Walking the streets

Bovinari walked down the street, hands in her pockets. She looked at her feet, as if studying them. She was thinking about her mother and father, unsure if she did the right thing that night. Her stomach growled, but she ignored it. She had been ignoring it since yesterday, and she felt weak. She sniffled a little, sad. Already she could imagine herself dying in an alley of starvation.

I was walking down the street coming back from the smith shop some money in my pocket from the long day's work. I walked by the usual places seeing everyone do what they usually do about this time in the evening seeing the train moving from the station for the day seeing the new arrivals in town. I then surveyed the street and saw a young girl about the age of sixteen walking by herself, she looked lost in thought and alone. I walked up to her slowly and tapped her on the shoulder "Hello, are you lost?" I ask softly.

Bovinari looked up, startled. It took her a moment to 'wake up' and answer. "N-no. I'm not lost." She said. She still looked a little shaken, and her stomach growled. Her face reddened, and she looked back at the ground in embarressment.

I smile at her "You sound hungry, and if your not lost..." I look at her body language, "...I'm guessing you ran away from somewhere?" I then pull out my wallet and check the cash I had from today's work and then look back at her. "How about I buy you some dinner and you can tell me whats going on so I can help..." I say still in a soft voice.

Bovinari looked surprised as she looked up at him. "You're too kind..." She murmured, but didn't look like she was going to refuse. "You don't have to help me..." She added, looking at him gently.

I smile widely at her "It's not that I have to but because I want to..." I start walking, "What would you like?" I ask her eagerly "I'll get you anything you would like."

Bovinari walked with him. "Thank you." She said. "I-I really don't know. I don't normally get to eat, and what I do eat... Isn't exactly fresh normally." She said, blushing. "He must think I'm stupid, just a bum." She thought, looking sad.

I chuckle a little bit as I listen to her, "Alrighty I know what you will like..." I pat her back as we start toward the Rusted Blacksmith Inn "We're going to get some of the best burgers in town" I smile at her as I matched her stride to keep her to my side.

Bovinari looked at him with a small smile. "Thank you! Thank you so much!" She said happily, hand finally out of her pockets. She looked around the streets with a happier face.

I walked next to her heading to the Inn that was about a block away. I started whistling a cadence that I learned from my childhood ("When Johnny Comes Marching Home") and I kept a steady beat with my boots against the ground subconsciously.

Bovinari looked at him whistling, and noticed his feet marching at a steady beat. "It's none of my business, but may I ask if you were once, uh, a soldier?" She asked hesitantly, blushing a little.

I look at her and realize that I was marching, "Woops I didn't realize that I was marching..." I say rubbing the back of my head, "yes I was a soldier until I was considered expendable by my employers" I explained to her not telling the whole truth of why I'm not serving at the time.

Bovinari looked down at the ground. "I'm sorry for asking. I was just curious." She said, blushing a little. "Sorry if I brought up bad memories." She said, studying the ground.

We made it to the door as she said that, "Don't worry I'll be fine with a few memories that I remember..." I say opening the door and heading in. As soon as we walk in I can smell the fresh meat and everything that was cooking in the back, I walk over to a nearby booth and sit down waiting for a waitress to attend to us.

Bovinari took a deep whiff of the food as soon as they walked in, and she couldn't believe she was going to eat here. She followed him and sat down, smiling brightly.

I watch her sit across from me in the booth, "Is there anything you like to drink?" I ask her seeing a waitress make her way over to us. I then hand her a menu as I put my backpack on the seat right next me.

Bovinari looked at him with a confused face. "I want... water?" She said, not sure of what else there was to drink. She looked at the waitress with a nice smile.

I look at the waitress and order a water and a coffee. "So can you tell me what was happening earlier?" I ask softly looking into her eyes with a concerned look.

Bovinari looked at him, looking upset. "It happened awhile ago... I can't do anything about it..." She said. This guy was giving her food and being nice to her, she didn't want him to leave when she told him she was a murderer... As soon as thought that a tear fell down her face and her stomach flipped.

I reach across the table and set my hand on hers, "Please tell me so I can help you out..." The waitress came back with our drinks, I take a sip of coffee after sweetening it.

Bovinari looked like she might cry harder. "But if I tell you, you will hate me." She said, biting her lip. She began thinking about how he might leave... Or take a gun and shoot her like the killer she was.

I look her in the eye as she says this, "Alright I'll tell you something to ease you..." I set my mug on the table, "...I lied to you about being let go, I was orphaned when I was your age...thanks to a skirmish between angels and demons..." I take a very long drink looking down. "When I saw you I was reminded of myself. Plus I don't have the cleanest history in the world..." I say keeping a neutral expression and keeping eye contact with her.

Bovinari looked startled, not expecting him to tell her anything like that. "I'm sorry..." Was all she could think to say, then she sighed. "When I was a child, my daddy would beat me and my mother. One night my mother smuggled me a gun. She told me to use if daddy hurt me again, and daddy found out. He beat my mother to death, then came for me. I... I... I shot him. I shot him three times, like mommy told me to. Then I ran." She said, looking at the table like it was the most interesting thing in the world. "I still run, even though I don't know why anymore. I just run." She added.

My expression changes as she tells me these things. and I tighten my grip around her hand "I'm so sorry for making you re-hash something like that..." I look at her with concerned eyes, "How long have you been on the streets?" I quietly ask her.

Bovinari started crying a little bit. "I'm sixteen now so... Three years?" She said, wiping away some of her tears.