His heart pounded against his chest and echoed in his ears as he immersed himself in a large hill of soft straw that had cushioned his fall. He felt as light as a feather, without a worry in the world, when the sudden creaking of a wooden door struck him stiff. His palms grew sweaty as a horrible premonition crept up his back. He carefully dived deeper into the straw and approached the end of it before nervously peeking through a gap.

An old man stood motionless in the doorstep of a cosy wooden house. Thin hair fell free down his back, ashen as the smoke ascending from the tiny chimney sitting askew on the roof. It barely was distinguishable from the smooth grey robe, he kept firmly closed with a frayed leather belt.

The man's gaze darted towards the straw and his eyebrows sank. He rushed then, against all expectations for his age, like a storm, across the few tattered wooden stairs.

An eternity seemed to pass or was it merely a breath? The boy, hidden away, couldn't tell. But it didn't matter, because the distance between them, was already closed.

'Ugh... I am in trouble!' he thought.

The man intensely stared at the straw, but it remained calm and undisturbed by the piercing gaze that might be trying to set it ablaze. With no escape the boy took a chance. A set of messy black hair emerged and shortly after a body followed. He waved his arms and shouted, 'SURPRISE'

'I got you... grandfather,' he gasped and grinned, while he hurried to get to his feet. 'I sur~'

A dull thump echoed, accompanied by a surprise filled shout.

'Dare!' bellowed the man and waved his fist. 'Dare to try and deceive me!'

The boy rubbed his throbbing head. 'I really~,' he tried, but his grandfather wasn't finished. 'You did it again!' he barked, his face flushed red. 'You left without a word, Shen! And youuu - YOU jumped of the cliff! What did I tell you?!'

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'That it is dangerous,' muttered Shen.

'Extremely dangerous,' repeated his grandfather emphatically and crossed his arms, as if he had locked the truth of it between them. It wasn't actually anger, but worry that had driven him enraged. Shen was now back, save and sound, and his fury paled. He was about to loosen, about to berate, when Shen grasped his shirt at his chest.

'I never hurt myself,' he said stubbornly. 'I jumped many times, and I never hurt myself!' he resumed, his eyes finding their way up. 'Just look!’ he said and stretched a finger. ‘I jumped... '

‘One...

Two...

Three,’ he counted, and counted on ...

In absolute bewilderment, his grandfather watched as he stretched a finger after another, counting how many times he had done the exact thing he wasn't supposed to. But his disbelief subsided rapidly and was replaced with heartfelt anger that turned his normally pale cheeks flaming red again.

'You're fine because you didn't remove the straw, as I told you to!' he breathed through clenched teeth.

'Imagine if I ...' he continued, but Shen, consumed in his task, refuted him without a thought. 'I never said I would do that.'

It took Shen a moment. He still stared at his fingers, but his eyes were blank as a clear night sky. You might just think his soul had fled his body.

'What... did you just say?' he asked, his voice calm as a breeze, yet on contact they sent even the tiniest of Shen’s hairs upright.

‘Bad,’ Shen thought, feeling flustered. He had to come up with an excuse, and quickly. Scrambling to gather his thoughts, he saw a glimmer of hope.

'I was so eager to train for the exam!' he blurted out. 'That's why I forgot and got caught up in my practice! I didn't realize the time... Grandfather, you said we can't be late! And you know how long it takes me to walk all the way around. I was afraid I would be late!'

'I told you to stay home in the first place,' his grandfather snapped. 'But you!' he bellowed. 'Didn't I tell you, that there are beasts in the mountains, coming ever so close. Beasts that especially like to eat brats like you!'

'I was at the clearing like you told me to, when I go out training!' Shen protested.

'Beasts ...,' thought Shen, vigorously remembered of them by his grandfather’s furious glare. He wasn't scared. After all he knew all about them! He would just beat them, maybe tame one, like the people in his grandfather’s stories. He was getting lost in his thoughts, when his grandfather’s eyes narrowed to slits.

'He couldn't have!' he thought stunned, yet his grandfather only dejectedly shook his head and turned around. 'We are late,' he spoke hoarse. 'Go wash yourself and put on the clothes I prepared. We are leaving shortly.'

Shen breathed a sigh of relief. For a moment there, he was sure his grandfather had read his mind.