Steve the miner

Steve pov

Emma laughed as I carried her on my shoulder as I walked around. I didn’t have luck hunting, as she charged anything we saw. I patted her thigh. “Okay, listen to me, Emma. I take lead and you follow no charging in without thinking about it.”

“Okay, and sorry I let the pigs getaway.”

I laughed as I reached the top of the hill and stopped to see a village. But, they looked like horses standing on their back legs.

“A pony village. We need to get away from this place. Ponies hate anyone who isn’t a pony.”

I hummed as I looked at them. “I’ll have to make note of these place. Come back at night if I can get them to owe us it may come in handy.”

“Why?”

I turned and started along the tree line. “Say I’m not around the house. If they know that youre with me and they know I’m a friend it may keep you safe.”

“I guess that makes sense.”

I laughed as we came up to a small stream. I saw a few sheep down near the water. I took Emma off my shoulder and set her on her paws. “Remember follow me, and no charging.”

“Okay.”

I nodded before I looked back at the sheep and saw a pig with them. I started to walk around to a small bridge. Emma was right behind me. ‘I need a bow and some arrows.’ I got back into the trees, and Emma stayed on my heels.

“Wait!”

Emma grabbed my shirt, stopping me as I was about to come out of the tree line. I looked back at her, and she pointed to the other side of the tree line. I saw another dog woman standing there with a bow. She looked like a wolf with her white and brown fur. She had her bow drawn and had an arrow aimed at one of the animals. She looked like leather clothes on with a quiver on her back. She looked like she would be a few inches shorter than me.

“Stay here. I’m going to see if she’s willing to talk.” Emma nodded as she held her sword tight. I patted her head before I walked out of the tree line. I stepped on a stick, and she spun with an arrow pointing at me. She blinked as she looked at me.

“STEVE!”

Emma ran out of the tree line, and I saw the sheep and pig runoff out of the corner of my eye. She turned back and fired at a sheep still in site. It missed and slammed into a tree. She growled before she looked back at us.

“You two just cost my pack’s puppies their next few meals!”

I raised my hand as I looked at her. “Easy, I didn’t mean to cost your little ones a meal, let alone a few. Tell you what. I'll make it right if you can tell me a good hunting ground.” She huffed, then nodded her head over the hill.

“There is a small plain the ponies use as a grazing field for the sheep they use for wool. If you can get two or three, then it will feed the puppies for a week or so.”

“Okay, if you don’t mind keep an eye on Emma here and I’ll be back.”

‘What!”

I laughed and patted Emma’s head as the she-wolf looked at us.

“Why is a non-diamond dog looking after a older pup?”

I patted Emma’s head before setting my ax down and walking over to her, leaving Emma standing there. She looked at me before we both took a step away.

“So?”

“She came up to me earlier today asking for food. I know you can see her ribs too. She said she didn’t want to sleep outside again.” She looked shocked before she looked at her and then back to me.

“Again? How long has she been out here?”

“I don’t know what happened. But I couldn’t send her back out on her own. I have a shack. I guess you could call. I’m staying in right now, and I’m letting her stay with me for now. It’s not pretty but it has walls and a door. Keeps the monsters out.”

“I see; she may have been abandoned by her pack. To leave the poor thing to the undead.”

I nodded before I patted her shoulder. “I’ll go and get the food you need.” She smiled a little and nodded.

“I’ll make sure she stays safe. You stay safe too. The pony guards march around this area every now and then.”

“Thanks for the warning.”

I walked back over to Emma and patted her head. She smiled up as I kneeled and grabbed my ax. “I want you to stay with this lady. I’m off to get food so be a good girl for her.”

“Okay.”

I stood up and rested my ax on my shoulder. I started to jog over to the hill.

“Steve!”

I stopped and looked back to see Emma trying to follow me. The she-wolf had dropped her bow on the ground. She was holding Emma off the ground.

“Honey he will be back I promise.”

I laughed before I waved and jogged up the hill. I started to hum a tune as I got to the top of the hill. I smiled, seeing a few sheep still in the woods. ‘Score!’ I jumped down, ax raised high. I buried it down on the sheep’s head, and it cut deep. It dropped, and a few more sheep ran. A second later, it vanished, and I held my hand out a smiled as a wool block appeared in my hand. I started to wonder if food worked the same way. ‘Well, one way to tell. Let's see.’ I found I had more than just raw mutton. I had legs, shoulders, chops, racks, and rumps.

“Moo.”

I stopped and smiled as I heard a cow. I started into the field, and I smiled as seeing cows, sheep, and pigs. I looked around to see if those ponies were around. They were none, and I smiled as I charged another sheep with a cow nearby. I switched between my ax and sword. I need attack power to get this over with quickly.

“MAA!”

I cut a sheep’s throat and ran up to a cow. I stabbed it through the side, making it scream before it fell over and vanished. I looked at the blood on my hand and sword. It scared me a little with how easy I had just killed three animals. I nodded my head, knowing this was how I would have to get food.

“Hey!”

I turned my head and saw a pony with a large stick coming my way. ‘Shit!” I took off back into the woods and over the hill. I jumped down and saw Emma sitting with the she-wolf. They jumped up as I ran up to them. “Emma, miss! Move ponies are coming.” The she-wolf grabbed her bow and picked Emma up with her other arm. We ran up the hill Emma, and I came over. The she-wolf smacked me with her tail.

“Come this way!”

I did, and she led me deeper into the forest. I put my sword on my back again as we ran.

“You two can come to the den for a little while!”

“Thanks! I got some meat. I’ll give it to your pack once we get to this den.”

“Good!”

I saw a smile on her face as we ran. Soon we ran up to a large cave mouth with a few more she-wolfs standing guard at the mouth of the cave as we ran up. The two guarding the mouth were much bigger than this girl. A large white hair wolf with more leather armor and a leather cape to my left. In her hand was what I think was a longbow with a sword on her side. She had blue eyes, a collar, and a small ruby set in metal.

The other wolf had white and grey fur with long fingers and claws. Shwe had much better-looking armor. She had shoulder, forearm, and shin guards on. She had a blue robe over some chain mail. On her back was a massive quiver with a bow. In her hand looked like an ax on a spear pole. She was also built better than these two.

She stopped in front of the two.

“Ruby, Jasper, this male got us meat for the puppies.”

The wolf on the left looked at me, and I smiled before holding my hand up. “If you're wondering where the meat is, watch this.”

“What?”

I turned my hand and started to drop the items from my inventory. All their eyes widened as I finished dropping all the sheep meat. I smiled, and Emma got out of the she-wolf arms. She ran over and grabbed ahold of my pants. I laughed and patted her head as the wolfs got the meat. I patted Emma’s head as she held onto my pants.

“This is more food then I could normally get alone.”

I looked at the wolf I had come with. I laughed before I picked Emma up and set her on my shoulder. “Okay, Emma, why don’t you hang with these fine Ladies. I’m off to get more wood and coal.”

“Coal?”

I looked at the grey wolf. “Ya. It’s a black rock that burns. I can use my magic to make stuff with it.” I summoned my stone pick-ax surprising everyone but Emma. The three shook it off then Japer pointed back to the cave, and I think the white one was called.

“We’ve got some rocks like that in the walls of our cave. And we keep guards posted near a pit going deeper into the cave.”

I smiled and nodded as I looked at her. “Mosters spawn down there right?” She blinked and nodded.

“Ya, how did you know?”

I laughed as I rested my pick-ax on my shoulder. “In my old home, we learned they spawn much more often in caves. We also learned a way to stop them from spawning in nearby caves.” That got their attention.

“You can stop them from coming that close?!”

I laughed as I waved my hand. “Ya, I don’t have what I need right now. But, items that are made with my people’s magic can help. If I can make enough magic torches, they can stop the monster from spawning in caves.” I smiled before I switched back over to my ax. “If you all will watch over Emma for me, I will come back in a little while.”

“Ya, we can she can have a bite with the other puppies.”

I nodded before I turned and started to walk over to the hill. “I’m getting more wood be back soon.” I climbed up the hill as I thought this area would be nice for a storage base. ‘The wolfs would keep it safe until I can build something better.’

“Wait up!”

I stopped and looked back and saw the grey one running up behind me. I stopped and turned to face her. “It was Ruby, right?” She nodded as she looked up at the sky and then at me.

“Night will come soon. We want you to come back and stay in the cave. If what you're telling us is true, we could take the lower caves and expand our home.”

“Okay, but I need a lot more wood for what I’m going to do for all of you. Now, you can stay and watch my back or maybe go make plans for when I help you clear the caves.” She smiled, then laughed a little.

“I know your being a little rude but I like the way you put it.”

I laughed and nodded before turning to a massive dark oak tree. “Oh, and so you know I have some coal already, so I will start clearing tonight.”

“Really?!”

I laughed as I chopped at the tree. “I can’t go far, but I can expand your home.” I finished chopping, and the tree burst into blocks and vanished. I smiled before I walked over to another tree. “So, how long have you all lived here?” Another oak tree fell as I spoke.

“We just moved here. The ponies forced us to leave the cave system I was born in. Many of or warriors we killed in the fighting.”

I finished the third tree, and I checked the count. I had nineteen and smiled. ‘That is enough for now.’

“Maa!”

We both looked to the hill and then looked at one another. We smiled, and I nodded as she readied her spear thing.

“You go right I’ll go left.”

I nodded, and I jogged around the hill. She rushed off to the left, and I smiled as I got low on the hill behind a tree. I saw a sheep and two pigs. ‘Hell ya.’ I waited for a minute before Ruby burst out from the trees.

“AH”

I smiled and jumped out of the tree and pulled my sword off my back. I cut the sheep's throat out, making it vanish as I ran at the pigs. One of the pigs turned to the right, but the other kept coming at me. I buried my sword into the pig coming at me. It vanished, and I heard Ruby cursing. I saw she had her spear thing stuck in a tree.

“Damn it!”

I laughed and put my sword on my back again. “It’s good I got two of them.” She pulled the thing free and looked over at me, and I smiled before I pulled the three wool out. ‘Emma would need the bed more then me.’

“What is that?”

I laughed before I sent the wool back to my inventory. “Just wool for now, but I think I’ll make Emma a bed with my crafting table.”

“Crafting tool?”

I laughed before I crossed my arms. “You’ll see soon. For now, we have more food and wood. If you're ready, then let’s head back.” I check what I got from the pig. I got two shoulders, two hams, pork loins, and pork chops.

“So how much meat did you get this time?”

I had an idea of what she wanted. “An okay bit. Once I make another furnace I’ll cook some.”

“What is a furnace?”

I blinked and smiled before I looked back at her. “It’s something I can use to work on raw metal and cook.”

“Oh?”

I laughed as we walked over the hill. I saw Jasper playing with Emma a little way from the cave. I smiled as I watched her play around.

“Come on.”

Ruby punched my shoulder and laughed a little as she started to walk down the hill. I nodded and started to walk down the hill. Emma ran around Jasper, trying to grab Jasper's tail. “Careful Emma.” She grabbed her tail and then looked over at me. She smiled before she let her tail go.

“Steve!”

She ran up to me, and I smiled as I picked her up like she was a happy puppy. She hugged my neck, and I laughed a little.