The Story Of Dusk

"Brother! What are you doing?" Ye Bai stroked his aching head while Ye Qing giggled.

"I told you to watch out your own weapon!" Ye Xiu exclaimed. How could Ye Qing played with Ye Bai"s Machete if it wasn"t because Ye Bai put that broad blade carelessly.

"Brother, it was him who was playing with my weapon. But, why you hit me?" Ye Bai complained like a child.

Sometimes Ye Xiu wondered, how could a childish Ye Bai be a father?

"Because you are his father! How can you blame your son, even though it"s your fault?"

Ye Bai scoffed in dissatisfaction, but didn"t dare to argue. When Ye Qing saw his father aggrieved expression, he reached out his small arms to Ye Bai.

"What?" Ye Bai asked sullenly.

"Carry me." Ye Qing said with his childish tone, his small hands were open wide.

"Because of you Ye Xiu angry at me, but you wanted me to carry you?" Despite that was what Ye Xiu said, he still reached out his arms to carry his son.

"Next time don"t put your machete carelessly father." Ye Qing said softly while stroking his father head on the place where Ye Xiu had hit him, with his small palm.

Ye Xiu mouth twitched, it was because of him that he had been hit, but Ye Qing consoled him instead.

"Brother, how is that girl?" Ye Bai let Ye Qing to stroke his head anyway.

"Still not wake up yet."

"You kidnapped her?" Ye Bai asked in low voice.

"No. w.a.n.g Yu brought her to me."

"Why?"

"I said I would meet him if he brought Senja. He agreed and he brought Senja over."

"He brought his own daughter to you willingly?! Is he crazy?!" Ye Bai exclaimed in surprise. His small eyes that didn"t match his big burly body, dilated. He admitted that he wasn"t a good father, but he would never bring his own son to meet his enemy.

"Yes, he is."

"And then, what had happened? Why both of you injured? Did you kill w.a.n.g Yu?"

"No. Once I get her, I have nothing to do with him." Ye Xiu turned his body and walked back to the room.

"Brother. I still have question for you." Ye Bai ran after his brother. However, Ye Xiu shut the door closed right in front of him mercilessly.

"Father, don"t disturb uncle. He is very busy." Ye Qing said softly.

"Brat. I am your father, but why you take his side?" Ye Bai complained unhappily while his son just giggled.

***

Inside the room.

After Ye Xiu closed the door and was about to check on Senja condition again, surprisingly the girl was awake and sat on her bed in dismayed.

He halted for a while and then took a cup of water before he walked to her bed side.

"Want to drink?" Ye Xiu offered the cup in his hand to her line of sight.

Senja raised her head, to look at Ye Xiu with blank expression, before she took the cup and drink the water.

"Thank you." Senja returned back the empty cup.

"You want more?"

The girl shook her head.

Ye Xiu studied her, despite look depressed, Senja didn"t show any sign of fear or confusion like what he had thought. She was pretty calm.

"Do you remember what happened?" Ye Xiu perched on the chair nearby.

"You fought my father." Senja replied in a monotonous tone.

"Are you afraid of me?"

Senja looked at Ye Xiu in his eyes when she answered. "You saved me."

Ye Xiu taken aback by her answered. Apparently, she was aware about what had happened at the Mountain Sui Temple. "Thank you." Senja continued.

Ye Xiu only nodded, because he also didn"t know what to say. From the look of Senja"s eyes and her countenance, he knew that the little girl had gone through a lot of suffering to develop her current behavior.

Children usually would cry or panic, but Senja didn"t show any of it, the way she brought herself was far more mature than a child at her age. Perhaps, after everything she had gone through and the event when her own father stabbed her was the trigger for her. After all, many people mature after experiencing some life changing events.

"Don"t you want to know why I take you away?" Ye Xiu asked softly.

"Everywhere is better than there." Senja lower her head.

"It seems that they are mistreated you."

Senja didn"t answer immediately. She kept fiddling her fingers under the blanket. "Why he stabbed me?" Senja ask hoa.r.s.ely.

"I don"t know." Ye Xiu couldn"t possible to talk about those provocations story to an 8 years old child.

"I was very happy because he finally brought me for sight-seeing." Senja"s voice was so heartbroken.

Ye Xiu didn"t know how to react to her words so he solved by sitting next to her and stroke her head. The girl was still lower her head when tears fell from her eyes and it didn"t take long time until it became a stream on her cheeks.

Her small shoulders trembled violently when she burst into pitiful tears. She was only a child after all.

***

Next morning.

Senja was woken up by something heavy in her leg, she tried to shake it, but it didn"t move. Thus, she opened her sleepy eyes and found a little boy sat on her legs while staring at her.

Senja didn"t freak out, she only rubbed her eyes. Her left shoulder still throbbing in pain, but she ignore it.

"Who are you? Wanna play with me?" Ye Qing asked curiously.

"No." Senja said curtly.

"Wanna eat with me?"

"No."

"Wanna sing with me?"

"No."

"Wanna read a book with me?"

"No."

"Wanna play with me?"

Senja stared at the little boy with dull expression. "I don"t want to do anything with you."

"Oh," He rounded his lips. "Okey." And then Ye Qing nestled again near footboard.

"What are you doing?"

"Sleep." Ye Qing raised his small head.

"Don"t sleep here. Go back to your room."

"This is actually my room. Uncle Ye Xiu gave it to you because you are sick." Ye Qing said innocently.

Senja looked at Ye Qing sulkily and got off from the bed.

"Where are you going?" Ye Qing jumped from the bed to run after Senja, "Big sis, where are you going?"

But, Senja ignored him as she opened the door and walked outside. The morning sun warmed her face as soon as she stepped out.

In the courtyard many children running around while teasing each other, some of them seemed like at the same age as Senja. "Where is this?" Senja glanced down at Ye Qing beside her.

"My home." Ye Qing grinned and ran toward the other children. No more pay attention to Senja.

Senja didn"t have desire to play with them, she felt distance. All of this time, no one ever played with her, even her 2 stepsisters have never invited her to play a game. Mostly she would spend her time to read a book, not because she liked it, but because only by reading a book she could get rid of her boredom. Her grandfather even misunderstood her and built a small library near her courtyard for her.

"You should rest more." A lady in blue robe strode over to Senja"s side. She brought a bowl of steaming soup. "Come, I"ve made a chicken soup for you." The lady smiled at her while held the room door open.

Senja walked back to her room with the lady following behind her. "Quick, drink this soup while it"s still hot. After that I will re-bandage your wound."

"Thank you." Senja said monotonously. She sat on the chair and obediently drank her soup.

"I am Su Zhang Li, Ye Qing"s mother." She introduced herself kindly.

Senja put down her spoon and looked at her attentively. Su Zhang Li wasn"t a very beautiful woman, but she has a mother aura that made people around her feel relaxed. Ye Qing obviously has his mother eyes, those eyes were sparkling with kindness that Senja had never seen in Carye, her stepmother.

"I am Senja."

***

It had been a week since the first day Senja came. She barely met with Ye Xiu since the first morning she cried her heart out. Ye Xiu also didn"t explain anything about why he took Senja away. It didn"t matter for her, she didn"t miss anything from her home. Moreover, she felt more like home here.

Even though Senja didn"t mingle with the other kid, she didn"t avoid them either. It"s just she preferred to be with Su Zhang Li, she like with her.

Su Zhang Li was a doctor here. The place that Senja was living now was a shelter for children victims of war under Xinghe Kingdom Jurisdiction, while Ye Xiu as the General in the Army and Ye Bai… Senja didn"t know what he did.

Su Zhang Li role was to pay attention to over hundred children who had been parentless, together with other doctors. Because every doctor has their own courtyard, n.o.body aware about Senja, furthermore she was just like the other orphanage children.

Senja was happy to be here with Su Zhang Li. She was very attentive and a loving mother. Every morning, Senja would follow her to the medicinal garden while listening to her chatter about the use of each plant there. She loves to hear her voice.

However, like the saying goes; every good thing will come to an end.