Dragon's Kindred

Chapter 2

After a while, you loose it all

Her breath coming in short gasps, Petry finally slowed to a crawling walk, clutching her hand to her chest. Blinking back tears, she looked around. She knew she would never be able to go back now to get Zander, after what she had done. They would surely beat her at the minimum, but most likely kill her for injuring someone of higher class then her.

Swallowing back an icy cold lump that had formed in her throat, she put a hand to the rickety little building she was standing by. She did not recognize this part of Cassori. Looking around, she started to cautiously walk forward, trying to look as if she knew what she was doing. A stray cat mewled, twining its body around Petry's legs. Startled, Petry looked dumbfounded at the cat as it made her halt. Bending down, she scratched it behind its ears. It had as mutch nutrition as Petry, making it bone thin. It's fur was a dark shade of mahogany brown, with tawny white speckles on its nose.

Nudging the cat with her foot, Petry continued forward, or at least tried. The cat refused to move, turning it's nose up and meowing for food. Sighing, Petry picked the cat up and cradled it in her arms. "Look, Cat," she said pointedly to it, "I haven't got no food for me, let alone any for you. So it's useless asking me." The cat only purred in reply, rubbing its small fuzzy head against Petry's bare arm, and snuggling deeper into Petry's chest for a cat nap.

Petry shook her head, now paying attention to where she was going. She noted with fear that she could now recognize some of the town, which meant she was willingly getting closer to the orphanage, and to the outskirts of the center of town. Quickening her step, Petry kept her eyes to the passing ground until she was sure she was past the orphanage.

Glancing up for a second as she was passing, Petry was frightened to see a patrol talking to someone just under the head's rank. Closing her eyes and speeding up, Petry kept up her journey. Fighting to keep her breath normal, Petry opened her eyes. Trying to figure out where she was going to go, she decided just to go to the tavern, where she was supposed to go in the first place.

Accidentally bumping into someone, she backed up a few stems, stammering "Sorry" over and over again, and dropped the cat. It yowled it's complaint, twitching its tail violently. Petry's eyes widened, and the sorries got even more mixed together as she saw the man wearing the red cloak of a bard. The man was older than Petry, somewhere in his thirties, she guessed. He chuckled and motioned for Petry to stop. "No need to apologize. It was an accident." Petry nodded, mumbled something the man couldn't understand, and turned to go. The bard stopped her, turning her to look at him. The look on Petry's face was pure confusion, but the man ignored her.

"You don't look very nutritioned. Are your parents taking care of you?" He questioned. Petry quickly shook her head. "I don't have any parents. They're dead." The bard nodded slowly. "Well then. Can't have you wandering around, can we?" Petry's face looked even more confused at this.

"Umm... sir?" Petry dared to question. The bard nodded, as if giving her permission to speak. "Can I go now?" The bard laughed. "What, in this shape? I don't think so missy. What's your name?" Petry couldn't answer for a few seconds, due to shock, and also due to the cat who was still sticking around and chose the moment to meowle loudly and long. When the cat's melodious voice died down, Petry answered bluntly, not wanting to say much. "Petry. My brother Zander's dead." She didn't know why she said it.

The bard looked purely shocked. "Your brother's dead? How? So your whole family is dead?" Petry only shook her head. "No. Not dead." The bard grumbled to himself. "So is your brother dead or not?" Petry shook her head a final time. "No, but he practially is." Petry quickly explained her situation to the bard, who only nodded through the whole thing. Petry was surprised his head didn't start bouncing off his neck, even though he wasn't nodding vigorously, only thoughtfully.

"Very well, it's settled." The bard announced. "........What is?" asked Petry inquiringly. "You're going to travel with me as an apprentice." At this Petry was surprised. "Apprenticed? To a bard? But I'm not even good at any music, I've never had lessons or anything..." Realizing she was talking back to one of her betters, she fell silent, mumbling an apology. The bard chuckled. "First things first, no more of this acting like you've got no personality. I get enough of it when I travel. Bloody as hell makes me want to choke someone with my bare hands."

Petry couldn't help but laugh quietly. The bard nodded. "Better. Not much, but it's better. Now, let's go get some food, all right? You look dead hungry."