Nina the Hero, Pt. 3

"Ninny, how many times have I told you not to bring your hands up that fast," Shazimner said from a pile of hay in Nina's family's barn.
"Yeah, yeah. And how many times have I told you not to call me Ninny?" Nina retorted as she pulled Shazimner out of the hay.
"Nina!" Nina's father called. "Where are you?"
"Practicing my swordsman ship in the barn," she hollered back. Her father stepped into the barn.
"Nina," he said, "Don't you have anything better to do with your time?"
"Like chittering about the pretty dress in the store and how much you want it?" Shazimner suggested.
"And anyone better to spend your time with?" Her father sighed. "Nina, I got you a dress for the fair this friday, if you're interested."
Nina dropped Shazimner and ran forward to hug her father.
"Oh, sure. Don't worry about the sword," Shazimner mumbled.
"Really, father?" Nina asked. He nodded. "Oh, thank you!"

Nina the Hero, Pt. 2

Nina grinned up at her older brother. It was her thirteenth birthday today, and as a present, her brother, Daniel, was taking her on a hunting trip.
"Oh, Daniel! Look! A huge deer," Nina whispered excitedly. Daniel followed her finger to where a buck was sitting sunning itself. It cocked an ear towards them as Daniel knocked an arrow into his bow. He drew the string back, then let go. Daniel walked up to the body. Nina began to follow, but stopped when she noticed a flash of light. She crept carefully forward. She crouched down and poked tentatively at a sword that was lying in front of her.
"Hey!" it shouted in a deep, ringing voice. Nina tried to jump back from a crouch but ended up sprawling on her back. "Cut that out, will you? You don't see me poking you."
"Pardon me," she gasped, "But did you just speak to me?"
"Who else could have? The tree?"
"Well, actually," the tree began politely.
"My name is Shazimner," the sword said, ignoring the tree.
"Er... Mine's Nina, I guess," Nina muttered.
"Well, 'Nina, I guess,' how would you like to be a hero? Don't just give me an awestruck look, answer me!"
"Yes, sir. I would like that, sir," Nina replied.
"And don't talk to me like I'm you're dad, girl! You can just refer to me as 'Almighty Lord and Master,' OK?" the sword said. Nina narrowed her eyes. Her initial shock was starting to fade.
"I'm just going to call you sword or Shazimner."
"Nina!" her brother called. "Where are you?" Nina snatched up the sword and ran up to her brother. "Hey, cool sword! Where'd you find it?" Daniel asked as soon as Nina came within his sight.
"Right over there." She pointed. "Daniel! I'm gonna be a hero!"
"No need to get frenetic about it," Shazimner muttered.
"It talks? Neat!" Daniel said enthusiastically.

Nina the Hero, Pt. 1

Nina the hero strode into the tavern. She looked around at the familiar surroundings. The worn benches, the stained tables, and the stools that had been repaired so many times that they resembled scabbed and scaly reptiles. She walked over to the counter and sat on one of the deranged stools.
"Hi, Nina!" the tavern keeper said. "What would you like today?"
"The usual," she said. She thought for a moment. "With potatoes," she added. Nina turned to face the old man that was sitting next to her. "Hello, John. How have you been since I've been gone?"
"I've been doing wonderfully, now that the dog and wife have passed on," the old man replied. He grinned maliciously. Nina gave him a Look.
"I see..." she said carefully.
"I can't believe you'd come to a slum like this," a deep, ringing voice muttered. Nina glanced at her sword.
"It happens to be one of the best places round," she growled back.
"What was that? I thought I heard someone talking," the old man said, looking around wildly.
"What? Talking? I didn't hear anything," Nina answered innocently. "Shut up or you'll get us kicked out of ANOTHER inn," she muttered out of the corner of her mouth, apparently directing her comment to her sword on her waist.
"Nothing fools these old ears. I'm telling you, I heard a voice, clear as day," the old man said, eyeing Nina's scabbard. The tavern keeper set Nina's food down in front of her.
"Yeah, yeah. OLD ears, I might note," the voice said slightly louder.
"Shut up, shut up," Nina muttered through a mouth of food.
"I heard it for sure that time!" the old man crowed gleefully. "Did you hear it? Nina? Tavern keeper?" Nina shook her head violently.
"Come on, Nina. I even heard it that time," the tavern keeper said. "It was a rather rude comment."
"Nice, fats. So you can hear, too, huh?" the voice said. The tavern keeper tried to draw himself up to his full height, but only succeeded in his full width. He pointed a trembling finger at Nina. She seemed startled by the finger.
"Was that you who just insulted my customer and me?" the tavern keeper said with indignant fury. Nina sighed. She pulled a handful of coins out of her pocket and dropped them on the counter. She grabbed what food she could, then headed outside. Once she was outside, she leaned against the stable door and started eating as fast as she could. After she had finished, she climbed on to her horse and set off into the night.
"It was true," the voice mumbled.
"Shazimner, take my advice and quit talking," Nina growled. "I don't know why I even bothered to pick you up. Now, all the taverns I went to as a child think I've grown up into some kind of prig." She sighed. She remembered the day she found Shazimner practically like she remembered what just happened in the tavern...