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"I'm here to get you out of this tunnel." You kept your voice calm and quiet.
The kid sniffled and turned away from you. "No, go away. Ah'm s'pposed t' be here. It's mah work." He curled into a ball, knocking over some of the rocks he'd dug out of the mine, and Mary bleated back at you two.
"A-an' tell yer sheep t' shut it!"
This was going to be harder than you'd thought it'd be...
You twisted around and motioned for Mary to keep it down. You hadn't a clue whether she understood so, just to try and earn the boy's trust, you piped up. "Mary, keep it down!"
The boy chuckled. "M-Mary? That's what y' named her?"
What was so funny about that? "It's a perfectly good name. I don' see you suggestin' anythin' better, anywho." Another cough. The kid's moving around was kicking up dust.
He began to uncurl himself just a little, taking up as much space as he could without hitting his head, his expression relaxing just a bit. "W-well, fer one, Noisy would work." He rubbed his cheeks-- covering them completely with a layer of dirt-- and tried to smile.
You could tell he was trying to be happy more than he was being genuine. The effort was infectious-- even your tone was lighter, despite the insincerity, and you even managed a gaff. "Well now, that'd just get confusin'. Imagine tryin' t' call her name durin' a big show or some'n. Everyone'd be askin' for her!"
Ms. Noisy gave another bleat down the tunnel and you gave her another hush. The boy asked why she was bleating so much through his quiet snickering. "I don't think it's very comfortable for her t' stay down here so long. She's used t' big wide plains 'n pretty skies." You assumed. Really, you weren't certain. Mary wasn't your average sheep.
That description seemed to dull the boy's expression. "Ah wish ah could be seein' some o' that raght now. Dad said he wouldn' let me outta here 'til ah brought him back a bullion o' gold."
You blinked and retreated a bit, shooing away dust as you retorted. "What? How would you find a bullion of gold down here?"
The kid gave another <span class="mu-i">hic</span> and laughed a dry laugh of near-desperation. "Ah dunno!! But he said ah gotta keep minin' till ah do!"
The thought baffled you. "I... your dad wasn't bein' serious, I don't think."
A distant rumble came from outside the shaft. You heard Mary turning towards the sound, her hoofbeat echoing through the tiny tunnel until both it and the rumble had faded, a small cloud of dust briefly obscuring her.
"Forget what your dad said, anyways. It's clear you've been down here way too long."
"An' what makes you think you know better than mah parents, Mr. Nobody?"
You glanced beneath his chin. He looked pretty skinny. "I don't think your parents would want you t' have been down here for days at a time."
