The Forest and the Farm

by Vance Huxley

  He’d leave a message for Sis asking if she wanted Ellibeth to look after the hut. He’d leave four chickens for Rubyn anyway, to give the lad a chance to start his own little nest egg, and One-shut to guard them. Or maybe One-shut would rather come. This time Billi refused to get side-tracked. If the Wild took Billi’s chickens a few would survive here anyway. Then he could always come and trade for some chicks, and rear them with a stronger pen. Making a decision calmed Billi somehow.

  It would be a ten-day at most before the Tinkerers came through but that was enough time to prepare properly. Billi slept a little better, but not much, because he still didn’t really want to go and leave his new friends, if any of them were still friends. Though the other part of him still wanted to live in that beautiful valley if the Wild would let him. Billi refused to let his head run off round that circle again.

  The next morning Billi worked round the garden, taking in the last of the carrots and a swede so he could make a stew to soften the last crusts of bread. Maybe ‘twould be his own bread if the last of Ellibeth’s was past saving. Billi didn’t fancy that part, going back to his own bread, and foresaw a lot less bread in his diet and a lot more wild roots and grilled meat. He’d take a good few of the sprouts when he left and a couple of cabbages, and a couple of beets to tide him over until he’d found where the wild stuff grew.

  * * *

  Engrossed in the planning Billi’s first warning came from Rabbit but not as a warning. The song lifted along with a soft whining to welcome someone, and a good friend from the little zing now in the hum. Then Billi heard Rubyn’s voice, coming to tend the chickens again. Billi looked up to see Viktor’s entire family coming up the track, including Bliss and Hektor and Viktor’s two littluns who were, he thought a moment, seven summers and six? Cautiously he went to the gate, and they were all smiling and he could smell fresh bread? The whole crowd came in the gate and Dapple and Spots greeted Rabbit while all the rest said hello before they split up all over his little plot. Billi replied to the greetings cautiously, and definitely confused.

  Bliss and Ellibeth took Hektor off into the hut and the smell went with them so maybe they’d been baking back home, while Rubyn headed for the chickens of course. The other four split up and started checking fences and the goats, clearing the bit of snow from around the well and generally tidying up this and that. The whole thing had the look of a planned exercise.

  While he stood there, nonplussed, Viktor took him by the arm and drew Billi aside. “Now Rubyn came home with a lot of nonsense about you shaming my Ellibeth, or some such, so we’ve come to get the straight of it. And to find out why you’re hiding out here and haven’t been to the Village or hunting. What’s up?”

  “Well, I shouldn’t have lost my temper, and I nigh on killed a man and ruined the Harvestfest. It wasn’t my place when there was you and the Farmer there, and Rabbit threatened to kill another man. So I thought it were best if I kept my head down a bit. I’m really sorry Viktor, for butting in and showing your maid up.” Billi had really hoped to avoid this bit, the confrontation. But why had Bliss come with Hektor?

  Viktor laughed, then stared at Billi and cut it short. “Ah. I didn’t realise that you meant that. Sorry? It was a blessing!” Viktor shook his head and his face hardened “I would have done something if you’d been slower, but I’ve not your heft, Billi. I would’ve used a blade and that could have gone two ways and might have meant a death. ‘Twould have been much worse.” Viktor snorted. “If the Farmer wanted to step in he seemed awful slow and he’s not been near since, so maybe he wasn’t that bothered anyway. As for Rabbit?” Viktor looked at the Hound and chuckled. “Most folk think he stopped the trouble. A couple of the Hunters say that the idiot reaching for you should count himself lucky. There’s some Hounds wouldn’t have warned him, according to them.”

  “But he threatened a man, a killing threat because I know Rabbit and that wasn’t a caution. How was that stopping trouble? Mind, I’m glad he did, I’ve no spare hand and shouldn’t get into that sort of trouble.” Billi paused, trying to get his head around Viktor thinking of using a knife! That was as startling as anything so far. The mild mannered Tanner using a blade on a man? Then Billi caught the sense of the last bit. Some Hounds wouldn’t have warned?

  Viktor shook his head. “Ah, you didn’t see. Perry had come up behind you and so had Hektor, and both your Bros were on the way as I was. The rest of Edan’s crowd were getting set. It would have been a brawl, and who knows who would have been caught up in that? Hah, not after Rabbit said his piece. I’ve never heard a Hound growl and mean it! We see him so often with you, all daft and gentle, we forget that Rabbit is a true Hound and a big brawny lad.” Viktor poked Billi in the bicep. “As you are, that’s some grip!” Billi didn’t know what to say, his Bros had been coming, and Hektor and Perry?

  “But I saw them, everyone’s faces. They were disgusted. And I showed up Ellibeth.” He could still see those curled lips, the disgust.

  “At the maggot on the floor, you lummox. You really thought everyone blamed you, after what you said? After what the maggot said?” Victor looked up at Billi with a little smile. “Ellibeth don’t seem to mind you speaking up, and if she did that maid would say so. She reckons you shut up Edan better than any beating.” A grim smile spread over Viktor’s face now. “Well he’ll mind his mouth now even after he can speak properly again. Disowned, and the elders have him shunned until he learns some manners. If he steps out of line again before then they’ll banish him and that means the Forest or the caravans.” Viktor gave a short laugh. “Since he’s got no Hound it’ll be the Trader caravans. They’ll make him pay heavy until he can get somewhere that’ll take him. Unless he joins that shifty lot, the Traders.”

  “Shunned?” The elders rarely took action because they didn’t really rule the place, only guide, and the last shunning had been when Billi still had two legs.

  Viktor slapped Billi on the shoulder. “So cheer up. You don’t need hut guards any more since he’s been warned that he’s not to come anywhere near your hut. His own Bro warned him. Now come into your hut because those two will have got organised by now.” He led Billi off to his own hut, which was sort of wrong, but Billi didn’t care because a great weight came further off him with every step and off Rabbit as well from the happy lilt in the song. They could keep coming home and going out into the green and tending the lakes!

  It wasn’t until he’d sat in his chair with a piece of hot meat and tater pie and a drop of ale that the other bit struck Billi. “D’you mean none of you will be coming again, to look after the hut when I’m out?”

  “Well there’s no need now. Is there?” Hektor seemed to find that funny, as did Bliss.

  “Well it’s just. You know.” Billi waved his hand around then stopped. “I was going to say look at the mess but it’s all gone again.” He sighed. “I’ve sort of got used to having the place tidied up, and a bit of nice bread, and I don’t mind paying.” Then he shrugged. “Too late now, with what I said, and Edan said. Ellibeth can’t be staying here after that. Perry just isn’t any good with a duster and I’ve never tasted his bread.”

  They all laughed, then Viktor stopped long enough to gasp out a few words. “I doubt many folk will say anything amiss about Ellibeth for a good while after that.” He fought the laugh down. “No matter what she does.”

  Ellibeth came over, trying to stop her smile. “The Farmer had no understanding with me, none at all. He certainly has no say over who I see or where I go. As far as my reputation goes, Billi, you’ve always been very proper. Who else would have built that just to protect my name and have fresh bread?” She waved her hand towards the door to the extra room, behind Hektor who was sniggering at either her or Billi. Ellibeth glared at him, but without much force. “You can shut up young man. He’s more careful of my name than you were with my sister’s, even if you did put it right!” Hektor tried to look sorry but couldn’t and Bliss whispering in his ear wasn’t helping.

>   Ellibeth turned back to Billi. “Anyway, I wanted to say thank you for standing up for me. If you wish, I will be happy to come and dust and make bread. You really don’t want to taste Perry’s.” She bent suddenly and bussed him firmly on the cheek. “There. That’s safe enough with my Da and Sis in the same room. Mind you, if I come dusting you can’t be taking any other liberties.”

  Billi blushed bright red. He knew he had and there were two pink spots on Ellibeth’s cheeks as she turned away. He opened his mouth to point out he hadn’t taken a liberty, but then he saw the smiles as everyone else enjoyed the joke and let his own smile join them. “I’ll try to remember.”

  Even with her back to him Billi could hear the humour in Ellibeth’s answer. “Good, now eat your pie or it’ll be cold.” So he ate his pie while Viktor confirmed that it did mean Billi wanted the youths and Ellibeth to keep looking out for the place. The Tanner told him he needn’t give them so much pay but between bites Billi insisted. He’d got nobody to leave it to so he’d give what he wanted where he wanted, and for his own reasons.

  That made Hektor laugh again, the young Hunter seemed in a funny mood today. Perry and Timath stuck their heads round the door to see what was going on, so they’d probably run out of jobs. The littluns were called out of Ellibeth’s bedroom where Rubyn had been showing them the bearskin, and given berry juice. Despite protests Billi asked Timath to go into the cold store for butter, bacon and some cold cuts to go with the eggs just collected, and the fresh bread. Ellibeth and Bliss took over, quickly producing hot bacon and egg sandwiches and soon everyone sat eating and drinking. Even Rubyn had a bit of cider in his berry juice. Billi had no idea what the rest were celebrating. He just felt happy and the joyful song in his head made it perfect.

  Hektor managed to quieten down eventually, enough to talk. “Could I take a few geese from the reeds, Billi? Bliss is making a jacket stuffed with feathers for seeing to the chickens and such in the cold weather?” Hektor shook his head in mock despair. “The jacket is needed because the furs I brought home for a warm winter coat are apparently too pretty to use in the chicken coop or the cowshed.”

  “I’ve got a few furs like that, too pretty to use.” Billi stopped. “Cowshed?”

  “Oh yes, Da has let me have a cow for milk and butter now, and cheese if you want to trade?” Hektor’s eyes sharpened at the chance of a trade.

  Billi smiled. “I only have cream cheese usually. When I don’t use the goat’s milk or trade it before it turns I drain the curds until it’s fit to spread on bread. Something different would be nice.”

  Ellibeth jumped in before Hektor could trade. “I could make you some of the harder, tangy type of cheese with the goat’s milk if you want.” For some reason that set Hektor off laughing again until Bliss jabbed him in the ribs.

  Billi ignored the laughing. “Thank you, though I’ll still trade with Hektor. I’ll swap something, a stone for Bliss maybe, for some cheese right now, until Ellibeth makes some herself.” Billi smiled at Ellibeth. “You’ll want to take some home for the trouble, I should think?”

  “That is kind. I’d appreciate it Billi.” Hektor started laughing again. By the time everyone left Hektor had his humour under control though he still occasionally sniggered. Billi saw them all to the gate, paid Rubyn his eggs and watched them walk off to the Village, then came back inside still in a daze. A completely bewildered but happy Billi and a happy Rabbit sat in their spick and span home, until One-shut came in to claim his place by the fire and a few bits of bacon. They would be going out hunting for three days tomorrow which definitely had to be one reason for the big smile Billi went to sleep with. Another reason was the relief and contentment in Rabbit’s song.

  * * *

  Life settled back down for Billi or rather he became busy again. His store became a really cold store again once the first snow had been scooped up and packed in the boxes down there. Now the room could be filled with meat for the winter instead of the dried, smoked or salted variety that would keep in summer. A good bit of that had been sold to the last Traders that came through and more would go to the last Tinkerers. A Hunter’s stores were partly cleared out this time of year, only leaving enough to get through winter, and then properly cleared at the beginning of spring to leave room for a summer’s hunting.

  A good part of the frozen meat and fish left in the store when spring finally arrived would be sold to the first Tinkerers and Traders. They came early enough to keep the food cool until they reached a bigger settlement. That’s why the first wagons braved the snow, to take the frozen spoils of a winter’s hunting. The wild meat brought good prices if it could be kept frozen while it was taken to the right market.

  That was strange to think of, deer or bear meat being expensive, but Billi had started to realise that expensive depended on the person not the goods. Expensive could be decided by what you were used to and what was rare a long way from Trail’s End. The Traders and Tinkerers both agreed that little remained of the Wild in the edges of the Forest further sunwards so any Forest meat was exotic, and so were the skins and even horns.

  Now was the best time to refill the cold store, while the animals were still plump and sweet with new fat, before the leaves fell and made it harder to hunt and the animals became leaner and tougher. All the Hunters were busy and Billi hunted in three or four day trips to get beyond the wary game remaining near to home. Out that far many game animals had still never seen a bow.

  The villagers were definitely friendlier again. Somehow the argument, fight, whatever they thought it was had cleared the air and the rumours were gone like spring snow in the sunshine. After all that time, and all Billi had needed to do was lose his temper, which made life very strange and not at all predictable. When Kravitt the blacksmith insisted Billi joined him in the alehouse Billi was made welcome and included in the gossip. Not one person even mentioned Edan or the trouble at the Harvestfest.

  Word eventually got back to Billi, through Perry who always seemed to know the gossip. Edan had taken to living with one of his friends, Aescon the Potter’s youth, when he didn’t sleep at the stockyard. He slept there alone since the yards were only used in summer, and the beasts were now safely penned in their home barns and pastures for winter. He might be building a small shelter there since Edan still had his big dogs and now four carthorses to start his new ventures.

  What Edan didn’t do was spread rumours, frequent the alehouse, or come into the Village even when his voice recovered. He didn’t dare since the elders hadn’t lifted the shunning. The maid he’d been flirting with had picked another target since she “wanted a proper man” so perhaps it was lucky he’d got the dogs for company. Billi didn’t care much. He was out in the green even if it looked brown and a bit thin in a lot of places.

  The last Tinkerers of the year finally turned up and set up their trading stalls and tents. Billi went round them and came away with a new spit for cooking in the cabin out at the lakes. He also bought a small potbellied stove he thought he could pack out there. The stoves were a new trade item that the Tinkerer claimed would throw out more heat than an open fire, and Billi could also boil a pot or kettle on it. Billi considered one for his hut near the Village but the ovens and hob built into the fireplace were more than enough so Billi settled for just the one, for the valley.

  There were some lovely leather collars but Hounds were never collared. Firstly, it wasn’t necessary and secondly no collar would hold a Hound. Well perhaps an iron one with a thick iron chain could but why would you? In the end Billi bought a new collar for Spot since he seemed to come with whoever looked after the place so the dog lived in the hut as much as Billi, just on different days.

  This last caravan brought the right Tinkerer to trade the best stones to. Not only did this Tinkerer really seem to give the best prices, but Billi felt more comfortable dealing with this man and his beguilers. Billi knew these were all good stones as he’d used the five Tinkerer caravans visiting during the year to sort them. He had
been putting a heap on the table, then only selling a third of what the Tinkerers wanted to buy, which had also given him a really good read on what they would bid up to. Refusing to sell the rest also meant that Billi had formed a real resistance to beguiling if he wished. The rejected lesser stones all went to the Traders for silver or salt. Billi had no use for them as he could find plenty of the better ones in his gravel bar.

  In the evening Billi went to trade his stones. The beguiling ramped up as soon as he stepped in the tent and Billi laughed. They knew just who he was of course, and now they knew that he had good stones. One of the beguilers had a beautiful large sparkul on a chain around her neck that flashed in the lamplight every time she moved and Billi had to ask, how much are those sparkuls?

  The Tinkerer promised to answer later. The beguiling increased if that was possible and continued while a selection of Billi’s small stones were traded for little ingots and thick gold rings that weighed the same. Some settlements used them instead of ingots and coins, he learned. The beguilers put some on their fingers to show how the women of that place flaunted their wealth, but Billi would bet they weren’t flaunting it showing as many tattoos as that!

  After the small stones he’d brought today were all exchanged the Tinkerer sent a beguiler out. The remaining beguiler, wearing the big sparkul, moved to make it flash and burn in the lamplight and kept Billi amused until the other one came back with a strapping youth and six small bags. The Tinkerer carefully tipped each one out onto the soft cloth on the table and six fires burned in the centres of six stones in the lamplight. They were utterly entrancing. Billi found himself moving his head to watch the colours shift and joined in the laughter of those watching him. He pointed. “How much?”

  The Tinkerer’s eyes narrowed. “In exchange for what? Large stones, small ones, or gold?” Billi had sold a larger stone last time and the man knew there should be more but Billi hadn’t brought them tonight. Though while trading for the smaller ones Billi had let him know there were more small stones if these prices were right.