The Tales Of Esmeralda

Chapter 16: Farmer Boy With The Golden Hair

Esmeralda still felt upset about leaving the village behind. Without meaning to she started crying.

Yolanda turned around and looked at her. She too looked as if she were about to cry with her downcast eyes, but Yolanda was going to cry because Esmeralda was crying. She wanted to make her feel better. "What's wrong, Es?"

Triana walked onto Esmeralda's lap and starting trying to get in Esmeralda's face. Esmeralda attempted a half-smile, but was too upset to fully succeed.

"I just..." Esmerlada began. "I needed to help that village. How can I call myself a hero if I can't save them?"

Yolanda put her hand on Esmeralda's knee, which made Esmeralda look up. "You just need to be stronger, Es. Get more experience. Maybe even get reinforcements. I'm sure Perseus himself wasn't a hero in a day."

Esmeralda nodded as she looked down at the cat in her lap and took Yolanda's hand. Esmeralda still couldn't help but be ashamed of herself.

~~~~

A few days had past. They each took turns driving the horses, they slept, and they ate. Eventually they ran out of food. When they were in a hurry in the last market they didn't grab enough.

"There!" Sebastian yelled from the back  of the cart making Esmeralda jump in the driver's seat and Yolanda look up at him from her bread. "There! That's a farm town! There's sure to be food there! Look! I can see a bunch of crops from here!"

The road was far away from the village, but Sebastian was right. The plentiful farms were practically full of fresh produce.

Yolanda smiled widely. "Fresh food here we come! Driver, step on it!"

"Whatever you wish, my queen," Esmeralda said sarcastically with an eye roll. But luckily she was smiling with it.

~~~~

After they got into the village and kept the horses and cat in the stables they split up. Esmeralda decided to go to the nearest inn to get a drink, Yolanda went to the market to get food, and Sebastian just...started walking around. He didn't know what he felt like doing. Walking, really. Other than that he wasn't sure. So he took a walk.

On the walk down the grassy path he couldn't help but look up at the beautiful sky. It was a light blue with some fluffy white clouds. He saw two birds fly over him, and he couldn't help but fall in love with the little song they sang together. Like a duet between two lovers about how much they truly cared... Sebastian wanted that. Somebody to care for him like his parents cared for each other. (And though he wouldn't say it to their faces, the way that Yolanda and Esmeralda cared about each was what he was looking for too.)

Sebastian was so occupied looking up that he bumped into somebody.

"Oof!" the person that he bumped into said as he fell to the ground and all of the firewood that he held fell with him.

"Oh my gods, I am so sorry!" Sebastian said. He knelt down to the ground. "Here, let me."

"No no no, I got it," the man that Sebastian bumped said.

"No, I do. I made you fall, I pick this shit up."

Sebastian and the man both picked up the firewood. When they finished they stood up.

"I'll carry it to your house," Sebastian said to the man when he reached his arm out for some of the wood. "Don't worry about it. Again, I am so sorry. What's your name?"

Sebastian didn't see the man clearly until 2.25 seconds before he answered. He was taller than Sebastian by about four inches, so he was two inches taller than Yolanda. He had short blonde hair that fell around his ears in curls. His bottle green eyes were staring at Sebastian, and they were so warm and kind that Sebastian wanted to hug this man.

The man smiled, and Sebastian didn't know how to feel. "My name is Petros. Petros Giannopoulos. I'm a farmer. My farm's over there." Petros pointed to the direction of the stable. "And you?"

"My name is Sebastian. Sebastian Alexiou. I'm an adventurer and hero, or at least that's the goal. I live over there." Sebastian pointed down the road. "Way way over there. A few villages over. You know, of the ones not burned down."

Petros couldn't help but laugh. "It's nice to meet you, Sebastian."

Sebastian smiled. "Likewise Petros."

He did it.

Sebastian found somebody to care for like his parents cared for each other.