Chapter Six
Hua
Rain drizzled from the gray sky, soaking the world in tears, as if it knew what was coming.
News of the battles along the border of Koulland trickled into Zhouchang over the months since the festival, but the war seemed like a far-off problem that had no effect on life in their central Piao village.
Until it came to their doorstep. Or, to be more accurate, the Minglans’ doorstep in the form of her father’s announcement that it was finally time for him to leave. The family spent the day in nervous anticipation of the goodbye planned for the next morning.
What could you say to someone you knew you’d probably never see again?
Ru, not understanding any of their sadness, slept curled in a chair. Hua’s mother busied herself in the gardens despite the weather, unable to be s
