Escorting the People [Mission, Private][761 / 250 Words]

Mission Taken – Escorting the Merchants:

"Come on, where is this person whose supposed to be leading us there?"

"Running late of course!"

"If I lose business I'm not coming back to this village again!"

"I am not late, in fact I am ten minutes earlier than you requested, and I've been standing here for three minutes waiting for you lot to notice me.", came Nalla's voice. The female had her arms folded across her chest and the emotionless mask she had begun to perfect hiding the brewing agitation beneath. She was sure announcing herself as she had was only going to add more insult to the injury of them having been talking about her while she was standing there. Frost sat down next to her, looking between her and the group of three merchants she had been tasked to leading to the next village.

"You? You are going to be leading us to the next village?"

"Is this what our money paid for? The dog looks more dangerous then you!"

"Maybe the dog is supposed to lead us!"

The emotionless mask slipped off of her face: she had known this was going to be an issue, but she supposed that this was what prodigies had to deal with - people judged you on your size, not your brain and jutsu prowess. "Listen, this ends now. You can all either knock off with the sarcasm and insults and allow me to lead you to the other village where I can gaurentee you will arrive safely, or you can continue to insult me and then go by yourself, without an escort at all and no refund of your money, and be left to fend on your own. The choice is yours. Make it, NOW." She ended her little speech, looking each and every one of them in the eye as she did so: she was not going to put up, seven years old or not, with being insulted any longer.

The merchants were stunned into silence for a moment due to what Nalla had said to them: anyone else would have likely brushed it off their shoulders and though it a little kid throwing a tantrum, but the difference was the headband around her neck that stated clearly she had the authority and rank to cause him some problems - and that wasn't if they didn't already knew who her mother was, and the rest of her family. Nalla waited for them to speak again, and after a moment she was rewarded with just that.

"Alright, you can lead us.", said one merchant while the others nodded in agreement behind him. Good, it was decided then, they'd have no more problems and she could do the job she was given. Nalla moved in front of them and without another single word she led the way out of the village. Frost walked next to her, helping to keep an eye, ear, and nose on things as they went. Between the two of them nothing was likely going to be able to sneak up on them, let alone harm them.

The trip was one she had memorized several times over again - getting lost had not been in her list of things to do. Of course, her mother had traveled a lot with her recently, so it wasn't like she didn't know the route off by heart regardless. The merchants walked in silence with them, obviously still mentally sore over the verbal tongue lashing she had given them back in Kirigakure - not that they didn't deserve it, which is exactly why she hadn't and wasn't going to apologize.

As they neared the next village something caught her nose; a wild animal was lurking nearby. She held her hand up, causing the group to stop. Nalla moved back while Frost, whose nose was a lot better than her own, moved forward into the trees. A few moments later she heard the distinct sound of a quick fight, the squealing sound of a wild hog, and then silence. Frost returned, mouth slightly bloody, but unharmed. Nalla took position next to him and gave a wave of her hand for the group to finish following her.

They reached the village within the next hour and the merchants departed, likely as glad to be rid of her as she was to them. She gave Frost a scratch behind the ears and then climbed on his back, glad they could move a lot faster now. "Come on, let's get back home.. you need a bath, and we could both use some food." Frost took off, back towards Kirigakure...

Word Count: 761