The Forest and the Farm

by Vance Huxley

  When the caravan arrived Billi took his reject stones, the one’s the Tinkerers didn’t want. He had cleaned and polished them to be sure what the stones were and among them were, once again, some that were the type that made sparkuls but had been rejected by Tinkerers. As usual, the Traders were eager to take them all. Billi tried to work out afterwards if he’d got a little bit more by cleaning them.

  The following day he took his silver to buy salt, and traded some hides for more. Billi asked Hektor to come along, though didn’t say why, and the young Hunter joked it must be to help with carrying the salt. Once the salt had been safely loaded onto a hired pony Billi told him the real reason. “I don’t trust the Traders.”

  Hektor laughed. “Nobody does.”

  “But I’m going to the stone trader with a real sparkul, a very small one. I know they’re keen to get them, and I want to know how keen. I’d as soon have another Hunter and Hound handy if the man gets greedy.” Billi showed the tiny sparkul, but didn’t tell even Hektor about the larger one he carried. Not because he didn’t trust Hektor, but he’d seen both Hektor and Bliss after a bit too much cider at the dancing and something might slip.

  Hektor suddenly became very serious. “Don’t worry, Billi. Rabbit will let Dapple know, and we’ll be straight inside.”

  Billi went in with Rabbit and sat at the table. “Did you want ale or wine, or maybe cider?” The Trader waved at a table full of bottles and flasks.

  “No thank ye.” The Traders used those instead of beguilers, and ale worked well enough with some. “I’ve got another stone to show you.”

  “One? Let’s see it then.” Billi put the little package of kidskin on the table and unwrapped it, leaving the sparkul in solitary splendour right in the middle. He put it in a sunbeam, and the tiny stone blazed with inner fire. “A sparkul! How did you get that?” The man put his hand out and Rabbit grumbled just a little, but enough to stop him. “I was just going to check what it was.”

  Billi laughed. “You know what it is. Does anything else look like that?” Billi leant forward and gave the man a hard look. “I traded for it with the Tinkerers. A sparkul isn’t cheap, and I want to know if I’ve been cheated. I’ll know by what you’ll give me for it.”

  The Trader blew out a long breath and nodded. “You’re right. I know what it is and no, nothing looks the same. What are you asking?”

  “Gold. A good bit. How much you part with tells me if I’m to trade for another when I’ve put the price together.” Billi looked down at the bright spark between them. “If we reach agreement you can handle it all ye like.”

  “I can find a better price if I’m the only one you sell to?” Billi almost smiled, because that meant the Trader really wanted the little stone. “Can I look at it closer?”

  “You can pick it up with an open hand under the hide. If you close your hand, Rabbit will get the sparkul back even if your hand is in the way.” Billi had seen the Traders doing tricks with cards and stones, making them disappear and appear again.

  “Don’t you trust me?” Before Billi answered the Trader smiled. “I wouldn’t trust the rest of them round a sparkul so fair enough.” He carefully picked up the hide with both hands and slid one right underneath, then brought the stone nearer to his eye and produced a magnifying glass on a handle. Billi had seen those, they were like a lens out of a far-seer with a frame round them, though he’d not seen one with a handle. “That’s a very small sparkul.”

  “It’s a sparkul and worth a lot more than the usual stones, even bigger ones.” Billi knew that for sure, but wasn’t sure how much the Tinkerers charged the Traders.

  The serious bargaining began with Billi putting one of the one-gold rings on the table. “That’s to check yours against. ‘Tis how some trade, and the value is exactly one gold, so if someone has passed ye a gold ingot that’s got the wrong metal in it’ll show on the scales.” Which was a polite way of telling the Trader not to pass Billi forgeries.

  “I’ve seen those before. Now, how much gold is the question.” They went back and forth and round a bit, and eventually Billi had enough gold and some silver in front of him. More than enough for a decent trade, so the Tinkerers really did make the Traders pay well. Billi had no intention of trading his other sparkuls, because they were easier to store than gold. Not only that, but if word got back to the Tinkerers, the prices would go up.

  “That’s a trade.” Billi scooped up the price, and the Trader wrapped the sparkul. “Ye’d best not mention that, or the Tinkerers might not trade another.”

  “I’ll not be telling the rest of the caravan, never mind the Tinkerers. Did you get any hints how they do it?” The Trader didn’t seem hopeful, but they always asked anyone with stones.

  “No, but now I want you to consider carefully. I’ve another here and I want your best price again.” Billi reached into his coat.

  “You should have traded for both and maybe got a better price.”

  “Different sizes.” Billi unwrapped the kidskin and the smallest of the larger sparkuls blazed into life on the table.

  The Trader didn’t move. He sat for a long time, staring, and then wet his lips before speaking in barely a whisper. “Blood and gold man, how did you get that?”

  “I found a pocket of good stones, the sort the Tinkerers like, then I bargained hard. Now I want to know if I made a good trade.” Billi paused. “How much gold will ye give me for that?”

  “More than I’ve got.” The Trader thought hard. “I might be able to borrow enough from others here in the caravan?” He hesitated. “Perhaps. If we come to a price. Can I?” He made the barest move towards the sparkul.

  “Very, very carefully and flat again. If ye take hold, ye’ll not have chance to let go and I’ll keep the hand.” Rabbit muttered to himself. “There’s another Hunter and Hound outside so there’ll be no help and I don’t even need to speak to warn him.”

  “Aye, Hounds. We know enough to be sure of that. I’d like to keep my hand, but I’d also like to hold it for a moment.” The Trader picked up the hide and sparkul on his flat hand and held it in the sun to move it a little this way and that and Billi watched the fire sparkle and the rainbows dance inside the stone. Then the Trader sighed. “I’ve never held one that size.” Billi suddenly became even more cautious but the Trader put the sparkul back down.

  “So can we try to come to a price? That cost me a lot of stones.”

  “I’ll wager!” The Trader pulled his eyes from the sparkul and sat back. “In gold? You won’t take other stones, or other trade goods?”

  “Straight gold, tested right here.” The negotiation started agreeably high for Billi. In the end Billi sat silent for a long time, as if in thought. Then he sighed. “Close, but not enough because of what I paid, but you gave me my best offer for the sparkul.” Billi just wanted to get clear and leave the man hopeful. “I’ll bury it back in the Forest, and think long and hard. I’d hoped for a bit more but maybe that’ll be enough.” He smiled and waved at his peg leg. “Maybe enough to get a maid to overlook this.”

  “Enough to get a Tinkerer maid to move in for a while, I’d wager.” The Trader looked at the sparkul. “I would prefer not to borrow from some of the others since they’d wonder why, or I would go a little higher. If you keep it I’ll come prepared next year, and I’ll think long and hard about that price. We can find a way. Keep any little ones you get as well.”

  “I will, as long as I don’t hear tales going to the Tinkerers or anyone else.” Billi worried more about tales going to the Traders and others here in the Village because he’d been offered a lot of gold, maybe enough to set up his valley home properly! “I don’t want anyone trying to steal it.”

  “They’ll not try from someplace in the Forest. That’ll need a Hunter and Hound, and you lot stick together.” The Trader nodded to Billi. “Very clever. Not only that, but I’ll wager there’s no sign of where its buried.”

  “Ye’d be right.” Billi wrapped the sparkul and stood. “I’d
best get it back out there as soon as possible. I thank you for the offer, and I will think on it.” He’d make sure all the sparkuls were in the valley, and probably just outside it in the Forest nearby. The Tinkerers might not sell many, but they really made the Traders pay well judging by that offer and now Billi wished he’d not brought the larger one.

  Hektor leant against the outside of the wagon, with Dapple laid at his feet. “Did you get a price?”

  “I did, and the Tinkerers get a really good price for them. Now I’d best get this salt home, and my profit tucked away.” Billi laughed. “I’ll be able to spruce up the hut in the valley at this rate.”

  “Oh yes, I saw Ellibeth raising dust when she went there. You’ll need a broom for starters if she goes again.” Hektor followed Billi home and then went off to his own Billi-hut.

  Billi unloaded his salt, put the big sparkul in the hidey hole under the bed, and took the pony back. When he returned, there were marks on the door of his hut where someone had tried to lever out the lock! It hadn’t worked, but Billi would make sure never to leave it unguarded when Traders were here. Showing the sparkul really had been a mistake. At least he’d not taken a larger one, or one set in gold as he’d intended. Now Billi could only hope that greed kept the man’s mouth shut.

  Billi made sure to go out for three days straight after the Traders left, in case the man had spoken to anyone here. Anyone watching would presume the sparkul buried over a day away in the Forest. On his return Ellibeth greeted him with fresh bread and a pie, and messages. Viktor wanted to talk to Billi when he had time, and so did Mikkel.

  Ellibeth laughed and told Billi that as an Eldest he had to get used to folk wanting to talk, and to Rubyn’s questions. Rubyn had plenty about the Forest, valley and moor, mixed with recitals of egg-collecting and trap-emptying. He also asked about feathers now, and any different flowers, so Billi had an excuse to bring both. The traps had taken few little hunters, and Rubyn looked downhearted. Billi explained that it was time to switch to snaring rabbits, and anything else that wanted the crops that were beginning to show green in the fields.

  * * *

  Viktor wanted to talk about how to set up his eldest maid’s home out in the valley because the cost of the hut alone worried him. Billi eased his mind. All the cottages would be built cheaply because they’d all help each other. He’d trade Ellibeth a stove against cleaning and pies and bread, and maybe a bit of grain and straw from her crops for the chickens and goats. She wouldn’t need so much meat with the fish and the birds from Rubyn’s traps. Others would trade their help against future flour, grain and straw, and Billi would be paying Rubyn to look after the chickens and Billi’s waterfowl. Viktor made that easier by offering to give Spots to Rubyn, to be the valley guard dog.

  Dealing with Mikkel turned easier in a way, but unexpectedly so. “I’d like to take the second Hunter’s cottage, please, Billi.”

  “You’re the first Hunter to come straight out and ask, and I know ye well enough Mikkel so it’s done. Who’s the lucky maid?” Billi assumed that whoever had been chasing or running was caught.

  Mikkel looked a little bit shy. “Nobody, Billi. There’s a few chasing but I’m still running hard. I’ll only need a roof and someplace to leave gear I’m not carrying, and store pelts and meat.” Mikkel shrugged. “If I’ve got a storeroom for that, I can live with another family there for a while. My cottage can go up last.”

  “I’m sure someone will be pleased of the extra meat, and a store wouldn’t take much to build.” Billi chuckled. “I’m going to sort it all out with Syman, but I’m hoping to arrange for him to cut me a cold store into the rock face. The stone can go into buildings. You could do the same?”

  “I will, thank you. I can grow a few vegetables, and build up some fowl if there’s someone to look out for them. I can pay the minder with meat or furs.” Mikkel smiled. “If I can find someone not too busy.”

  “Rubyn and Spots will be looking after mine, so yours won’t be much more work?”

  “He’ll be a good catch himself at that rate.” Both laughed because if Rubyn started earning now he really might find a lot of interest when he came of age. “I’m not ready to be caught just yet.” Mikkel gave that half-shy smile again. “I’d like to get a home set up, proper-like. Then when I happen on a maid whose family expect her to get more than a Billi-hut, I’ll be set.”

  If Mikkel had a cottage and a real landclaim, that would be enough to keep them until the young Hunter inherited his landclaim in the Village. It also spoke well of Mikkel that he would wait for the right maid and the young Hunter certainly seemed sure the maid would be there, whoever she was. That sounded like family, not the maid, being the problem. Billi wondered which maid’s family thought being a Hunter on top of whatever landclaim Mikkel would get wasn’t enough. Though one point needed driving in, with Mikkel being young. “The Great Hunter could be right there one morning, at the Forest edge, taking a drink. You won’t be tempted, will you?”

  “I’ll nod politely, and step back indoors, and Pointer will come with me. I’ve still got a paw from the striped hunter, and after seeing those pug marks I got it out to look at. It looks like a kitty-paw in comparison.” Mikkel sighed. “I still remember how big that striped hunter was, and how hard to kill, and I’ve no intention of tangling with its big bro.”

  “Good enough. We’d best get to Kina and get your name down.”

  “Thank ye Billi. I can’t wait to look at all that new Forest and that moorland. The birds up there are new, so who knows what else a Hunter might find?” He grinned. “I could become a Wanderer as well. I’ve been asking around and some of the Traders are also wondering if you’ve reached the end of the Forest.”

  Kina seemed more than pleased to add Mikkel, she sounded enthusiastic. “That’s what you needed, Billi. With a second Hunter in place, the rest will fill up fast. Bettram has already left stock to mature to start Gerant off, and there’s others doing the same just in case.” She sighed. “I’d love to come on that trip, driving all the stock out there. Still, there’ll be plenty of Hunters up for it, and the sibs of those going will help as well if only so they get their extra landshare here.”

  “I’d not thought of that. When will the stock be old enough?” Billi suddenly envisioned a flock of lambs in the Forest, and the carnage that would follow.

  “Next spring, after any adults have weaned their young so they can leave them. Most of the stock will be yearlings, and breed the first year there. Those who can’t give the younguns stock will be sending stoves and cooking pots, crockery and bedding. You’ll need all the ponies on the Farm I reckon.” She reached out to stroke Billi’s chin. “You’re leaving it late to start that beard.”

  * * *

  Billi made trips out to hunt for meat, and for wood, and sometimes to the valley. Summer peeked, liked the view and moved in. The Forest and the Wild relented after the winter and game increased as animals moved onto the unused grazing and fresh young browse. Crops sprouted and the young farm animals took a firm hold on life and packed on size and weight. The Hunters were out and busy, or were kept occupied guarding the young stock and new crops.

  Though Billi found time for his talk with Syman the stonecutter, because Syman had to start before anyone else. “I wondered how much time you could spare for the valley, Syman, and what it would cost?” Because this would cost, and probably more than anything else. Only one man could cut and true the stone blocks to anchor the walls properly, and build a wall that would stay strong and true. “We’ve got plenty of stone there.”

  “I’ve been listening, Billi, and I’ve a question. Is there room for one extra small cottage? One with a bit of garden and a space on the shore for a few ducks?” Syman smiled. “A Billi-hut.” The Stonemason waited while Billi thought about it.

  “If there’s no need to have a landclaim with it, I could find a spot tucked in close to the cliff at the back. There’s probably space the other side of the fresh water inlet.” Billi c
huckled. “Depending on the size of the cottage.” That part belonged on Billi’s side, and by rights on his pasture, but cut off from the rest by the flow from the cleft.

  “I could cut the hut into the cliff in that case. Since it’s for me that would be right, a Stonemason in a cave.” Syman smiled.

  “You?” Billi looked around at Syman’s house. “What about this place?”

  “My lass is long gone to the rock. I’ve got one youngun living here with his lass, and the other with her man’s family in their home. If I had a Billi-hut, out in the valley, then they could have their brideshare and landshare. The lass and her man could put a Billi-hut on her brideshare if she wanted, and the other pair could have this house. Or the other way round, ‘twill be up to them how they sort it out.” Syman sighed. “I just need somewhere to keep me going until I go to Skull Rock, then it’ll come in for someone else once I’m gone. Maybe another Hunter?”

  “But will you have enough work? Once the cottages and sheds are up, there’ll not be much stone-cutting?” Billi would love having Syman out there full time until then, but eight homes wouldn’t need him afterwards.

  “Stonecutting is only a part time job anyway. Mostly cutting more niches and ledges for skulls in the Great Rock these days.” Syman smiled again. “The one ye all call Skull Rock now. The boulders around it are more or less gone now, and little new rock has been needed for a good few years. There’s been a flurry of Billi-huts but there’s still enough loose rock in the shattered ground, the rough grazing, for those.”