Chapter 4: Against time

The sun was setting, when Beggar managed to make it to the garbage heap. He looked into one of the pipes, that was leading inside the waste area.

It was a big pipe, with jagged ends. There was a purple liquid flowing out of it. Beggar decided to thank his lucky stars, that he now owned shoes.

Scrunching up his nose, he moved inside the pipe. The liquid made splashing noises as he moved. His feet became wet soon after, and there was a slight burning sensation on his toes.

Beggar decided to ignore it all. This job offered five silver coins. Whoever had lost their dog, must really want it back, to offer such a fortune. With five silver coins, Beggar could eat for a month. Maybe even get a place to stay? Out of the biting cold, and the infernal snow that persisted with its constant falling.

By the time Beggar made it to the waste disposal place, his feet really burned. He bit his lower lip, and continued on. He would heal, as he always had. Pity for the shoes. For, if this liquid was wrecking such a hazard on his feet, then...

Beggar rose his shoes, and looked at the soles. He could see his feet, and blood. Gulping, he did his best not to step on any sharp pieces of junk. The last thing he needed now was to see if his legs could heal if they got too damaged.

Packs of dogs were around, but of the stately wolf-like one, there was no sight. Some of them snapped at him, sensing he had food. He bared his teeth right back.

When he made it to the other end of the garbage heap, his shoulders slumped. No dog. What if it was in one of the good houses in the town's square? What if someone had taken it home?

He heard whining, and saw a white, dirt covered, tail, poking out from a trash pile. Beggar went, and began to dig. Finally, he managed to get the head of the dog out, and the piercing blue eyes stared back at him.

"You got buried under the trash?" Beggar asked, as he began to dig the rest of his bounty's body from the waste. "I will bring you back to your owner. You will get to be near the fireplace, and..."

Bitterness threatened to poison Beggar's heart. This dog had it better than him. Even now, more people cared about it than of Beggar. He shook his head.

'Think of the five silver coins,' Beggar thought to himself. 'Think of the warm place you are going to rent.'

When the entire body of the animal was out of the trash, Beggar saw a sharp piece of glass pocking out of the dog's hind leg. He sucked in a breath, to steal himself.

Should he remove it? When a drunk would stab him, he would run. But before he even turns a corner, he would always remove the thing he had been stabbed with. His torso was littered with old scars, but he was still alive.

"Think of the warm food you are going to get," Beggar murmured to the dog, and felt awful for envying it. "Think of the love..."

Beggar's voice stuck in his throat, and tears began to fall down his face. The dog would be loved, even crippled. Beggar, on the other hand.

"Be brave," Beggar didn't know to whom he said that. Was it to himself? Beth had always told him that self-pity led to madness. No, grinning and bearing it was the mark of the strong. Beggar wanted to be strong. With all his little heart.

The glass cut up his own palm, and blood trickled down from it. Still, Beggar tugged it out slowly. The dog gave out a whimper, and tried to stand, only to fall back down.

Beggar realized that he had to carry the dog. With much trouble, for the dog was almost as big as he, he picked it up, and headed back towards the pipes.

The first rays of sunshine made goosebumps appear on his skin, and he began to run towards the pipes. A big pipe was lowered from the sky, and into the trash. Beggar began to run faster.

He had been caught out here in the trash only once. Back then, it had been just him, and he hadn't been carrying anyone. Since then, he knew better than to come in here for food on a Saturday. The garbage disposal men were always punctual.

The smell of burning garbage hit his nose, and he jumped into the pipe. With all his strength, he did his best to keep the dog above the purple liquid. His feet hurt so much, that he thought he would fall.

Then, the dog licked him. Beggar looked startled at the fur ball, as the liquid began to flow faster. Did it think that they were going to die? Was it glad that they were together?

"We will be just fine," Beggar said, as the liquid reached his knees. The burning sensation spread, and he began to waddle through the pipe. Soon, the fire in the trash would reach this pipe, and if he didn't get out soon enough...

Fresh air hit his nose, as he got out of the pipe. Flames ran after him, but he was already running for the exit of the garbage depot. He knew that he needed to wash up, but no one was going to let him in the baths.

Beggar placed the whimpering dog down, and began rolling in the snow. The white powder soon became purple, and he went and rubbed the dog all over.

The boy looked down at himself. His clothes were burned off to the knees. His shoes were gone. Beggar's legs were a bloody mess, but he was alive.

"See? What did I tell you? We will be just fine," Beggar said triumphantly, and then picked up the dog once more. The animal gave him another lick and began to whine. Beggar looked to his pouch, where he kept the food that captain Rainier had given him. It was unharmed.

Deciding that they needed more fuel in their tanks, Beggar split the sandwich in two. As the dog began to wag its tail, Beggar's own tail began to swing back and forth. A small smile playing on his lips.