The helping never ends

It had been a long day, nagging, annoying.

“So, all the windows are broken? All the hundred and nineteen of them?” I asked, rubbing my eyes, a tick that was becoming increasingly frequent.

“Yep.” Ingrid answered, petting the bear’s cub on the stomach, Lis letting herself be open and enjoying the attention.

“Yes, there, little huntress, that’s the spot!” the bear’s cub squeaked, and it was a squeak, avoiding carefully to lie on her back, so to not dirty it with the…dirt.

Uh.

Get stoned with stones? No.

Get branched by branches? Better, but still no.

Let’s go with dirty with dirt, I am tired, sue me.

I had forced her, and Ingrid, to do that, to not get “dirty with dirt”. At least they didn’t shout when asking for something.

Yes, I was annoyed, no, I didn’t show it, it would be highly unprofessional, and yes, I was furious as well for the words used by the foolish elf.

But I couldn’t do much more for her, and there were damages for the explosion caused by her coming.

And that was why we were outside, ready to go to the village.

“Well, that’s doable. Little Nut, I know you are there!” I shouted towards one of the trees, and a red streak came from it, landing gracefully, or a mimicry of that, in front of me.

No, scratch that, it was a good landing, but it seemed like one of those super-hero landings, knees bent, arm behind, the work.

And it was a squirrel doing that.

Strange, and where the hell did he learn that from.

“Here I am, bro. Come here for revenge? To retake your broken pride? To-” I stopped him before he went to his tirade about glory in battle, and asked instead, my tone ready for the bargaining: “I have a patient inside there, who can’t walk. If you could keep an eye on her, I will give you ten nuts.”

“Fifteen. I need to take my part for mom, you know that.” He immediately replied, getting on his back paws and glaring up at me, defiant.

“Six Hazelnuts, four chestnuts and three dried berries.” I hit back immediately, knowing the weakness of this one.

“What kind of berries?” He questioned, his black eyes now focused and ready.

“Raspberries.” I had those at the ready, and they had some medicinal use, but mostly it was a good way to get animals to remain calm while I took care of them.

Being able to talk is one thing, but they were still instinctual somewhat.

“Sold. In case the long-eared one does something stupid I will go to the village and drag you back, bro.” And so he went into my cabin, to be the smallest and second fluffiest possible sentinel.

The first being Huning.

“Sooo…why not the crows?” Ingrid asked when I turned away, a curious gleam in her eyes and an amused smile.

“They want to be paid hourly, and I do not want to see how they calculate their wage.” I shot back immediately, my spine straight as a ruler.

She laughed, and Lis did the bear equivalent of a guffaw, which was a somewhat deep rumble, but I didn’t.

I knew them, I had taken care of them after all.

They were worse than the Parisians, that’s what they were.

“So, about the hamlet, shall we move?” I moved the conversation somewhere else, and Ingrid, with a teasing smirk, started walking, her rifle on her back and ready to do work.

Even if I was fairly certain that it would not be bad, the route was pretty safe and the bigger animal, the queen, had asked for my help.

It was quite like having a mafia godfather, or in this case, godmother at your beck and call.

Useful, but also somewhat disheartening.

I will look only at the useful part, for my own sanity at least, already eroded by annoyance, remembrance, and that pesky thing which was sadness.

I would had to ask Grandma for some supplies for the fool, who would go out at almost winter or, considering the average, when winter hit.

A suicide for anyone, but again, I would not-

A snap of fingers beside my ear made me turn, an amused Ingrid walking beside me, the crunching of leaves the only sound before she teased, he smile full, and her arm as high as possible just to stand slightly below my shoulder, walking dangerously on the tip of her feet to do so: “Vic, Vic, Vic. Isn’t it customary to not be such a thoughtless friend while walking? And with such a high standing person as myself as well, tsk tsk.”

Uhuh.

“Woman, look at how you walk before you talk about high. Or tall.” I shot back, and dodged the retaliatory pinch to the side she almost did, a chuckle escaping my lips, and I started to walk faster and faster, an angry chipmunk of a huntress running behind me.

So I took longer strides.

“Get back here, long legs! I will have my revenge upon you, and it will be great!” she shouted, her smile still there though, and the twinkle in her eyes not gone at all.

I also saw that she now had in hand her gun, and was preparing to use the butt of the rifle as a club on my head.

So, followed by Lis, and being chased by an amusedly annoyed dyrgia, we reached the Hamlet, the little huntress far more tired than I was.

Truly, what a good walk it was.

I also saw that, for all fifteen houses in the hamlet, all the windows were broken. All of them.

Ingrid was not joking.

I hoped the Bergbùi and the Iyesi would let me work with them for little, because even if I was not paying much, I was starting to feel the heat of making so many “deals” with other beings.

I had only so much sweet things to give before my pantry was done for, and I also would like some of those, thank you very much.

“Vic, stop monogoluing, and let’s get to work.” Ingrid appeared beside me and, after painfully, and it was painful, pinching me, she moved to the village, whistling a jolly tune.

Ow.

Well, I had my work cut out for me. For another day.

Damn it.