"The sheep got loose again!" A voice shouted out. 

"Again? I thought we fixed the fence?" Another responded, "What the hell did you do?!"

Dala sat in the upper loft of the barn, carefully organizing the village Cardawen's resources into categories in a record book for this year. She had always been cautious about using their limited resources wisely, especially since the village was so new. Her sleeping mat laid next to her table along with a chest for any of her personal items. It was a simple type of living but necessary. There wasn't much room in the timeframe to build herself a proper home when there were other buildings that needed to be constructed. Her hand ached from writing and she glanced at the pages of records she had added. Maybe hiring an assistant or two wouldn't be a bad idea? But it would have to wait until she had proper accommodations for them and for herself. Arguing from two villagers continued outside, increasing in volume as their tempers grew. Dala sighed and slammed the record book shut then slid down the later and left the barn. It wasn't difficult finding the two since their voices practically reached the heavens. 

"What are you two going on about?" Dala asked 

One of the villagers, a young man with pointed ears, turned to her with tears in his eyes. Even from one look Dala could tell they were crocodile tears. The other person standing next to him was an older woman, around her fifties with an expression that indicated she was about to strangle the man. 

"I didn't do anything Miss Dala! The sheep just got loose while I was taking them through the pasture! It ain't my fault!" The young man sobbed. 

"Bullshit. You're the one who was supposed to watch em. It was one job!" The older woman shouted. 

Dala had a feeling if they kept arguing like this, they wouldn't stop until midnight. The young woman put her hand on both their shoulders, shoving them apart to force a distance between the two. 

"Look I'll go find the sheep. Margie, how about you teach Velio here how it's done? You've got experience with keeping an eye on kids so it should be helpful." Dala suggested, "And Velio, take a break and calm down. You won't be able to watch anybody if you're eyes are filled with tears." 

Margie seemed to be fine with this idea and if Velio had complaints, he knew better than to voice them. Usually the older woman spoke harshly but there was always a line she never crossed. Velio hated criticism but that was something he'd have to learn to deal with. Once the two calmed down, they both went back to the remaining sheep. Dala found her own horse and mounted it, heading out to Cardawen's massive grassy hills in search of a lost sheep. 

Yavish's hooves strode along the dirt road as she sought to get to the next town.  She had a fresh swig of water earlier, so her energy was refreshed for the time being.  As she walked along the path, she spotted a village and decided that she should visit it for something to eat.  The minotaur closed in, and that was when she noticed two people in what appeared to be a heated argument.  She drew closer and deciphered that they were blaming each other for a sheep that apparently got loose.

Another woman joined them, and Yavish stopped, deciding not to approach anymore lest they panic at the sight of a minotaur.  She was not sure how this part of the world viewed minotaurs, but she was not looking for trouble in the slightest and preferred a more diplomatic approach.  The duo in their initial argument seemed to relax, and the other woman hopped on her horse.  Yavish figured that she was not exactly in a rush at the moment, so she decided to see if she could pitch in and help the lady search for the lost sheep.  Her slow stroll became a power walk, and she managed to intersect with the horse rider's path. 

Yavish lifted a hand at her, showing that she meant her no harm and said, "Heard you all lost one of your sheep.  Would you like me to help you out?"

Her eyes scanned the grassy plains, hoping that the escaped ball of wool had not gone far. 

Just as Dala was ready to start her search, a strange creature approached her horse. For a moment the girl was confused until she looked a bit closer. Her eyes widened with surprise as she realized exactly what the creature was. A minotaur! Dala had never encountered one before but she'd learned a bit about them during her travels. The stranger lifted their hand, showing they meant no harm and offered to help look for the lost sheep.

"Yes! I want your help! Okay, you look towards the north plains. If you see any fluffy and white peaking out of the grass, then that's probably it." Dala said, "If you see it, try to catch it or give a shout."

With that, Dala readied her horse again, assuming that the minotaur would prefer to search on foot. The horse Dala was riding was strong but not strong enough to carry a fully grown minotaur. The young woman scanned the fields for any sign of the sheep but the creature was keeping itself hidden. She even made a sheep noise, hoping that the sound may draw it out. The sheep stubbornly remained hidden. Suddenly, Dala came up with an idea. If they wouldn't be able to draw out the sheep, maybe they could frighten it instead. She slapped her horse on the back then clung onto the horse's main. The horse reared up and gave out a sharp neigh that rang throughout the fields. Flocks of birds previously hiding in the grass fled to the skies while a little cloud of white fluff dashed through the grass, right near the minotaur. 
"
"There it is!" Dala exclaimed before remembering she was on a runaway terrified horse. 

Her focus quickly shifted from the sheep to directing her own horse in a safe direction. A runaway horse was almost impossible to stop but they could be directed in certain directions. She knew, or at least hoped, that the horse would tire itself out before they were taken too far from the village. 

With her offer accepted, Yavish stepped toward the north plains watching for the lost sheep.  She assured the woman, "I'll keep my eyes peeled for it."

She hoped her size would help her have an easier time locating the sheep, but so far she had no such luck.  One would think that a sheep surrounded by green would stick out like a sore thumb, but that was apparently not the case. Yavish gave the woman a brief, puzzled look when she imitated a sheep sound.  She returned to her search with a simple shake of her head.

Then the woman kicked her horse into high gear and a swarm of birds rose from the grass.  Along with the airborne critters, the sheep had revealed itself and was now speeding close to Yavish right as her search partner declared its location.  Yavish lunged at the sheep to grab it, but it cut left, and her arms hugged air as she missed it by a mere inch.  Her attention snapped to the fleeing sheep, and she grunted, "Damn it!"

Yavish gave chase after the elusive sheep, intending to catch it before it got into any dangerous situations.  Now that the thought crossed her mind, she called out to the horse rider and asked as she still ran after the sheep, "Are there any wolves near here!?"

Wolves were something that she could deal with being a minotaur and all.  The issue lied in her keeping pace with the sheep enough so that she would have time to save it before it became lambchops for a predator.  Yavish continued to chase the sheep, watching for any wolves or anything else that posed a threat to either her or the sheep. 

The second she heard the sound of Yavish's yell, Dala knew the sheep had revealed itself. Dala finally managed to gain control over her horse again and pushed the horse in the direction of Yavish and the mischievous animal. They were running through the plains but in the distance there was a spot of forest, not large enough to be on a map but big enough to hide animals. If that dumbass sheep went into the forest, it would be over for the foolish creature. Luckily, the forest was further away than what an average sheep would run. For a moment, Dala thought they would be fine. Until Yavish reminded her of wolves. 

"That forest over there is where the wolves usually are." Dala shouted back. 

Even with the large distance between them and the small forest, there was no doubt in the young woman's mind that a wolf could easily cross a distance like that. Especially if they were hungry. Dala urged her horse into a faster run as they raced towards the sheep. An idea formed in her mind. The problem was that the sheep kept zig zagging across the field. However, if each person was on both sides of the sheep, they would have a better chance of catching it. 

"Go to the left of it and I'll take the right. I'll push inwards and force it to go your direction! Get ready!" Dala exclaimed. 

She maneuvered her horse to the right of the sheep and began moving closer to the sheep. Careful not to get too close but still putting pressure on the creature, causing it to zag directly towards Yavish. In the distance, she could hear a howl. They were running out of time. If they couldn't get their hands on the stupid sheep before the wolves caught it's scent, then it'd be over for the blasted bleating sheep. 

As Yavish continued to bolt after the sheep, she could see the forest in the distance.  If the sheep made it in there, then it had plenty of places to hide as well as plenty of carnivores that would no doubt make mincemeat of it.  Learning from the woman that wolves did indeed live in the forest made Yavish up the ante on catching the sheep.  She yelled after the escapee, "You don't want to go that way!"

The way the sheep kept moving erratically made it difficult to catch until the woman formulated a plan and Yavish responded with, "Got it!"

She stayed on the left side of the sheep as the lady on the horse drew closer to it from the right.  When the sheep darted toward Yavish, she dove for it, and this time she managed to trap it within her grasp as she landed in the grass.  The sheep let out a slew of panicked bleats as it wiggled in Yavish's arms, desperate to break free.  Yavish tried to keep her hold on it, but the sheep's head smacked against her muzzle several times and it caused her grip to loosen.  The sheep utilized the opportunity to break free and succeeded as it shot from Yavish's arms and performed a small tumble before it landed on its back.

Fortunately, the sheep's body was facing the village.  Yavish jumped to her feet, prepared to catch it again whilst hoping that her partner was quicker on the grab.

For a moment Dala thought their plan had worked and the foolish sheep had been caught. She walked the horse over to Yavish and the creature when it suddenly broke free, landing on its back. A hundred percent done with this little chase, Dala leapt off her horse and body-slammed onto the sheep. There was a bleat of fear and probably pain but nothing had broken on either side.

Dala held the creature by its neck, as the farmers had shown her, and yanked at the two back legs with her free hand to prevent it from standing up again. Leaping from a horse and body-slamming a sheep was not the best of ideas and Dala was only realizing it now as several bruises began forming along her face and arms. Choosing to ignore it, she used some rope from the horse's saddle and hog-tied the sheep. 

"Finally. Thanks for the hel-"

A howl interrupted her speech. Her eyes darted towards the woods and in the distance she saw five little dots running in their direction. Wolves had a sense of smell that could track down almost anything and anyone. Dala glanced at the village then back at the pack, deciding on the best move. Another idea formed in her mind but it would require additional help from Yavish. 

"How are you with fighting wolves? There's payment and a free meal in it for you." She offered, "And a place to sleep." 

Yavish cringed when she saw the woman throw her form down on top of the sheep and then pick it up by its neck.  She used to work on a farm with her adoptive parents, but she never saw them pick up a sheep like that.  Sheep handling may have depended on the region, but she was not a professional in that area by any stretch.  Nevertheless, the wild maneuver worked, and they had successfully caught the sheep.  Yavish was more than ready to bring the sheep back to the village and was about to respond to the woman's gratitude when a howl turned her attention to the source and saw a small group of what she figured were wolves coming toward them.

When asked about her combat capability against wolves, Yavish drew her broadsword and replied, "I can handle wolves.  Hell, helped my village fend off an entire raid party once."

As she positioned herself for the incoming fight, she considered turning down the money, but when one was out adventuring like her, a little extra never hurt.  Yavish said, "And I'd appreciate all of that!"

Yavish waited, ready to defend the woman and their quarry.  When the first wolf was close enough, it leaped at her for a bite, but she was able to sidestep the jaws and countered by slashing across its side, letting blood seep from the open wound as it struck the ground on its side with its mouth agape.  One of the other wolves charged in for a bite, but Yavish saw it coming and used a fist to knock it back.  The wolf did a somersault through the air before it landed on its belly in a complete daze.  A third wolf jumped up at Yavish and managed to clamp its fangs onto her left arm.  She tried to shake it free, but the wolf was latched on tight, so instead she slammed the canine into the ground in full force that sent it a couple inches deep and with some broken bones.

The wolf in the ground let out a painful whine, but it was silenced by a foot driven into its stomach by Yavish that finished it off.  She turned to the other wolf that was recovering from its stunned state, but before it could act, Yavish sliced it across the back, causing it to collapse on the ground twitching from its damaged nerves as it unleashed a howl of pain.  With two wolves dead and a third dying, the other two decided to ignore the minotaur and instead went for the woman and their bounty.

With haste, she threw the sheep onto the back of the horse, a rather uncomfortable fit for both creatures, and leapt onto the horse herself. She had a feeling Yavish would be fine after her boasting about fending off an entire raid party. A couple of wolves wouldn't be a problem for a warrior like her. Trusting her newfound ally, Dala jumped onto the horse and sprinted towards the village. Holding a hog-tied sheep and guiding a horse while staying balanced was an almost impossible feat. Dala was using all her leg and core muscles just to stay on with the sheep. She almost wished she could drag the sheep behind but that would result in dead livestock. The villagers would be pissed if she came back with it all shriveled up and beaten. 

They were closer to the village now but when Dala looked behind her to check on Yavish, she spotted two wolves, inches away from their spot. Fighting on a horse while holding the sheep would be impossible. There was only one thing to do. Using the rest of the rope she had brought, she quickly tied the upside-down sheep to the horse, both creatures neighing and bleating out their disproval. Luckily, wolves chasing the horse was a good motivator to keep it moving despite its displeasure. Once the sheep was somewhat secure, Dala steered the horse in the direction of the village and leapt off. 

The horse would run back to its home where it was safe. She knew it was in its cowardly nature and the sheep would end up at the village, even if it was traumatized. Dala tumbled to the ground but was relatively unharmed. She learned how to fall safely after donkey incident. The wolves turned to her and snarled their fangs at the girl, seeing her as an easy target. The wolf on the left snapped its jaws while the right wolf lowered itself, ready to launch at her. Dala drew her sword and pointed it at both creatures. 

Her breathing slowed. The sounds of the world became muffled as her heartbeat grew louder and louder. Lowering her sword, she used her left hand and pointed at the lowered wolf. The center of her palm glowed fiercely as that familiar burning sensation flowed through her body. Fiercer than fire. Brilliant and painful. Dala could feel the amounting pressure and with one swift motion, released it towards her enemy. A spear of light erupted from her palm and struck the wolf's muzzle. The wolf howled in pain as the light enveloped its face. The other wolf, slowly backed away from both its wolf comrade and Dala. When the light faded, what was the wolf's muzzle had been burnt into ash.

Picking up her sword again, she sliced at the other wolf, striking its leg but unable to cause it further damage. The creature bolted in the opposite direction of the town and Yavish, terrified. Meanwhile the other wolf had fallen onto the ground, either in complete shock or in death. Wanting to spare it from any further misery, Dala quickly stabbed the sword into the wolf's neck and chest. The two fatal blows killing her enemy. 

Yavish watched the injured wolf writhe about until it finally died from shock.  A pool of blood had by now formed around the other wolf she slashed open, turning the lush green grass into a crimson red.  Pain seared through her left arm, and she checked it to see that it was bleeding from the bite marks.  Yavish turned to her partner to see how she was doing and saw that the horse had left her behind with the sheep still tied to it, but at the very least it was running toward the village.  She was about to run over and help with the other wolves when she saw the brilliant flash of light cast by the woman that burned away a wolf's entire muzzle.

The other wolf took an injury before it turned to retreat in Yavish's direction.  She decided not to attack it, and let it flee past her toward the safety of the forest.  As the survivor made its getaway, Yavish sheathed her sword and walked toward the woman.  The sight of the light spell gave Yavish the idea that she may have healing spells, so when she was close enough, she asked her, "Light magic huh?  Would you happen to know any healing spells?"

She showed the woman the bite wound on her arm before she gave the forest a brief glance and saw that the wolf was now a speck before it vanished into the woods.  Yavish turned back to the woman and decided to introduce herself, "Yavish Neroleone.  You think the villagers will be okay with a minotaur among them?"

Yavish made a slight wince as pain shot up from her wound once more.