Broken Lands by Roxy Leigh EPUB & PDF – eBook Details Online
- Status: Available for Free Download
- Author: Roxy Leigh
- Language: English
- Genre: Military Fantasy
- Format: PDF / EPUB
- Size: 5.7 MB
- Price: Free
Riley
“Time’s up,” I yelled as I clapped my hands together to grab the
children’s attention. “Clean up quickly and meet Miss Hatley in
the mudroom. She’ll escort you to the ceremony.” I smiled at the group I’d
been working with this morning before turning to gather some gloves, pots,
and shears to put away.
A small sob, barely audible above the sound of chattering, caught my
attention and I spun around to find Nora still in her seat, crying quietly.
I put down the items I’d still been holding and walked to her, squatting
down in front of her and lifting her chin to see her face.
“What’s wrong, sweetheart?” I asked softly. Her short black hair framed
her pale face, the effect making her bright blue eyes seem larger than
normal. Tears poured freely down her cheeks as her gaze met mine.
“I’m sorry,” she sobbed. “I didn’t mean to. It slipped from my hand.”
“What are you… Oh.”
Behind her chair, half underneath the table, was a scattering of dirt. The
pot itself had rolled a few desks down while the seedling had landed
underneath her chair.
“Please don’t punish me. It was an accident. I’m so sorry.”
“Shh.” I stood up from my crouch and wrapped my arms around her,
holding her close. The poor child was terrified she’d be in trouble for
knocking over the plant.
“You’ve done nothing wrong.” I guess there’d be some people that would,
but I couldn’t imagine punishing a child for such a simple mistake myself.
Just the thought of it set my nerves on edge.
Earth changed during the Last War. We damaged the land and soil with
the weapons we wielded against each other. Our history books—those that
survived—show lush green fields and flourishing crops. I’ve never seen
anything like those photos. What little grass we have now is dry and brittle,
our fields dusty and barren. Our crops struggle. We struggle. Every single
plant is a precious, treasured resource.
I pull back from Nora, wiping the tears from her cheeks and offering her a
gentle smile.
“Why don’t we see if we can save it? We can add some of my special
compost to the pot, maybe some worm castings too. That might give the
seedling a chance to grow. What do you think?”
Good crops are scarce, and they require constant attention. Even then, we
barely grow enough to feed the children and staff at the orphanage. We
often can’t afford to buy extra food at the local market, either. It breaks my
heart when we don’t have enough. That’s why I took on this role in the
garden. I’d been blessed with a green thumb and enjoyed the peace that
gardening bought me. I enjoyed knowing I was doing the best I could for
my community, too.
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