<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Of course it comes back to the shepherd. What is he doing right now? No, I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m more interested in the cave. That hill in the distance. I wonder how long it would take to walk there. I think it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s too late right now, but tomorrow, I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m going to hike over there. Should I tell the birds? I turn my back on the window, and survey the now empty attic. Sybil is puttering about on the same chest he\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s been standing on since I crawled up here.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Sybil, have you been to that cave?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d I query.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Of course not. This, just now, was the first report. We must have at least one more. Now that I have sent the watchers back with actual useful instruction, the next report should be more enlightening.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Sybil continues shuffling back and forth and I notice a piece of wood under his feet that does not exactly match the lid of the chest. Creeping closer, I see that it lights up dimly when Sybil steps on it. An electronic device?<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153What\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s that?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Sybil jerks his head like he didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t expect me to be that close to him, but he responds calmly enough, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153This is today\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s report.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d He squints his eye at me. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t you have reports here? Or records, or communications?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Of course, but we don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t keep them like that.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d I answer. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153At least I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d I lean closer to look for buttons on the device, but Sybil picks it up and flits to another chest, this one open.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Well, that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s finished.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d He states pointedly, as he drops the stick into the chest and flips the lid closed with one foot.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
I guess I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll take the hint and go downstairs.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Mother\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s already seen the food I brought, and has decided to make roast for dinner. I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t think she\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s quite figured out the cooking thing yet, though. The roast turns out so far past well done that no amount of gravy can help it. But Mother is sitting there smiling, so I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m gonna eat it.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Have you seen the sheep down the road?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d I want to ask her about the shepherd, but without being weird.
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153There\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s sheep? I haven\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t had a chance to get out yet. Want to take a walk after dinner? We could see what else is down the road.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Her reply puts that explanation to rest.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Sure. There\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s even some adorable little lambs.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Maybe the shepherd will talk sense if Mother\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s there too.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The evening is very nice, but the shepherd doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t appear. We go down the road past the store and into the little town. The sun spins a spectacular sunset, and we walk through a golden light that makes the street prettier than it is. Suddenly, we stumble upon a bakery. Like the grocery store, this shop is also made of stones, but the inside is much more satisfying. The furniture is all wooden and rustic, with dried flowers and eucalyptus decorating everything. The smell of cinnamon and canned peace is almost overwhelming, but we order something with a name we don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t understand and sit at a tiny polished table to drink tea. Mother chats with the shop owner. She\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s doing so much better here, but\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 be there about 5 tomorrow. We are just so pleased to have such a nice pair in the Fordolyn cottage.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d I suddenly realize the shopkeeper has set up some event with Mother. I missed it. Does it have anything to do with the welcome the shepherd talked about?<\/p>\n
On the way back to the cottage, I ask Mother what it was. She explains that there will be some sort of town festival tomorrow. The shop lady was very adamant that we shouldn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t miss it. There will be folk dances and traditional wood carving. So, not a welcome party. I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m a little disappointed.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Now I sit on my bed and watch the night outside my window. Oh yeah, I will go to that hill in the morning. How could I forget about that?<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The hill is farther than it looks. I found a knapsack in the mudroom of the cottage this morning, so I have water, and lunch, but this is taking longer than expected. At least it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s not a very hard walk. I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve been following a road mostly. Every once in a while there are these paths through the fields, which is very convenient. Maybe this used to be a popular hiking spot? Or maybe it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s busier in some specific hiking season? Anyway, there\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s no one around today. Even the sheep are gone. No, wait, I think I can see them off the South perhaps. The shepherd must be down there too. If I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t get to this cave before lunch, I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m going to have to turn back.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The paths are getting smaller I think. I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m almost to the hills now. There hasn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t been a road for at least an hour. I wonder who owns this land. Do all the fields belong to that one shepherd? None of them seems to be anything but grass, and rocks. At least the weather is cooperating. Oh, look, there are more trees.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153You\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve come!\u00e2\u20ac\u009d A voice from the tree breaks my reverie.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Tivvy!\u00e2\u20ac\u009d I see her when she swoops to a lower branch of the hornbeam nearest me.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153You\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve come to see the cave haven\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t you? I hoped you would, but I was sure Sibyl wouldn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t let you.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d She struts down the branch with a smile in her feathers.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153I didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t ask any of the birds. Do you think I should have? I did tell Mother.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d She stops walking but doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t answer, so I continue, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Where is the cave?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
She still doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t answer. I should have told the birds I was coming. Maybe not Sybil, but I could have told
\nHenwyn. What if she wanted come too? Should I go back? Should I just find this cave on my own? Will Tivvy ever talk to me again?<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Well, come on then.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d I breathe again when Tivvy ruffles her neck and decides whatever faux pas I committed can\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t be helped.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
We come to a creek and follow it into a small ravine that cuts behind the hill. Suddenly there\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a cool breeze and the cave appears. It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s adorable really. This whole little forest with the creek and the sunlight and the grey rocks is a wedding photoshoot waiting to happen.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Where\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s the box?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d a new voice speaks the instant I duck into the cave. I can\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t see anything because of the sunlight in my eyes, but I know the voice.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s the shepherd.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Louise Warren<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Of course it comes back to the shepherd. What is he doing right now? No, I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m more interested in the cave. That hill in the distance. I wonder how long it would take to walk there. I think it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s too late right now, but tomorrow, I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m going to hike over there. Should I…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":112,"featured_media":5175,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false},"categories":[446,407],"tags":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.hyogoajet.net\/hyogotimes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/Fireflight-logo.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hyogoajet.net\/hyogotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5794"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hyogoajet.net\/hyogotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hyogoajet.net\/hyogotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hyogoajet.net\/hyogotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/112"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hyogoajet.net\/hyogotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5794"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.hyogoajet.net\/hyogotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5794\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hyogoajet.net\/hyogotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5175"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hyogoajet.net\/hyogotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5794"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hyogoajet.net\/hyogotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5794"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hyogoajet.net\/hyogotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5794"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}