~An Avani Adventure!~
~Treasure Trove~
~A Solo RP~
Avani was going to Shenra’s orchard that day to do promised work there. It was no trouble for the Orderite girl now that she was bigger and wiser. She walked along with her weed bucket and hoe, Nix happily beside her. It was a spring check in on the orchard; time to get out the critters that moved in during the winter, and to battle those pesky weeds!
Avani went into the new shed that Shenra had built next to the barn just for her and her tools, and took everything she needed for the day. She checked in with Shenra, who, as usual, was absorbed in some sort of work, and then went out to the blooming orchards.
Avani started work where she had left off a few days ago, somewhere in the middle of the orchard, and got to work digging out weeds from some of the old ones gnarled bases
Even with her maintaining the orchard over the past 5 years, she found that woodland creatures seemed to like to hide out in the trees that offered shelter during winter storms. Papa had said that would happen, that it was normal, and that farmers who had orchards had to keep it free of pests year round if they wanted crops to yield the best fruits.
So far the orchard had offered better crops each year that Avani had taken care of it, and Shenra gladly shared the profits of the harvests with her. This inspired to train Nix to round up the varmints that were in the places Avani could not reach. This also saved her from numerous scrapes with wild animals. Nix seemed to know what Avani wanted, and she hardly got dirty when taking care of the business.
Over the years, less and less pests have been in the orchard, and Avani was glad for it. It was a lot less for her to take care of, and more time spent making the place grow.
Time passed that day, and around mid day, Nix came running up to Avani chattering madly… Well, as madly as a fea dragon could….
“What is it Nix?” Avani asked leaning on her hoe and wiping her brow. They had just had lunch, so she couldn't be hungry or thirsty… Could she?
Nix grumbled and flew behind Avani and began nudging her with her head into the direction she had just come from. Avani faltered a bit at first, falling from her perch on the hoe, and then in a tangle of fea wings and tails, mixing with her own legs. But soon she was following an excited fea dragon to a particularly gnarled tree, one of the older ones her father identified, and went straight into a hole at it’s base.
“Nix?” Avani said squatting down before the hole. She heard Nix chattering inside, not hearing any fights that the little fea could have started. What was the fea doing? Nix then popped her head out, looked over at Avani and chattered more before going back inside.
“Nix, I can’t follow you…” Avani heard a disgruntled sound from inside, and then silence.
“Nix? Nix?” Avani called. Where was that little fea, and what was she doing?!
Suddenly, something bright and shiny appeared in the hole’s entrance. Avani moved back as it popped out of the hole and roll a few inches away from the hole, Nix’s chattering and head following it. Avani moved over to the object and began to observe it. It was bright and green. She looked over at Nix, who then popped back down into the hole, and a few seconds later, a blue shiny object, just like the previous one, popped out and tumbled down to where Avani was crouching.
Avani then went back to the hole and said,
“Is this what you are chattering about?” She heard Nix’s chiming laugh and purr from inside the hole, Avani knowing Nix meant yes to that question.
“Are there more?” Avani asked poking her head over the entrance. Again the chiming and purring started again. Avani smiled and said,
“I’ll reach in and see if I can’t get them!”------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
About an hour later, Avani, having used the hoe to open and deepen the hole’s entrance without disturbing the tree, had found a treasure stash worthy of a Slix! There were ten each of four colored gems. She wondered where they had come from, but they seemed dirty, so someone must have forgotten about them.
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Later that night, Avani stored the gems in four separate bags in her room behind her bookshelf. Shenra had no use for them, and let her keep them all. Papa later said that Avani should take them into town to see if she could find out what they were. Avani smiled down at Nix as she slid her bookshelf back into place. Whatever they were, perhaps they could be useful in the future somehow…
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Date Posted: March 31st, 2014
Words: 821
