Unedited.

"So, what's the plan?" Fitz asked the next day. He had dropped by again unexpectedly.

Sophie was bent over her homework on her bed, when Sandor had let him in. "What do you mean?" Sophie asked, as Fitz sat himself carefully in her desk chair. "For today, fun, activity." He offered. As Sophie thought through the past week she didn't remember promising setting something up with anyone. Dex was to busy basking in the family reunion of being home -more like they were keeping him there- Tam had nearly been forced out of Stina's home, but they wouldn't leave each others side. They weren't all over each other like Keefe and Linh once were, but Sophie had heard rumors of someone having seen them holding hands and kissing, but rumors were rumors.

Keefe and Linh, well they had started actually 'talking' and were starting to focus on getting to know each other. At Sophie's confused face, Fitz sighed. "I'm bord, you're just doing homework and there is nothing to do at Everglen, besides watching Biana and Mom designing dresses." Fitz shrugged. "What about Keefe?" Sophie asked looking back down at her homework. She had started getting lost in those teal eyes, and she couldn't do that. "With Linh." Fitz answered. "Tam?"

"Do I have to answer that?"

"Stina?" Sophie asked as she reread the sentence she just read three times already. "Yeah."

"Well what about your Dad?"

"I have a feeling you're trying to get rid of me." Fitz said with a smile Sophie could hear. "No." Sophie said to quickly. "No." She repeated calmer. "That's not it I was just thinking we could all hang out or something." Sophie said, staring at Fitz's eyebrows instead of his eyes. "So you don't want to be alone with me?" Fitz asked his eyebrow arching. "No....I just have a bunch of chores after this." Sophie said. She did. Brushing Myth's teeth, giving him a bath, then of course helping Edaline and a gnome named Zanly, after that it was searching for Obi the escaped shadow horse that had broken away from the herd, which Grady was searching for right now.

"Oh." Fitz sat back in the chair. "So you just want us all to help you with your chores." He teased. "Well it would help, they kind of piled up." Sophie said rolling her eyes, as she tossed her pencil down giving up on her homework. "Well how about this. I'll help you so long as we go too Eternalia afterward."

"Why?" Sophie asked. Fitz smiled, "Dinner of course." At Sophie's raised eyebrow, he sighed "and of course I wanted to sign up for the bramble tournament." Fitz said. "That Elvin sport you and Keefe play?" Sophie asked. "Girls play too. Last time I played Keefe, Rowan and I were the only guys on the team, and I'm telling you those girls were brutal on the field, we were undefeatable then." Fitz smirked.

"Fun." Sophie said unenthusiastically. She hadn't seen exactly what bramble was, but from what she had learned it was a cross between soccer, lacrosse and base quest, with lots and lots of running. "It is." Fitz declared. From what Sophie had learned in the human world, sports weren't her thing. "It's try outs at sundown."

"Seems like they'd do it in the light." Sophie grumbled. "No, you get assigned a team color handkerchief that glows in the dark, then you play at dark, and those who play the best are on the team. It's like who can be the best team together without knowing who our teammates are, and plus it's crazy having to keep with everything, and try not tripping over each other." Fitz grinned. "And whoever you bring can stand on the sidelines, it's almost like the beginning opening game of free for all." Fitz explained. "Families and friends all come." That actually sounded cool to watch. Sophie had homework and chores....

"Tell you what. I think I can get all my chores done before sundown id you do my homework or, we could double down both working and work on the same thing at once." Sophie offered picking up her pencil. "What exactly are your chores?" Fitz asked. Sophie winced at the thought of it all. She told him, and he sighed. "I'll do your homework and help weed the garden, if you can do the rest we could finish in time to catch the opening ceremony." Sophie's eyes widened and Fitz grinned, "Don't worry it's just really loud music and kind of just getting the participaters' adrenaline pumping."

"Alright. Edaline and Zanly are in the garden now. I'm stuck on this stupid sentence and this chapter needs to be read and highlight what I need to know." Sophie said. "Don't you have photographic memory?" Fitz asked. "Yeah, it....it just has a delay when I'm distracted." Sophie said as she pulled on her boots.  "Come on Iggy let's go wrestle with Myth." Sophie said snatching the purple imp out of his cage, he gave an alarmed fart, as Sophie hurried out of her room. "Thanks Fitz." she called as Sandor followers her down the stairs.

~

"What have you been eating?" Sophie gagged, she was soaked in water, soap and mud, but Myth was clean. Myth had just opened his mouth and his breath had rivaled Iggy's. Sophie took a deep breath before reaching inside of Myth mouth.

"Oh gross." She gagged as she pulled out a slimy piece of chewed gunk from between Myth's teeth. Her brown work gloves faintly stained green. Sophie tossed the thing out of Myth's mouth, before going in again. "Myth, honestly I would think you would at least try some sort of hygiene instead of leaving it all up to me." Sophie grumbled, as she finished her work. Myth grunted as he followed her to the wash room where Sophie left her dirty gloves, and soaked boots and socks. Now time to tackle the real chore. Finding Obi.

As Sophie found some clean socks and grabbed a non-soaked pair of boots. She could hear Edaline and Fitz laughing. "I heard her fall down the stairs once." Edaline laughed. "She was to embarrassed to admit it but-" Edaline cut off as she spotted Sophie tying off the braid to her rancid smelling hair. "Finished?" She asked. "No. I have to catch up to Grady." Sophie grumbled wishing her blush would go away. "Edaline was telling me all your embarrassing stories." Fitz smiled as if he had said they were talking about plants, like it was an everyday thing to talk to Edaline.

"So I heard." Sophie said handing Iggy over to Edaline. "Whoam that's." Fitz tried hard not to gag. "I know I stink, I just spent the last hour doing Myth's dental care." Sophie grumbled. Fitz smiled tightly. "So Obi right?" he asked Sophie nodded. "Yup, Sandor?"

"Ready."

"I'm finished the garden, so if you want help." Fitz had dirt stains on the knees of his pants, and his hands looked a bit dirty. "Sure. We're gonna need all the help we can get." Sophie nodded as Sandor sniffed the air.

"That way!" Sandor pointed, and like that Sophie was off. Running. Sandor directing her to Grady's location. She could hear Sandor and Fitz crashing around behind her, but Sophie had already gotten used to running through the forest trying too find Grady.

Over the log she tripped over a couple of days ago, ducking under the branch she had ran face first into the day after that, grabbing the vines above her head and swinging over the ditch she had tumbled and rolled into nearly breaking her neck. She landed solidly on the ground she ran ahead with Sandor calling for her to slow down.

Sophie sat down at the top of the hill, as Sandor and Fitz caught up Sandor nodded, letting her know that was the right direction Sophie slid down the hill, jumping up she dusted herself off before hurrying forward. Around the thorn bushes, and

Boom!

Slammed right into Grady, sending them both tumbling forward down a hill and right into a ghastly beast.

It was large, not huge just large. With thick furry covered arms sagging shoulders, and loose jaw, with a huge belly. It stared at Grady and Sophie for a moment. It looked like an overgrown chimpanzee with bigger teeth, a bigger belly and bright green fur. "Um...." Was all Sophie managed as she stared up at the...the thing, which now had a strand of drool slipping out of it's slack jaw as it scratched furry belly. "Sophie, be very still." Grady whispered as he placed himself in between the beast and Sophie.

"What is it-"

"Ssshhh!" Grady hissed quietly. "What is it?" Sophie repeated in a hushed tone. "That's a wild Pillager. It may not look like much but if it is provoked or irked idol send itself into a rage." Grady whispered as he stayed crouched, half over Sophie as he pushed her back up the hill. Just as Sandor and Fitz stopped short at the top of. "Oh great." Sophie groaned quietly. "Another escapee?" She asked. "No. It probably has been wandering Havenfield." Grady whispered as they scooted up the hill. "So we're just leaving it to run wild?" Sophie asked, the blood shot eyes of the beast hadn't left them, for a moment. "No we'll get some gear a couple of goblins to round it up." Grady whispered.

"Just be as silent as you ca- AH!" Grady's hand had stabbed into into a thick thorn on the root of the thorn bushes. The beast's eyes narrowed. It gave a scream, pounding it's fist across it's chest it made a flock of birds tale flight in fear, several creatures scatter. Sandor and Fitz were to far up the hill to reach them in time, the Pillager started running at them in a sideways loping in an awkwardly fast pace. It make making noises that threatened to burst Sophie's eardrums. Locking eyes with the beast Sophie did the only thing she could.

Standing up she planted her feet in a wide stance, placing her hand up with her palm out in a 'stop' motion, she put as much authority and disapproval in her voice.

"BAD DOG!" The thing pulled up short, confused as to why the little elf wasn't running. "VERY BAD DOG!" Sophie yelled. The long giraffe like ears twitched, as it's nose wrinkled. "SIT, YOU VERY BAD DOG!" Sophie snapped pointing her forefinger down to the ground. Confused and unsure the Pillager sat on it's bottom, it's large hands planted in front of it. "NOW BEHAVE BAD DOG!" Sophie growled as she marched toward the beast with her biggest strut. She planted herself in front of the stinky Pillager, placing her hands on her hips she glared at the blood shot, black eyes. "You Bad Dog, have caused enough trouble. It's time to get you to Havenfield to be rehabilitated." She said sniffing.

The large hand reached for her eagerly as if to snatch her up and cram her in the rancid smelling mouth. Sophie smacked it away. "Bad dog! I said behave!" She said stomping her foot, making the beast stare at it's stinging furry hand in wonderment. It looked at Sophie and reached for her again. Sophie hit the hand harder, "You!" She pointed at it. "BEHAVE!" She growled. The Pillager sat back, and stared at her for further direction.
Sophie pulled the rope from her side. "Hand!" She demanded as she made a loop in the rope.

The hand was held out to her. Sophie slipped the loop on, "Heel." She said before turning her back. She heard the beast move as it followed her, curious as to what would happen next, as if wondering why the little elf wasn't dead with fear. Sophie marched up the hill, past slack jawed Grady and tense Sandor and open mouthed Fitz.
Sophie strode forward. Bad Dog reached for Sandor, Sophie smacked his hand. "Mine!" She growled.

Grady.

Smack!

"Mine!"

Fitz.

Smack!

"Mine!"

Sophie.

Smack!

"Me!"

Bad Dog grunted as he followed Sophie.

Back at Havenfield as gnomes built a cage for Bad Dog, Sophie had to continually smack his hand away from gnomes and other goblins. Bad Dog grunted and huffed but didn't seem to know what to do about Sophie. What's in the enclosed cage, he found vegetation enough to his heart's desire, and practically dove in to it, nearly yanking Sophie with him. Sophie managed to get the rope off him, before stepping out of the enclosure wiping at the cuts she had gotten from the thorn bush Bad Dog had dragged her through. She smelled like Myth's breath, sweat, mud and something close to a wet dog.

Grady secured the gate behind her. Sophie sighed in exhaustion. "I dub him Bad Dog." She told Grady, Edaline, Fitz and Sandor who stood staring at her.

"No wonder you always seem tired." Fitz said with a proud smile.

~

"Fitz Vacker, here for the tryout." Fitz said to the elf at the table that had been carried out. Hundreds if not thousands of elves had come to the 'tryout' the elf looked up at Fitz's name.

She had gentle features and a sweet smile...that was a little to sweet for Sophie's liking. "Keefe Sencen already signed you in Fitz." She smiled. Fitz grinned back. "Thanks Lillian." He grinned as she handed him a red handkerchief. "Sophie is here as a bystander." He said. Lillian's eyes snapped to Sophie. Her light blue eyes darkened, but she smiled. "Sophie Foster. Right here you go." A white handkerchief. Sophie took the cool fabric and let Fitz pull her away. Fitz had tied his handkerchief around his right knee. "White is the color of surrender." He explained as Sophie struggled to tie hers around her arm.

"All bystanders wear it." He said, As he lead her past the table. Handkerchief of blue, yellow, orange, green, and red spread all over the open field. Elves had tied handkerchiefs at their ankles, shins, wrists, waists, hair, and even neck. "Keefe and I made up the tying the handkerchief around our knees." Fitz said. "Nobody else does it because it's kind of like our trademark. We can spot each other easily in the darkness, see look." Fitz pointed at a knee with a red bandana wrapped around the right knee. Sophie followed the leg up, to see it was Keefe.

Sophie still held tight to her loose handkerchief, as they hurried over. Tam, and Stina had their own red handkerchiefs around their right knees, Linh also had one, and Dex was just finishing tying his own. "Oh look who showed up." Keefe smirked. "Something wear you out Foster?" He asked fanning the air. "She caught a wild Pillager single handedly, and lead it back to Havenfield." Fitz said wide eyed, Sophie blushed as everyone looked at her. "Wild?" Stina asked.

Sophie nodded, "She faced it head on right as it's rage started." Fitz said, as he almost absentmindedly took Sophie's white handkerchief and folded it. "That's impressive." Dex said. Sophie shrugged, "Well Grady got hurt and Sandor was to far away to help so I just remembered what I'd read in a dog training book-"

"She named it Bad Dog." Fitz chuckled as he kneeled in front of Sophie, wrapping the handkerchief around her right knee he tied it at the back of her leg. "To tight?" He asked. Sophie shook her head her face burning and Fitz continued like that was nothing out of the ordinary. "Totally dominated it." Fitz said. "Dominated what?" Biana asked popping out of thin air, with her own white bystander flag around her right knee. Dex's eyes light up as soon as he saw her. "Your a bystander too?" Sophie asked, cutting the embellished version of Fitz's story.

Biana nodded uncomfortably. "She got hurt last time." Fitz explained. "I...I decided not to join." Biana said. "What happened?" Sophie asked. "That time was awesome Biana, you made the winning score." Keefe said. Biana smiled, "I just don't want to join this time. Besides." Biana linked her arms with Sophie...hesitantly. "I'll keep track of Sophie." She said vanishing and reappearing just as quickly. "Probably a good idea." Dex nodded. Biana smiled shyly at Dex.

"So when does this start?" Sophie asked. "As soon as these start to glow." Fitz said pointing at their bandanas. "Then we'll separate to our coaches." He said pointing at an elf in a red tunic, that looked to be made of the same material as the bandanas. Two coaches and Sophie spotted Elwin off to the side with other doctors. They each had white tunics, with a bright green square. "Their shirts tell us they are the medics and we let them through if they are ever on the field. Then the bystanders-"

"Us." Biana smiled at Sophie as she cut her brother off. "You." Fitz agreed. "Stand off to the side." Keefe finished quickly. Fitz rolled his eyes, "and cheer us on." Dex said, smiling. Sophie caught Dex in a headlock. "Of course I'll be cheering for you, you knucklehead." She said messing his hair, before pushing him toward Biana who blushed. "I'll be cheering you all on." Sophie grinned. "You better." Keefe said. "We need our best and loudest fans out there." Keefe winked. "Though I am still the president of the Foster fanclub." He chuckled as Sophie rolled her eyes. "I thought we were done with that." She said. "Not by a long shot mysterious Miss. F." He grinned as he wrapped his arm around Linh.

"Great." Sophie grumbled. Keefe laughed, "You really thought you could get out of that? Well let me tell you something. It's sticking." Keefe's eyes glinted. "For life." He said. "We could just strangle him and it'd be over." Biana offered. Sophie grinned at her. "Let's go grab some good seats. Good luck." Biana said, before bounding off. Sophie glanced at the others. "Good luck." She said before bounding after Biana, nearly tripping. Twice.

(Oh votes, how you despise me.)