LANNY

Chapter 2 The mysterious girl

Ronniy clumsily released an arrow, narrowly missing the human's ear by a few inches. He ended up falling on his butt.

"Ouch! That hurts!" exclaimed Ronniy as he gently rubbed his aching back.

The human exclaimed in relief, "Phew, that was a close one!" as she glanced back at the arrow that narrowly missed her ear, then turned to Ronniy and asked, "Wait, are you an elf?"

Ronniy's head turned up as he heard the human's voice. To his surprise, it was a girl with short red hair, styled in a bob cut with gentle waves. However, what truly caught his attention were her mesmerizing green eyes. They had an unnatural shade of green that Ronniy had never seen on any other human before.

Ronniy confidently declares, "I'm definitely an elf, I think?" as he struggles to get to his feet, leaving the girl feeling puzzled.

With a grin, Ronniy playfully teased, "I'm just kidding, but yes, I am the almighty Ronniy, incredible and quickest archer in all of Arzeum!"

The girl softly muttered, "Arzeum?" and appeared slightly conflicted.

Ronniy observed the thoughtful girl and noticed she wasn't carrying any threatening weapons, although he did spot a small brown bag in her possession. While there could potentially be weapons inside, he reasoned that if she intended to fight, she would have already attacked by now to avoid getting injured.

Ronniy apologized for shooting the arrow and expressed his concern about the other person's well-being as he picked up his silver bow.

The girl responded, "I get it; you were just trying to look out for yourself."

She asked if Ronniy had spotted a citrine beetle nearby.

"You won't believe it! It landed on my knee and then just flew away. Haha!" Ronniy said proudly.

"Really?! Have you got any idea where it is at this moment?!" The girl's voice was full of excitement.

Ronniy quickly scans the area, hoping to catch a glimpse of the citrine beetle. Disappointed, he turns back to the girl and apologizes for not being able to spot it. Instantly, her smile fades.

Ronniy reassures the girl, mentioning that although he doesn't have supervision, his ears are sharp enough to help.

He winks at her, trying to give her a sense of encouragement and optimism.

With a determined look, Ronniy sharpens his ears to skillfully maneuver the citrine beetle.

Ronniy exclaimed, "It's just around the corner!" as he gestured with his finger towards the left path. Currently, it's perched on a vibrant puffer orange.

"Your ears are remarkable!, and I am grateful for your assistance. Thank you so much; this means a lot." The girl said with gratitude.

Ronniy blushes and stammers, "Oh, it was nothing really. I just wanted to make up for almost causing damage to your ear."

He flashed a smile as he asked, "By the way, what's your name?"

As the girl was about to introduce herself, someone suddenly appeared behind her, holding a sharp golden blade against her throat, preventing her from speaking.

"Don't make a move, or it won't end well."

Edmond wasted no time and swiftly returned upon hearing Ronniy's scream from earlier.

Ronniy panicked when he saw Edmond's blade dangerously close to the girl's throat, shouting, "Wait, Edmond, you misunderstood!"

Edmond asked if the girl wanted to hurt Ronniy because he heard him scream "appleshells.". Before.

Ronniy was all over the place as he described the events. He admitted his mistake, confessing that he had initially believed he was the one in danger. And then he spotted a charming squirrel. Surprisingly, the girl was actually the one in danger. Ronniy realized that he could have unintentionally harmed the human and felt a sense of guilt.

"Ronniy, what on earth are you saying? I don't understand."

"I'm really sorry, Edmond. I made a mistake, and I want you to release the girl," Ronniy pleaded with a sorrowful tone.

Edmond glances at Ronniy before turning his attention to the girl with sweat dripping down her forehead. He shakes his head and lets go of the girl.

The girl took a moment to catch her breath, and Ronniy felt a strong sense of guilt for the scary situation she had just experienced, so he tried to help her out.

Edmond firmly told Ronniy, "Come on, let's go. I found some food for us."

"We can't just leave after the way we treated her."

Edmond angrily said that they were departing immediately. His tone suggested he was in a bad mood.

The girl takes a moment to catch her breath. "I really appreciate your help in finding the citrine beetle, but now I have to go," she said, still feeling a little weak.

The girl began walking in the direction Ronniy had pointed out earlier. He felt guilty watching her wander alone in the big forest filled with danger. To Ronniy's surprise, Edmond took his hand and led him in the opposite direction of the girl.

"Edmond, I don't think it's the right decision to leave her behind."

Edmond expressed annoyance as he tightly held Ronniy's hand, mentioning that the girl likely had a specific purpose for coming there and was aware of the situation, which was not their concern.

"I'm not sure about that. She seemed distressed."

"Like I mentioned before, it's not our concern, Ronniy."

Ronniy pulled his hand away from Edmonds.

"And her scent, it's like glitter, the same fragrance I remember smelling before."

"What's on your mind? Is there something specific you'd like me to do? I can't even begin to explain how worried I was," Edmond said with pain in his voice.

Ronniy apologized to Edmond, expressing genuine remorse for causing him concern, while gently comforting him by stroking his hand.

Edmond was tired as he questioned Ronniy's challenging behavior.

"I am a complete package! I have everything within me! The positive and the"

"And the uncontrollable," Edmond interrupted abruptly.

"Pal, you seriously gotta work on your control problems," Ronniy said with a mix of playfulness and concern. He then gave Edmond a tight hug, and Edmond hugged him back.

Ronniys' ears suddenly become alert as he picks up the sound of approaching footsteps, heavy and hungry. He can sense the emotions of creatures through their footsteps, but he struggles to read the emotions of elves and humans due to their complexity.

Edmond, with a confused expression, asked, "Ronniy, what is it?"

"Edmond, we need to hurry and rescue her!" Ronniy exclaimed, his eyes showing signs of worry.

While strolling alone, the girl caught sight of the stunning green trees attempting to communicate with her.

"Stay alert!" The girl whispered to herself, puzzling over the mysterious intentions of the trees.

Suddenly, a faint growl caught her attention from afar. The growling noise grew louder and louder until a metallic bear appeared right in front of her.

Ronniy's voice pierced the air as he shouted, "Look out!