Joan

Chapter XI

I might as well be in the Stone Age for all it's worth since the only guide I have now is my intuition; to be honest, that's better than that sorry excuse for a map I had, but I still have a right to complain about how lost I am right now. It doesn't help that these forests are as plain as a model without makeup.

My gut was telling me to keep going the way I was, so I listened and in turn have been traveling down the same road for the majority of this trip.

Just when I'm about ready to start hacking away at some tree with my sword out if irritation, I come across a small house tucked away in the woods. I only happen to notice it because it divulged from the road.

"Maybe I can ask somebody here if they know about the woman I'm supposed to find." I'll take my chances that it might be the home of Edalirwen's most infamous serial killer.

There I stand before the door, ready to knock when I hear a squeal come from the side of the house causing me to hurry to find the source of it. Nosy or innocent curiosity, I'll leave that as a fill-in-the-blank.

Going around the side of the house, I discover the source of noise I heard when approaching the house. Attached to the side of the house is a small scaled mill, powered by the water filtering from a pond, with algae and lily pads so thick on the surface it resembles a grassy field, nestled close by. The pond and mill aren't the only things to catch my eye; off to the side, a little girl with pigtail braids (think, Laura Ingalls) is leaning down so close to the water she might as well just jump in it. Watching her, I assume she's the one that squealed a second ago, I just don't know what for until she gasps out loud and stomps her feet, pointing at something in the pond. Straining my eyes, I try to make out what the brown dot that's bobbing in the water is exactly. I get a clue to what it might be when the little girl cries out-

"Peri! Come over here right now!"

I'm assuming that brown fuzzball in the water is a dog- her dog- and it must have jumped into the water. Now, it either doesn't to want to get out or it can't, I'm not sure.

"Do you need help?" I was born with a superhero gene in me, I swear it.

Whipping her head in my direction, I can see how red her hair really is- it's as ruby red as her lips, which seem to be as bright as Dorothy's shoes. Her wide-eyed, dazed face is priceless (not as memorable as Oslen's, but cute nonetheless). She recovers from the surprise and looks back at the pond, pointing adamantly at the little dog who's paddling along.

"I just had her washed and now she goes and ruins my work by swimming in filth- she won't even listen to me and come out. She might drown in there."

"I doubt she'll drown," I start. "But, she won't respond to you?"

Crossing her arms, a pouty look coming on her face, she shakes her head.

"I've tried everything, everything."

"Okay, alright, let me try."

Peri looks like she's having a good time in there so I highly doubt she'll respond to a stranger's call. I try anyway.

"Peri, Peri, come on girl."

Like I predicted, the dog continues to look happier than a pig in mud, causing her young owner further agitation.

Okay, time for the big guns.

Putting down my satchel, I dig around until I find a piece of bread.

"This should do."

Armed, now, with the persuasion of food, I squat as close to the algae cist pond as I dare and hold out the bread, attempting to draw out the dog.

"Peri, look what I have."