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"Woodpeckers and Horses and Squirrels, Oh My!" (Somewhere in between Toto and North Sparrow Pass) The sun was rising on the morning after Elza's 'trip' to the Howling Voice Guild. She had camped for the night, lighting a campfire to scare away most creatures that might attack in the middle of the night. With that, she had wrapped herself up in her snow-white cape and had nestled up to Artemis', the horse she had stolen, back for warmth. It had been a comfortable night. As the day dawned, she opened her eyes to two huge eyes just inches from her face. She gave out a loud, yet short scream, waking up Artemis and scaring away the woodpecker that had just been staring at her. It flew away squawking at the top of its little lungs. "Yeah, yeah, same to you bird brain," she mumbled, looking up at the woodpecker that was flying away. As she looked back down and started to rub her eyes, a soft thud could be heard as something wet landed on her head. "Ewwww," she said disgusted, knowing already what the present was that the bird had given to her. Artemis started to make a noise that sounded like laughing, if you could call it that. She glared at the horse and growled, "What are you snickerin' at?" The horse promptly stopped, replying with a snort. "I HATE mornings…." Remembering the mess on her head, Elza looked off to the west to notice the small town of Toto. She decided to head over there to wash out her hair in the river. She put some dirt over her campfire, which was already mostly out, and got on Artemis' back. She then made the horse trot easily into town. Elza had entered through the entrance near the town's shrine and got off her stallion to walk him over to the river. On her way over, she noticed an interesting sight off to her left. A blonde boy, a few years younger than herself, was being tackled and nearly knocked over by a bunch off tiny kids, while his companion in a green bandana, about the same age, just stood helplessly by. She could not help smiling, but could not spend time on staring at the funny scene, for the bird's waste was drying in her hair. As Artemis gulped up the river water, Elza had quickly cleaned off her locks and was shaking every last drop of water out of her hair. When she was finished, she crawled under the bridge that crossed the river and, for the first time since stealing it, Elza took out the Howling Voice's small, palm-sized chest and looked it over carefully. This time, she did notice the strange markings on the case and thought them oddly familiar. After staring at it for a little while, her stomach growled, and she remembered not having any breakfast this morning. She dug into the deep pockets of her pants, and found a perfectly ripe banana. She peeled it and began to eat it, while racking her brain on why she thought she had seen this design before. She had finished the banana and just tossed it, intending for it to go into the river and instead, it landed on top of the bridge. This she didn't notice, nor cared about. Elza was too intent on examining the little box. So intent, that she did not notice a certain black caped man enter the town. Ironically enough, he did not notice her either, even though it was Elza who he was looking for. He thought the criminal he was after had gone straight to Muse, and was in very much of a hurry. He did not seem to see the banana peel tossed onto the bridge and, soon, tripped over the darned thing. He fell hard onto the bridge, making a loud crashing sound that snapped Elza out of thought. She quickly thought of the banana peel and whispered, "Oops…" But before she could go up and apologize, she recognized the voice of her grumbling victim. 'Clive!' she thought, 'dang, how did he get here so quickly? I better stay in hiding under here until he leaves, if he hasn't discovered me already.' "Crap," said Clive, as he got up and dusted himself off. "Set backs, set backs! This is just the perfect way to start off my morning. Just think, I could be sleeping in late today if…what was her name? Oh yeah, Elza…if that woman had not stolen the Guild's Sindarin treasure. Oh, is she gonna get it when I catch her in Muse. When I capture her, first I'll…" That is all Elza heard, for Clive had finished crossing the bridge and was getting out of ear shot from her. It would not have mattered, for Elza had stopped listening when she had heard the word Sindarin. She smacked her self on the forehead. "Of course, Sindarin, as in the Sindar runes! Why couldn't I think of it before?" She had heard from one of her informants (which, as said before, she had many of) that of all the runes known in the States, Sindar was the most valuable. She smiled at the small chest, which she had dropped into the dirt when she had heard Clive fall. "Looks like it wasn't a wild good chase after all," she said to Artemis as she picked up the small chest. Her grin grew wider as she thought if the chest alone was a valuable antique, then what was inside must be priceless. Elza decided on heading to Muse to meet a man she knew that could tell her the value of the box for free. With this in mind, she quickly put the chest back into her cape-concealed pouch and jumped onto Artemis. After a few discouraging moments of trying to get the steed up the bridge's steps (for the horse had never seen, nor used such things in its short life), they were off like lightning. It was getting late and they were not quite half way to Muse; Artemis was getting pretty tired. Elza decided to stop for the night and started to make camp. After she lit the small pile of dry wood, she sat down on the grass and set Artemis free to graze. The stallion had no intention of leaving his new master's side. She took out the chest again and for the first time wondered how she was going to open it. Though she was good at lock picking, this lock was unlike any other she had seen before and did not think she could manage. Just to be sure, she pulled out her little pick and tried it out on the lock. As she did so, someone, or something, was creeping slowly and silently up behind Elza's back. Neither Elza nor Artemis noticed it until a twig snapped underneath the animal's tiny paw. Without thinking, she quickly turned around and shouted, "Who's there?!" Quickly shutting up, so as not to lead anymore beasts to her, she stood silently, staring at a small, darkened figure that was just out of reach of the campfire's light. A small squirrel walked timidly into the light and said, "Mu…?" The little thing was very chubby and was wearing a red cape around its neck. Elza slowly slumped down onto the grass as she stared at the creature. "Oh my…" she muttered, "this…this thing is worse than that yellow thing with the lightning bolt tail that all the kids are just crazy about. Pika…ka…oh, whatever." She stared at the thing even longer and it smiled at her. She slowly reached towards one of her guns and said, "This thing is just asking to be shot." As she raised the pistol to the squirrel, the thing looked shocked. "MUKU!!! MU!!!!" The squirrel shrieked and ran off where it came from. Elza put her gun back and smiled. "I little fear never hurt anyone." When she looked over to Artemis, the horse was laying down getting ready to go to sleep. Elza was a little tired too, so she decided to call it a night, laid down, and closed her eyes.
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