𒊹︎3rd Person POV𒊹︎
The female slyly made her way around the vendors in the farmers market, making sure that no shop keepers saw her as she skillfully swiped a couple of carrots from one of the booths.
With her bounty acquired, the (h/c)-haired girl waltzed over to where she stashed her steed only moments before. Her horse was a short, but stout Haflinger with a chestnut coat and a light mane.(1)
She managed to snag him from an old farmer that sold the horse to her for cheap, since he couldn't afford to feed him.
The young woman herself sometimes struggled to feed the beast, but always made sure that he had a full stomach.
The female stopped short upon seeing that her horse, Bezos, was not alone. Bezos was towering over a small girl with milky-white eyes, and dark hair.
The little girl must have heard the woman coming, and called out into the open.
"Hello? Is this your horse?" The little girl didn't meet the woman's eyes, and she spoke rather timidly.
It didn't take long for the (h/c)-haired woman to piece together that the little girl patting her horse's neck was without sight.
"Yes. His name is Bezos." The woman spoke as she approached the girl, being cautious.
"He is very sweet." The girl continued to stroke the steed, and Bezos nudged the girl, her giggling.
"What's your name?" The owner of Bezos spoke carefully, trying to tread easy, there was no telling who might be listening.
"Faline(2). What's yours?" The girl had by now turned her head in the direction of where the other female was standing.
"(Y/n). Where are your parents?" She looked around from where they were standing behind the alley, the only place that (Y/n) could find a place to hitch up her horse.
"Um, well, they're......I don't know." Faline's lip quivered as tears started to roll down her cheeks.
(Y/n) didn't waste any time approaching the dark-headed girl, quick to try to comfort her.
𒊹︎Your POV𒊹︎
I tried to get Faline to stop crying, scared that she would attract unwanted attention. My face was known quite well in this town, and not on good terms, either.
"Shhh, it's alright. I'll help you find them." I stroked her head as she clutched the think cotton of my tunic.
This is just what I need right now. My nose snarled in slight annoyance as the thought occurred, I could barley feed myself, how am I going to take care of another human being?! Let alone a child!
We sat by Bezos' feet for a moment, and a thought occurred to me. People are unwilling to give up their resources for a young adult, but never a child. A mischievous smirk graced my face as I stood up, taking Faline with me.
"Here, feed these to Bezos, and stay put. I'll be right back." I shoved one of the two carrots into Falines dainty hands, and then sprinted out where the market vendors were set up.
I did a quick sweep for two panicked-looking adults (Faline's parents), and after a good mount of searching and coming up empty, I deemed it hopeless and made my way back through the alley, stealing a hot loaf of bred out of a windowsill on the way.
"Alright, Faline. You're coming with me. Up you go." I lifted her up onto Bezos' bareback and quickly followed behind her, taking the reigns into one hand, and holding onto her with the other.
*****
We traveled across the countryside for some time, finally stopping at the place that I called home. It was a large tree that I had nailed boards to, making a weak little treehouse.
From the top of the tree's tallest sturdy branch, you could see the castle of Asgard standing tall over the mythical terrain.
I helped Faline off of Bezos, and then removed his bridle, replacing it with a halter to mark his ownership, before letting him roam free around the tree. He never wandered far so I didn't worry about him running away.
"Welcome to my home sweet home, kid. This is where you'll stay until we can find your parents." I spoke with my hands on my hips, looking up proudly into the tree.
"I'm sure it's lovely." She spoke as she wandered towards it with her arms sticking straight out.
"Oh, yeah it is. It's a big, beautiful mansion, with crown mounding, and marble floors." I smiled sadly at the visual, it not comparing to the real thing.
I helped Faline up the ladder, and set her up a pallet across the floor from mine.
It wasn't long before dusk had become all around us, and I smiled softly to myself, thinking of the plentiful bounties that awaited me with this new tool I had acquired. I was almost through the gates of dreamland when a small voice drug me several yards away from it.
"(Y/n)?" Faline spoke from the other side of the 'house'.
"Yes, Faline?" I sighed and propped my hands behind my head.
"Can you tell me more about your house?" I winced once I heard her say that, but conjured up a lie nonetheless.
"Well.....it's got four stories, but I only use the first since I don't like to walk up the stairs, so tiring." I smiled as I heard Faline giggle.
"What's on the first floor?" Her voice was ladened with curiosity.
"The essentials, am I ground swimming pool, a garden, a stable for Bezos, and of course, my room." I shut my eyes as I envisioned the fairytale house.
"Can we go see Bezos?" I heard the blanket of Faline's pallet ruffe as she moved around.
"Not tonight, it's late. Get some sleep, we've got a busy day of searching tomorrow." I rolled over onto my side, and soon I was welcomed by sleep once more.
FOOTNOTES:
(1) Bezos
(2) FAH + leen = 𝐹𝑎𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑒