The sun was warm in the small courtyard, lighting up the worn stones beneath a young girl's feet.
She was sitting on the ground with her legs folded under her, her coarse skirt brushing against the dust as she played with tiny pebbles arranged in a crooked circle. She giggled a bit when she saw the little ant that she had trapped in the circle trying to escape.
So focused was she on her little game, that she did not even notice anything else around her.
Her fingers moved quickly, pushing one pebble forward, then another, as if they were soldiers lined up for a battle. She hummed under her breath, her eyes narrowed in concentration.
Just then, a shadow fell across her stones. She looked up then. And when she saw the person standing there, her little pout changed into a big smile.
A boy a few years older stood there, holding a small clay cup with both hands. His shirt was patched at one shoulder, his trousers faded, but his smile was gentle. "Aron! You are back."
