The younger girl looked no more than six or seven years old. Her round, rosy cheeks were like apples. She had a perky little nose and laughed incessantly. She wore a red felt dress and a matching red kerchief on her head, looking exactly like a doll.

"Big brother, you're back!"

"Yes, Jiao Jiao," Garland patted her cheeks.

The older girl had her long hair braided down her back. She wore a woolen cap and a dress made of colorful strips of cloth. Her face bore a gentle, charming smile as she also said, "Little brother, you've returned."

"Yes, I'm back, Wu Wu," Garland said, a little embarrassed. He had told them he was going hunting with Saqi, yet he hadn't brought back much worthwhile game. The few animals hanging from his horse were caught along the road just now. He took them down and handed them to Wu Wu. Wu Wu was very happy and accepted them with a smile.

Meanwhile, Jiao Jiao clung to Garland and wouldn't let go.

"Who's that ugly monster over there?" Jiao Jiao pointed to the slave not far away and asked. Wu Wu also peered over curiously, only to shy away in fright. "Who is he? Why is he so ugly?"

"He is...he's Gwenc'h!" Garland blurted out. Gwenc'h, an ugly monster's name.

"Hahaha-" Jiao Jiao laughed and pointed at Gwenc'h. "Gwenc'h! A name befitting his looks!"

The youth said helplessly, "You can call him by that name from now on. I wouldn't know what else to call him anyway."

"Okay, okay! We'll call him Gwenc'h!" Gwenc'h squinted and smiled.

Jiao Jiao murmured softly, "He really is so ugly..."

"Why is he tied up? What's he doing here?" Wu Wu asked timidly.

"He is..." Now that they were home, Garland was a little hesitant to explain. "He's a slave. From now on, he'll be our family's slave."

In fact, Wu Wu was quite frightened of the word "slave." It made her think of some of her own past experiences, and a cloud of fear instantly appeared on her gentle face. Seeing her afraid, Garland quickly explained, "I won't keep him at home all the time. When I go out, I'll take him with me. Don't worry."

Jiao Jiao and Wu Wu were two girls with completely contrasting personalities. Jiao Jiao was still mischievously teasing Gwenc'h, poking him with blades of grass. Wu Wu on the other hand looked melancholy, seemingly worried about something.

"What should we do with this Gwenc'h?" Jiao Jiao asked innocently. "Should we lock him in a cage?"

"Don't be silly. There's no cage that big!" Garland hadn't considered what to do with Gwenc'h yet, knowing he wouldn't dare harm them. But what to do when at home? He was still a person, with evil intentions. What if he caused trouble for them? How could they deal with that?

"Oh, little master, don't forget you still need to go to the castle to find out more about the North! You need me alive for that..." Gwenc'h reminded him, seeing the difficulty on his face.

"Also, you can't keep tying me up like this. Look, my wrists are all bruised. How can I work like this?" Gwenc'h said with a laugh. "I know, why don't you get a bell to hang around my neck? That way if I try to run off, you'll hear it. What a great idea!"

Gwenc'h really was shameless to the core. Garland had to admit he was convinced. He had no experience keeping slaves and didn't know what to do. Gwenc'h's suggestions made some sense. He would try it his way first. After all, Garland always kept his hunting knife by his side. If the ugly monster dared cause trouble, he would pay for it.

After searching around, the only bell with a loud enough sound was the one on the horse's neck. He tied this around Gwenc'h's neck. Now whenever he walked, it jingled incessantly. Yet Gwenc'h seemed quite happy about it. He sang and danced in front of the girls, making them laugh.

Garland looked around the tent and found some chores for Gwenc'h to keep him occupied, telling him to come back for dinner after sunset. Then he took Jiao Jiao and Wu Wu's hands and entered the tent.

The youth's home was a very small white felt tent. It was so small it could barely fit the three of them. When they were younger, they never felt the tent was cramped, only that it was the warmest, happiest place, safe from even the fiercest blizzards.

The little tent remained just as tidy and cozy. Wu Wu was a meticulous girl who always kept their home clean. The felt blankets inside were still as warm as ever.

On nice days, the pot had to be set up outside the tent. Inside the iron pot was still some steaming hot cakes and broth.

There was no room in the tent for the strange new slave. Gwenc'h would have to sit outside on the grass to eat later.

Jiao Jiao brought the tasty food to Garland. And Garland recounted to them everything that had happened over the past few days. They were the closest family he had, and he hid nothing from them, telling every detail. The two girls listened attentively. This was their only window to the outside world.

Only this time, Garland glossed over the fight with the three brothers, barely mentioning it.

The two girls had very different personalities, closely tied to their respective life experiences. Wu Wu was already twenty years old, much older than Garland. When she was little, she had been a slave to another tribe, suffering greatly and enduring tremendous hardship. When Garland was two, the Grand Princess bought her to be the young master's nursemaid.

From then on, Wu Wu had cared for Garland's living needs, and it could be said no one in the world understood him better than her. When Garland was four, the terrible plague took the Grand Princess. Since then, Wu Wu had been the best kin he could ever hope for, more precious than all else.

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Both the Grand Princess and Garland had treated her like family. She was a slave no longer, and was deeply grateful to them.

"Wu Wu, are you unhappy about something?"

"...Little brother," Wu Wu asked with her head lowered, "Are we...also your slaves?"

Garland lifted her face and kissed her forehead, saying gently, "Do not overthink. You are my most treasured family."

But Wu Wu still seemed unhappy.

"You don't like seeing Gwenc'h treated as a slave?" Garland asked.

Wu Wu blinked back her tears without answering, but her expression confirmed his guess.

"You really are kind-hearted, feeling pity even for such an ugly fellow," Garland marveled. "Then I promise you, he is not a slave either. I will grant him freedom when appropriate, and he can go wherever he pleases in the future. Alright?"

"Mm," Wu Wu finally nodded and smiled.

"What exactly is a slave?" Jiao Jiao asked, sprawled on the blankets. "Am I one too?"

Jiao Jiao was indeed a slave when she was younger. Back then, Wu Wu and Garland relied on each other. Once at the market, Wu Wu saw this young girl being mistreated, which reminded her of her own past. Not wanting Wu Wu to be upset, Garland pooled money with her to buy the girl's freedom.

"Silly girl," Wu Wu pinched her little nose and said, "You aren't one, and neither am I."

Whenever Wu Wu mentioned the mother, she only spoke of her kindness, depicting her as a saint. She never uttered a negative word. Because Gwenc'h had brought up the past, the youth was unable to let go for a long time. He suddenly felt compelled to probe Wu Wu for more details about the past.

"Wu Wu, how much do you still remember about my mother?" Garland abruptly asked, setting down his food.

"She was an exceptionally gentle and compassionate mistress," Wu Wu replied shyly.

"I don't want to hear generalizations. I want the truth. I want to know what kind of person she really was, what happened to her. This concerns my origins and I must know."

Perhaps it was his stern tone that frightened Wu Wu. She looked hurt, as if on the verge of tears again.

But this time, Garland's will was resolute without the slightest wavering. With head lowered, Wu Wu said in a small voice, "When I first arrived, the Grand Princess was already living alone with you."

"Anything else? Did anyone else come looking for Mother back then?"

Wu Wu shook her head. But her expression was vague, making it seem she still held something back. After repeated pressing from Garland, Wu Wu finally revealed more. "Tiger Fright used to come see the Grand Princess often. They would argue fiercely before he left. Later, fearing the tribe would harm you, she moved far from the main camp to live alone and tend sheep."

Tiger Fright...why did that name sound so familiar?

Garland murmured it several times before realizing - it was none other than the General himself! The tribe had no surnames. A child's name included the father's name. The father of the three brothers was Tiger Fright.

So the discord between Garland's family and the General went further back than he realized, starting from way back when. The youth also strained to recall his early childhood, but could only summon hazy images. The man who kept coming to see his mother was the current General, Tiger Fright... Garland did remember such a figure.

"What exactly were they arguing about?"

Only after repeated pressing would Wu Wu divulge more.

"The Grand Princess was once betrothed to Tiger Fright's brother. But that brother had died in battle. Afterwards, Tiger Fright kept pursuing her to take as a junior wife."

With this context, the fragmented memories from Garland's childhood now made sense. He released Wu Wu and heaved a long sigh. To think Gwenc'h's random joking had aligned with the truth. Like other girls, his mother had a marital arrangement made by her parents, with a peer of their tribe. And that man had been killed in war.

"I hope to the gods it wasn't my father who killed his brother, otherwise...it's no wonder Tiger Fright's family bears such deep hatred towards me!" The youth came to this staggering realization, yet couldn't quite believe his own guess. Without confirmation from elders, he could only speculate based on bits and pieces.

"Ah, why dwell on it..." Lying down, Garland murmured to himself as he gazed up at the tent ceiling. His own childhood memories floated to mind - that indistinct male figure had said similar words: "He was only a war captive, what purpose does this serve..."

When the sun set, Gwenc'h ran back for dinner. He really was a marvelous comedian, playing the fool and clown, making Jiao Jiao laugh uncontrollably. Gwenc'h even claimed to know the beauty secrets of the women in the castle.

"Let me tell you, the women in the castle are so very fair. They coat their faces with powders and whatnot, and presto-" Gwenc'h patted his wrinkled old face, "their complexions become so white and pleasing.

"And also, they use burnt little wood sticks, yeah-" he gestured animatedly, "to paint their eyebrows arched.

"They also use flower and leaf pigments, red colors on their cheeks, to become beautiful!"

Wu Wu chuckled at this. Unexpectedly, Jiao Jiao actually tried to imitate it. Lacking white powder at home, she smeared her face with some darkened millet flour. Then she scribbled all over with charcoal. "Big brother, does it look good?"

Garland covered his face, unable to watch her folly.

"Don't listen to this ugly monster's nonsense. He's a fraud."

But Gwenc'h was entirely unfazed. He went on to describe the pig lard soap the castle women used for bathing.

"Oh, the heavenly aroma!" Gwenc'h mimed holding a treasure and sniffing it, then snapped his wrinkled limbs. "After washing, the skin becomes so smooth and fine. Feel it, so elastic!"

"Hahahaha!" Jiao Jiao rolled on the ground, laughing. "Say it again, say it again!"

And Gwenc'h repeated everything verbatim, reenacting the whole comical act. The youth was at a total loss for words - he hadn't expected the girls to be so utterly gullible.

Surely Wu Wu, being older, should know better? But when Garland looked to her, she was also giggling shyly behind her hand, completely enthralled. These two...were actually enjoying it!

Gwenc'h even took Jiao Jiao's little hand, telling her: "The women in the city also spray fragrant waters on their hands. Their whole body emanates an alluring floral scent, just like little fairies!"

"Really?" Jiao Jiao looked utterly mesmerized.

Meanwhile, Garland was tossed aside, left out in the cold. Jiao Jiao was only seven, yet already fancying such things!

Unexpectedly, Jiao Jiao even turned back with a foolish grin, saying: "I want to be a fragrant little fairy too. Big brother will definitely love it..."

"Uh..." Garland was rendered entirely speechless.

"Alright, alright. It's getting late, time to rest," Garland shooed Gwenc'h away.

"The tent is too cramped, no room for you. Go sleep in the sheep pen!"

"Yes, little master." Gwenc'h happily scampered off. Wu Wu handed him an old blanket.

Garland led Gwenc'h to the sheep pen right behind the tent. A simple wooden fence enclosed their flock. Conditions on the wastelands were extremely harsh, but fortunately it was spring now and the nights slightly warmer. After settling the slave, the youth returned to the tent.

The two girls prepared the beddings and drew the tent curtains closed. The sun quickly set and moonlight shone on their little home. Little Jiao Jiao practically stuck to her pillow and was soon fast asleep, her soft snores audible from afar.

Garland lay inside the tent, unable to fall asleep for some reason. He contemplated the various events from his past, gazing up at the sky through the cracks in the tent ceiling, counting the stars.

The night was instead a time of anxiety. Once all was quiet around him, thoughts he couldn't voice during the day would cram his mind. He had a secret known to no one, never shared with a soul. He would temporarily forget it in the day, only to be reminded each time this moment arrived.

A voice that only emerged at night would call Garland's name in the stillness. This was no illusion or dream, but real sensation! Especially when everyone else was asleep and only he lay awake. That voice would distinctly echo by his ear.