Chapter 1 – Taika guard station
November.
Winter.
On a day that seemed no different from any others, Teika sat in front of the window like this. He was looking out over the vast expanse of the prairie. It was his familiar and favorite seat, facing the prairie. The prairie is beautiful in every season. During the day, it is pleasing; at night, it is also attractive.
Teika was 22 years old this year and was an alone forest keeper.
His father died four years ago, the day Teika turned 18, and his mother died when he was just born.
In Teika’s situation, it would have been easy to become depressed if he was someone else, but Teika didn’t think much of the imperfections of his life. He is not the cynical type but likes to act. Furthermore, self-pity won’t help. The more you immerse yourself in it, the more it will only be like drowning in self-delusional tragedies. The more significant happy truth was that Teika had every day next to the forest he loves. And another parallel happy fact is that Teika is fit, hearty, and cheerful with himself. He seemed to have complete control over his life. To do that, he is constantly training and perfecting and is increasingly reaching new limits.
Loves action, but that doesn’t mean Teika is careless or non-sense. On the contrary, he is curious and passionate about practicing discoveries and insights relevant to him or necessary for his own life. Even though he was alone, he never felt lonely or thought the future was dark. He believes in the bright path of his life, in his heart, actions, and inclinations.
He never gives up on life, even if it is the day the one who loved him the most left him. More than anyone else, he understands that no parents want their child to suffer and that a happy Teika is precisely what his parents, or himself, want him to be. Teika also firmly believes that suffering, discouragement, or negative pessimism is never the way to solve problems and never is in Teika’s nature.
Therefore, he never lets himself be sad or has a confidant, even though his situation, other people looked at could be said to be unlucky. But Teika doesn’t think so. He thinks he’s lucky and happy by himself. Teika was born strong, agile, flexible, and fresh. He has the great qualities of a forester and is a skilled fighter, constantly finding ways to solve problems and never stopping on the path of self-improvement. As for the parents, although they are no longer together, according to the old saying, Teika believes that they always watch over, love, and protect Teika, and he will always live worthy of that love.
Currently, he was free in his world. He chose Taika. The name of the forest is similar to his name. In this world, the unique thing Teika cared about most up to this point besides himself was the Taika forest, the forest that his father guarded when he was alive.
The prairie at this night was cold, full of dew and stars. The twinkling stars scattered across the smooth, black carpet-like sky. Teika picked up his dagger and kept carving fine lines on the hilt. The blade was so shiny that he could see his wavy hair and part of his face. Teika has a handsome face with elegant, bright lines. He breathed lightly. A thin smoke drifted out, spreading into space, blurring his image on the blade in front of him.
He was thinking nothing, just focused on his work, when suddenly a timid knock sounded on the door. Teika frowned slightly. Who could come at this hour? The keeper of the forest next door who often visited him must have gone to sleep a long time ago. And this time of year, there were no tourists who missed their way. Still, he stepped out, creaking the door open.
The door unbolted. Before Teika’s eyes was a little girl looking immensely pretty and dazzling, with her hair wet from the night dew touching a pair of sparkling eyes blinked, clasped her hands together, and asked him in an ethereal, clear voice, could she stay for the night? It seemed she had a long day of walking up to the prairie. The proof was the dusty shoes, the messy hair, and the pedestrian bag on the back.
He nodded and took her inside, let her sit in an armchair near the fireplace, and then went to get her a cup of warm milk. He turned on the stove, poured milk into the saucepan, and took the butter biscuits from the barrel. When he returned, the baby was sleeping soundly in the chair. Her head tilted against the chair, and the tiny beautiful angel looked warm and sweet. The firelight from the fireplace made her cheeks blush. If Teika guessed correctly, she was only a child of about ten years old. He wondered what a skinny little girl would do on this cold steppe? Where did she come from, and where was she going?
Hearing the sound, the baby stirred awake, smiled and sat up straight, thanked Teika, and ate up all the food he brought out.
She sat huddled in a wide armchair, took off her shoes, ate slowly, lightly, and savored as if remembering something. She wore white socks, like a baby rabbit. Teika watched the cute little child doing everything in pleasant silence and warm firelight. Not sure if she felt shy, but he had thought it would be a good idea to try talking. So he broke the silence by speaking.
- Where are you going, kiddo?
Teika’s calling was not wrong. Although he was only 22 years old, Teika had a thick beard all over most of his face. His tall, solid build and frequent run in the forest made him look very mature and stable, not a young man who had just reached adulthood or had any residual immaturity. To guard a large forest-like Taika at such a young age, he forced himself to become much stronger and more determined. Other people looking at him might think Teika was past 30. He needed to fulfill his duty to the fullest.
- I’m going South. - The child quickly replied.
- Why do you go there?
- I think I need to go there.
- Is the way far?
- I don’t know. Then I will know right away.
The baby told softly, sweetly, with a melody like a bird’s song. Then, unable to continue the conversation any longer, she rubbed her eyes, hiding a yawn. She asked Teika’s permission to clean up. He waved his hand and told her to prepare her bed. Maybe the road was very tiring. She looked at him in surprise. She seemed strange to see such tenderness from the one she had never met before, but her eyes were sleepy. She nodded obediently, absentmindedly, and stepped unsteadily forward to the bed he showed her.
Teika brought her some new blankets and left her to prepare her bed. While she was there, he put a fresh and clean towel in the bathroom and went to boil some hot water for her. From the kitchen, he briefly announced that for about 10 minutes, the hot water would be ready. The baby said yes to Teika again, sounds so soothing. From this side of the guard station, he looked over and saw her leaning against the railing of the bunk bed, dozing off.
Teika smiled.
While he had waited for the water to boil, Teika carried the dirty dishes over to the sink and washed them, then put them on a neat shelf. He continued to work on boiling water and pouring hot water into the bucket for the little girl, and then he called her to use the bathroom. While she was getting ready to shower, he walked out. The sentry was too small. Even though she was a child, Teika still thought he should keep etiquette and distance. He wants to give the little girl the best respect he can.
The young man brought his dagger to keep going to carve it outside the window. There was a large log that served as a seat. The lamp hung near the window, and the fire from inside the guard post was bright enough for Teika to keep working.
He continued to work passionately, watching the results after each knife sculpt until the door opened. The baby appeared, carrying a basin of freshly washed clothes. She asked Teika where to parch the clothes. The steam still covered her face, making her look bright, fresh, and clean. The sideburns covered her rosy cheeks and beautiful face. He helped her wring her clothes out to dry them and hang them on the rack. Finished, the baby greeted Teika to go to sleep. Her eyes drooped. She had been very sleepy. She thanked Teika for everything he did for her: the bathroom, the place to sleep, the food…, and then asked his permission to go to bed early. She fell asleep so quickly and perhaps gently that he could no longer hear any sound coming from inside the station.
A little more than half an hour passed, and Teika flipped the knife in his palm. “Not finished yet, need 3 or 4 more days of work”, he silently assessed, but it was too late. It was time to go to bed to prepare for tomorrow’s work.
Teika put the dagger in the small holster hanging from his belt, the knife he stashed in the tool holder, and then removed the entire set of troughs onto the rack. It was then that Teika boiled water for his bath.
Hot water made him relax and comfortable after a long day with a lot of work. He dried himself and stepped out of the bathroom, putting his dirty blanket and clothes in the bin. Remembering how she quietly washed her clothes, he smiled slightly. He had smiled twice in just a few hours because of a strange guest. These smiles were not of polite habit but came to him suddenly, fresh, natural. This baby is so lovable, sober, and etiquette. He could feel she had received a so perfect upbringing.
Teika thought for a moment, then had made sure she was the youngest child who visits Taika’s guard post. Her bright appearance and self-control beyond her age hide something unusual and strange.
He leaned his back on the mattress without further thinking, fastly falling asleep.
That night Teika slept very deeply and unsoundly. At midnight, he had a strange dream. A white rabbit with white wings carrying a white cloud came knocking on the guard’s door, and then he kept getting carried away by it. He followed that rabbit. The rabbit had a bag like the little girl was wearing. It got him out of the station. Teika stepped onto the shining clouds, and then a pair of large white wings sprouted from his shoulder. Teika was surprised, but he couldn’t take his eyes off the white rabbit with white wings. Ahead of him, the rabbit was still going on its way, bouncing, with the bag on its shoulder. The clouds moved quickly, and the zephyr wind made him a little absent-minded, then he fell over and woke up. Look at the clock; just past 1 a.m. It was the whole night long before the first light of the day began to appear. Suddenly, Teika felt that strange light was directly under the roof of his guard post, that he had been in charge of protecting something so mysterious and precious, and that he had been not allowed to let anything harm the incredible child who just dropped by.
Saying that to himself, then Teika fell asleep back quickly. This time, he dreamed nothing more.
