She was, even for her 15 years, young. The man she set her heart upon was hardy any older than she. They past the summer before the great war walking in the woods and laying in the tall grass watching as the Season grew warm and the birds returned from their winter homes. They kept their love close to them and told no one of their joy in one another as the future seemed quite uncertain. The woman came to husband with two buckets and said to him "Let us go to the well draw water and talk for a bit." The man put aside his calligraphy to attend to his wifes wishes. She began speaking to him about his favorite subject, his daughter. When she told him he let go his bucket and they listened in silence as it fell banging against the sides of the well until a splash silenced it's travel. Who!? he demanded of his wife? "She won't say" His wife replied. They walk through the long grass crying together as they returned to their once happy home. They found their daughter in her room weeping. Well she should cry the father thought to himself But said nothing.. No matter how they tried to comfort her she would saynothing about how the tragedy had befallen her. In her Sixth month she had gotten word that her one true love had fallen in battle. She saw no reason to bring his family into her disgrace. Her son was born dispersing all her sorrows. But increasing her fathers anger day by day. Father told his wife to dress their daughter for a trip across the small valley to the monastery. Now almost deserted, but a few monks still remained. The monastery had been stricken by a strange disease that took two in five of the monks to their next incarnation. The Father was sure the Abbott would get the truth out of his daughter. The young mother was terrorized with no way out. As they all sat down together The girl pointed straight at the Abbott and said: "It was him!" First the silence then the fathers rage! Father forced the baby out of his daughters hands and thrust it into the monks arms. You made this homeless child! You raise him! To which the innocent Abbott simply said: "Ah, so." The winter came hard on them and many went without food. But the Abbot saw to it that his new charge wanted for nothing. He was so dedicated to the child that even the the monks began to think that there was something to the young girls story. The Abbott's reputation began to suffer as word passed from home to home though-out the little valley As hard as the winter had been, it at last yielded to spring, the mountain passes cleared and the army of the alley returned home victorious. She was retuning from the Well when she saw him talking to her father...He was demanding to see her. Once all was explained and understood They all started out across the valley together. The Monk who cared for their goats saw them from afar and walked them into the gates of the court yard. Her Father keeled begging the Abbott's forgiveness The young parents rejoiced in their healthy son as grandmother wept her joy for her daughters good fortune. After seeing and hearing all there was to see and hear they started for home though the long grass. Watching them depart the Abbott whispered under his breath "Ah, just so."
