The Warlord's Prize

Chapter 3 - Imperial Visitors

Unpacking my things did not take long to accomplish after Carl bought the house for me. Luckily, I did not have to make my first payment on it until next month, so that would give me lots of time to make enough money on my new job.

The first night in the house was peaceful. Children had gone inside at dusk, while the adults would sit and watch the sunset over the hills until it vanished beyond the West. The village felt like a joyful place and I loved it already. I fell asleep under the furs after gazing at the mountains out the window for an hour.

Come morning, Meiying was kind enough to bring me a fresh loaf of bread and fish that her eldest son caught. I cooked it up and ate half, even though fish was not something I enjoyed eating. I was in a new place, and trying new things would be critical.

I dressed in a simple pink gown and apron that I did not care about, grabbed my old straw hat from on top of the dresser and slipped my feet into sandals. No one had told me when I was expected to start working nor where in the gardens, but I figured if I showed up I would be placed somewhere.

I went outside and walked down the gentle slope. The gardens were down at the central area off to the right. As I passed the other homes, I spotted the same children at play from yesterday. It would not be long before I recognized everyone here, but who would I get along with? That question would have to be asked later as I made my way towards the gardens.

Meiying had told me that I was to go to the town square and go right to reach the garden I had been assigned to work at. Sometimes I thought that she was the mayor of this place, which was not a common or acceptable job for a woman at this era. But I figured that she had been living here long enough to know where everyone and everything was. I would hate to lose her during the first year living here, if I knew for a fact that I was going to stay.

As I approached the village square, I came across a statue that I had never seen before. It was a small stone sculpture of a dragon coiled around a rock, about one and a half meters high. Funny, how come I never saw this when Meiying was showing us around the village yesterday? I guess my attention span was too distracted by what lay within those mountains. Just as I was about to turn towards the garden, I heard a muffled sound of sobs coming from the statue. I turned to look, there sat a little girl at the foot of the small statue. She was wearing a red dress with two little buns in her black hair, and her head was in her hands; she was crying.

I pondered whether it would be best to help her or not. I still did not know everyone here yet, but that was not going to stop me from speaking to those in need. She looked about five or six years old and her parents were nowhere to be found. I walked up and knelt beside her,

"Hey, are you okay?" I asked,

She looked up at me, her face red from crying and shook her head quietly with tears still dripping down her pale face,

"Where's your family? Are you lost?"

This time she answered, "No....I know where to find my family but I....lost...."

"Lost what?" I tried to be as patient with her as I could,

"My....my doll,"

"You lost your doll in the village, or did someone take it? It was probably one of the boys, they think that..." I paused and wanted to finished the sentence with: "babies play with dolls," but then I realized that that would only make the girl more upset so I changed my words,

"Don't worry," I said, putting a hand on the girl's shoulder, "I'll find whatever boy is bullying you and get it back,"

"It was not a boy, it was a....a bird..."