Was it Worth it?
Lying unconscious on the table, Sparrow's sluggishly peaceful slumber was a result of the painful amount of alcohol she had downed the previous night. Blissfully unaware of some rowdy drunks brawling in the middle of the pub - she wasn't missing much, that happened most nights in the Cow and Corset. Anyway, it wasn't as if she didn't have enough violence in her life - regularly slaughtering hobbes and balverines and all that.
Narrowly avoid the fight, little Katy the Villager emerged from to shadows to approach Sparrow's table. Despite being only nine, she was braver than most citizens - hardly anyone dared to talk to the hero. Who can blame them, when her spare time is spent passed out in a puddle of her own filth.
Sparrow stirred, a bottle of whiskey still clutched tightly in her hand. Her eyes fluttered open, and through the blur she recognised the small form of a little girl. The dull ache in Sparrow's head intensified, as she felt the rhythmic pounding on her skull increase. She groaned.
"Whadda you want?" she slurred. Her eyelids flickered, becoming more and more tired with each second.
"Where's your dog?" Katy asked, her small face painted with a giant smile.
Sparrow's brain was mangled - unable to comprehend even the simplest of questions. "Huh?"
"You had a dog? Stripe?"
Stripe. Sparrow's faithful companion. He would have done anything for her, like selflessly taking a bullet for her. She still got shot anyway. In spite of all the warmth and protection her furry friend offered, she traded his life for some measly gold coins.
"I had a dog. What about it?"
"Where is he?" Katy asked, her question was intended to be harmless, however it harboured a traumatic emotional response in Sparrow.
"It's dead," she said quietly, her alcohol induced brain was now beginning to clear.
"Oh," Katy said, a look of genuine sadness appearing on her face. "Do you miss it?"
'Do you miss it?' It was a simple enough question, one that Sparrow had found difficult to answer on previous occasions. To be truthful, she had enjoyed the money, but it had mostly been spent it on endless games of Keystone or drunken nights in the pub. Sparrow hadn't ever had high moral values, so she wasn't going to waste a wish on resurrecting a load of strangers she had never met. Plus she had no family – she was lonely before the wish and remained lonely afterwards. Money had seemed like the only useful option. Stripe had gotten lost in all her greed.
"Yeah, I do miss my dog." Sparrow said.
Katy opened her mouth to say something, and then was called away by her mother at the doorway.
Sparrow hadn't heard what Katy had just said, she was lost in her own thoughts. One question, however, lingered in Sparrow's brain.
Was it worth it?
The dog wined. A lot. Feelings of irritation arose when he led Sparrow to stupid dig spots, usually with nothing of importance to fund there, the biggest find being something like a pauper's blouse.
Yet, the animal had its upsides. He led her to treasure chests, ones she wouldn't be able to find by herself. He helped her kill enemies, once she'd knocked them down. He would accompany her whilst doing expressions; her favourite moments being those when they were surrounded by a group of laughing villagers. He helped her that night when Rose died, and had been a loyal companion ever since.
Was it Worth it?
No, it wasn't worth it.