crossing her legs and keeping her
back straight. She placed her hands on her knees, closed her eyes,
and listened to the forest around her.
Somewhere close by, she heard a rustling
noise, one that was unfamiliar. Opening her eyes, she looked around
for the creature that made such a noise. Listening hard, she was
able to detect from which direction the noise was coming from. She
grabbed her sword and making as little sound as possible, crept in
that direction. She kept low to the ground, always searching the
area for anything that could cause her harm. She kept her sword out
and ready. As she drew nearer to the rustling noise, it grew more
persistent. Slowing down even further, Galena strained her eyes to
see what was making the disturbance, but she could see nothing.
What in the world?
The rustling was a constant sound now. She
stepped over a dead, rotting log and almost stepped on the creature
that was making the racket. She jerked her foot back and crouched
low, staring at the furry little creature that had managed to
become entangled within a knot of vines that grew all over the
log.
“Well, what do we have here?” she asked in a
soothing voice. It was a small ferret. Its fur was a cinnamon color
and it had small, dark eyes. It licked its tiny mouth, eyeing
Galena suspiciously. Galena had only ever read about these
wonderful creatures, and how they had been great pets for the elves
in the old days. She thought of how sad she had been when she
learned about the disappearance of them since the elves’ capture.
No one knew exactly why, but it was yet another reason to feel
extremely bitter toward Rau.
“Where did you come from, my little friend?”
She reached her hand out slowly to the trapped creature, not
wanting to frighten it, but desperately wanting to pet it. Ferrets
were considered extremely lucky to have around and as Galena
reasoned, she would need all the luck she could get in order to
succeed on this journey.
The tiny ferret sniffed her hand cautiously,
judging whether Galena meant harm. Satisfied, it allowed her to
stroke its head. It turned and playfully nipped her on the finger,
tasting the sweet fruit that Galena had been eating earlier.
Carefully, Galena worked on freeing the tiny creature, moving
slowly, so as not to frighten it. After what felt like an extremely
long time, Galena managed to free it from its tangled mess. Lifting
the creature up, she examined its underside, looking for physical
damage, but also, to identify its gender.
“Well, a little Miss, are we?” She cradled
the ferret in her arms, stroking her wiry, cinnamon fur. She seemed
to have two different layers of hair. The hair closer to her body,
was thicker, softer and a cream color. Where the hair that was
cinnamon colored, was longer and courser. Her tiny brown nose was
in constant motion, sniffing the air for anything she found
interesting.
Standing up, Galena headed back to camp, the
ferret secure in her arms. She poked her head out, sniffing
furiously as they continued toward the camp. Finally, she turned to
give Galena a thorough going over. She climbed up Galena’s arm and
made herself comfortable on her shoulder. She sniffed Galena’s ear
and then gave it a nibble as if to say, “I’m good here.” Galena reached up, scratching the ferret behind her tiny little
ears.
As she approached camp, Elenio and Tark were
starting to stir. She walked over to her pack and produced a couple
pieces of the dried fruit. She had once heard that if you fed an
animal of any sorts, they were more likely to come back or even
stay around. At least she hoped this would be the case with her
tiny friend. She offered the pieces of fruit to the tiny creature,
recalling that ferrets were carnivores by nature, but as Galena was
not, she offered what she did have. The ferret took the food and
chewed it, all while regarding her surroundings. Having taken
several bites of the fruit, she began looking through Galena’s pack
for anything else that
back straight. She placed her hands on her knees, closed her eyes,
and listened to the forest around her.
Somewhere close by, she heard a rustling
noise, one that was unfamiliar. Opening her eyes, she looked around
for the creature that made such a noise. Listening hard, she was
able to detect from which direction the noise was coming from. She
grabbed her sword and making as little sound as possible, crept in
that direction. She kept low to the ground, always searching the
area for anything that could cause her harm. She kept her sword out
and ready. As she drew nearer to the rustling noise, it grew more
persistent. Slowing down even further, Galena strained her eyes to
see what was making the disturbance, but she could see nothing.
What in the world?
The rustling was a constant sound now. She
stepped over a dead, rotting log and almost stepped on the creature
that was making the racket. She jerked her foot back and crouched
low, staring at the furry little creature that had managed to
become entangled within a knot of vines that grew all over the
log.
“Well, what do we have here?” she asked in a
soothing voice. It was a small ferret. Its fur was a cinnamon color
and it had small, dark eyes. It licked its tiny mouth, eyeing
Galena suspiciously. Galena had only ever read about these
wonderful creatures, and how they had been great pets for the elves
in the old days. She thought of how sad she had been when she
learned about the disappearance of them since the elves’ capture.
No one knew exactly why, but it was yet another reason to feel
extremely bitter toward Rau.
“Where did you come from, my little friend?”
She reached her hand out slowly to the trapped creature, not
wanting to frighten it, but desperately wanting to pet it. Ferrets
were considered extremely lucky to have around and as Galena
reasoned, she would need all the luck she could get in order to
succeed on this journey.
The tiny ferret sniffed her hand cautiously,
judging whether Galena meant harm. Satisfied, it allowed her to
stroke its head. It turned and playfully nipped her on the finger,
tasting the sweet fruit that Galena had been eating earlier.
Carefully, Galena worked on freeing the tiny creature, moving
slowly, so as not to frighten it. After what felt like an extremely
long time, Galena managed to free it from its tangled mess. Lifting
the creature up, she examined its underside, looking for physical
damage, but also, to identify its gender.
“Well, a little Miss, are we?” She cradled
the ferret in her arms, stroking her wiry, cinnamon fur. She seemed
to have two different layers of hair. The hair closer to her body,
was thicker, softer and a cream color. Where the hair that was
cinnamon colored, was longer and courser. Her tiny brown nose was
in constant motion, sniffing the air for anything she found
interesting.
Standing up, Galena headed back to camp, the
ferret secure in her arms. She poked her head out, sniffing
furiously as they continued toward the camp. Finally, she turned to
give Galena a thorough going over. She climbed up Galena’s arm and
made herself comfortable on her shoulder. She sniffed Galena’s ear
and then gave it a nibble as if to say, “I’m good here.” Galena reached up, scratching the ferret behind her tiny little
ears.
As she approached camp, Elenio and Tark were
starting to stir. She walked over to her pack and produced a couple
pieces of the dried fruit. She had once heard that if you fed an
animal of any sorts, they were more likely to come back or even
stay around. At least she hoped this would be the case with her
tiny friend. She offered the pieces of fruit to the tiny creature,
recalling that ferrets were carnivores by nature, but as Galena was
not, she offered what she did have. The ferret took the food and
chewed it, all while regarding her surroundings. Having taken
several bites of the fruit, she began looking through Galena’s pack
for anything else that
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