Flowers | Tale Of The Nine Tailed [Lee Rang]

Chapter 2: Pink Camellias

"Hmm?" I narrowed my eyes and tilted my head, taking the little creature in my arms. "What is a puppy doing in here?"

The puppy was whimpering and one of its legs seem to hurt. Seeing this, I placed my hand over the injured leg and using the magic I'd learned from my master, healed the dog.

"Ahri, I said not to stray!!" A voice called my attention. I looked around for any signs that the mother might be nearby because leaving it alone could lead him to danger, upon seeing nothing, I turned my heel and ran to my master.

"Wait, I am coming."

"What is that?" My master asked, looking puzzled seeing me with a puppy in hand.

"It was injured and I cannot just leave him alone."

"Neither can you take it with you back home." He told me.

"Why not?"

"It is not yours."

"I am certain that if he has an owner he wouldn't be in the forest injured. He looked like he was bitten."

When he heard what I had said, Master suddenly stopped in his tracks before releasing a sigh, "I saw a carcass of a black dog a while back."

This prompted me to fall silent, my silent intention of returning the puppy to his mother gone as he seems to no longer have one. I can't just leave him alone again and let the ones who killed his mother kill him too. However, my master doesn't seem to be fond of the idea of me taking the dog back home.

"Oh, Yeon." My master suddenly called averting my attention to them.

"I said, I do not like visits." Mr. Lee Yeon grumbled as he laid back down unto his tree.

"We traveled mountains to come see you and that is how you greet us?"

"Silence, you live on the other side." He countered before looking at me, "I see you found yourself a pet."

Misunderstanding it, I frowned at his statement causing him to realize what he just said. "The pet, I did not mean you, I was talking to you, not your master."

"I see," I announced, before looking down at the dog. "It is not mine, My master won't let me have it."

"Can't you let a little girl have a pet?" Mr. Yeon raised an eyebrow looking at my master.

"Looking after her..." My master started, putting a hand on my head. "Is already tiring, I don't want another one added."

"Mr. Lee Yeon," I interjected, stopping whatever words he would have said next. "Since my master will not allow it, is it wise to leave it in your care?"

"Me?" He asked pointing at himself.

I nodded eagerly, "I found it in your forest."

"So be it," He sighed after thinking over it for a second. "I think I know someone who will love this."

I could only wonder how hard it must be to be human. If I feel this tired from doing a simple task for the whole day, so much more for them. Finishing my shift late at night, I watched as the rest dragged themselves to their car to go home and sleep while another batch of nurses came to cover their shift.

The decision for me to walk home is now something I am regretting because one, I'm quite tired and my soles are hurting from standing all day, and two, when tired I always find myself starting to wander into my thoughts. Getting deeper with the simple question, "What have I been doing in my life?" My past, my regrets, and people, foxes I cared for that I watched die all of these coming back to me.