from her pack and used them to mark the grave of poor Dolfie. After a short pause to rest and drink from her canteen, she saluted Dolfie one last time, whistled for the dog, and resumed leading Aerylon up the path...

Flick's Story

Flick sniffled and looked at Pennyand idly pet Troop, who had jumped into his lap. After a few minutes, he started to tell his sad tale.

"Last night, Mother woke me up and people were screaming and things were on fire. She and I went into the cellar, and I was scared, but since she was with me, I thought everything was okay. Then, just as i was about to fall asleep, she told me to stay in the cellar, that she would be right back... I waited and waited, and
then my candle went out. I was so scared in the dark, and suddenly things got so quiet. But my Mother had told me to stay in the cellar, so I waited and waited for her to come. I guess I fell asleep. When I woke up, I went to the barn through the tunnel to feed the horses. All of them were gone, except for the old mare, Mags.
Then I heard a horse coming, and I hid in the hay in the barn. That's when I saw this dog."

The boy started to cry again, and Penny started to look around the small cottage for the food and other provisions for the journey ahead. She found some bread and dried beef in the cupboard, and stuffed them in her pack. Then she went to the shelf, and put as many of the scrolls and books she could find into her pack as well.

The boy, tears streaming down his face, asked, "W-w-hat are you doing? D-did you just c-come to r-r-ob us?"

"Grab a few things, young Flick, because I cannot leave you here alone. You, my dear, shall come with me", she told him.

"B-b-b-b-but m-m-my m-m-mother s-said--"

Saddened, Penny pulled the boy close and tried to comfort him as best as she could. At that moment, she was amazed to know that she was going to keep the boy with her, for orphaned and alone, he needed her. She wondered how he would be received at the guild hall, and started to daydream of the day she would begin her new adopted son's battle training...