LLM Part 1 Chapter Zero

Part I: The Dawn of the Legend

Jimmy Loong

Feb 20^th 2016

0.

The young lady was transfixed by the movement of the paddles at the stern of the boat. She had been from the coastal towns and it was her first trip inland. She stood far from the splashing water although she had seen the high waves on the beaches but there was nothing compared to the churning of the paddles. She was mesmerized by the water being dragged out of the river and then it was thrown to the rear. Her hands twitching from the long inactivity made her reached out with both hands to rub it.

“Are you feeling fine?” The younger lady reacted to the touch on her left shoulder. She looked to the side and saw the older lady which was one head higher than her. The older lady who was the mother dressed in the tight gown with the stitched bodice and the wide skirting that was formed with the hoop inside. The younger lady turned to her mother and hugged the older lady. When she was hugging the mother, she saw the group of well-dressed men at the portside. There were six of them there with the stove hats and tailored fitted suits. They were waiting for the steamer to dock at the jetty. 

It was not the men she was curious about but the long crate that was guarded by the six men. It was a long rectangle wooden box but there were special clasps on the sides to hold it the cover firm. There were also the layers of tar coated on it. She knew of that when her father had told her of it. He was curious too for on coasts the tar was used to coat the ship hull. One of the men looked over at her. The expression on the face was grim and the eyes were piercing into the young lady.

“Mother, can we leave now?” The younger lady tugged at the lapels of the older lady to move away. The duo then stepped away and proceeded to the cover of the upper hulls where the cabins were located. When the duo stepped into the covered cabins area, a tall figure stepped out. The figure was a man with a stove hat and tailored suit had stepped aside for the two ladies. He did a curtsy bow towards them and then proceeded to the group of man. One of the six men then nodded to the new arrival. He motioned to the jetty where the steamer was docking.

“Is the wagon ready?” The newly arrived man enquired. He had seen the wagon was there on the jetty as per the instructions but he was keen to leave the jetty area. He saw the fishes were surfacing on the river as if there were a mass poisoning or sacrifice. He then placed his right hand on the wooden crate. It was secured but he could feel the vibrations from inside. He then looked up at the dipping sun on the river tree lines horizon. It was another hour to dusk and that reinforced his confidence that he could handle the situation if needed.

The crate was soon transferred to the wagon which took off with an escort of the six stove pipe men. Their destination was the train station heading for the inner lands of Arizona.

The Prince was at a new home.