Much to Marin's chagrin, she was beginning to realize that she had shot herself in the foot by
promoting Rocky as the team leader. His polished sarcasm rhetoric really embarrassed her. However,
she couldn't do anything at the moment. After all, she had just promoted him. It would be strange for
her to downgrade him immediately only because he pissed her off in front of other people. That would
cause a plethora of suspicions which would result in a more complexly difficult situation.
"What kind of a secret is this guy trying so hard to hide?" Marin was not stupid. She could sense that
Rocky had something secret that he tried to conceal from other people. How did he end up being sent
into exile to this kind of dangerous border? Marin was curious about these hidden aspects of his history
and was eager to figure it all out.
After Rocky left the camp of the commander, he saw Evan surrounded by a crowd of followers who
were all kissing up to him. Evan had distinguished himself in the execution of the task they just
participated in. What they were doing now was not unexpected. Rocky could not help but laugh to
himself as he caught sight of the fawning crowds.
Evan recognized Rocky, and stopped abruptly, smiling at him. "Hah, congratulations! As a rookie who
had arrived in the military camp for just a few days, it is a surprise to have ascended to the position as
a team leader."
"If you like, I'm ready to step down for you to fill the void," Rocky replied in his calm manner. He was
really talented at sarcasm.
"Well, that's very generous of you. But, no, thank you. It is only befitting for the kind of talent like you.
You have to be good enough to be the leader of a rubbish team," Evan replied with a sullen face.
"Oh, Why! It kind of reminds me of the famous fable 'The Fox and the Grapes'! I'm sorry if you're
heartbroken to realize that you will never be as good as me!" Rocky guffawed loudly before departing
abruptly and gracefully.
Evan burst into a fury as Rocky ended the conversation. In an uncontrollable rage, he shouted at
Rocky's back, "Who the hell do you think you are? You lowly bastard! Let's wait and see how long can
you keep that arrogant manner! Never forget what I said today. Sooner or later, I will make you crawl
before me to lick my shoes!"
When Rocky returned to his room, he saw that little Rubygon was finally able to stand on its own feet.
But it was not that strong and still teetered precariously. It kept hopping under Uriah's belly, crying out
in a tender voice from time to time. Uriah did not seem to understand what little Rubygon need, but
could only leave it hopping under its abdomen.
"Little Rubygon must have been very hungry." Rocky approached the little Rubygon beside the bed and
cuddled it. He looked at it for a few seconds and talked to Uriah, "I think we need to find a wet-nurse for
this little fellow."
Uriah roared and jumped down from the bed immediately.
Subsequently, a man and a beast holding little Rubygon snuck stealthily out of the military camp.
There was a small village of about twenty to thirty families several miles to the east of the military
camp.
A strange man and a beast showed up outside the village. They had come to find a wet-nurse for their
little creature.
However, Rocky noticed a strange phenomenon. At the sight of the three of them, the villagers who
were busy in the field grew frightened, trembling visibly. They cuddled their own children and ran home
immediately as if they would do something bad to them.
"What the hell is going on here? Am I so bad looking that all the people are frightened by my look?"
Rocky could not help but wonder. He looked around the whole village, and found a sheepfold at the left
corner of the village. He caught sight of some moving sheep inside. He walked directly to that way. He
could see that those windows of the village house were slightly opened, as if people inside the house
were peeping at him.
"Excuse me. Whose sheepfold is this? I would like to ask for some sheep's milk," Rocky asked
immediately in a loud voice, nearing the building. Because he saw a house near the sheepfold, he
thought the family must be in charge of this sheepfold. But not one person replied to him after a few
minutes of waiting.
Rocky knew he would not get an answer from the owner any soon. So he entered the sheepfold
himself and let Uriah stay outside.
Since there were only several sheep in the sheepfold, most of them lambs, so it was very easy for him
to recognize the ewe in the flock. Rocky held little Rubygon and put it beside the ewe, before retreating
for some distance and settling himself at a corner.
The ewe was a little terrified at sight of little Rubygon, so it retreated several steps away. Rubygon
unsteadily stayed in one place and, like a hungry infant pleading for food, it cried out in a tender voice.
The ewe seemed to understood that little Rubygon was hungry when it heard the tender cries. Slowly, it
went back to little Rubygon and kneeled down to nurse the little hungry creature.
After little Rubygon was satiated, Rocky decided to take a detour out of the village in order to avoid
disturbing those villagers.
As soon as Rocky left the village, those closed doors were all re-opened again. They walked out of
their houses and looked at the direction of Rocky's departure in confusion. They didn't see him doing
anything peculiar, so they simply scratched their heads and went back to work.
There, an old man and a young teenaged girl walked out of the house near the sheepfold.
"Grandpa, was that man also from that military camp? Why did not he take away anything with him?"
the girl asked in curiosity.
"Maybe he is a good guy," the old man answered in a hoarse voice, his eyebrows knotted together.
Rocky became a regular patron to that village after that first visit. At first, the villagers were terrified at
the sight of them. They hid in their house every time they saw them coming. But as time went on, they
saw that he did not do anything other than obtaining some milk. So slowly, bit by bit, they put down
their defenses.
One day, Rocky came again with little Rubygon in his arms. Uriah was trotting behind him as usual.
Even though the villagers still seemed a little frightened when he showed up again, they had already
got used to their strange visitors and no longer hid in their houses.
Rocky nodded his head to the villagers and entered the sheepfold directly to feed the little Rubygon. He
sat beside them as usual.
"Hey, brother, have a drink of some water." At this moment, an old man walked out of the house beside
the sheepfold with a bowl of water in his hands. He was holding it out to Rocky.
"Thank you, Sir." Rocky stood up immediately and took the water from the old man. Then, he asked, "Is
this your sheepfold?"
The old man nodded his head.
"Little Rubygon has been benefitting from the milk of your ewe. I shall make it up to you," Rocky said
immediately
"No, no need. It's no problem. It is just a bit of milk," The old man said amiably.
"Grandpa, how can you dare go out?" At this moment, Rocky saw a young teenaged girl walked out of
the house. Though she was still practically a child, her beauty was already evident. Her pair of flashing
eyes were big, like a peaceful lake rippling gracefully. She would grow up to be a beauty.
"That's alright. I think this young man is quite friendly. I don't think he's the same as the other ones," the
old man replied to her.
"You can't just judge a person by his looks. Last month, those guys robbed us of two sheep and other
poultry from our neighbors. They were truly bandits." The girl looked at Rocky with some hostility
emanating from her gaze.
"Who are those guys? Rocky heard the girl's complaint, and asked curiously.
"They are..." The old man stopped the girl who was about to reveal the identity of the robbers.
Observing the countenance of the old man and the girl, Rocky knew there must be something
happening in this village before. No wonder the villagers were so afraid of his presence. But he did not
press further since they did not want to tell him. He had to be patient and considerate with these
traumatized people.
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