Humility:
Shortie by Lone Wolf

~Where is thy humility?~

	The young Collie got many laughs as she walked through the streets. 
"Hey hun," one of the fighters sitting around the stables shouted. "Why 
don't you get a REAL job instead of tending to those sheep?" She shut her 
eyes and ignored him, pulling the simple cotton robe over her. Everyone was 
laughing at her - the rogues, the fighters, the blacksmith, even the 
paladins and druids snickered a bit. All she could do was ignore them. What 
was she to do anyway?

	She watched over her flock from her vantage point atop the grassy 
knoll. It had an excellent view of the surrounding field. Her border collie 
companion - which was her brother, who had an unfortunate encounter with a 
mage and a polymorph spell - bounded up to her and nuzzled her hand. She 
smiled and gave him a pet. "I can't believe that you're so happy being like 
this," she told him. "But I'm glad that you are." She gave him a kiss on the 
top of his head. He barked happily and layed down next to her.

	"Hey Angie," a voice called from behind her. She turned to look. 
Standing there was a bard. The skunkette, garbed in a green tunic, carried 
her lute on her back like it was nothing. "How ya doing?"
	The collie smiled. "Hey Charlotte! C'mon up." Charlotte smiled and 
climbed to sit with her friend. "How have you been?"
	"I've been fine. How about you?"
	"I've been okay. It's nothing, really." She put her shepherd's crook 
down. "What brings you around here?"
	"I heard that the dim candles in town were giving you problems. I came 
to see if you were all right."
	"I'm fine. They're just words, right?"
	Charlotte chuckled. "You are the most humble person I've ever met."
	She blushed. "I am not. I'm sure there's someone more humble than I 
am." Suddenly, her collie started to growl. "What is it?" She looked to 
where the dog was looking and saw it - a single wolf - stalkin' the flock. 
"I see him." She grabbed her crook and stood up. She pointed at the wolf. 
"Fetch!" The collie immediately took off. She took the crook in both hands 
and followed close behind.

	The collie was faster than she was. It leapt at the wolf with a growl 
and started to fight with it. The fight lasted a little bit before Angie got 
there. She took the crook and swung it like a bat at the wolf. She connected, 
sending the wolf away whimpering. She knelt beside her collie. "You okay?" 
The dog barked and licked her face. "Oh you!" She gave him a hug. "What 
would I do without you?"
	"You sure love that dog, don't you?" Charlotte asked.
	Angie looked up at her. "Of course I do. I can't let him down!"
	"You really should look into buying at least a dagger or something. 
You won't get that lucky all the time."
	"It's okay. I'll just take it as I get it."
	She chuckled. "Then at least let me stick around with you when you 
tend to the flock. You can't do this on your own, ya know."
	"No. I'm sure I can do it on my own. Thank you for the offer, though."
	She laughed. "Are you sure you aren't the most humble person in the 
world?"
	"Yes. I'm very sure." She stood up. "Although I do have one thing that I 
would like you to do for me."
	"What's that?"
	She smiled. "Do you think you can play me a song on your lute? Your 
songs are always so nice."
	"Of course! That's why I'm a bard. C'mon, let's go back to the knoll." 
Angie nodded and whistled to her collie. The three slowly made their way 
back to the small hill to hear one of Charlotte's beautiful songs.

End
Angie and Charlotte are © Lone Wolf and <([ Lone Wolf Studios ])>