by Vance Huxley
Ellibeth laughed and turned her head away. Then she spoke up, in suitably shocked tones. “He can’t do that, not until after dark! My Da is here! Help me Da, rescue me.”
A few voices told Viktor to leave so the bearr could keep her, and a few told the bearr to catch Ellibeth when her Da wasn’t about. “I can’t rescue ye, not from a ssrrong bearr.” Viktor laughed at her. “If ye keep dancing with the bearr, ye’ll have to persuade him to let ye free.” Perry curled up laughing again, and Hektor and Bliss were holding each other up as they laughed.
“I’m very tempted to keep this one.” A lot of maids and youths thought he should, but Billi couldn’t. Not after dark, or the end of the dance. “So she’ll have to persuade me to let her go. I’m tired now, and I won’t be catching any other maids, so persuading me won’t be easy.” Ellibeth had a question in her eyes now, and Billi answered it.
“I think she should sit on my knee and try some beguiling.” There were shrieks of laughter at that. Some of the looks from the maids were definitely speculative, since maids only had rumours of how beguiling was done. “It will come in handy if she’s going to be Tinkerer bussing in the future.” Billi hoped she might, since Ellibeth seemed to be a bit easier to catch than some others. Unless that was wishful thinking. Billi had to watch out for that.
Billi kept hold of her hand, and Ellibeth headed for the bearr chair. “Oh no. Some other bearrs might want to dance.” Billi had suddenly realised that if he stopped, so did the bearr dance and everyone enjoyed that. This way they could keep going. “So I’ll be going back to my seat now.” Billi saw the surprise in Ellibeth’s eyes, and then the humour.
A chair was cleared at the front of the older men, and Billi sat down. Ellibeth perched decorously on his one knee, and stroked his hair and gazed soulfully into his eyes. “Is that right, Billi?”
“That’s a really good start Ellibeth. I’m not sure what Village beguiling is, so we’ll just have to work it out.” Billi wasn’t sure if this came under teasing or flirting, but he had a bonnie maid on his knee and nobody glaring at him.
A cheer went up as the first substitute bearr took his position at the post, on one leg with arms outspread. The maids started dancing again and there were still scarves a’fluttering so the chair might still be needed. It was, and a few of the bussings for forfeits, and the Tinkerer bussings, raised eyebrows.
Billi kept trying to work out where the bussing turned from teasing or bearr dancing into scandalous. There were lots of hints because the older men around him were gossiping about every catch. He realised that some serious chasing went on under cover of the dancing. No wonder the youths and maids wanted it to continue.
One maid declared, in scandalised tones, that the bearr had actually tried to check for tattoos. Then she looked really worried, and wondered aloud if he’d insist if he caught her alone. Ellibeth fluttered her eyelashes to beguile and leant close to murmur. “That’s settled then. ‘Tis an invitation to find her on her own, and he looks keen enough.” Billi glanced at her startled. “Oh yes. It might take a bit of time, but they’ll be looking for a Billi-hut by Harvestfest at the latest.”
Occasionally someone would ask why Ellibeth wasn’t beguiling. Then Ellibeth would stroke Billi’s hair and flutter her eyelashes a bit. Meanwhile she whispered that she needed lessons and did he know any dancers who gave them, and similar cheeky comments. She also whispered scandalous comments about some of the dancers and Billi’s laughter kept some of those watching intrigued.
Eventually Ellibeth smiled happily and raised her voice. “He says ‘tis enough, as long as he gets his Tinkerer bussing.” Then Billi received a bussing that wasn’t Tinkerer, but much too nice for his peace of mind. Ellibeth jumped up off his knee suddenly. “Ooh, naughty bearr! If I’ve got any tattoos they’re none of your business.” Then she twirled off back to her Da with a big smile, to cheers from the maids.
Billi looked at the curious faces, smiled and shrugged and they smiled back. The conversation around him turned to asking him about the valley, and if he really would take some Hunters there. The dancing wound down, the last bearr chased a maid and caught her, and the Springfest ended. Once again Billi stumped back through the Village in a happy crowd, a habit now, a really nice one and Rabbit seemed to agree.
The End of the Forest
Billi had been looking forward with mixed feelings to letting a couple of Hunters and two Farmers have a look at the lakes. One Farmer ran sheep and the other raised crops so the place could be properly assessed for both. Part of his reluctance stemmed from how keen they were for someone to actually move there if it proved suitable. He still hadn’t settled in his mind that the valley should have more than him and Rabbit there, not until after he went to the rock.
The Hunters were coming to see some new country and calculate if the place might support a second Hunter, if Billi would permit it? They were all dancing around this permission thing. Billi couldn’t see how he could stop someone just building a hut nearby and starting up, so he went to see Kina. “They’re asking about permission, Kina. I haven’t even drawn it out properly, and how could I stop them moving in anyway?” Billi sighed. “I could end up with no room left myself.”
Kina laughed. “No Billi. You’ve got the landclaim so the lakes and at least some land, the valley bottom, will always be yours. Though it should be measured properly so others can look for space nearby. They’re asking because you are the Eldest, out there.”
“That’s silly. I’m not old, let alone Eldest.” Billi smiled. “You are, which is why I’m pestering you again.”
“Not if it becomes a settlement. Then you are Eldest.” Kina laughed again. “It’s nothing to do with age. You have built a hut, so you are the first settler. Any who follow must respect that, according to the old lore. The first is responsible for keeping order, and for agreeing where anyone else can put up their houses.” She leaned forward and took Billi’s hand in hers. “Ye’ve started something Billi, so ye take the responsibility.”
“I just wanted to find a few stones, and to see where a stream led. Then there were the fish, and it is so peaceful out there.” Billi smiled. “I might take off and find another if it gets crowded.”
“But before that, make sure the place is set properly Billi. Ye owe that to the young couples who’ll come out there, given a chance. Set it up right, and none will begrudge ye any peace and quiet ye want.” She inspected Billi carefully. “I reckon I can see the first few whiskers for your beard sprouting already. If they don’t come through white, catch yourself a maid. She’ll put white in it fast enough.”
“Ha, there’ll be a few white hairs on my head if there really are folk moving out there. It’s not like here, we’re awful near the Wild and they’ll have to be very careful.” Billi waved his arm to include all the Farm. “Most are a long way from the edge of the Forest here.”
“So make a proper set of rules Billi. Tell them straight.” She patted his hand and sat back. “We, the Village, need the space if ye’ll let us, Billi. ‘Tis getting very tight here, which is why the bad winters bite so hard. Too many folk living on too little land.”
“But the Forest will give a little more, surely? There’ll be a fire, and the land will join the Farm.” That was how it always happened, though Billi couldn’t remember the last time.
“It’s not as likely now. We’ve reached a river both ways, even if the other one is more rocks than water. To sunward the Farm has run into rough land with mainly evergreen bushes, which will not burn so well without some leaf litter. The other way, Skull Rock and the shattered land around it will support little but goats. Even if there is a fire the other side of the rivers or the broken ground, ‘tis much harder to keep it safe from the Wild since it’ll be cut off from the rest.” Kina sighed. “It’s a worry that the elders have chewed on a few times, and a new settlement could be the answer.”
Things were a lot worse that he’d realised, and Billi gave up on objecting. “So how many make the
place a settlement? When am I supposed to insist on rules? After all a Hunter could just set up anywhere on that hillside.”
“I don’t know, but maybe you tell the first one the important parts so ‘tis all set straight to start with. Maybe three or four huts or houses will make it a definite settlement and not a camp. Maybe when the first non-Hunter moves in?” Kina shrugged. “Even three or four couples moving out of the Farm will make a difference, make life a little easier. Even if it never becomes a settlement, just stays an outlying part of the Village.”
“Put like that, Kina, I’ll do my best. We will, because if Rabbit don’t like it, I’ll not go through with it.” Billi ruffled Rabbit’s ears. “He’s never been wrong.”
“Aye, I know as much about Hounds as a woman can, I suppose. I bonded to a Hunter, and consider it a blessing that both skulls are on the Rock, waiting.” Kina sighed. “I hope ye find Raban’s and Fleet’s since they’ll be a big comfort to Treese.”
“We’ll try, I promise.” Billi realised he’d just agreed to a Winter Hunt next year, things kept creeping up on him these days.
* * *
When the small party collected for the valley trip Billi found Eddmune among those coming to assess the place. “My arm’s still out of action but Streak still thinks I’m a hunter. If ye stick an arrow in something I can get a spear into it sharpish so it should work out well. The two of us together make up a full Hunter but one with two Hounds. A different sort of Hunter, since not many have three legs and three arms.” Eddmune seemed really happy to find an excuse to go Hunting even with one working arm, and Billi could sympathise.
“I’m coming because following you around is always interesting.” Mikkel smiled happily. “Not only that, but since Bettram and Patre are both old men you’ll need someone younger to run about after you all.”
The group were ready to go, just waiting for Billi’s hut guards to turn up. Billi looked over at his goats and chickens. “I’d not bother with guards now, except Rubyn does enjoy earning an egg, and does keep the chickens laying well. The bread’s welcome when I come back, even if I suppose I could trade for some.”
The four others looked at each other and Bettram spoke up. “Ye might want to keep an eye on your hut, Billi, since Edan’s all fired up again.” Bettram hesitated. “He still reckons he should have got Dapple, and now he’s blaming ye for Raban.”
“That’s a nonsense, and I was there.” Eddmune gestured to his arm. “It could have been me, Nortan or a few others just as easy.”
“The tale is you hung back, safe. Another Hunter in the line would have saved Raban and Fleet.” Bettram shrugged. “I wouldn’t be here if I believed it, but a few will.”
“Not Treese, Billi, and no Hunter. After all, Canitre stood back with ye, and there were others behind ye like me that couldn’t even pull a bow.” Eddmune scowled. “I thought he’d quit that.”
“It’s the winter. Edan earned enough meat for the dogs and some fodder for his horses, and then winter bit deep and it wasn’t enough after all.” Patre sighed. “He had to trade one of those big horses he intends to breed for more fodder, and silver for meat. He was lucky someone took that horse. Arikk reckons it might be better for ploughing that clay soil of his.”
“Those beasts are too big for this place.” Bettram shook his head. “A pony does well enough and don’t eat as much.”
“But why is that my fault?” Billi really was getting sick of Edan, but there was little he could do. He’d just relaxed and now the youth had started again.
“Canitre said that he was asked, and told Edan he couldn’t have meat for those dogs because they were a waste. There were some words about how much silver Edan spent on ale instead of keeping it for his livestock.” Eddmune grimaced. “Bad blood ‘twixt kin is the worst.”
“Not just bad blood, with the cold winter nobody had meat to trade, or not in return for guarding stock. That’s why Edan needed silver and had to let a horse go. Then he had to spend the silver on the only meat available, meat from the Winter Hunt. The hunt you led, Billi.” Bettram shrugged. “Everyone kept saying they were lucky to have any meat to trade, that only you knew where to get it. That must have rubbed him the wrong way.”
“Him and those four who are always round him. Two are from Trader caravans and a rough pair they are. Ye’d best keep your guards Billi.” Patre looked along the track. “Though that seems a couple too many.” Ellibeth, Perry, Timath and Rubyn were coming from the Village.
Billi laughed, pleased for the change of subject, sort of. “Perry wanted to come and I said yes, so Timath probably wants to come as well.” Though as they came nearer Ellibeth had a pack, and Timath didn’t.
Billi looked at the pack, and then Ellibeth’s face and she smiled. “I’ve come to pay the rest of the forfeit Billi. You said I’d to come out and look at that valley of yours so here I am.” She glanced at Rubyn. “Timath will mind Rubyn, he’ll mind the chickens, and Perry will come along to mind me.” She chuckled. “Since I’ll be out in the Forest with the bearr.” The rest laughed and Billi couldn’t argue.
After all, Perry would be along to keep it respectable. Billi felt sure he hadn’t asked about Ellibeth coming, though the thought brightened up his day considerably. He waved his crutch. “You’ll have no trouble keeping up.”
Mikkel waved Ellibeth forward. “We’d best be off then.” The waiting men were all smiling and chuckling, so it had cheered them up as well.
The group took it steady as the non-Hunters were used to hard work but not trekking, and that made time for a bit of hunting on the way. The walk came as a novelty for the Hunters in one way because the other four were really excited about being out in the Forest, so far away from the Farm. They were soon well past where any wood gatherers would ever go. Perry had been out on trips with Billi and ponies to bring charcoal and trees and a Winter Hunt, but not like this, just walking. The four chattered almost continually and the Hunters enjoyed airing their knowledge. Though camping out in the Forest stopped all the chatter. The villagers spoke in whispers, sat in the middle of three big fires with Hunters and Hounds in the gaps. By the third night they had started to enjoy the idea, because as promised the Wild left them alone.
The Hunters became more excited as they approached the valley. Both exclaimed over the amount of game, and Billi confirmed that he never had any problem hunting here. The area would easily support another Hunter without ruining the supply. Billi hadn’t taken meat from the usual areas near the Village for a year now, and the game here still weren’t really wary. It took a different type of hunting because of the open woodland, but a Hound could scent and follow the game until something made a decent target.
Billi felt decidedly nervous when they finally approached since although he loved the place it was a bit rough and ready compared to the Village. Then the others were all exclaiming at the big fish swimming lazily in the lake and pools, and the big tree forming the dam, and all the wide- open space. Perry stuck a bit of mud over a little leak in the dam, just looking after his supper he said. Perry wasn’t a Hunter so he thought the fish were a tremendous asset for anyone settling here. It would be hunting without going out or even a Hunter.
The party split up. Eddmune took Patre all around the valley bottom and sides to see what would be fertile enough for crops. The Farmer would also assess the state of the vegetation along both sides of the water to see if any could be replaced with something more useful. He’d already eyed up the reeds with a smile, and pointed out that some of the plants already there were edible.
Meanwhile Bettram set off up the hillside with Mikkel to check for both hunting and grazing, and to see if they could see any water up there. That left Perry and Ellibeth, who stayed together because that stilled any tongues where Ellibeth was concerned. Billi gave them a tour of the valley. Perry couldn’t get over the amount of fish, right outside Billi’s door, and Billi mentioned his idea of digging a channel from a river and creating a big pool to do the same elsewh
ere. They agreed that would be a huge amount of work.
Billi had never shown his valley to anyone and he enjoyed doing so right up until he opened the rough door on his hut. He could see Ellibeth mentally dusting and sweeping and inwardly cringed because the place looked pure bachelor Hunter. All rock and rough wood, even the bed and seat, except for the very modern potbellied stove. Ellibeth asked about that, inspected the gap behind it and Billi’s stonework, and started laying a fire in the iron belly.
She asked if there were any of those fish handy, since if they were staying everyone might as well eat properly. Perry and Billi took the hint. They brought her fish and firewood and got out of the way. By the time Bettram and Mikkel came down the hill the gentle aroma of fish wafted across the lakes. A hint of what turned out to be wild herbs and roots wafted with it, a new smell for hut, stove and valley.
Over the meal the group discussed first impressions. Patre led off because he had a puzzle. “The size of this valley is a lot bigger than you’ve been saying, Billi. I would have thought you’d estimate closer.”
“In what way?”
“The valley bottom, the part useful for crops, goes a lot further from the lakes than I’d expected. Are the lakes low?” Patre really seemed puzzled. “Why did you plant brambles across the middle of the pasture land?”
“I didn’t. I planted them where the flat land ended, at the edge of the valley bottom.” Billi thought about it. “The grass beyond that isn’t as good so I thought that would do for sheep. It also trapped a deer really neatly and I thought the brambles made a good hedge.”
“They’ll split the pasture, and that will mean keeping them trimmed back into a hedge. The good soil goes a lot further than that, at least as far again.” Patre’s face cleared. “Did you do the same the other side? Take the first slope as the edge of the valley bottom?”
“Yes. Since I thought it would be the rock causing the slope.” Billi grappled with the pasture being twice as big. That settled it, he would end up with one neighbour at least.
