When Danika checked for more work first thing in the morning, she found a request for someone to fill an evening shift. She was tempted to skip her morning exercises, but… she didn't want to pay the price of that later, so she hurried through them instead.
When she appeared in the village square, night was falling and the smithy was already closed. Danika frowned up at the sky and hoped that the village didn't completely close up at night. She assumed the pose, and when the menu appeared, flicked to her bio screen. She set an in-game alarm to remind her to log out in time to work, then dismissed the menu and activated her wings.
Danika hesitated a moment, and then turned in the direction of her mentor's residence. "The farmer could use some help gathering up her escaped goat if you've got time ZipZing," the traveling merchant said from behind her.
Danika gave a startled gasp because she hadn't noticed the merchant. He grinned at her when she spun around to look at him. He stood casually at the edge of the square.
"Ok," Danika agreed after a moment.
--
She followed the merchant's directions to a small farm farther downstream from the village. The farmer was a sturdy looking woman in tall oiled boots. One of her two children was the silent child who'd been playing at the fountain, the other was nearly grown and helping his mother repair a fence.
"The traveling merchant said you've lost a goat?" Danika asked.
"It's not lost, just escaped. It's probably gone up the hill to raid the wizard's garden again," the farmer grumbled. She stood straight and stretched for a moment before adding, "But if a novice like you wouldn't mind fetching it back down, I'd reward you with a meal."
Danika wondered if that meant her character needed to eat sometimes, but agreed, "Sure, I'll do my best. What does it look like?"
"It's black with a white nose, but it's probably the only goat within the vale that's outside our pen," the farmer's son told her with amusement.
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"The wizard's place is a round tower near the eastern edge of the village," the farmer added helpfully.
Danika flew quickly back to the village. She hadn't passed a goat on the way down, but then, the goat might not have followed the path. She remembered the round tower, because she'd passed it on the way to and from the woodcutter's place.
She didn't see the goat at first when she zipped over the garden wall, but she could hear a crunching noise from one corner. Danika approached cautiously, and finally spotted the goat. It was green with pink spots that matched the roses on the bush it was eating out of.
"Hey! Don't eat that!" Danika shouted at the goat.
The goat looked around warily, spotted her, and resumed chewing. Danika tried coaxing the goat, she tried shouting at it, she tried poking it, even diving at it. The goat ignored her stoically.
It finally took notice when Danika tried landing and pushing on its hooves. It shook a hoof at her warningly, bleated a complaint and stepped over her, farther into the garden. Danika glared at the goat.
After a moment she flicked her wings and darted towards its face and huffed a breath attack right at the goats nostrils. It looked a little dazed. She huffed another breath, and then another. The goat stumbled as if it were drunk. And then she ran out, her fourth and fifth attempts at her breath attack did nothing.
An amused voice behind her said, "You're out of energy."
Danika spun, to find an elderly elf watching her. She was completely distracted from her goat fetching quest for a moment. The elf was a masterpiece of subtlety. He perfectly portrayed the oft described ageless but ancient look often attributed to elves in fantasy novels. His knee length robes were silken, but well worn, without being ragged. His trousers and boots were elaborately embroidered, but sturdy. His skin was smooth and flawless, his hair silver but full and long, his frame delicate but not weak looking. And his eyes… his eyes were ancient and knowing.
And then he tossed an apple at her.
Danika flinched as the apple bounced into her and her wings stopped beating. It didn't really hurt when it hit her, but she fell out of the air and bounced a couple times. She laid on the ground and stared up at the apple which drifted like a feather, slowly down to meet her.
The wizard laughed until he was out of breath. When he finally recovered his countenance he commanded, "Eat. Food will help replenish your energy faster."
Danika stared at the elf, and then glanced over at the still green and pink goat, it had sat down upon whatever was growing in the neat bed it had been standing over, but at least it had stopped eating for the moment.
After taking a deep breath, Danika clambered to her feet and asked warily, "Will I turn yellow if I eat that apple?"
The wizard laughed at her again.