• The rain is coming down upon my head. It is cold, I am cold. Not sure what I can do about it but at least Bob is here with me. It is morning, but not really, the sun has not fully risen yet. There is plenty of time before I need to actually be up and moving. If I weren't so cold I could just fall back asleep. I bury my face in the unnatural looking green fur of the creature beside me. I decided long ago that she is a magic beast sent down from the gods to protect me. My brother would argue that there is something wrong with Bob. Not that his opinion matters much anymore.

    I am alone in this world save for the beast at my side, she protects me through the danger of living on one's own. The beast being more my mother than my true mother ever was. As silly as that is to think about, I do wonder if perhaps I have lost my mind after being alone for so long.

    There is a low growl from my companion. Opening my eyes and sitting up I look to the muzzle of the green colored dog next to me, my eyes traveling to where the monster is looking.

    Nothing.

    Remaining still as I watch where Bob is looking. It takes what feel like minutes, but perhaps is seconds before I hear what my companion has heard. My pointer finger touches to my lips with the quietest of whispers. “Shhh, you old bat. You'll tell them where we are.”

    Around me is a vast forest, the safest of places to be. I sleep in the forest at night so that I have brush and cover to protect me from those that would like to find me. Today I had found a particularly small patch of barren land just off a path that is hidden in just the right way that both Bob and I could fit with little chance of being spotted from the path.

    Every muscle in my companion's body is tense. I can tell this is not just some harvester from a nearby village. This is someone, or some people that Bob knew. I continue to listen worried that I should have picked a spot further away from the forest path. My eyes dart about trying to figure out where I had left my pack and sword. I had been so tired by the time we found this spot that it was all I could do not to fall asleep with everything still belted and buckled on.

    Breathing a silent sigh of relief, my sword near enough to grasp without moving, I reach for it as I hear the voices now. There are two talking with one another, “Where is that damn'ed child?”

    “She is almost twenty isn't she?” Another voice asks cautiously. Quietly. As though worried that very 'child' will hear their conversation.

    “Aye, but their kind, those little people, live for almost two hundred years.” The first voice responds. It is a woman's voice, confident but quiet.

    Bounty hunters love chasing me. They think that because I am small, because I am born of the halfling folk that I would be easy to capture. The bounty on me says otherwise. Of course I must be alive or the bounty hunter doesn't get any money. My brother wishes his kin to be returned to him. I wish he would shove off and let me hate him in peace.

    “Haven't four or five bounty hunters already died trying to capture her?” The more cautious male voice whispers. His voice shakes with the effort of nervousness.

    “Shut up...” The woman demands of him. Her voice growing more irritated as it gets closer and closer. They are almost upon my hiding spot when suddenly the weight of my companion shifts and she is standing. Bob is a large dog even compared to normal dogs but next to a child halfling she looks like a beast risen from the deepest depths of the hells. With her grass colored fur, almost entirely black eyes and powerful presence, Bob is not a monster to make angry.
    “But, that war dog.. The one they tell tales of... Doesn't it travel with the girl?” The male quivers trying to ask why they were even trying to hunt down this child without sounding like a coward. Of course it makes him sound more like a coward than just demanding they return to the village.

    “I didn't ask you to come with me. Go back if you like.” The woman snaps at the other loudly and that is all it takes. Bob leaps from behind the bushes that were protecting us from the view of the path and I in turn have no choice but to follow. Tightening my grip upon my sword I push my body up off the ground and forward, running after the beast that is nearly twice my height.

    Before I even know what is happening there is a scream and then the sound of tearing. Bob knew somehow that I did not want to be found. The beast also seems to know when the threat is real, sometimes before I do. There would be many times when people would pass by with no trouble, Bob would stay curled up to me, cautiously waiting for the potential threat to pass. Other times my companion would tear the suspect to shreds with her muzzle in the manner all war dogs are trained to do. After all, what is the point in training a dog to be ridden into battle if they don't know what to rip from a being to make it stop fighting.

    The weight of my sword is heavy in my hand. Taking my second hand to it I try to run with the weapon. A long sword is not meant for halflings, especially not a halfling who is not yet fully grown. It is what I have though; I have learned to use it and learned quite well if I might say so myself. Unfortunately for the woman I am too late. The surprise of the attack and the sheer weight of the dog meant she had no choice. She had been a human woman, a rather pretty one at that but Bob is already onto the next opponent. Though instead of ripping this one to death Bob growls, low and deep, the growl is a threat.

    Being smaller, shorter and carrying a weapon that is usually holstered to my spine it takes me nearly twenty seconds to catch up before I actually see what is going on. Nearly dropping my sword I gape. There is a foolish grin upon the man's face. His deeply pointed ears and glowing blue and silver hair is so familiar. I know this man.

    “Well, I tried.” the man says confidently. He is pinned by the weight of the dog but does not try to struggle out from beneath the creature. He knows better. If he fought the dog, the dog would chew on him like a house pet might chew on a bone.

    “Tried what?” I ask in my young voice. My weapon out in front of me as though ready for an attack, even though I know that the man beneath my companion is not going anywhere.

    “To convince her that finding you is not a good idea. She,” he attempts to gesture towards the dead woman but is stopped short by an angry war dog, “was some young first time bounty hunter from a village I was passing through. Your brother says 'hello'.” His eyes moved from the green beast to me, that grin never leaving his stupid face.

    “I say ******** off.” It is not the most articulate thing I could say but it is all my brother deserves.

    “Now now, that isn't the kind of language that your brother taught you that a lady should have.” he scolded me playfully. The man is the best friend of my brother but I could not fault him for that. The half elf might not be much better than a jester but he respects me enough to not even try to make me go home. Even apparently, has taken up a past time of warning away would be bounty hunters. Glancing back at the now dead woman I remind myself of how unsuccessful that endeavor seems to be.

    “Off him Bob.” I look back to the monster who takes good care of me and she complies. Stepping backwards with a deep growl she gives a final warning to her captive. Slow and careful she lets the man sit up and dust himself off. Wearing a loose tunic of green to complement his hair and brown trousers he looked a simple man. On his back though is a small pack, he begins to dig through it for something.

    Watching carefully both Bob and I prepare for an attack. A jester he might be but he is still half fae and could possibly have some sort of trick hiding in that bag of his.

    “I have something for you. Might be better than what you're using now.” He withdraws a small leather package that is about half the length of his forearm. Throwing it on the ground at my feet he begins to stand up. Cautiously I reached down to lay my sword at my feet so as to pick up what had been thrown. It is heavy in my hands and seems to clank a little as it shifts in its package.

    The solidity of it makes me a little less nervous about opening the package. Pulling upon the twine that holds the whole package together I unfold the leather until two small daggers are revealed. In the ancient tongue of my people the first of the blades reads 'to my dearest little sister'. Sighing heavily I roll my eyes up to look at the blue haired fool before me.

    The blue haired elf is holding up two hands as though to try and convince Bob he is no threat. He is to busy to even notice how angry I am, how much more hatred I have for him now that he was delivering packages from my brother. Curiosity got the better of me though so I pick up the one blade on top to examine the other. I note that there is a jewel inlay in the hilt of the daggers in just the right way that they would not interfere with use. The second dagger's blade also had an inscription that reads, 'May the goddess bless you'.

    Bob snaps her maw at the elf but the elf is now fully standing and turns his gaze back to me. Being fairly confident that he is not going to be devoured today he speaks, “He wishes you home. I know that will not happen after the death of your mother but be sure that he means you no harm. You or ….” he pauses having never liked the name I chose for the female war dog, “Bob....”

    “Get out of here Ishida.” I groan not throwing the daggers back at him. Despite who they came from they are beautiful, well crafted, and would be much easier to use than a stolen human's blade. After all, small creatures are not meant to have the same sized blades as the larger creatures.

    He bowed deeply with that foolish grin returning to his face, “As you wish child. Just remember. You have a home whether you like it or not.”

    Shifting his small pack to rest over his shoulder he turned to face the way he came and began to wander off, leaving the dead woman to be either dragged off by a wild beast or found by a passing traveler. Bob and I move back to the small encampment to gather my pack. We left both the sword and the woman at the whim of the world.

    Tangling my fingers into the fur of my companion I heft myself up and position myself upon Bob's bare back, it was not comfortable but one on the run could not afford an expensive rarity such as a war dog saddle. It was a new day which means a new travel. Hopefully tomorrow will start with less death.