So I think I did good on my test. I wrote another chapter, and now instead of studying I uploaded chapter 2. I'm updating faster than I thought I would.

I set off on this journey with little to no money in an ugly farm dress. Yeah, I didn't exactly plan it out well, but I needed out. I realized how bad off I was after a few days. I wanted to get money somehow but I didn't know what I could do for money. I failed at sewing at home and there wasn't much for a teenage girl to do on the road. I mean, I knew I could heal people, but I don't even know who I did that.

I guess I have some innate survival skills. I was able to live off of the Earth for a little bit. I took to sleeping in tress at night. Trees really deep in the woods. I liked it better that way, it was quieter there. Soon enough I saw bandit troops go by. I decided to follow them in hopes of maybe stealing from them just some food, remember I was starving. It wasn't that hard up in the trees, eventually I found their base. It wasn't even that well hidden.

I decided to blend into their troop in order to sneak some food and maybe some other goods. I was able to disguise myself as a bandit fairly easily. It was just…gross. I stole some laundry and I guess it was the worst because no one seemed to miss it. I kept at it for a few days just for the food, but after a while I was able to sneak some treasure as well. I was robbing from thieves anyways, so it felt like it was being cancelled out.

I guess I got too cocky too soon. One day they left on a giant raid and I decided that it was the perfect time to raid the vault. Sneaking in was the easy part. In case you haven't guessed I got caught. I guess you need to be part of the main group in order to leave the vault, and I obviously wasn't.

So, they had me surrounded and I did the one thing I could do. I ran. I ran through the woods and dense forest almost gracefully and totally at ease until I hit the main path cutting through the forest. It was there that my legs decided that they would trip me. Yeah, I fell down right in the clearing in front of a tall blond man who I could only assume was another bandit. Sure, he wasn't dressed like the rest of them, and I had lived with them for a while, but, whatever, I was desperately seeking an escape, I had no time to notice these things. As far as I was concerned I was completely surrounded by bandits. All I could do was heal, and something told me that wouldn't be enough when they were done with me.

"Shouldn't you be picking on someone your own size?" The man behind me asked. I turned around, maybe he wasn't a bandit…

"Shut up! This bitch just stole from us!" The bandit leader cried.

"But, seriously guys, fifty to one, and she's just a little girl." He pleaded to them.

Fifty?! Shit, they were all here? Wait, little? Why did that make me mad? I was in to position to object.

"Just mind your own business, buddy, we'll be done shortly. You can move along." The bandit leader replied with a menacing look on his face. Oh my gosh, I was so scared.

"I'm afraid I can't do that," the man sternly replied. He drew a sword from his sheath. "There, that should be about even now."

"Come on buddy, you're going to give it all up for a little runt you don't even know?!" The bandit leader was at it again. What did he mean little runt?!

"I'm a gentleman and I can't let you have her."

The bandit leader sneered. "Then have it your way." He gave a signal and all the bandits converged onto us.

Now this man was fast, like really fast. He took down these men two or three at a time! I was thoroughly impressed, maybe because I'm a country girl and I've never seen anything like this before. That being said, this was strangely familiar to me.

One of the bandits' sword landed near me. It was clean and I was checking it out when I got this feeling in the back of my head that there was someone behind me. Without thinking I grabbed the sword and blocked that jerk behind me. Safe to say, I took him down.

"I'll take that!" I said as I took his sheath and slipped in on my…rags, damn, I needed new clothes.

This fight was mostly over so I just watched till he finished them off.

When he finished he turned to me and said, "I saw you fight, you're not that bad."

"I didn't know I could do that," I said sheepishly.

"A little girl shouldn't be out in the woods alone," he chastised.

"I'm not that little," I said bitterly, "I'm just on my own for now trying to find myself."

He chuckled, "Alright then. I'll take you back to town then at least."

"Yes! I need to get out of these rags! I failed at sewing back home so there is no way I can make this look descent. Oh!..." I blushed, "Thank you, I'm Arella, but you can call me Ella."

"No problem Ella, I'm Gourry."

And just like that I got the worst headache imaginable. It brought me to my knees. I grabbed my head. I heard Gourry calling my name. Why wasn't this right? It didn't feel right. Was I getting my memory back? Nothing was coming back, just… pain. I wasn't unconscious just groggy. This lasted longer than I think it should have. Gourry took me to town anyways while I was in this state. I was really embarrassed.

Yay! A familiar face! I've got like 7 chapters done and he's the only one so far so I hope you're ready for the ride, I'm still figuring it out as I go. Thank to the few who have been reading in the past 12 hours I guess. I'll try to get chapter three up soon.