Their village was still peaceful at the time, though the sky had begun to wear a somber hue behind thin clouds.
A small seven-year-old girl was walking down the rocky dirt path, hugging a wooden bucket tightly. It was filled to the brim with water, rippling with every step she took on the uneven ground. Despite the clear weight of it, Shina walked with determination. Her dark violet hair, nearly black, hung in a messy curtain, and her crimson eyes focused intently on the earth beneath her feet.
When she reached the wooden fence of the livestock pen, another girl ran up to greet her. Slightly taller and older—around eleven—with similarly dark violet hair, though tied neatly behind her head. Lucy Mariposa.
"Shina! Let me help!" she called out with a smile.
"I can do it myself," Shina replied quickly. Her small voice was firm, though not meant to refuse.
Lucy took the bucket anyway with calm assurance. "I know you can. But there's nothing wrong with a little help."
She carried it to the side of the pen and poured it into the goats' water trough. The animals, already bleating softly, came closer. The water foamed briefly, then settled, and the goats began to drink with eager gulps.
Shina watched them, then asked softly, "Do we have to get water from the river every day?"
Lucy didn't answer immediately. She stared at the draining water, then placed one hand gently on Shina's head, ruffling her hair. "If the water channel starts flowing again, we won't have to."
The wooden door of the nearby farmhouse creaked open. A burly man stepped out, carrying several tools in one hand. His hair and beard were streaked with white, and his skin bore the marks of years of hard labor.
"Still no water coming through?" he asked, glancing at his two nieces.
"Not yet, Uncle," Lucy replied, still standing near the bucket. Her crimson eyes looked serious, despite her small frame.
The uncle grumbled under his breath, "That damned war... even a small village like this can't escape its reach."
Lucy and Shina exchanged glances, not quite understanding his words.
"What did you say, Uncle?" Shina asked.
"Nothing," he replied quickly. "Not something little girls need to worry about."
He sighed, then smiled faintly. "You should head home. Your mother's probably made lunch by now."
Lucy nodded. She took Shina's hand, and the two of them walked home together, down the drying dirt road. Leaves swayed around them, carried by a gentle wind.
Behind them, the sound of bleating goats and tools clattering to the ground became the backdrop of a morning that was supposed to be ordinary. But behind Shina's small red eyes, something lingered—questions she could not yet answer. About water. About war. And about something changing beyond her understanding.
---
Their walk home was no longer than five minutes, but it felt longer with everything they talked about. Lucy held Shina's tiny hand the whole way, and they chatted about goats, cloud shapes, and how cold the river had been that morning.
"I thought a fish bit my foot," Shina muttered, slightly annoyed.
Lucy laughed. "That was probably just river grass. You're always too imaginative."
"No it wasn't! It... it moved!"
"Of course it did, Shina." Lucy pinched her little sister's cheek, making her wince slightly, though she still smiled.
Their home soon came into view at the end of the narrow road shaded by wild apple trees. The building was simple—old wooden walls and a slanted roof of earthen tiles. Not fancy, but enough for a small family living off the land and their livestock.
As the wooden door opened, a sweet aroma filled the air. A middle-aged woman stood in the doorway holding a large plate with a simple cake decorated with small flowers of jam and powdered sugar.
"Happy birthday, Shina," she said softly.
Shina froze, her red eyes going wide. "Mom..."
Lucy, standing beside her, grinned broadly. "I knew too! Happy birthday, Shina!"
Shina's cheeks turned red. "Sis... you all kept this from me?"
Heavy footsteps sounded from behind. Their uncle appeared, scratching the back of his neck. "Yeah… just a little surprise. Wasn't easy keeping it from those red eyes of yours, but looks like we pulled it off."
Shina giggled softly, then hugged her mother. They all entered the house together, leaving behind a world still shadowed by a war they didn't yet understand.
The house belonged to their uncle—Ilia's older brother. Since the death of Lucy and Shina's father, their uncle, once an Imperial soldier who had no family of his own due to his long years of service, had taken them in to live with him in this small village. Their life wasn't rich, but there was always enough—enough love, enough laughter, enough togetherness.
And that day, enough for one sweet memory that would stay forever in Shina's heart.
{Chapter 42 end}