**Chapter 144: Reunion**
As the icy cauldron of autumn bestows a silvery veil upon the earth, the previously dark outskirts of Stag Town let out a yowl of warmth, ablaze with flickering firelight. One after another, war chariots roll along the town’s streets, weaving through the bustling crowds, while children leap and scamper after them, their laughter mingling with the resounding festivity in the air—surely, it feels like a festival is in full swing!
The roads leading to the central square are jammed with people. Poets belt out tunes, while jesters prance about, engaging excited bystanders in comedic exchanges. Cheers and claps fill the street, and as the flames flicker, the night grows thicker with excitement—not quite at its peak yet, but definitely thickening!
The stage in the center square stands ready, its red curtains billowing in the breeze, and the performance everyone has been eagerly anticipating is still half an hour away from starting.
“Little Bernie, Little Bernie, don’t run off like that!”
Not far from the town center, on a dusty path where a snack stall is hawking goodies, a little boy bursts out of the crowd, racing towards a pastry stand, his chin resting on his tiny fist, tilting his head in awe. A young man catches up from behind and grabs the boy’s hand, but the boy immediately squats down, struggling, “I want to eat this, just one…”
The young man snaps, “You just ate a deer meat pie! No more treats for you!”
“But bro, can you get me one, please…”
The little boy throws a tantrum, his eyes glued to the pastries as he flat-out refuses to get up, no matter how hard his brother tries to pull him.
Behind them, a young woman in a cat mask, cradling two bulging bags of cookies, glances at the commotion ahead, then looks down at her own treats with a slightly troubled expression.
…I might have acted a bit rashly.
Earlier, I just wanted some extra compensation from the soldiers, so I exaggerated and said I spilled forty pastries when it was really just a few. They bought forty, which fit exactly into two bags. I’m clinging to one bag now, enjoying the fleeting happiness, but then I realize—I can’t eat with both hands occupied! How am I supposed to munch on these?
Do I just bite into them?
That would be utterly ridiculous…
“Ryan, weren’t you here to see the show? It’s starting soon! Why are you wandering off…”
I hear a few young men whispering behind me, trying to keep their voices low.
“Yeah, right? What are you doing? You finally get to meet… uh, that girl you like…”
The guys probably think I can’t hear over the ruckus, but I catch every word. They’re urging Ryan to stick around.
“Stupid kid, how do you know a girl like that… d*mn, you better cherish your luck… Tonight’s a blast, you need to make the most of it… argh!”
“Seriously, I don’t get what you’re thinking… Ryan, if you chicken out and sneak back home like this… we’re done for!”
“Not a chance!”
Ryan’s voice grows louder, frustration seeping through. “What do you know? You don’t know anything! You just see a pretty face… to her, we’re just kids! She’s focused on… big things; she won’t bother with you guys! You don’t get it!”
His voice fades as they argue.
“Ugh…”
I choose to let the back-and-forth wash over me, staring down at the cookie bags, sighing quietly.
…I want to eat my treats.
But I don’t want Ryan to get me another bag, and definitely don’t want to squat on the roadside to munch. So, I’d better make it to the central square… If all goes well, I can savor my cookies soon… I hope this moment stretches out… ideally, let’s have a drama-free night…
“Hey, did I just hear a lady sigh…”
“Do you think she… really heard us…?”
“This is all your fault, Ryan! Why’d you have to shout?”
“Not my problem!”
“Look! The lady’s walking alone, she looks so sweet… And that dress is gorgeous… When did we ever see a girl like that in our town?”
“Not even in the capital, right…?”
“No joke, I want to go talk to her…”
“Go ahead!”
“Of course, you wanna go too, but why don’t you just do it…?”
“By the way, Ryan, what’s her name anyway?”
“Not telling you…”
“Come on, bro, seriously?”
“No one’s allowed to disturb her! I mean it!”
The long night drags on, and the cheers pulse through the air. Little Bernie, with a pout that could drown a fish, is dragged back by his brother, glancing back at the pastry stand every few steps, a tiny hand stretching out, “Just one cookie, bro, just one!”
…What deliciousness awaits!
I’m suddenly alerted, my eyes darting over, spotting the colorful array of pastries at the stand, glimmering under the light, likely made with goat cheese, garnished with various fruits, and wafting a sweet milky aroma that makes my mouth water.
I’m craving a bite…
Just as the thought flickers, I find myself walking toward the stand. The young man holding Little Bernie freezes for a moment, then turns to me with surprise: “Um… Miss, do you want a pastry?”
“Mm-hmm!”
I quicken my pace, responding as I rush past him.
Suddenly, the young man seems to gather courage and races after me, “That stand normally doesn’t sell here in Stag Town! I heard they have a big store in the capital…”
“Really?”
The taste must be fantastic…
“Miss, I-I haven’t had any myself… I see you’ve got so many pastries in your hands… How about—let me get you one?”
…Wait, what?
I’m taken aback, stopping in my tracks, turning to see him, his freckled face flushed as he avoids my gaze after locking eyes with me: “Um, I—I don’t mean anything weird! Just… you’re Ryan’s friend, Ryan is my buddy, and I—”
“Wah!”
At that moment, Little Bernie blinks out of his fog and starts wailing, “You’re not getting me anything! Bro, you’re not getting me anything! Wah—”
He cries and bolts away into the crowd.
“Hey!”
The young man panics, awkwardly smiling at me while whirling around in a mad dash to catch his brother: “I’ll buy it! Don’t run! Don’t tell Mom—”
“…”
I watch the young man disappearing into the crowd, somewhat speechless.
…What a letdown.
“What happened?”
“Why’d he run off?”
Ryan and the others approach, and I shake my head lightly, not wanting to waste my breath on this boring matter: “You guys go check, be careful not to lose the kid.”
I can still see the young man’s silhouette in the crowd, but Little Bernie’s smaller frame gets swallowed up by the throng of people. If he wanders off too far, who knows what could happen?
Ryan and the boys swoop into action, joining the young man and chatting briefly; their faces turn pale… well, it turns out the kid really did run off.
I glance in the direction of the square.
The crowd is thickening there, and the show will start soon. My heart wants to rush over right away, settle in, and enjoy some pastries, but I can’t quite shake off the worry lingering in my mind.
What if the kid really gets lost…
“Ugh…”
This is…
I stand on the roadside holding two bags of pastries, looking up at the night sky, and soon, a raven, blending seamlessly with the darkness, swoops down, landing on my shoulder and catching the eyes of many passersby.
“Go find that boy.”
I whisper, and the silly bird squawks, flapping its wings before flying off into the night, heading west down the road.
This foolish bird is becoming more helpful lately…
I don’t even need to yell; as long as I gaze skyward for a moment, it knows I’m calling it.
Its little head really doesn’t seem bird-like at all.
But that doesn’t stop me from thinking it’s silly.
I follow the dimwitted bird westward, and not long after, Ryan and the others come bounding up, saying someone spotted a boy running this way, so we’re all on the lookout, heading off the road and through a narrow alley where a few old wooden stone houses rise up.
“This way leads back home, right?”
“Little Bernie really is going to tell Mom, hahaha…”
Once we reach this area, people are sparse. Nearly all the townsfolk have flocked to the central square. The houses are dark, except for one in the distance that flickers with a weak light. The air is tinged with a faint whiff of animal dung.
“It’s late! Are you guys still joking? What if my brother isn’t around? What if he gets taken by bad people… I heard a little girl went missing a few days ago, and they still haven’t found her…”
“Well, if you hadn’t upset your brother! If it weren’t for you—”
“Alright, let’s just keep looking for footprints…”
“The ground is all muddy; it’s covered with human footprints and animal droppings—good luck finding anything useful…”
“Let’s head back towards home… Ugh, I’ll definitely miss the good spot now; it’s so annoying…”
“Caw—”
The raven cries out in the night, circling overhead before darting toward the faint lights of a house.
“Hey, that bird…”
“Follow me.”
I quietly instruct them: “The bird is mine.”
“Oh…”
The guys look confused but nod in agreement. After I take a few steps ahead, Ryan urges them, seeing they’re still dazed: “Go on; trust her; she knows what she’s doing.”
We walk past two stone houses, turn down a muddy path, and soon, the illuminated dwelling comes into view.
It looks like a farmhouse.
The sounds of mooing cows, clattering hooves, and a few red chickens clucking away flit past the fenced area. A large enclosure seems to house many animals—getting closer, the odor is quite something; I can’t help but pinch my nose.
“Caw—” The raven drops onto the eaves of the house, preening its feathers in the pale moonlight.
From beneath the house, the wavering torchlight flickers along with the pale moonlight, casting the shadow of a large figure alongside a smaller one in front of the wooden enclosure.
“There he is!”
“Little Bernie—”
The young men rush forward.
The small shadow turns at the sound, and at the same time, a taller figure kneels in front of him, gathering her disheveled hair. Slowly, she stands up.
“Look, your brother’s here.”
I hear her voice, as soft as a gentle breeze.
As the firelight dances, I catch a glimpse of her face.
It’s a woman.
Silver hair, blue eyes… a woman as beautiful as the stars.
