Romeo and Juliet Tamora Pierce Style
Rhiamont Wonk, or Rhia to her friends, yawned sleepily, stretching. Tatan Lee Wonk, her primary caretaker, and maker of Tortall's finest sushi, was stirring in the kitchen, perhaps preparing his culinary masterpiece of sushi.
Since any cooking Rhia did literally set the kitchen on fire, there was no option of her helping.
With a yawn, she went over to the kitchen and yelled to Tatan, "I'm going for firewood! Be back soon!"
Tatan yelled in return, "Okay, but take Jim or Thonkulus!"
With a roll of her eyes, she went over by the fireplace where Jim was sleeping. The giant wolfhound took advantage of every square inch of warm floor, sprawled out like a giant pancake. She shook Jim, and failing to rouse him or even move him (Jim weighed 150 pounds, a lot more than her 110 pounds, so moving him was not easy), she turned to Thonkulus.
Imagine a brown rat, an agouti color with black eyes. Imagine that same rat the size of a large cat. Thonkulus was a Martinique's Rice Rat, a species now extinct that is on average as big as a cat. Thonkulus was a huge rat, and great protection in the woods. A loyal rat, he was a fierce fighter when he needed to be. Like most rats, he was physically adept, and Thonkulus, or Thonkie to his friends, was so big that he could kill Rhia without even sweating, but chose not to, being a chivalrous loyal rat.
"Wake up Thonkie! Now! We're going to the woods!" Turning a tired eye coldly to her, Thonkie rolled his eyes but got up anyway. Patting his soft fur, she smiled. "Alright, c'mon Thonkie!" Strapping a thick yew vine to his collar (although Thonkie could chew through solid metal if he desired, he detested the taste of the vine so he would not escape) she headed out, giant rat in tow.
Walking through the forest, she heard a scary noise, like none other she had ever heard, of an evil cackle and thrashing wings. Scared, she turned to Thonkie, her source of comfort. Thonkie clicked comfortingly, and peeped and chirred, filling her heart with strength, as it always did. The noise grew louder, and a horrible stench that reeked of death itself filled the air ominously. Thonkie shuddered; his sense of smell was better than Rhia's by far, but still he comforted the terrified Rhia. Peeping, he snuggled into her arm, creating heat in the world that seemed frozen by her fear. Slowly, he washed her face with a rough tongue.
It's alright, he seemed to say. Then suddenly, something that the stench had been emanating from swooped down, claws grasping for her. With one last lick and a growl, Thonkulus stood his ground, jumping in front of her, saving her from being picked up by the claws. Biting furiously, Thonkie gave the monster a first-hand account of the fact that a rat had a bite force of 24,000 pounds per square inch. Then, as they flew higher, flying over an outcropping of rocks, with a smile the monster dropped Thonkulus off of him, and he fell on the rocks, and although his strong rat body did not shatter, he was dead for certain, blood on his body like dye. All question of her safety gone, she ran to Thonkulus, her guardian, her protector, and her loyal friend. Eyes streaming tears, she buried Thonkulus, and searched for driftwood. With her penknife, she carved a memorial to her beloved friend. Fist clenched, she promised, looking up in the sky, "Whoever killed Thonkulus will die."