Back To the Beginning

Back To the Beginning
Shepherd and Sheep


The shepherd had put all his sheep in his aid by his pet dog accompanying him. Chloe had also returned to normal when the shepherd finished playing his bamboo flute.


I don't know what Chloe's fishing for, whether it's the flute or something else. But for sure, we were very lucky to be on the right track.


Slowly Noland's voice called out from a distance, he walked over and waved at us, hinting to gather.


"It looks like they're done cooking dinner, let's go there, '" explained the shepherd.


"Ah, okay."


Chloe and I got up from our seats and walked down a large grassy field in the dark of the night. The shepherd seemed to be having fun with his pet dog while walking. Chloe curled up my body behind me. It seemed that he was a little afraid of that extremely active dog.


"Just relax, Chloe. The dog will bite only the bad sheep."


"Haha, yeah! my dog's good, you want to pet it?"


Being questioned like that, Chloe further hid herself behind my body.


"It seems like he's shy of getting acquainted."


"I also seemed to have been a child, but now, he was just a friend who had accompanied me all this time" said the herder stroking the head of the dog that had walked beside him.


Arriving at the home of herding parents, I was greeted with a lot of delicious-looking food already presented on the table. The old man from the shepherd was very friendly to welcome me.


From here I can see Eli chatting coolly with the house owner's mother.


"You're so talented! just this time I saw your old daughter can make such wonderful and wonderful food," praised the house owner's mother.


"Hehe no Ma'am! there's still a lot I don't know and I'm learning right now. So ma'am, what would I say if..."


Eli seems to find his friends and learning resources to grow. They talk about cooking techniques.


I was allowed to sit down, and Chloe and I took a seat near Noland that contained an empty seat. And then, we had dinner together.


......................


The next day, I woke up early and watched as the shepherd was removing and arranging his sheep with his dog running around here and there. I sat on the fence and watched this very peaceful thing amidst the cold temperatures near the mountains.


I must get closer to him, the shepherd, if I want to learn about the lost royal treasure and I cannot stay long.


I got up and walked over to the shepherd, in the cold wind this morning.


"Are you awake?! I can't believe it."


"I want to get up early to see you take these sheep out."


"Ah, did you see it from earlier?"


"Yup, I was watching from there," I said pointing to where I was sitting to see him.


"Ah... How did you sleep yesterday? I'm sorry I don't have more than that."


"No-no, that place is enough for us. Than you have to sleep outside."


"Thank God then."


"When have you been doing this?" my many.


"Taking care of the sheep? since I was two years younger than you. At that time I bought a she-sheep and entrusted to take care of it by my parents until the she-she-she-she-she-she-she-she-she-she-sheep had more and more of mine to date. Although there are some that I bought like a lamb that has a unique pattern there."


"That seems so unique, is that rare?"


"Almost. Nowadays such a patterned sheep is rare, but it was still like an ordinary sheep."


"So you predict that sheep will be rare?"


He pointed towards the black-patterned sheep with enormous horns.


"Mbek.." he said hello.


"Hiii! do you understand what we're talking about?"


"Okay, maybe. So that's the example of the sheep I bought because I like."


"Oh, like that... Are you going to sell your sheep?"


"My sheep that I have cared for for for so long, I have considered them like my own family. I sold some of my sheep, but it felt really bad to let them go. So, I'm gonna sell my sheep if there's a really urgent problem."


"Did any sheep die... during the course of the treatment?"


"... there's. Mostly because of a mysterious disease, which has no cure."


"It must be very hard to be like you..."


"Not really, if you've been doing this for years, it's going to be common and boring" he said with a light laugh.


"Actually, we don't have much time to stay here. So maybe, in a few days we'll be out of here."


"really? too bad, when I felt like I had a real interlocutor."


"Why not find a friend in the other village youth?"


"They're also mostly the same as me, they're busy every day. At most we only chat when there's a village festival every month."


"Ah yes, we have not met? know me Arthur."


"I... Thorfinn. Shepherd. You can stop by later if you come back here."


"really? thank ye... But what if you forget us? what can prove our relationship?"


"Hm? some kind of friendship sign?"


"Yup, as a sign as well as objects that remind each other."


It might be better to just speak honestly.


"I'm talking this way, because I'm interested in your bamboo flute that you used last night."


"Bamboo flute last night? Ah, this one!" he said take out the flute I meant.


"... why are you interested in this" he asked.


"I'm because I'm stunned by the tone you played last night. Or in other words, I just like it."


"Eh, really?! It's the first time I've heard anyone say that, except for my parents who supported me as a child."


Thorfinn stared at his bamboo flute for a while. Then he looked at me and smiled.


"If you really want it, just take it," he said as he stuck his hand at me.


"Heh?! are you sure?"


"Hm? whyever not? I still have a lot of better flutes than this in my house, and also I found this bamboo flute just a few days ago while shepherding."


I looked and noticed the flute she was pointing at me. The flute looked plain and was made of bamboo. I doubt if this is really a lost royal treasure or something. It would be dangerous if I accepted it straight away. If this isn't what I'm looking for, I'll have to ask again.


I can't be in a hurry.


"W-uh!! it would be an unbalanced deal. What if this...do you have something you want to make happen? we'll help you."