xia
AND THE SLAIN BEAST
It was such a beautiful day. The air was the perfect springtime temperature, there were just enough clouds out to keep the sun from blaring too brightly, and the lavender and lilacs had bloomed, christening the village with the loveliest fragrance imaginable.
And that’s why Xia found it impossible to stay inside on such an agreeable occasion.
She’d just finished her last year of secondary classes, but she’d recently returned to Scholar’s Row every day to assist the primary children’s main teacher by being a stand-in until Ms. Wallbry recovered from breaking an arm and a leg in a wagon accident.
On her last day of tutoring, however, Xia had allowed her pupils to climb the ladder onto the flat roof above the schoolhouse to spend the last portion of their class th
