The Slime Farmer

Chapter 119: Dawn Wagon Ride

Defi had an agreement with the north farm that he could use the wagon early in the morning, taking a mound of firewood to one of Barham's cousins to sell in town.

Near dawn, after the harvest was done, the adults of the north farm did not have to wake so early.

So he was surprised that, on entering the wood-house where the farm kept the boar-lizard, wagon, and dried firewood, Old Farbar was waiting.

"Elder? Has something happened?"

With an invalid, a recently born baby, and a recuperating mother in the house, there was great chance of accidents. Scenarios raced past Defi's mind.

"I'm coming with you today." Farbar nodded to the bundles of tied up firewood next to the already-harnessed boar-lizard.

"It's different firewood?" In the light of the lantern, the wood looked slightly darker than the usual.

"Smoking wood," Farbar grinned widely. "Lavender oak, to be precise. It's got stronger smell than most woods, very fragrant."

"For the town autumn feast." Defi understood that it was part of the north farm's contribution to the feast. 

In the autumn, salmon swam in droves up the Ascharon rivers to spawn in freshwater while eels swam in masses down the rivers to do the same in the salty seas.

The Treachery was indiscriminate, swallowing all that dared enter the Overpool. Yellowbeak salmon and starcluster eel, unaccountably traversing the great river at the same time, were not spared.

Just days after the field harvest, the townspeople took baskets to the river and lake for the second harvest of water-life. But the amount of starcluster eel and yellowbeak salmon washed down to the Lowpool was not enough for trade, not when every other town and city on the great rivers of Ascharon were already gorging on this seasonal river fare. 

So it was tradition to keep this largesse for the town. The entire community helped to prepare and smoke fishmeat to freely roast and distribute during the feast.

The spawning season had already been at its peak for a month and was already tapering off. The town had accumulated at least a warehouse of smoked fish, and would hold the festival in a week.

Defi also had contributed his share, forgoing some of his work to do so. Thankfully the small stream diverting through his property that terminating in a pond beside the warehouse easily captured sufficient salmon and eel to fill a large basket every day. Due to the size of the salmon, sometimes two baskets.

He didn't have a smoking house nor had he any idea how to clean and cook salmon or eel, so he sent all that was caught to the town. 

In any case, he didn't lack for food, his underground storage well-stocked. Even if the winter lasted six months, he would not starve.

"Did you leave your fish-baskets beside the road again?"

"I hid them in the bushes. Besides, who'd come so far from town so early in the morning? There are no people on the river road but us." Defi didn't want to carry everything to the north farm when he could simply pick them up as the wagon passed by.

Farbar huffed as he waited for Defi to load the last bundle, securing it with rope. "Those flimsy baskets of yours are too easy to spill."

"I did hear that starcluster eels could survive on land for a time, and are particularly lively." Defi acknowledged easily. "Should we hurry to catch them before they tip the baskets over and slither across the road to the river?"

"Hmph. Who cares about your eels?" Farbar climbed up to the wagon bench. "You can just scoop up another basket anyway."

"The pond doesn't have that many." Defi hung the lanterns on the hooks that were part of the wagon frame, sat beside Farbar, and took the reins. Strong enough to hoe an entire field in a day the elder of the north farm may be, but the strength of the boar-lizard would likely strain his joints.

"Hah. When I was young, we forded the cold rushing river itself, working hard for our autumn feast contributions. Picking salmon out of a pond, pah."

"There was a particularly big one this morning." Defi could only say agreeably. He tapped the long stick on the boar-lizard's leg, signalling the animal to walk.

"You!" Farbar roared the word, clearly he saw he wasn't being taken seriously.

The wagon moved out of the large wood-shed.

The person waiting outside for them coughed in surprise at Farbar's irate exclamation. Defi stopped the boar-lizard. 

Farbar immediately fixed his countenance, from demonic to kindly concerned. "Little lady, those clothes are too flimsy for the morning chill."

Defi saw this remarkable transformation and couldn't help but marvel at it, lips twitching. Elder, for a young woman, even you are like this?

He could see why the elder would be concerned though. Adtra was not wearing the coat that came with the outfit he'd lent her last night. From the young lady's temperament, she probably gave it to her sister for the added warmth.

The white shirt and trousers were also embroidered with warming Emblems, but not as much as the coat was. In this chill before the sun warmed the land, it was indeed not enough.

But Adtra smiled at Old Farbar and reassured him she was fine.

She wasn't even shivering, though her face was slightly pale. 

These Ascharonians, have their bodies completely adapted to the cold? Defi was very envious. 

Pah, he imitated the grumpy old man beside him for a moment, step across the Gate and let us see how you deal with the heated climate there.

"How is the child?" Defi asked, his tone only slightly cranky. The coat he wore was not as good at warming him up as the one he lent her.

"You're barely older than she is."

Defi retorted easily. "Comparing us both to your advanced age, the gap of five years is indeed very small."

"Are you calling me 'old'?" Farbar shouted the words in outrage.

"Not at all, not at all. Those with more than one grandchild are always younger than they look." Defi beamed brightly.

"This is a face that has gained dignity and wisdom from time! A very fresh countenance!"

In truth Farbar did look lively for his age, having a full head of long grey hair neatly held back by a strip of colored cloth, and his face neatly shaved.

Defi wasn't one to suddenly admit defeat without a good fight. The banter reminded him of the days with his sword teacher.

"You know what they say about old wine: you can never tell whether it has mellowed or become sour vinegar."

"You--!"

"Me?"

A cough stopped them both. Adtra smiled at them from beside the wagon. 

Both men looked suddenly sheepish.

Farbar returned her smile. "Little miss, are you coming with us to town?"

"Yes, sir. Amary has not yet woken, and I will certainly return later. I still have to do some work at the cloth shop today before they can let me off." 

Defi moved to let her sit beside him. Waiting until she got situated, he then poked the boar-lizard with the stick.

He had watched carefully how Barham had guided the animal with reins and prod, committing the actions to mind. From what he remembered, he could drive the wagon to town with ease.

He relaxed on the seat. "If you work in a cloth shop, are you the one who made the pig, then?"

Adtra looked confused. "Pig?"

"On Haral's shirt." Defi flashed a grin at her. "Also the mice on his vest."

She covered her sudden smile with a hand. "No, that was Amary, in fact. She likes to embroider when we havewhen she has time. I haven't seen the pig she made. Haral probably angered her again."

"She sounds spirited." Farbar nodded approvingly.

"Yes." Affectionate pride flashed in her expression. She turned to them, eyes bright. "I must thank you again, all of you who helped her. If you had not been thereAmary would've fought very hard against the river, but her body has never been the best."

It had been a very close thing, Defi agreed with her assessment. But uncomfortable with the gratitude, he let Farbar answer, and directed his attention to the road, urging the boar-lizard faster.

"Little miss, what are you saying," Farbar snorted. He grabbed the edge of the seat to steady himself. "If we did nothing, would we still be people? Of this town, of Ascharon?"

"I've never been this far upriver from town, do you know?" Adtra unexpectedly said, looking around, hand gripping the wagon frame. "I've been out of town on several occasions, but have never come here. It's beautiful. They say you are the last farm before the river becomes dangerous?"

"There are two on the other bank that are situated further upriver than us," Farbar nodded. "But on this side of the river, just this brat's Garge homestead and our farm."

"There are no people. I've never seen a road so clean." Adtra looked suddenly lost. "They say solitude brings out the wisdom in people."

"Hah. You believe that?"

Defi concurred. Thinking of the eccentrics that were the hermits of this town, 'wisdom' was not the first word that came to mind.

"I think it's true, elder, because I know people who live grandly in town who wouldn't have the sentiments you do."

Defi and Farbar exchanged glances. The old man chose to be direct.

"Little miss, are you in trouble?"

The lost look disappeared, replaced by a wry smile. "Did I worry you two? I'm sorry, I was just thinking about unrelated things. Nothing big, just the average trouble that will resolve itself."

"Well, if you say so, little miss. 

From one point of view, trouble always resolved itself, Defi mused. It's just that the way it resolved itself was

"Oh, hey." He tugged on the reins to stop the wagon, making it jolt and shudder. He jumped out nimbly. "One moment, this won't take long."

He stepped toward the bushes that barely covered the large baskets of eel and salmon. Adtra helped by pulling the baskets into the wagon while he heaved them up from below.

Lashing them to the wagon frame done, he jogged around to climb back up the wagon bench only to find that Adtra had taken his place as the driver.

She looked at him, expression serious. "Life is so fleeting, we have to take every opportunity."

Defi stopped briefly in his clamber up to the bench, to laugh. "Was my driving that lousy?"

"Lousy?" Farbar muttered from the other end of the bench. "You overestimate your driving. 'Lousy' would be a compliment."

"It was a little fast." Adtra put a little more diplomacy in her words.

Defi sighed and sat down obediently. It appeared that mastering driving a boar-lizard wagon would take another day.

The sun was lightening up the east, and it looked like the blue skies would persist until afternoon. Defi leaned back to relax and enjoy the wagon ride.

He felt eyes on the side of his face.

"What is it?"

"You left your baskets on the roadside?"

From the far side of the one who asked the question, Defi heard the old man laugh.