A wild chase

*POV* Clay Sparks

We walked up to the small house. It looked well-kept and in great condition, Mink smirked as she pointed to some painted wood planks hanging from a young tree that stood beside the front of the house.

We walked up the stone path and up to the shiny wood door. Mink knocked loudly. "Do you think anyone is home?" Mink asked as she pushed her hair back behind her ear and peeked through a high window that stood open just a crack.

"Stop peeking!" I scolded her as I knocked on the door again. A yell came from inside before it was followed by small footfalls as someone ran to the door.

They didn't open the door but instead seemed to be listening closely. Mink knocked again louder. "Open up, we need to talk to the old lady." she continued to bang on the door.

The door opened just a crack. "There aren't any old ladies here, go away!" a small but strong voice came from behind the door as a small eye peered out at them.

"We need to talk to the old lady that lives here." mink told her, staring her down. The door began to close but Mink pushed it open roughly. A gust of air sent the Mink flying backward and into the flower bed.

Mink glared, and I turned from watching her to the dark-skinned girl with frizzy hair. "I said leave.!" she glared at me, the door now up wide. "I suggest you leave too, or I will-." I stepped forward, cutting her off.

"We really must talk to the old sage that lives here." I tried to be nice. Mink came up beside me and shoved me to the side before glaring at the girl. "Did you just send me flying?" the girl glared right back.

"I don't see why you are so surprised. I will do it again if you don't leave, you are trespassing." mink crouched down to her level. "Look we came all the way from Hilldren looking for a girl, if the old lady isn't here maybe you have seen her." Mink smiled.

"She is our friend, Black hair, purple eyes-"

"Violet." I corrected her. "Yes. Violet eyes, she is like this tall." Mink stood and measured Cassy's height off her own height holding her hand close to her shoulder.

The girl watched her. "I might have seen her. But she isn't here anymore." Her words made my heart warm. Cassy was alive. "And where did she go?" The girl sighed. "I don't know, with Vivian and some man."

Mink moved to stand. "Well, thanks." She turned and patted me on the shoulder. "All this is a dead end." She turned back to the girl. "Thanks again dear, we will be going now."

We had taken to step away from the door, my heart sinking when the girl ran up to stop in front of us. "Just a minute, I did hear them talking about going to a water mage village. Bell- bellma-."

"Bellmare village?" Mink asked her. She nodded. "Yes that's it." Mink smiled at her. "Thanks, that does help a lot. a lot." The girl smiled back.

"Vivian is there too. If I let you stay the night here…" we waited for her to finish. "Would you take me with you when you go.?" Mink looked at me. I looked from her to the ever darkening sky as a thunderstorm rolled our way. I nodded.

"Sure dear."

After an hour Mink and Jamia, which the girl told us to call her, had made a lovely meal of meat and potatoes.

We sat down. A loud crack of lighting sounded the start of the rain that pounded down on the roof. "Are you sure that will stop by morning?" I asked mink, she shrugged.

Jamia sat beside Mink, they had bonded quite a bit of the preparation of the meal. "I think it will let up." She voiced, still looking at her food.

"I guess she would know." I thought to myself. "Okay so we travel all the way back the way we came and go all the way to Bellmare?" I asked Mink. She sighed. "I have been thinking about that, it would probably be faster if we go by boat. I think I have just enough copper to pay for the trip."

"By boat?" I questioned. "Yeah, I know a seaman who will probably be willing to help us."

"Of course she did." I felt like she knew all the people of Elesor, personality. "And how long will that take?" She stuffed her mouth full and let me wait until she was done.

"It should be maybe a day or two." My eyebrows rose. "That quickly?" She smiled with a mouth filled with food. "Yup, don't tell me you haven't been on a boat?" She swallowed and stared at me with a look of concern. "Clay, what have you been doing all your life? Have you really never been to the dorks?"

She laughed at the face I pulled. "You travel for a living yet you have never been to the dorks. Boy if you get sea sick I will punch you in the stomach." She laughed again. "I am learning more and more just how mean you are." I told her and my face began to heat with color.

She smiled as she finished her food. "I don't know what you're talking about." She rose to clean up.

I knew she wouldn't punch me. Or at least I hoped she wouldn't. Two days and I would hopefully get to see Cassy again, I just hoped she was just as eager to see me as I was her.