( i don't know if i can do this or not but i'm going to anyways)
Ayumi was standing before the village elders awaiting her sentence. She knew it was either death by burning at the stake or expulsion...she chose expulsion...
"Ayumi Sato..." started the ugliest of the Elders, "for the crime of stealing 1,000 goats and selling them on the black market, you shall be sentenced to..." ,She feared the worst..., "..expulsion from the village. You will be sent to the Elven forest and you make continue your journey there...just don't do it again."
"Thank-you" she replied...she at least had to be polite...they took her in for 3 years!
Ayumi was given a raggedy knapsack with a small lunch and was given her sword back, and then she was on her way.
She knew something about these forests...like not to get eaten by who-knows-what. She also knew that rogue bandits LOVED to hide in the Elven Forests..."great. just great" she thought.
It was getting dark when she ran into a group of people she didnt' recognize...they were wearing raggedy clothing and were with an elf-sprite. One of the largest ones raised a rock and threatened to break her skull..."I mean no harm...really!" she replied to the man. Another one came to him and said, "That's enough. The more the merrier right? Besides, she doesn't mean harm...i can tell. By the way, my name's Ryu...and this [I]points to the elf-sprite[/I] , is Shi-su."
"Pleased to meetcha!" Ayumi replied and thought to herself, "This is going to be interesting."