The Reward

Nestled between gently sloping emerald hills sat a charming village. Verdant fields checkered the landscape, some lying fallow while others bore neat rows of sprouting crops that swayed lazily in the soft breeze.

Scattered haphazardly across this countryside were the village's quaint cottages, no two exactly alike. Their paneled tin roofs glinted like jewels under the afternoon sun, cascading waves of crimson, azure, and other shimmering colors. Sturdy concrete walls bore witness to decades past.

Though the cottages were uniform in basic shape and size, each one bore slight variations that spoke to the character of its occupants - one abode had a third narrow window tucked under the eaves to accommodate their beloved potted herbs while another's door was but a stoop to better suit their tired bones.