The Forest and the Farm

by Vance Huxley

  Billi spent two days in the Village, and there were no black looks, though some were definitely curious. There were also shrieks and several times someone warned a maid the bearr was on the prowl. The youths and maids had certainly made their decision, and they were backing the bearr. Though despite the warnings about Billi getting back in time for the wake, Arikk still wouldn’t decide on a date. He knew Kelli had gone on, but his family and friends agreed to him having more time before admitting that in the hall.

  Billi had enough time for another valley trip, so he took Syman out to the valley to look the place over. The stonecutter spent a lot of time looking at the rock wall at the back, and where they’d marked everything out, then he sat over supper with Billi to give his verdict. “There’s plenty of good rock of course, with that cliff at the back.” Syman pointed with his skewer full of cooked meat.

  “Will it all come from there?”

  “Enough to build the corners at least because that is granite, strong tough stone, tougher than the slopes at the sides. I would like to sink my place at least halfway into that cliff face, deeper if I can find a flaw, a fault to work with, which will give a lot of cut stone for the cottages.” Syman pointed with his now less loaded skewer. “The stone either side of the valley is fractured here and there which will be handy. If we move the second and third cottages a little, still on their claims, I can take full advantage.”

  “Do it, because we haven’t people for those huts so the new spot will be what’s on offer.” Billi looked at his own hut. “What about this place?”

  “They will be cottages, not huts, though that is definitely a hut.” Syman laughed. “As a stonecutter I should be weeping at the waste of good big boulders, since some of them will split several times. Adalmar the carpenter will definitely weep when he sees whole trees used like that.” He looked at the structure for a few moments, assessing. “Ye can make it bigger using half the materials, though the idea is to build at least two more like this, I understand?”

  “Three more for speed, to get people here. Then when the first proper cottages are built, these can be used to help build the rest.” Billi pointed to the rest of the dead trees, still upright. “There’s plenty of good timber right here.”

  “Aye. The boughs from the tree making the dam are good timbers and some of the small boulders and timbers the beavers used should be rescued. Get a few youths in that pond while the weather is good.” Syman chuckled. “They’ll end up competing to show off their muscles, especially if ye get a couple of maids out here that day.”

  “I doubt maids will take the trip, not unless they’ve got a bonding in mind.” Billi smiled. “Then they’ll not be much encouragement for the youths.”

  “A few will want to look, especially if you get an unbonded youth moving out here, or a Hunter.” Syman wore a little smile and Billi laughed.

  “Mikkel?”

  “Oh yes. I can tell ye two names who wouldn’t run if he made any sort of move. Not only that but the best applicant to be my apprentice is a maid. She’ll stay with a family instead of me, of course.” Syman chuckled. “That will make building my hut easier.”

  “You could build two small places side by side? Like my hut back in the Village with the bedroom on the end, but with both halves the same size and no connecting door. Then if she ends up with the whole thing?” Billi shrugged. “As your apprentice, putting in a doorway won’t be hard.”

  “True. I’ll think on that. I’ll spend the rest of the summer cutting blocks and getting the first plots cleared, then I’ll make some deep cuts where I want rock to split.” Syman smirked. “That way the frost does a good bit of the work, and saves me some sweat. In the spring there’ll be lots of blocks and loose rock so the first proper cottages won’t take long, especially with folk out here full-time. You’ll need the carpenter then.” Syman looked over at the dead trees. “We can manage building the first three rough huts this summer, using some of those without needing a carpenter as long as ye bring a few planks for doors.” Billi explained his wedges and hammers, and they talked long into the night working out which huts went up first and where.

  * * *

  Kelli’s Da still looked hollow-eyed but finally started coming to proper terms with it all. He’d asked if anyone wanted the horse because he couldn’t stand the sight of it now, and a Farmer from the other end of the Farm took it and the other three and the colt. He had a lot of big rocks deep in the soil there and would use the horses to plough deep and lift them. Once the rocks were out the horses would be sold to a caravan unless, with all the grazing out in the nearby Forest, they were bought for the valley. Either way the silver would go to the Village. The Farmer said he hadn’t paid for the horses and he’d not take a profit from two deaths.

  Gerant came for a talk with Billi about Edan’s livestock. “I’d like to take those two big dogs and the pups, for out at the new village. But you’ll have to agree.” He smiled. “When will we have a name?”

  “Soon now.” Billi thought about the dogs. “None of this can be blamed the dogs, Gerant, they just did what they were trained for. In a way it will be right, another three legged dog to join me, Rabbit and One-shut.” Billi frowned. “They’ll be big dogs to feed.”

  “Not really because there’s small prey can be trapped while watching sheep up on the moors. With the grazing out front and on the moors, I’m thinking of maybe taking a couple of those horses as well for dragging travois back here, to Trail’s End. The pups might already be enough to guard sheep on the moors from all but large hunters. Once grown they’ll stand off most things long enough for the Hunter and Hound to get there.” Gerant shook his head. “I’ve seen them close up now and if they were both whole, the pair of adults could stand off a small hunting cat, I reckon. Though they’ve got some respect now and won’t bother the Hounds.”

  “Aye. On their own they’ll see off a fox, and maybe the three legged one can help guard down in the valley and watch over the geese and ducks.” Billi liked the solution, since it would have been more pointless deaths if they’d been put down as useless. The pups would be brought up properly, with Hounds about and a proper job to do.

  * * *

  Most villagers didn’t mention Edan unless as ‘that lot’ or a quick word to tell Billi they had no problem with the death. Several made a point of telling Billi they were pleased all the trouble was finally settled, even at the cost of a life. Hektor let Billi know that Canitre had taken Edan into the Forest for his pyre, and scattered the ashes there though the family hadn’t had placed his skull yet. Canitre had sent his thanks that Edan’s skull could go on Skull Rock, which made Billi uneasy. A man shouldn’t have to be grateful for that.

  A Trader caravan came and went, and there were six extra people when it left. The six sullen youths and young men were escorted to the wagons just before the Traders left and the Traders were paid to take them to the next settlement. Though as the wagons started to move Aescon had to have the last word. “You’ve not heard the last of this, cripple. You’re a murderer and you’ll pay!” Three clods of mud flew towards him and the Trader cuffed Aescon into silence, probably annoyed about the mud on his wagon.

  Billi hadn’t wanted to come, but this came under an Elder’s duties because he’d refused to take them into the valley. “He might find someone to bring him back from the next settlement.”

  Kina laughed. “I doubt it. The Traders will pass the story on, and ‘tis unlikely those six will be allowed to stay there after being banished.” Satisfaction sounded in her voice. “That means they’ll have to work their passage onwards.” She pointed. “Those three Hunters and Hounds will follow the Traders until dark, to stop any foolishness.” Even as the wagons went out of sight, laughter rang out as some maid teased a youth about missing the mark with his mud. The crowd broke up joking and laughing, relieved the whole thing could finally be put to rest and the whole mood in the Village lightened.

  There were still a few speculative looks, but those were
to do with the wake and some were from maids. Billi needed a plan! He felt certain that a few would be caught ‘again’ and expect beguiling practice. How he managed that without moving past bearr dancing into chasing a maid who might only be flirting worried Billi. So did somehow making sure not to move past flirting with a maid who really might be chasing. Though Billi did accept that this worry had to be much, much better than his previous ones.

  Dealing with whatever Ellibeth had in mind taxed Billi more than anything since she seemed to be determined to keep a lead over the rest. Billi once again wondered if perhaps she really might be chasing? Then Billi reminded himself that Ellibeth said the night by the lake would be enough for her, strong arms now and then not a peg leg all the time. Billi had time to think, because Arikk still grieved too much for a wake. With no need for a pyre, nobody would push the man. So Billi turned to another problem, a name for his valley. No, a name for a new Village, a worry all on its own.

  Ending and Suitable Gifts

  The late summer raced by and Billi began to find signs that someone occasionally came looking around his hut, though not when his hut guards were there, or with him in the hut. The scratches around the lock and splinters on the edge happened while Billi visited the Village or the elders. Worse, whoever did it must have taken note of what Edan’s friends had done and all tracks led to the stockyards or manure heaps. Since whoever did it seemed unable to open the door, and Billi didn’t keep stones or sparkuls there anyway, he didn’t make a fuss. Billi made his trips to the Blacksmith and others shorter in the hope of catching someone still on his plot, but without any luck.

  Billi spent most of summer at the lakes either alone when he would search for stones, or with the potential settlers including Ellibeth and Rubyn. Billi slept outside but with so many visiting the valley stayed too crowded for lonely bears and wandering maids. Billi maintained the ponds and helped to plant more bramble hedges since they all liked that idea, and helped with building the three rough huts. Billi also helped with setting the flat rocks to let everyone reach the outflow for fresh water in winter or flood without getting wet feet crossing the gravel.

  The three extra huts were a little better than Billi’s but not much and weren’t really fit to live in yet. That would come with spring when the ironwork for ovens and the pot-bellied stoves would come out with the furniture and the villagers. Nobody could come to live here until then because the stock wouldn’t be ready. Nor would the furniture or ironwork but the stock would make this a village not an overnight camp. Billi talked to others and names began to go on the landclaims, for later next year when the cottages were built.

  As Billi had been told, sibs and parents pitched in to help the new villagers. Hunters came along to guard the travellers and workers without asking for pay, just to see the valley and the area. Willing hands cut hay from the Forest in front of the valley, and brought it up to the slope to build stacks above the pastures. The scattered trees out the front did look sparse and lonely without the long grass but were still too many for that part to be Farm. Some of the hay would spoil by spring, though Billi thought the stacks would pay for the time by attracting game after the snow came. All that food would tempt grazers right in front of Billi’s bow, and Mikkel’s since he could use the huts to stay overnight.

  While alone Billi sampled the gravel bar and found a strip at one end near his hut that produced all the larger stones, and smaller ones than any of the rest. One warm day Billi built a large fire, stripped down and looked on the bottom of the back lake where the spring outfall came in. As he’d expected Billi found five stones, all larger than usual. He’d become more interested now, because of the sheer expense of setting up a village. Just his own landclaim would be expensive, and Ellibeth’s would need a plough and other farm implements so she could earn her keep. Billi spent some time trying to work out how to buy the equipment for her, or Rubyn, without Ellibeth saying ‘too much.’

  Billi assumed all the stones came from that vent, so the larger ones would only come during floods and settle soonest. More diving over the next two days showed a deeper channel cut by the current, from the outflow to the richer section of gravel. A channel made while the water flowed fastest, and the larger stones were concentrated in the silt in the bottom. So were a good few smaller ones.

  The sediment wasn’t very deep there since the flood no doubt cleared it. Further out into the lake there were some stones but fewer and all small, and in deeper silt. Billi mentally marked in an arc of lake as belonging to his landclaim, to draw on the map when he went back to his Billi-hut. On a future visit he’d drive in stakes and put in the fence for his water fowl along the far side of the richer, deeper arc. That would keep Billi’s nest egg or farm equipment buying stones safe until he needed them.

  Billi could swim well because the family farm had been near enough to the river for him to learn before he’d lost his leg. Afterwards swimming had been a blessing to a boy with one leg, and later Rabbit loved swimming with him when they could do so without spectators. Billi had spent many happy summer hours in the river when a Hound was guarding stock nearby, which meant that he swam better than he walked. This year his diving and swimming also meant he’d have a good haul for the Tinkerers after Harvestfest.

  The Carpenter came out, and marked several of the dead trees to be cut down for him. They would be enough for eight main roof beams and a lot of planks and frames for doors. Adalmar shook his head at the sight of the trees and timbers in the rough huts, and agreed there’d be plenty to finish all eight cottages. He split rough planks for the doors, and would re-split those later to make furniture. Fellip promised to come out and help with thatching the first rough huts once the reed had been cut. This year Billi would take his share of the big reed bed as reed for the cottages next year.

  Billi had seen more pug marks but the Great Hunter hadn’t taken offence at Edan’s invasion or the dogs, and still lived nearby. He had taken the remains of kills made in the valley and left by the trees on several occasions since that incident. Billi gradually moved the tithe spot, and now left the offering out of sight of the valley on the other side of some trees and thick bushes. Billi didn’t want someone seeing the beast, and maybe sparking a confrontation in sheer panic. Nor did he want ravens and crows too near the lambs, now there would be flocks here. The beast didn’t seem to mind and still took the tithe, though he still fished in that one pool.

  Syman’s apprentice, Abbe, came as a shock for some since she looked a bit small for splitting stone. With a big smile the Stonemason claimed that she’d soon persuade some youth to use a big hammer if needed. What gave her the job was her pottery, and her wood carving which Syman claimed showed great promise. Two maids did come out to the valley for a trip. That gave Billi a little revenge, as he could tease Mikkel instead of suffering the bearr jokes. Both maids were well behaved but both made it very clear they would start chasing, or stop running, if Mikkel gave them a hint of being interested.

  As a bonus the maids, and Abbe, ensured that four youths did come out to the valley to work hard, supposedly for their own Bro or Sis who might get a claim. They also set into the beaver lodge with enthusiasm, a lot of splashing, and a lot of flexing of muscles. The three maids encouraged them, and Abbe did get two of them pounding on wedges with big hammers. Syman teased her a bit afterwards, but she smirked and pointed at all the split rock.

  Seeing the first three places for permanent cottages stripped of grass and soil was sobering, because the valley would never look the same once they went up. So far, if the rough huts had come down, the valley could have slipped back into the Forest. That changed when Abbe and Syman started cutting holes into the hillside. When the holes were finished and the dressed stone blocks put in place, that would be permanent. In Billi’s head, that would be the final step from Forest to Farm.

  * * *

  Arikk finally, over two moons later, agreed the time had come to say fare thee well to his Kelli. He’d realised the Wild took her when h
e saw the Great Hunter because Arikk accepted, deep inside, that she couldn’t have survived in the Forest with that living among the trees. The time since then he’d been putting himself back together enough to face everyone else. Part at least was shame that he’d allowed himself to be used by Edan and his cronies. That eased once the culprits left.

  The mood at the wake started more sombre than usual because of Kelli’s age, and because of the circumstances and the disaster afterwards. A wake should celebrate a life but this one had been cut terribly short, a mere fifteen summers. Her Da thanked everyone for coming, and sat back. A few others spoke about Kelli, what a bonnie maid she’d been and ‘twas a shame the Wild took her. The elders spoke up, about how the Wild always lurked, and would sometimes take an innocent who hadn’t broken any Law.

  None of the speeches mentioned Edan, nor his gang. The villagers noted Canitre’s family’s absence of course but didn’t mention it. The Hunter had told Arikk’s family that he grieved for the maid and meant no disrespect but couldn’t face the village just now. Those who needed it would hold a private wake for Edan tonight, and his Da would put the skull on the Rock.

  As the evening wore on people relaxed a bit, the conversation and dancing became livelier, and sure enough the call went up for ssrrong bearr. Billi, among others, glanced over at Arikk since that didn’t seem quite right. Arikk stood up again and looked straight at Billi. “My Kelli loved hearing about the dances. She came to the last one, though still just too young for bearr dancing so this would be her first. She’d even chosen a scarf Billi, to wave at ye. So I’d be obliged if ye all dance properly, and make this a really good one for her.” Then he sat again and the musicians struck up.

  This time every maid old enough wore a scarf and a smile, some with real intent. Most were there purely for fun, and perhaps some had to be bravado. Even the maids at their first proper dance wore their scarf and a determined look. Bearr dancing had become a rite of passage now, the first step to flirting and chasing. What Billi had been told turned out true enough, bearr dancing would stay even if ssrrong bearr stopped.