Once upon a time there was a young girl. This is her story.

Talitha woke up in the morning and took off towards her mothers bed. She frowned as she got close to her mother seeing that her mother was not yet awake or moving. Normally her mother woke her up in the morning. This morning the sun was way high in the air and her mother had yet to wake her up. She approached her mom and looked at her carefully.

"Mom are you awake?" She shook her arm but her mothers head just lolled in place and she did not open her eyes. Talitha felt tears fill her eyes when she realized her mother was dead. Her mother was never going to greet her or wake her up again. She felt tears falling down her face as she tried to get control of herself. She sighed and went to find the apothocary. As she walked into the town she tried to remember all of the good times she had had with her mother. Her mother had been the villiage whore. She had traded sexual services in exchange for food and other nessicary items. Her mother had always been there for her to help her when she needed and many more times when she did not think she needed it. She smiled as she remembered fond times of sitting by the fire and discussing stories of her childhood and how he mother and father met and got together. She loved this story most of all.

Her father showed up late at night at the cabin door. The villiage was sick with the plague and her mother had gotten rid of her regular customers until it was completely gone. She let her father stay there and together for three months. After a while the villagers in a jealous rage killed off her father and left her mother heartbroken. Nine months later she had been born.

She made her way to the apothocary easily and told him what happened. He rushed to the house with her and confirmed the death. He told her that she would have to leave soon. She would have to allow the new whore to live here. He then left. She sighed watching him go and her mind ran to somthing her mother had told her about. Her dowery. A ring and some coins. She searched all over the house for her mothers hiding spot and found it in some pots on a little bag. She fetches the bag and puts it in her purse pulling out the ring and looking at it curiously. She sighed and slipped it on her finger. It blended in quite well.

When she put the ring on she felt a heightened perception take over her mind. She looked at the ring curiously for a moment. It appeared to be a sliver of horn. She thought of a funny joke and smiled at the ring. It might have been a sliver of unicorn horn. She giggles and leaving the house she puts a brand from the fire on the roof letting it burn and cremating her mother. She marched down the road and out of the village. It is time to head off and find a new place to stay.

Ulric was a commoner who worked hard everyday to get food, he loved to help but was way too unsure to see if he could do anything for anyone; he recently got a huge amount of money for finding a fugitive. "I guess I will be able to buy my own house now..." He said to himself. He was going through the same place Talitha was.

She wandered the streets of the neighboring village looking around at various things. She had a little money but not much. She decided to get a bite to eat. She went to a nearby tavern and walked inside. She sat down at a table and a nice young girl with pretty hair showed up offering her a menu. The special today was shrimp etouffe and that sounded wonderful to Talitha. She immediatly ordered it and gave the girl a coin to pay for her food. She ordered some water to wash it down with.

Ulric, by coincidence, entered the same tavern and found a friend "Hey, hey, hey, isn't it Ulric?" Said a tall man. "Oh...hey..." Ulric waved him somewhat bothered. "I heard that the knights paid you a few coins for finding a fugitive..." He smirked slightly and sat down at a table. "Yeah...so...?", Ulric sat down as well. "Will you lend me some money...? You know....for the old times... " The man looked up at the ceiling. "...How much...?" Ulric raised one eyebrow. "Not so much....some...60 coins...". "60?!" Ulric stood up with a shocked facial gesture. "Yeah..." The man took a sip of his water. "I will only give you 10" Ulric knew that he needed to save money for his house and he wasn't going to lend too much money. "Pff....that's alright with me..." The man smiled slightly, however he was really mad at Ulric. "Hey....did you heard the news?". "?....What news?" Ulric asked clueless and sat down once again. "The village whore died and there is going to be a new one in a few days!". "....Oh...I...see...?". "Hum....yeah...". "I...must look for a place to live..." Ulric stated randomly. "You have enough money, what are you waiting for...?" The man took another sip of his water. "I...want to find a woman at least..." Ulric replied. "Heh... *burp*...well...there is a young girl right there" The man pointed at Talitha. "Huh...?" Ulric looked over at Talitha, his eyes widened as soon as he realized that he was looking at such a beatiful girl. "Go for her..." The man looked away and returned to mind about his own business. "Alright..." Ulric placed ten shiny coins on a table "There are your coins" Ulric said as the man struggled to take it. Ulric stood up one last time and stared at Talitha, wondering if he could talk to her.

Talitha did not eat a lot of food. She ate a small amount at a time letting it settle in her stomach. She did not have a lot of money to waste on buying herself a ton of food. She paused when she heard a boy enter but after a quick glance she turned and faced a different direction. She smiled as the waitress again filled up her drink. She then brought her a little somthing to eat for dessert for free. She at her dessert and paid the waitress for the rest of the food and smiling at her she stood up and headed for the door.

"Should I talk to her...?....What can I say...?....What if she doesn't like me....?" Ulric thought when he noticed that Talitha was leaving. "Miss...!" He said somewhat loudly and walked up to Talitha.

She stops walking hearing someone call out and turns around running right into a boy who seemed in a hurry to stop her from leaving. She fell backwards and landed on her behind. She looked at the boy with her bright green eyes. "Well hello to you to. Can I help you?"

She stood up and stretched slightly popping her back as she did so. Her ring on her finger tingled slightly as she stood up and she glanced at it curiously.

"I...uhm...ehem..wanted to know if you...have anything to do..." Ulric began to scratch his head nervously, he didn't know what to say or do anymore, he just wanted to talk to her after all.

He looked away for a few seconds but returned his gaze at Talitha, Ulric seemed somewhat worried and guilty.

She stared at him curiously for a moment. Such a strange boy. She looked at the ring on her finger and then back up at the boy wondering just waht to say. She had no where to go. She knew no one. Her only hope was to find a husband eventually and somwhere. She smiled at the boy.

"Well I just got kicked out of my home and am searching for a new home. Would you like to travel with me?"

She thought it was a resonable request and she knew it would be a funner journey with company.

"...Journey...?" Ulric looked up at the cieling of the tavern for a few seconds until he realized what Talitha was talking about "Do you want me to travel with you?!" He pointed at himself. "What should I do?, what should I do?, what should I do?!" He thought as he turned around to think a little bit more.

He turned around once again "Alright..." Ulric said with a happy tone of voice, however, he was really confused and surprised because of the girl's proposition.

She smiled at him softly. "Do not fear. I don't bite. " She grabbed his hand in hers and started walking out the door pulling him gently with her. "Do you live here?" She looked up at him with her green eyes and let out a small smile. "I would hate to bring you away from your home"

She stopped in front of a general store and peered through the window for a moment before pulling out her sachel of money and walking into the store. She bought a sled, an axe, a pot, some food and some water containers. She paid for the items and loaded them on teh sled. At the last minute she bought some flint. She smiled and loaded that on the sled to. Then grabbing hold of it she began to walk down the road heading out of the town.

- I...don't have a house...but I have enough coins to buy one though - Ulric replied - I guess I can go with you - He smiled slightly at Talitha and followed her as a lost child.

She smiled at him and started walking on the path. As she walked she noticed a shaggy dog following them. How odd. She stopped walking and looked at the dog. "Are you hungry little guy?" She smiled at it and got on her hands and knees. Suddenly out of no where the dog spoke. Only she could hear it because of her ring but she did not know this. She looked at her new freind "Did that dog just say hello?" She asked him her eyes open wide.

- ...? What...? - Ulric went up to Talitha - What are you talking about? Dogs can't talk, can they? - He stared skeptically at the dog. Ulric couldn't quite understand what was Talitha trying to say, was she joking? he asked to himself, there was nothing but questions to him.

The dog chuckled to the boy sounding as if he was coughing. "That boy can't hear me. You can because you wear the ring of the unicorn. It will help you understand animals."

She listened to the dog speak and nodded her head. "How interesting." She looked at Ulric. "We are going to take the dog with us if you do not mind. I think he will be an asset to our journey."

- Asset...? - Ulric took a deep breath and looked down at the dog - ...If you say so... - He narrowed his eyes.

Ulric stared at the dog, which was moving his mouth, but he was hearing nothing but coughs and barks - What is wrong with this dog...? - He thought.

She smiled and tossed some meat at the dog who gulped it up. Then she took up the sled and once again began to walk. The dog stayed on her heels walking with her and yapping making small barking noises as he walked making it seem like he was indeed talking.

"Ulric. How far do you wish to travel with me?" She looked at him and let out a small smile.

- Huh...? Oh!....well... - He looked away - I...guess as much as I can, I have no place to go or stay... - Ulric replied sadly, his facial gesture changed a little bit.

She stopped walking and stared at him curiously. "What is wrong?" She could hear the sadness in his voice and if there was one thing she hated was someone who was upset. "Did I do somthing to upset you? I am so sorry."

- No, don't worry...it's just that...I've always been alone...so its nice to see....that I finally have someone in my life... - He smiled at Talitha warmly and began to walk as if nothing happened

She frowned standing there for a while trying to contemplate what he just said to her. "Well I am more than happy to be a person in your life. We can stay friends forever." She smiled widely at him and then continued to walk down the path pulling the sled with her. "The sun will set soon we should camp."

- Alright... - He stopped and looked around for a good spot. Ulric walked some few feet ahead and sat down on the ground - Hey, what do you think about here? It seems really nice - He settled down some few things and sighed.

She made her way over to him and looked around wit ha nod. "THis will do nicely." She handed him the hatchet. "Now we need some wood if you would not mind. " She set about preparing a meal. She took the big cooking pot and added vegitables and meat to it and then filled it with water to make a savory stew. She walked around collecting potatos and onions and herbs from the plants growing around.

The dog growch just laid down and made himself comfortable. He yawned as he awaited his dinner.

- Would you like me to help you? - Ulric asked concerned about Talitha - I can really help you! - He stated somewhat loudly.

Talitha shouted over her shoulder "Chop firewood and get me a fire lit." She continued her gathering until the pot was nice and full. She then proceeded to take a cooking knife and chop various vegitables up into bite sized pieces.