*POV* Clay Sparks
We left the farm after breakfast the next morning and headed for the mountains that lay beside the sea and the great river.
Step after step I found Mink, traveling was becoming annoying. I was sick of walking, I felt like I had walked around the whole intuitively of both Hilldren and Elesor.
"Come on Clay, keep up!." Mink shouted from about 20 yards in front of me. I sighed, and picked up my pace just a bit. I reached her and she fell in step with me as I slowed.
"You're mean. Your nickname should have been Deer instead of Mink." I told her. She chuckled. "Hey! Hey you there!" We both turned to look around as we had been the only ones on the road.
A young woman with brown hair that was cut short rushed up to us. "Please help us!" She pleaded. "What happened?" Mink asked her as we both looked her over. She wore a tattered blue dress, which made me remember when I had first taken Cassy off the bars.
"We were walking and then she got caught." Mink raised a questioning eyebrow. "Caught in what?" The girl grabbed at my arm. "Please help!" I nodded at Mink and she sighed. "Fine, take us to your friend." She sighed in relief and tugged my arm to pull me towards the dense woods.
We walked for a bit before I finally saw what she was guiding us to. High in the tree swung a girl with her foot in a trap rope. The girl was small. "Help…" she whispered.
Mink moved to search for the rope's end and released it. I caught the small girl and placed her on her feet. She was dressed much like the older girl. "Thanks so much!" The older girl said smiling before she moved closer to my face and attempted to kiss me.
"Whoa.." I said as I pushed her away. Mink moved to pull her away with a grimace. "You guys should be on your way, watch where you step." The older girl glared at Mink and pulled a knife and pointed it at her.
I was surprised and even more surprised when the small girl beside me did the same and pointed a bone hand knife my way. "Give us your money." My eyes shot up to Mink's. "Are they serious?" I questioned her.
She laughed with no humor. "I think so." She turned back to the girl. "Yeah, I don't think so." Mink turned to leave not really wanting to hurt the girl. She rushed her, I stood still and watched Mink flip around in a blur and send the girl flying into a tree a couple feet away.
She hit hard but I didn't feel sorry for her in the least bit. "Sister!" Screeched the little girl as she dropped her knife and rushed to her side, but Mink wasn't done.
She stomped forward to raise the girl up by the front of her dress. She whispered something which made the girl burst into tears then she dropped her and turned around. "Let's go." She said tiredly.
"What did you say to her?" I questioned. Mink didn't look at me as she walked. "Well I told her she was in the wrong line of business." I felt like laughing. "Seriously?!" Mink sighed.
"Of course I didn't! I told her some sappy stuff after she almost stabbed me, then I gave her a copper?" She said sarcastically. "I hate street rats, especially the ones that would kill someone for money."
We continued walking and silence fell. We entered the last big town this side of the river and Mink entered the Inn with a frown 10 miles long. "We need a room." She grunted to the innkeeper.
I realized that I had never seen her this down. Once in our room she fell right into bed and covered her head. "You gonna be right?" I asked her. She grunted in reply.
The next morning she was even worse, she snapped every time I asked her anything and if anyone was walking on the road we were on she would glare at them until they passed.
I wasn't sure how to help her with whatever battle she had going on inside her head. We reached the last village and ate before we headed up the small deer path the villagers told us would lead to the old lady's house.
Mink kicked every rock and cursed under her breath when her toe hit too hard. I walked past a tree limb and pushed it aside, once passed I let it go. A loud string of curses erupted behind me and I turned to see Mink sitting on the ground with her head in her hands.
"Sorry! Did that hit you?" She glared up at me. I sighed and settled beside her. "Mink, I need you to talk to me. You are scaring me here." She heaved a sigh.
"I guess by now you must have realized that I grew up on the streets, I left my aunt's when I was 14 with Kristine who was 8. We didn't do so well. And well we ended up in a really bad situation which landed me in jail."
I didn't know what to say. "Well I ended up almost killing a man because he could keep his hand to himself." She let out a breath. I placed a hand on her back as she buried her face back into her hands. "You better not tell anyone." I gave her a light chuckle.
"Mink, we are friends. You have done a lot for me and I do appreciate it. Who cares what you did in your life, it's who you are now that matters."
She stood abruptly. "Yeah, well I ain't finding Cassy only for you." She gave me a grin through wet eyes. Pushing past me she started moving up the path.
I sighed as I moved to follow, I guess that was progress. I hoped we wouldn't have to cross the Elesor bridge and head even deeper into Elesor, I hoped this would be the end of our journey and maybe we could find Cassy here.