Chapter 1
Chapter 1: Ed and the Upside-Down Tree
Ed the immortal Warrior, cheerful and kind, discovers a little girl named Layia stuck in an upside-down tree in the village square. Despite his strength, Ed chooses to gently help her down, earning her trust and sparking curiosity about his mysterious past. As they part, Layia wonders about the ancient sword on his back, hinting at adventures to come.
Ed the Warrior strolled into Willowbrook village just as the sun was finishing its climb above the red-tiled rooftops. Ed was hard to miss: he wore, a shirt patched a hundred times, and always carried a sword taller than most grown-ups. Yet the sword never left its worn leather sheath, for Ed was happiest lending a hand instead of swinging a blade.
On this bright morning, Ed’s sharp ears caught a strange sound—half cry, half giggle—floating from the village square. He followed the noise, passing the baker’s shop where warm bread smells danced through the air, until he found something curious indeed: a little girl dangling upside-down from the branches of the old maple tree. Her brown braids were almost brushing the ground, and her face was red from both giggling and worry.
“Are you stuck, or are you practicing to be a bat?” Ed called, smiling.
The girl wriggled. “I was trying to see if there was a bird’s nest up here!” she said. “But now my foot is tangled and I can’t get down.”
Ed reached up, his long arms making it easy to steady her. “Well, let’s see about that. Hold on to my hat, Miss Bat!” he said.
She giggled even harder, holding the floppy brim of his hat as Ed gently freed her foot with one careful twist. He set her feet on the grass, and she blinked at him, wide-eyed and amazed.
“Thank you!” she said, brushing dirt off her knees. “I’m Layia. You’re very strong.”
Ed knelt to her level and grinned. “Strong is handy, but careful is what keeps friends safe. Are you all right?”
Layia nodded, her eyes shining with new mischief. “I’ve never seen you before. Are you a knight?”
“Not anymore, jellybean,” Ed answered, tapping the side of his nose. “Now I just help where I can. This old sword is for show, and for remembering.”
Layia’s curiosity twinkled. “Remembering what?”
Ed’s eyes grew soft for a moment. He glanced at the sword, then back to the girl. “Adventures. Friends. Some things I wish I could forget, and some I hope I never do.”
Before Layia could ask more, her mother called from across the square. “Layia! You’re not upside-down again, are you?”
Layia laughed. “I have to go. Will you stay in Willowbrook, mister?”
“I think I will, at least until lunchtime. There might be more bat rescues needed,” Ed said with a wink.
She waved and hurried away, still glancing back at Ed and the sword peeking over his shoulder. Ed dusted off his patched shirt and looked up at the friendly old tree—its branches now rustling with birds startled by all the excitement. He wondered what other upside-down problems he might find in Willowbrook. And as he turned to stroll toward the bakery, a shadow flickered behind the fountain, quick as a squirrel.
Ed paused, his hand resting gently on the sword’s hilt. He smiled to himself. Trouble always seemed to find him, even in the safest places.