PageSix I.Table of Contents II.~Growth! Welcome Expert Avani!~ III.~Water, Soil, Sun, & Love~ ~"First Order of Business"~ ~A Profession Master Teaching Requirement~ IV.~Water, Soil, Sun, & Love~ ~"Ba Ba Black Leklon..."~ ~A Profession Learning Requirement~ V.~Water, Soil, Sun, & Love~ ~"Hunting the Hunters"~ ~A Profession Learning Requirement~ VI.~Water, Soil, Sun, & Love~ ~"To Protect the Weak"~ ~A Profession Learning Requirement~ VII.~Water, Soil, Sun, & Love~ ~"What to do With Winter?"~ ~A Profession Learning Requirement~ VIII.~Water, Soil, Sun, & Love~ ~"Playing House"~ ~A Profession Learning Requirement~ IX.~Water, Soil, Sun, & Love~ ~"For Green in the Winter"~ ~A Profession Learning Requirement~ X.~Water, Soil, Sun, & Love~ ~"Exotic Flora"~ ~A Profession Learning Requirement~ XI.~Water, Soil, Sun, & Love~ ~"Getting Ready"~ ~A Profession Learning Requirement~ XII.~Water, Soil, Sun, & Love~ ~"Spring Plans"~ ~A Profession Learning Requirement~ XIII.~Water, Soil, Sun, & Love~ ~"One Final Lesson..."~ ~A Profession Learning Requirement~ XIV.~An Avani Adventure!~ ~"Who Your Friends Are"~ ~A Solo RP~ XV.~An Avani Adventure!~ ~"Shop Till You Drop!"~ ~A Solo RP~
Posted: Wed Oct 08, 2014 8:05 pm
~Growth!~ ~ExpertAvani!~
Apple Blossom19
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Apple Blossom19
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Posted: Wed Oct 08, 2014 8:05 pm
~Water,Soil,Sun,&Love~ ~"First Order of Business"~ ~A Solo Master Teaching Requirement~
Avani stepped out onto the porch of her new house, a cup of fresh tea in her hand, and breathed in the fresh scent of newly cut wood and autumn.
She had just celebrated her twenty-third birthday, Honoka was growing well, and Nix seemed to love the little khehora as much as Avani did. She smiled as she heard Honoka scrambling inside the house as she cleaned up after breakfast.
Criani would come for her when it was time to go for lessons in magic and the ways of khehora. Avani sipped her tea in the meantime and wondered what her father would have for her to do today. Lately she had been working with the accounts under his eye and the lead accountant. It was strange to see that her lessons in arithmetic were not lost when she became an adult. She hoped that she would be able to soon take her work from her father’s farm with her back to her house so she could do more than she would in the accounting room in the barn.
She looked up as a shadow came over her and smiled at the familiar shape.
“Honoka! Criani is here for your lessons!”
“Yes Mama!” she heard the little one say as Criani landed.
Avani greeted the older khehora, and as they waited for Honoka chatted about nothing in particular.
Avani smiled as her daughter ran out of the house and started talking to Criani in Draconic. Apparently she was told by the khehora to only speak that during lessons, a way to get her used to the language. Though once or twice she heard a bit of Magescian in there, with Criani responding with the appropriate Draconic word.
“Have a good day love.” Avani said placing her cup on the rail and bending over to kiss Honoka on the nose and rub her horns affectionately.
Honoka nuzzled her muzzle against Avani’t cheek, then licked her with a khehora kiss, then went off with Criani into the woods to their lesson spot. Avani didn’t know where it was, but Criani reassured her it was close enough that if there was trouble, she could get Honoka to her quickly.
Avani smiled as their voices faded and silence and the bird’s songs returned. She finished her tea, placed the cup in the sink, locked up the house and went to get the hastar she would ride to her father’s house. The hastar was old and docile, but it wasn’t far and she could take her time and enjoy the piece of land she was able to buy with her hard earned gold.
Avani placed her old hastar in the barn with the other farm hastars, and then proceeded to the back where the accounting room was. It was a room that ran almost along the whole back of the barn, only stopping where the back door to the barn was. The room was built when her family moved here, still filled with desks where the ranch hands in charge of the records could sit and do their bookkeeping in padded chairs. Her mother had sewn the pads for the chairs saying that the chairs they had made needed it if a person was going to sit all day just doing bookkeeping.
Avani smiled as she entered the room, seeing her father standing there talking with the worker in charge of the accounts. Avani went to the cubby-hole she had been assigned, picked up the ledgers she and her father had been working with. Her father had started to teach her how to read the books to figure out the profits for the ranch. It had looked daunting at first, but she had gotten the hang of it recently and was flying though the books as fast as she could so she could help with the harvest ledgers.
Avani went to an open desk, placed the ledgers onto the table, and sat down to wait while her father finished talking. This was the time of the year the account room picked up pace, records of product coming in and product going out. Then the workers in charge of taking the raw product out to all the mills and bakers and grain sellers would come back with the profit and records of the sales. Avani’s job for the past month was that of the first part of the accounting process, the recording of the raw product coming in and then recording how much of that raw product was to go out to the buyers.
This room would be alive with the noise of the ranch hands who were assigned to record all those things, and then it would be taken to the man her father was talking to, the lead accountant, Kalan, that her father employed on the ranch. Kalan would then take all the information and make sure it added all up. All the information of prices he would have gotten from the buyers with the totals gathered about the product and make sure the profit matched that which was deposited with him.
Avani knew her father trusted Kalan, for he had been in her father’s employ since they had moved in and started the farm. Kalan had turned a profit from a rundown farm and made her father and the ranch a valuable part of the community. The only other farm that rivaled her father’s was the ranch Sueno had grown up on. They produced different products, but they made the same yield and profits. It was a very rich land that was around here, and Avani had noticed that since she was little. She had bought the tumbled down farm and the land her house now sat on hoping to do one day incorporate it all into her family’s ranch to produce even more. If Seren’s will allowed it, it would become as large as the Autumntree family farms that her family had started hundreds of years ago down in the southern area of Serenia
“All right Avani girl, let’s see your work.”
Avani smiled up at her father and handed him the ledgers she had worked for the past few days.
“I finished them last night. However, since I knew you were coming in today, I waited till now to get them to you.” She felt a little shy, “It was late, and I didn’t want to bother you or Mama, nor did I want to keep Honoka waiting.”
“It’s alright Avani, I thought that might have been the case.” Her father took the books with a smile and said, “I’m sure they are all right.”
Avani smiled up at her father relieved. Avani’s father tucked the ledgers under his arm and said, “Today I’ll have you working on the ledgers coming in with the sales and recording the profit.”
“So soon?” Avani asked a little shocked, “I didn’t think that we would see it till at least till the first of next season.”
“The local sales come in now, and I’ll get you started with familiarizing you with the way it’s recorded.” Her father said, “I’ll have Kalan give you the prices the buyers gave him, and you can start learning how to record that as well.”
Avani was a little speechless. She had only begun to work on the records since the first part of the harvest, and didn’t think she was ready to take on a huge responsibility like that so soon. She was excited, but also frightened. Those mixing emotions made her confused at times.
“You’ll do fine Avani girl.” Her father smiling softly. Avani felt a bit reassured at that. Her father always knew when she was terrified of something, “It’s a part of managing the ranch that I do also, and I want you to get used to it sooner rather than later.” He stood up and patted her shoulder, “I’ll be right there beside you, as well as Kalan. You’ll be fine.”
Avani smiled back knowing that even though she might fall, she would fall with someone she trusted right beside her. He and Kalan would pick her up and brush her off and teach her how to do better next time.
“Alright Papa!” Avani said, her spirits brighter than before, “I’ll do my best!”
Her father and Kalan helped Avani learn the system of entering the reports in the ledger, and also how to balance out the income from the produce that went out of the farm. It was simple and easy. Soon her father let her take the books to her home to work with them alone. They knew she would probably do better at her house in a comfortable setting, rather than in one with people trying to look over her shoulder. Plus, it gave her time with Honoka and Nix, one thing she loved was their company.
It was about two weeks later Avani had sat back in her chair and sighed.
She glared at the books, her thoughts not happy.
She had seen some discrepancies. Very slight, but Avani had seen a pattern. Something was wrong with the amount of money being paid, and that being recorded.
Avani didn’t know how to handle this. It looked as if Kalan was taking money from the farm, a little from each shipment. If her figures were correct, the money taken was a hefty amount just from the early sales. Gods only knew how much he would take from the bulk that would becoming in during the next month.
She felt angry and yet let down at the same time. She had trusted Kalan for a long time, not to mention her father had too.
She sighed again and knew what she had to do. She had to take the books to her father and tell him that one of his most trusted men was stealing from him.
“Ah, Avani!” her father said as she came into his study the next day, “Have you finished the books?”
Avani held out the books, feeling sad at what she had to do. But it had to be done.
“Kalan is stealing from us.” Avani said bluntly. “I redid the math several times, and it all comes out the same.” She looked her father in the eyes, “I’m sorry.”
Her father broke into a grin as he took the books from her. If she had felt shocked at the betrayal of Kalan, she was dumbstruck at that smile.
“Well done Avani.” He said standing after placing the ledgers onto the tables. He looked with sad eyes at her and said, “You figured it out faster than I hoped.”
“You knew?” Avani said perplexed.
“Well,” Her father said chuckling a bit and rubbing his neck, “Yes, but I must tell you the truth now my girl.” He looked at her as if he had done something bad and was about to get yelled for it. Avani grew suspicious. He smiled brightly and said, “These books are fake.”
“What?” Avani said. She was utterly confused. Confusion gave way to curiousity and a rising urge to want to hit him on the arm, “You mean that…?”
“He’s not stealing us blind.” Her father said sounding pleased with himself, “I made up those books to see if you could spot a thief.” He smiled, “And you did, and so now I know you are able to work on the real books.”
Avani didn’t know how to feel. After a moment, she playfully swatted at her father’s arm, feigning anger at his little ruse and smiled.
“I see your point Papa.” She said. Avani didn’t feel as if he didn’t trust her, as if she wouldn’t report such a thing. She knew it was just his way of teaching her how to spot a person who would cheat her. She also saw the reasons for keeping it a secret. She had to find it on her own, and not trying to find it as if she knew. Avani gave him a hug and said, “I also understand.”
She heard her father’s chuckle rumble from his chest and let go from her hug. He placed a large hand on her head.
“My father did it to my brother and me also little one…” Avani thought she saw a flicker of sadness in his face and eyes, and wondered what that was about, “And he said your great-grandfather did it with him too. I guess it’s just our way of teaching our children how to spot that sort of thing.”
“It’s why even though Kalan does the books, you check them too, right?" Avani said as he lifted his hand away. Since she could remember he had always been doing figures in the books too, late into the night, even after Mama had gone to bed.
“That’s right my dear.” Her father said smiling at her. “I trust Kalan, but I trust myself more.” He lifted a brow and said, “When dealing with money, always remember that Avani.”
Avani smiled and nodded enthusiastically. She always took her parents advice, since they seemed to know more than her.
“Well then!” her father said clapping her on the back and turning her towards the door, “Shall we get you the real books to work on now?”
Avani laughed, agreeing with her father.
“I just hope I never have to catch a thief!”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Date Posted: November 20, 2014 Words: 2,227
Posted: Wed Oct 08, 2014 8:06 pm
~Water,Soil,Sun,&Love~ ~"Ba Ba Black Leklon..."~ ~A Profession Learning Requirement~
Avani hesitantly stood at the door to the leklan barn. Her nose twitched a bit at the anticipation of going into the closed structure. It wasn’t excitement that made her twitch her nose, but rather the expectation of being in the shearing shed without ventilation.
“Hold your breath and go on in there Avani girl.” Her father said stepping past her, “You’ll get used to the smell.”
Avani took one last breath of fresh air and stepped into the barn.
The noise and smell assaulted her as she stepped over the footboard, and she fought her reaction to it as she stepped further into the shearing shed barn. The shearing shed was attached to a barn that had a half wall down the center. One side housed leklons that had full coats ready to be sheared. The other side was empty, ready for the sheared leklons to enter once done with the shearing. The shearing shed was along the back of the barn, there were six “stations” for six shearers to work without contaminating fleeces with different colors. Once a fleece was off a leklon, it was collected into a burlap bag, ready to be skirted and washed.
Avani had no idea what that process was, but she was sure if her father wanted her to learn it, she would. But now it was time to learn how to get the wool off the animal. It was the second shearing of the year, and one her father wanted her to help with.
Avani saw the five people on the ranch that were able to shear a leklon, besides her father, standing around talking as they waited. Avani saw that one of those five people was a shepherdess from the group of shepherdesses that Avani joined regularly when transporting the leklon to and from the high ground. Though today she was not dressed in travel clothes and ribbons, she was dressed in pants and a long wool shirt with the sleeves pulled up her arms, and her hair tied back. Avani, thankful of heading her father’s suggestion of wearing the same attire, tried to remember her name, but was at a loss.
“My daughter Avani.” She heard her father say to the group of men and woman, “I want her to learn how to shear today.”
Avani blushed a bit as she shook hands, the woman giving her name as Enthas.
“She’ll watch with me at the moment.” Her father said, “Then when she gets ready to shear for the first time I’ll let Enthas take over.”
“Yes Sir!” Enthas said with a large smile.
Avani was confused. She thought her father was going to be beside her when she first sheared. But she pushed those thoughts and feelings to the side as her father started talking to the others again. After a few more instructions for the day, they let in the first six lekron from the full side of the barn, each shearer taking one animal.
“It might seem hard.” He said gently grabbing a leklon by the muzzle with his left hand and leading it to his station with his right hand guiding it on its bum. “The shearing is easy. It’s the control of the animal that’s the hard part.” He gently forced the leklon down and around so it was sitting, leaning between his legs and being held, belly forward, with his left hand holding up one of the front legs. He looked at Avani and raised an eyebrow, “Have you been practicing with the shears and leg movements I told you about?”
“Yes!” Avani was rather good at the shearing now. Well, at least with a mock leklon.
Her father had made her a mock leklon out of a tight-ish bag of hey so she would know when she nicked the leklon with her shears. She had gotten the shear patterns memorized, and also how to not nick the animal when shearing.
He grabbed his shears that were stored in an old pot, and positioned the leklon more comfortably in his grasp. Avani looked at the complacent animal in her father’s grasp thinking that it seemed not to have a care in the world despite the fact there was a pair of blades that could kill it very easily right next to it. It bleated and blinked slowly once. Avani wondered if it rivaled sheron in stupidity.
“Ready?” he said looking at Avani.
Avani set that thought aside for another day, and nodded at her father. Her father looked down at the leklon and began his work.
Avani watched him stroke down effortlessly, going quickly. He moved the leklon as if in a dance, using his legs to control the animal. He used his left hand to move the skin so it was smooth and he didn’t clip the folds and ears.
“And done.” He said. He let the animal right itself, then hit it on the rump and steered it towards the man who was at the door to the barn room that was for the shorn leklon. Avani blinked and looked up at her father. He laughed and said, “I’ve been doing this for some thirty odd years.” He pointed the shears at her, “Don’t think it’ll go as smooth for you. Sometimes you get kickers and squirmers, and you just have to be ready.” He smiled and signaled for another leklon, “Watch some more and then you can have a go.”
Avani watched her father shear two more leklon and then was sent to Enthas. Enthas smiled at her and welcomed her to use her tools to shear the leklon.
“Your father sent you to me so that I can help you.” She chuckled a bit, “It’s a bit tougher for a girl to do, but you’ll do fine once you practice on live ones for a while.”
Avani nodded and then breathed deeply as Enthas signaled for a leklon. This would be her first live animal to shear on. She hoped she did well.
Avani took the leklon by the head and gently put it into the starting position. She took the shears and began her work.
Enthas wasn’t lying. It was hard to control such a large animal, but she was determined to do it. Avani went slow, leaving a small amount of wool behind, about two weeks growth, so the animal was protected from the elements. It went smoothly, but it became harder as more wool came off and obscured her vision.
“Just feel your way, you’re doing fine.” She heard Enthas’ voice.
Avani just nodded and continued on, feeling her way when she had to.
And as she snipped the last piece of wool off and let the animal go, she heard cheers and whistles fill the air. Avani looked up and saw the other shearer’s watching her, cheering her success, her father on the far side at his station smiling, pride in his features.
“Well done!” she felt someone clap her on the back. She stumbled a bit at the unexpected force, but smiled up at one of the ranch hands as he gave his congratulations.
“A few nicks, but nothing to worry about.” Enthas said embracing her around the shoulders, “With more work we will have to be adding another station to the barn, eh Mr. Autumntree?”
“Aye, that we will.” She heard her father say from his station. He waved his hands to scatter the workers, “However there are more leklon left and only six shears, so Avani can work with Enthas till the day is done.”
Avani smiled as her father came over to her. He affectionately squeezed her shoulder and smiled, “I’m proud my girl. Keep it up and we really will have to add another station.”
Avani had no words but just smiled. She went back to Enthas’ station and, until the end of the day, both worked on the leklon till it was sunset.
There was more to do, and Avani was sore, but she had fun, and would definitely be back the next day to help out some more.
The smell, she thought later as she soaked in a hot bath at her home, was definitely worth it.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Date Posted: November 22, 2014 Words: 1,368
Apple Blossom19
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Apple Blossom19
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Posted: Wed Oct 08, 2014 8:06 pm
~Water,Soil,Sun,&Love~ ~"Hunting the Hunters"~ ~A Profession Learning Requirement~
Avani yawned and shifted in her saddle. She stretched her neck, moving it this way and that, and letting go of the hastar reins for a moment to pull her leather and wool lined jacket around her tighter.
She looked up at the starry night and saw the almost full moon and it’s icy ring that it made in the night air. She breathed out so she could see her breath and smiled a bit at the longtime game she played each winter since she could remember of trying to see the warm air in the cold moonlight.
She took the reins of her hastar again then scanned the herd of sheron. For the past week someone, or something, had been snatching off sheron. She prayed it wasn’t another Borgnah like the last time. But that had been many years ago, so long it seemed like another time to her. This time she was old enough to be taking turns out with the herd, and because she was used to watching leklon at night now, she could easily handle watching sheron. At least tonight almost had a full moon, and shed more light than last night.
She heard hooves, and glanced around quickly, then settled down as she saw the signal from a friendly rider coming towards her, turning her eyes back to the herd. It was probably one of the men coming to check in with her or something.
“Avani!” she heard her father’s voice. She perked up at that. It was uncommon for him to be out at this time of night. She held her mount study as he approached, not turning her eyes from the herd. Her father had taught her that, and if she didn’t remember that now she would feel stupid, “Avani!” her father said as he pulled up to her. She now saw that he was not alone and that six men had accompanied him. She smiled in acknowledgement to them all and went back to eyes on the heard. “Good girl! Keeping your eyes open and on the animals.” She heard her father say, “Didn’t have expect less.”
“I doubt you are out here to congratulate me on that Papa.” She said chuckling, “And that you had to bring six other’s to help you.”
“Brat.” She heard her father say along with a chuckle of his own. Avani heard the stifled chuckled of the other men, but they soon went quiet. “I’ve brought someone to relieve you.” He said seriously now, “We had another one lost, and this time I found fresh track marks.”
Avani turned to him now surprised about that, and happy. After a week without any reliable tracks, her father must have found new ones that actually led somewhere. Tracking at night was almost imposable without moonlight. They would use dimmed light spells, but those gave people away too easily, especially magic sensitive creatures.
“Where?” Avani asked curious, her mind ready to work with what her father had taught her about tracking. Also a bit she had learned from Sue as well.
“To the northwest border.” His father said. Avani knew that’s where one of the watering troughs was for the outer pastures, and bordered the land Avani owned. She cursed mentally. Now she knew why Papa needed her more than for her tracking skills or for a lesson. If that b*****d was on her property she would have to be a part of the party that went after them for legal reasons. Her father must have seen her face and chuckled saying, “I was going to ask you lead with me on this, but I see you are being particularly sensitive tonight.”
“The majority of my thought is that whatever it is that is taking the sheron is near my property, probably on it, and whatever it is could easily find my house and get to it if Honoka was ever left alone.” Avani said with a hint of anger. Mostly it was directed at the fiend who was hiding in her woods, “Ug… I’m sorry Papa, it’s just that I worry about Honoka…”
“That’s what I thought my girl.” Her father said again while chuckling, “And I understand your worry, and knew you would love the chance to catch the b*****d now more than I.” He nodded to one of the men and then started off, “Let’s go!”
Avani followed her father, looking back to make sure someone was still in her spot for keeping watch, and saw the ranch hand who had replaced her in the moonlight waving after them.
Avani slowed her hastar as they neared the water trough in the northwest pasture. Hand signals and whistles would be used from now on, and as Avani reached the trough and tied her hastar to a rail, she put on her leather shoes. These were made entirely of leklon hide with fleece on the inside for the cold winter months. They made no noise in the leafy forests and were ideal for tracking prey.
She slung her boots onto her hastar and took the one last thing she would need. A long thin blade that was so sharp it could cut a small branch in half with just a stroke. It could also make long stinging marks in dragon hide too.
Avani saw her father’s arm shoot up, the signal to follow him. He motioned to Avani to where he was at the lead.
They immediately saw the tracks her father had mentioned in the brightness of the moon. It was just bright enough to make out blood on the ground. Something had attacked the sheron while they were at the water trough. The blood pooled at the trough, but there were drag marks that led into the forest. Avani placed her hand over the blood and felt the warmth barely on it. It had just occurred in the last hour, Avani thought. She looked up at her father, motioned that she saw the tracks and that she was ready. Her father nodded and waved his hand to the men.
All six of them went into the forest.
Tracking wasn’t hard for Avani anymore since her father and Sue had taught her. Her father had taught her all he knew, and then she got some pointers from Sue before she had left for Ayr.
She looked not only for the big things like broken branches and blood smears, but also for foot prints. If she could distinguish what had the sheron, she would be better prepared to fight the fiend.
Avani suddenly shot up her arm for the men following to halt, and then grabbed her father, who was next to her and could not see her signal, to stop. She motioned for them to wait where they were. They had come to a clear patch in the path of the signs of the dragged sheron. The floor was clean of forest debris and Avani saw something in the shaft of light that pierced through.
She moved, alone, closer to the cleared area and smiled as she saw the claw marks on the ground. It was khehora footprint, and as she measured it with her fingers, she found that it probably was young, but close to adult. She went back to where the men were waiting and wrote out in the dirt that it was a young khehora, and probably knew how to fight. She asked her father, in writing, to let her handle it.
She looked to him and awaited his answer. He was the leader, and thus it would be his decision. Avani saw his short nod, and the fleeting look of worry. She smiled sweetly and motioned to the other men to continue along the trail.
Soon she stopped the group again, and motioned to them that they were close. The blood smears were less here, but very fresh. Avani knew the land around here well, mostly because she had played in these woods as a child. The khehora would be in a small clearing, probably snacking.
Avani drew in the dirt the image of the clearing and made marks where the men were to position themselves. She motioned for them that they were to surround the creature, not to attack unless it did. She saw her father’s worried face and smiled, placing a hand on his arm. He looked at her and she looked at him, silently telling him she knew what she was doing.
Her father, after a moment, nodded. She then stood and gave the signal to move out.
Once alone on the trail of broken branches and blood, Avani moved forward silently and stealthily.
As she reached the end of the path at the clearing, her guesses were confirmed. She heard the ripping and chewing of flesh, no doubt the young one was enjoying his feast too much to notice her smell. As she reached the border of the clearing, she saw what she had heard. A rather large youngling was quickly eating the sheron snack. The youngling seemed too big for the beast, but they must have been hungry to be eating like that.
Avani closed her eyes and sent a silent prayer to any God who would hear her, and breathed out slowly. She stepped deliberately into the clearing and the moonlight, wanting the beast to see her.
It snorted and stopped eating, lifting its head. Avani saw the blood on its face and maw, and pieces of meat hanging from its mouth. It hissed at Avani and stepped towards her.
Avani lifted her sword and took a defensive stance.
“Stay where you are!” Avani ordered in a clear voice. The khehora stilled. Avani learned from that movement that it knew at least some Magescan. She then said, “You are on my land, and stealing my animals. I have every right to kill you, but I will not if you leave now.”
“You are but a young one, are you not?” The creature laughed, if you called the hissing sound a laugh and said, “I do not recognize your authority.”
“I am twenty-three years old,” Avani said still standing defensively, “I bought this land and you are not welcome here to steal my animals.”
“I am bound by no two-legger’s laws.” It said with that hissing laugh again, “If you dare fight me I will kill you. You are no bigger than this thing,” It said gesturing to the sheron, “I will allow you to leave now to save your life.”
“I have men surrounding this clearing, and if you do anything to threaten me, you will die.” Avani smiled, “They are older and bigger than me.”
She watched as the khehora lifted its head and sniffed. She heard what she knew was Draconic, probably some curse, and saw the creature bow its head.
“I will bow to no two-legger!” it said.
“Then leave this land. I happen to know a larger and stronger khehora lives here.” Avani said raising her brow, “She would not take kindly to you killing in her territory.”
She heard the kehora hiss again, yet it did nothing. Avani stepped forward and said, “Leave now or I will harm you.”
The khehora hissed and then ran at Avani.
Avani knew how fast small, young khehoras could run. She side stepped the animal and lowered her sword as it ran by her. It yowled in pain as she felt the blade sink into its arm and side of its torso. The youngling stumbled and tumbled on the ground as Avani turned to face it, but it just kept running, howling into the forest from where Avani had entered the clearing.
Suddenly she heard a roar from behind her, and turned just as she saw a large, blue adult khehora run past her. Avani smiled recognizing her friend Criani. She laughed as she watched her run after the little thief.
No doubt whatever punishment Criani would dish out on the young one would keep it from her territory from now on.
“I knew Criani was there.” Avani said as they walked back to the trough in her father’s field. It was almost dawn, the sky pinking in the east. They had waited by the carcass as Avani’s father and another man went for a wagon to carry the carcass out of the woods. Avani knew they would get rid of it by burning later that day. For her, she was ready to go home and take a bath. She was now walking a ways behind the wagon with her father and some of the other men. She smiled at her father, “We had come up with a signal for when she couldn’t reveal herself, but was nearby, and I knew she wouldn’t like any trespasser into my woods.”
“I thought for sure she was going after you as well as that youngling.” Her father said.
“She’s a friend.” Avani said chuckling. She would never reveal the depth of her friendship to anyone. She feared the prejudices of the area residents. Avani rubbed the back of her head and said, “We have a mutual understanding as to whose land it is.”
Her father lifted an eyebrow and said nothing.
As Avani was tying on her boots, her leather soft shoes safely tucked in her roll on her hastar. She saw a shadow in the morning sun appear in front of her and looked up to see her father. The other men were already heading to the ranch on their mounts, Avani surprised to see her father not with them. She smiled anyway happy to have the company.
“I am sorry to take control like that.” She said shyly as she finished buckling her boot and stood. She rubbed the back of her head and kicked at the ground, “I mean, you are the boss.”
“It’s alright.” he said. He sat on the side of the trough and motioned for Avani to do the same. He smiled softly at her and said, “You seemed to know how to handle the young one from the time you figured it out what we were dealing with.”
“I’ve had more experience with khehoras than you have.” She said shyly, “I mean, I have Honoka, and Criani is a good friend.” She chuckled as she saw one of her father’s brows rise, “I’ve known Criani for a long time now, since the Mara attacks.” Avani looked away and out onto the pasture where she saw small dots that were sheron in the distance, “She helped me when I was alone and had no clue what to do.” She then thought her father would feel bad about that again and turned quickly to him and said, “It wasn’t your fault! I just was glad she could keep me thinking straight!”
“I know Avani.” Her father said with the same smile on his face. He turned and looked out as she had just done and said, “It’s just strange to me that my daughter has a life I am not aware of anymore. That I shouldn’t worry about you as much as I do." He let out a wry chuckle, “Your mother has tried to beat that into me for a long time and I guess it’s just now setting in.” He sighed and looked to Avani smiling, “Just know you shouldn’t feel like you should hide from me who you really are.”
“It’s hard to let your father know that precisely without him worrying.” She smiling softly back, “Besides, I’m still trying to finely define that myself.”
She looked back out over the land.
It was hard to be a normal person when one was caring for a young one, even if it was a khehora. Well, it was probably precisely because she had a young khehora to raise that made her different. She smiled and wondered if her life would ever be normal.
“I’ll love you no matter who you are my girl.” Her father said placing an arm around her shoulders and hugging her.
“I’ll love you too Papa.” Avani said wrapping her arms around him and hugging him back.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Date Posted: November 23, 2014 Words: 2,690
Posted: Wed Oct 08, 2014 8:06 pm
~Water,Soil,Sun,&Love~ ~"To Protect the Weak"~ ~A Profession Learning Requirement~
Avani leaned on her staff and looked out over the grassland towards the large lake that wouldn’t freeze over until the deep of winter when it was the coldest. The group shepherdesses that Rhees commanded had just gotten to the valley that they let the leklan graze in for a while. Rhees was with them this time, it being the last time she would go to the valley herself as part of the group.
Rhees was getting married. Avani and the others were so happy for her when she announced it, but they had been sad too. Along with the announcement she was getting married, she also announced that she was handing over the business to her sister who was old enough, and experienced enough, to handle the running. Her sister assured the others that nothing would change except who ran the group. Rhees herself would be moving south to start a leklan business with her husband.
Avani was happy for her longtime friend. She knew who the groom was and thought the two made a good match.
They had met, apparently, through a fight over grazing land in the valley. Avani remembered that Rhees was furious over some of the things he had said to her, though she wondered what had happened to make them start to love each other. Avani shook her head and sighed as she scanned the skies for signs of wild khehora or dragons. She was glad at least one of her friends had found love.
As Avani made her way back into camp after her shift, she saw Rhees had come finally. Rhees had stayed behind to finalize the transfer of her business over to her sister, and introduced her around to some of her clients, including Avani’s family. Avani, already familiar with the girl was glad to see her come into the position of owner.
“Rhees!” Avani said walking up to her friend. Rhees turned and smiled brightly at her. Avani gave her a hug and said, “I am glad you could make it one last time.”
“You are coming to the mating ceremony aren’t you?” Rhees said laughing, “We could have said goodbye there!”
Avani shook her head, “No, here it’s special. Here I learned from you all about leklan.”
Rhees laughed and placed an arm around her friend. “Not everything, just how to get them to listen!”
Avani laughed too hugging her friend with one arm as well. She would miss Rhees greatly, but she knew that was the way of the world, that friends came and went but the memories were forever.
The next two weeks passed quickly for Avani. It was about time for the first snows to reach the valley in the mountains, so as half of the herd stayed in the mountains, those that weren’t pregnant or in need of a wash would go with some of the shepherdesses back down to Avani’s farm.
It shouldn’t have been hard to lead them down. It was such a small group of leklan that nothing should have gone wrong.
However life was not that kind at times.
Avani had gone with Rhees and some other shepherdesses with the leklon that were going back home for care, mostly because she had left home long enough and missed Honoka.
She had anticipated part of the flock moving out of the mountains would try to break off, but it had happened so suddenly that she didn’t have time to catch them before they broke off. She had to chase them down a bit and gather them back to the small herd.
It was then she heard the growls and shouts from that direction. Avani twitched her ears and abandoned the few leklons she had gone after. She ran back to the group to see what seemed to be two adult khehora attacking the group. Rhees had her hidden sword out and was trying to keep the smallish khehora away from the shepherdesses and the flock. While a few were running away with leklon (who needed no prodding for once) one or two stayed behind to keep the khehoras occupied.
Avani drew out her sword she kept tucked in her belt and ran towards the fighting.
However she was too late to prevent Rhees from being attacked.
Avani’s anger was evoked and she ran to Rhees’ side. She was backing up to a close pile of rocks, and Avani seeing that turned towards the two khehora and, even though she wished to kill both, she stopped just short of that.
“STOP!” Avani shouted placing herself between the khehoras and others, lifting her sword up horizontally and not a threat.
Surprisingly both sides stopped. Weather they did out of her request, which Avani thought was unlikely, or out of surprise, Avani didn’t care. She took the moment to quickly stop the shed of anymore blood.
“In that direction,” Avani said pointing with the sword back towards where she left the stray leklon, “you will find leklon without a guardian, take those and leave.”
“How can we trust you two-legger?” said one of the khehora
“I must stay here with my injured friend, if I lie, you may come back and eat me instead.”
The khehora looked at her as if she was mad, and then she heard their chuckles.
“Go Tallik and see if this two-legger speaks the truth.” said the khehora who had spoken before, “If the two-legger does, kill them and come back to me and we will leave.” The khehora looked Avani in the eyes and said, “This two-legger is bold to speak to me such, I will spare them all, even the animals out of respect if she speaks true.”
The other khehora grunted as if he disagreed, but left. The khehora who had spoken settled down onto the ground and watched Avani as she went over to Rhees. Avani saw that the khehora was watching her intently.
Ignoring him though, Avani bent down and looked over her friend.
“It’s not bad.” Rhees said as if gasping for breath.
Avani shrugged that comment off and moved Rhees’ hand that had covered the gash in her shoulder. One of the girls had stuffed her overcoat over the gash and pressed down hard as Avani was speaking to the khehoras. That had helped to slow the flow of blood and Avani thanked whatever god was watching over them for that. She slowly lifted the coat up and saw that it was not as deep as she thought it would be. But stiches and a lot of rest would be needed.
“Lucky it’s not deeper.” Avani said seriously. “But you still have lost a lot of blood.”
Rhees smiled and closed her eyes.
Avani breathed deeply and motioned the other girls to come around her. She asked for the medical kit and one of them offered it up. The one who offered it said she performed a small healing spell on Rhees and that stopped most of the bleeding. Avani nodded and took out the berry brandy that was in the kit for emergencies like this. Avani then lifted up the skirt of her dress and then started tearing her shift up into strips to use as something for Rhees to bite on when she would pour the alcohol over the wound.
When she was ready, she went over to Rhees with the brandy and the strips. After asking some girls to help hold down Rhees if she started to thrash, she pulled the coat up off the wound and breathed deeply. She looked up and saw the others were ready to do what needed to be done.
“Rhees,” Avani said softly. Rhees opened her eyes slowly and looked up. Avani smiled and said, “This will hurt, bite on the strips if you have to.”
Rhees nodded and accepted the strips of linen into her mouth. When Avani was sure she was read she nodded to Rhees who nodded back.
Avani breathed deeply again and poured the brandy over the wound.
Rhees’ jerked and groaned in pain, her eyes opening fully. Avani was quick in her work to spare her the pain, but it was needed.
Cleaning up the brandy from the wound area and taking out the strips of what once was Avani’s shift from Rhees’ mouth, Avani took the healing salve from the medical kit as well as the clean linen bandages. Rubbing in some salve she then bandaged the wound liberally. She then instructed the remaining girls to remain close to Rhees if she needed anything.
Avani stood from Rhees’ side and was replaced by a girl with a cup of water, who helped Rhees drink from it.
Avani threw the med kit, dirty coat, and the scraps of her shift to the ground and then turned back to the remaining khehora. He was still watching her, with something that looked like curiosity. Avani did nothing but move towards him and sit down upon some close rocks near him.
It was soon after that his companion returned.
“Well?” The khehora who had remained said.
“She speaks the truth.” Said the one apparently named Tallik. He snorted and glared at Avani, “Unfortunately.”
“For you perhaps!” Tallik’s companion said laughing at his companion’s unhappiness, “But there will be other fights Tallik, this one will be a draw for us both.” He turned to Avani and then became serious, “This changes nothing between us and the ones who guard your animals.”
“Wouldn't have it any other way myself!” Avani said brightly smiling back at the leader.
He stared in surprise for a moment and laughed at her.
“I like that. Even for a two-legger you seem to know peace can never last.” He turned with Tallik and left with a parting look over his shoulder, “Never back down little two-legger!”
Avani sighed, her smile quickly fading, and watched them walk off towards where the Tallik had come. She was glad to be rid of them. She would have to take up the lost sheep with her father herself. One or two she knew was carrying lambs, and that, while it would not hurt her father’s bottom line, would still be hard for him to take.
Avani went into her parent’s house late that night. The shepherdesses had made a litter for Rhees, and while it took two away from the herding job, Avani worked hard to make up for the total loss of three women to look after the leklon.
“Avani! What happened?!” her father said as she came into his study. She probably looked and smelled rather worse than usual, but it seemed that her father didn’t care about that. “We were worried!”
Avani gave a small smile and pulled up a wooden stool to sit on. She was glad that it seemed Honoka was asleep upstairs since she was late.
“We were attacked.” She said. She saw the look of worry cross her father’s face and smiled weakly “Rhees was hurt and is with the village healer right now. She’ll be fine with some rest and medicine.” She then frowned and sighed, “But the worst part is that I had to part with a few sheep that had lambs coming.” She looked up to her father apologetically, “I’m sorry about that Papa, but I thought it a fair trade at the time. I’ll pay you back somehow.”
Her father waved his hand in dismissal, “It’s worth it for a life my dear, I’m just glad Rhees is ok.”
Avani smiled tiredly at him and took his hand and squeezed it lovingly.
“I’ll take a bath and join Honoka in bed if that’s all.” She said, “I’m rather smelly and tired.”
Avani’s father smiled and said goodnight, and Avani went back to the kitchen to get a warm bath ready.
A few weeks later, the first snowfall in the mountains was confirmed with the coming back of the rest of the heard, Avani and the rest of the shepherdesses celebrated Rhees’ mating ceremony. Avani was happy for her friend. Honoka and Nix were allowed to attend as well as long as they were on their best behavior. Decorated with late blooming flowers and ribbons, both seemed to be almost as pretty as the bride.
As the group of family members and friends celebrated, Avani watched one of the dances that she stood out to catch a breath.
“Avani.” Said a soft voice as a hand came onto Avani’s shoulder. Avani turned as saw Rhees standing there. Avani smiled and motioned to her friend to sit next to her. Though Rhees had a sling on now for the arm she had injured, she looked radiant and happy.“I want to thank you for what you did.”
Avani smiled. They both knew what she meant and Avani waved her hand to dismiss it.
“I did what had to be done.”
Rhees smiled and looked down, “You lost some sheep I understand.
“Like my father said, it was worth the price.” Avani said smiling.
Rhees smiled too and looked down, “If you weren’t so dead set on being a farmer, you would make a great shepherdess.” She looked up to Avani, “I’m going to miss you.”
Avani laughed again, “We can write each other since I will be raising leklan myself soon.” She gently put an arm around Rhees and hugged her gently, “I’ll miss you too though.”
Both young women laughed and enjoyed each other's company till Rhees left for her bridal night and eventual trip to her new home.
Later, after Avani had gone home and was lying in bed, she reflected upon her training.
She now understood the price sometimes paid being a shepherdess. But that is what one did. They protected not only the animals they were entrusted with, but each other as well. She smiled as she remembered some of the first advice Rhees had given her when they first met, and now understood it better.
She sighed happily and wished the happy couple well in a prayer to Seren, and fell asleep.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Date Posted: February 16, 2015 Words: 2,342
Apple Blossom19
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Apple Blossom19
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Posted: Sun Oct 12, 2014 12:31 am
~Water,Soil,Sun,&Love~ ~"What to do With Winter?"~ ~A Profession Learning Requirement~
Avani quickly tied up her hastar at the leklan barn. The cold wind pushed into her body, acting as if it was trying to pick her up and toss her all the way back to her house. She pushed into the wind and battled it till she got to the barn door. As she opened the door, lifting up the latch, she held tight onto it as the wind seemed to now want to rip it off its hinges. As she stepped into the shelter of the barn, she now battled the wind to shut the door quickly to keep in the heat.
As she shut the door, she latched it shut, and shook herself of the cold from outside. It seemed that winter was coming in fast. She wouldn’t be surprised if the fall rains started soon.
The harvest long gone, the rice and wheat fields fallow, it was now time to focus on gathering hay for the sheron and leklon, and giving those leklan who hadn’t had it their last shearing.
As she went over to the back of the barn where her father and the other five shearers were in the shearing barn, she raised her hand in welcome when a few saw her and saluted with their shears. She stood watching them for a moment, her father just finishing the leklan he was working with.
“Avani girl!” her father said as he let the leklan go, Avani smiled and waved as her father placed his shears down. He went over and hugged his daughter and said, “What are you doing here?”
“The books are all done papa.” Avani said smiling, “It looks to be a good year.” She looked down and said, “Thought you might want help with the last leklons.”
“Good!” her father said. He gave her a one arm hug and looked down at her, “I expected as much.” He smiled kindly at his daughter as she bowed her head. She was just as shy as she when she was a baby. “I’m sorry love, but we can handle the rest of the leklan today.” He had a thought just then, “Perhaps your mother needs help with the fleeces.”
“Fleeces?” Avani said perking up. It was rare that her mother would help out in the leklan barn. “What is she doing with them?"
Her father chuckled, “Why not go and see what she does with them?”
Avani nodded, gave him one last hug, then went into the fleece house that was attached to the shearing shed, and located through a door at its side.
As Avani opened the door, heat assailed her. She looked around the room and saw women, most of them shepherdesses Avani knew from the company that worked for her father. Avani exchanged smiles and waves with them as she gazed about. Many were working at machines, sitting or standing, their hair piled high on their head, some wearing hats to keep it piled up. Looking up at the ceiling, Avani saw vents open on the walls, and felt a slight draft come though that was welcome in the warm building.
“That should do it.” Avani heard her mother’s voice said. Avani looked over to a rack in the far back of the room and saw her mother with her hair piled on top of her head. She wiped her brow with her arm and said to the woman next to her, “Get the next table ready and we’ll call this batch finished. It looks to be good quality so take it to room three before we pick it.”
The woman nodded and agreed, then left Avani’s mother looking over the white wool.
Avani moved over to her mother and said, “It’s so white!” she touched it gently and felt how soft it was, what was to become of it?
“It better be!” her mother laughed. She looked at her daughter and said pointing towards large tubs that sat on what looked like a long stove with a fire lit underneath, “These just came from the cleaning station.” She smiled and said, “Soon they will be picked, then carded and off for sale.”
Avani looked around the stations again and saw all sorts of machines being worked by other women. All this to make…. What?
“What would be for sale mama?” Avani asked looking back at her.
“Batt.” Her mother said smiling. Her mother took her hand and led her over to an area near a large cylinder object with small spikes on it. She didn’t go over to the device but a pile behind it of white, cloud like wool. She placed a loving hand on the stacked wool and said, “This is batt. It’s what people would put inside blankets or would take it one step further and spin it into yarn.”
Avani’s ears perked up. So this is how the farm processed the wool they sheared. Avani just thought they sold the fleece.
“I thought we just sold the fleece.” Avani said placing a hand onto the pile of batt. It was so soft… like someone took a cloud out of the sky and spun it into a square pillow.
Avani’s mother smiled, “I sell these and keep my own books for that.” Avani saw her blush a little and said, “I do it to help your father. Yes we sell raw fleece too, but I take the majority of it and sell it as batt.” Her mother looked at the batt and ran her hand over it, “I am here all winter and all summer after the sheerings. It takes away from my time at home some days, but I love doing it.”
Avani smiled at her mother. She had never seen her mother come out with this much information about her day to day activities on the ranch. Avani had always been too busy to notice that her mother had been coming out to the barn to do this. Even as a child she had thought her mother just took care of her father and the house. It was a whole new side of her mother she had never seen.
“Can I learn how to make batt?” Avani said smiling. It was another part of farm life she had to know about.
“Of course!” her mother said smiling. “Would you like to learn how to make yarn too? I have extra spindles in the spinning room.”
Now it was Avani’s turn to blush and broach a subject she had wanted to talk to her mother about for a long time now.
“Can you teach me to knit too?” she asked in a small voice. “It looks like fun.”
Avani’s mother beamed, “Of course! You just had to ask!”
Avani smiled. “Thank you mama.”
Avani spent more time in the fleece house over the weeks following her first foray into it. She learned how to clean the wool, not just by washing it either. Apparently it had to be looked over and picked clean of second cuts, food matter, and the natural oils that would cause trouble down the line of making it into yarn or thread. Her mother explained that the oil could be skimed off the top of the water after letting it cool, and that they used it around the farm to weather proof things, such as the family’s canvas jackets.
Once it was cleaned, the fleece was dried in a special dryer that her father had made. It was a barrel that could spin so fast by pumping it with your foot. It apparently dried the wool faster and better than just drying it on a rack, and that was the secret to Autumntree wool.
After drying it, Avani picked the wool to further get out the impurities that washing couldn’t. She also learned why all the women who had long hair piled it high or placed hats on to keep it back. The picker was a small hand machine where the wool was fed into an area that had sharp nails sticking up from flat boards on top and bottom. When one moved the top bored it picked up the wool and tore it apart into little fluffy tufts. If someone's hair got caught it would hurt, or even rip it right out. So Avani was sure to place her hair in a long braid and tuck it under her dress when she began work on the picker and the carder.
After picking the wool, it had to be further pulled and made fine. That required it to go to the carder, and what a machine that was! It was a small spiny roll, the “licker-in”, that helped feed in the wool to the large “drum”. This made the wool as fine as possible, and still helped get out impurities. Sometimes the wool needed to go in multiple times, and it was exhausting to hand crank it all.
But the finished product was worth it. Avani placed her hand on the first batch she had carded to her mother’s standards. It would take time to just eye the wool and judge if it was fine enough to be sold.
“Very good.” Her mother said looking at her work. She placed the batt down and smiled at her daughter, “Now you need your lessons in spinning and you can spin all you want.”
Avani blushed a bit. It was fun spending time with her mother. Hopefully this would keep her busy all winter like her mother was. Avani lovingly touched the batt again. There were so many things she could do on a farm.
“I’ll keep it up all winter mama.” She said looking to her mother, “It’s part of farming is it not? I mean, growing things is just part of it, making things with what you grow is another part.”
“We are the backbone of life if you look at it.” Her mother said. She giggled a bit at the skeptical look Avani was giving her, “We support life, not create it.” She smiled shyly and said, “We grow food for people who then go on to do what they have decided to do with their life. We provide raw material for people to create with. We provide. Without farms or farmers, people would have a lot more worries than where they can get their next job or how to work things out.”
“I see it that way too.” Avani said quietly.
She and her mother looked at each other and smiled. It was nice to know how her mother felt about this. Avani had always thought she had hated being a farmer’s wife, but now she was sure she loved it as much as she loved her family.
Avani hugged her mother then said goodbye as she had some other chores to do around the fleece house. Avani looked at the batt once more, giving it one last pat.
As she left the leklan barn, the winter didn’t look so bleak with boredom after all.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Date Posted: February 21st, 2015 Words: 1,835
It had been several weeks since Avani had received the letter from Aevah Avi and her account on what happen to the man who had attacked her home. Avani, caring less about the outcome, save that the b*****d wouldn’t see the light of day again, had moved on with life and her chores.
While Shenra over saw the rebuilding of the parts of her home that were damaged, Avani turned her efforts to the old house on the property that she had bought.
It was a farmhouse for Orderites, about as old as her parent’s house, but because of neglect from the previous family, it would take some work to make it look nice for new tenants. Avani planned to rent out the house to her farm foreman and his family if he had any.
“Lots of work owed.” Shenra said taking time off from fixing off Avani’s house to look over the building, “But we can upgrade it too if you wish… Put running water in and whatnot… Give it the works if I can.”
“As long as I can afford it.” Avani said looking up at some wallpaper starting to peel. “Gah I knew there was a leaky roof, but it goes to show how bad off that family’s grandfather was towards the end.”
Shenra made a sound of agreement. They had both known the family, a farmer, his wife and kids, and his wife’s aging father who was rather ill. All available coin went to his health, and Avani couldn’t fault their logic. Having no sons, after the elderly father died, his daughter sold off the land and house to pay some of their bills, and then move back south where her husband was from. Avani hated to see land that had been passed down for generations be sold to someone else, but promised that she would do her best to make it as good as it had been when it was in its prime.
“I want the leeks covered before the rain and snow. The old house can withstand one more snowfall before spring.” Avani said looking up and seeing the water stains on the ceilings of the bottom rooms, “Workers can find the leaks easily in my opinion.”
Shenra laughed at that then looked around, “That would keep you busy clearing this out all winter.”
Avani looked with her and saw trash and old broken furniture that the family did not want. Avani went to a settee and saw it could be fixed if a little tender care went into it. A missing foot, ripped cushions, and a wobbly arm, it was nothing that couldn’t be fixed by the local woodworker.
“Yup!” Avani said smiling at her friend. “After you get finished with my house, I’ll have you take over here after I cleaned up.”
Shenra smiled and both left with plans forming in their heads.
So the next day after all her chores were done at the ranch and home, and after lessons in how to make wool into yarn, Avani came over to the old house to clean up. The workers had put a tarp over the top of the house to keep the rain and snow from leaking in, so Avani was dry enough inside the house as she cleaned up room to room.
Tearing off old wallpaper, she made notes of repair to the plaster in the walls, along with where there were cracks and mouse holes that needed to be fixed. She also moved furniture that had been left behind around, sweeping up dust, dirt and debris to be thrown out with the old wallpaper. She checked the doors to the rooms and stairs, making notes, and finally went into the attic, which, for a few old pieces of furniture that couldn’t be saved and cobwebs of small spiders, looked to be less of a chore than she thought it would be. She would save that room for last.
Since there would be a heavy canvas over the house during the winter, Avani asked the workmen if remodeling could begin as soon as possible on the inside of the house. They had a look around and said it was possible to do, the windows and outside of the house to be done before winter firmly set in.
At this time, Shenra came along and started planning the instalment of modern plumbing in the house. One room would be built on the second floor to be used as an indoor bathroom, while the water heater would be placed in the kitchen. It would be much like Sherna’s house now, she said to Avani, but old farm houses were tricky to modernize and needed extra care.
Soon, Avani smiled as she watched the walls be torn apart, and new glass delivered for all the windows. She was particularly happy she could get sash windows for the upstairs bedrooms at half the cost since someone had ordered them, but then decided not to use them.
After the windows and outside were done before the heavy snow fell, Avani and the rest of the workmen tackled the inside. Between this and other projects, Avani’s winter was a whirlwind of activity.
When it was finally finished, the house had been stripped of any paint or remaining wallpaper, the cracks and floors fixed, all the usable furniture that had been fixed, placed around the house for the next family to use, Avani smiled at her work. It had taken most of her time and energy, and a good chunk of the winter to do, but it was finished.
She had put in an advertisement for a new foreman for her ranch the following spring, offering him to rent out the house and use of the yard for personal use… Perhaps a garden, Avani thought as she watched the snow melt from the canvased roof.
Whatever future was in store for this house, it was now clean and fixed up with modern piping. It had set Avani back, but she hoped that the profit from the first year on this land would help close the gap. She smiled and was pleased with herself. Hopefully there would be children here who could enjoy such a house as she had her parent’s when they first moved to this area.
Perhaps, if there were children, one would turn out to be a famer.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Date Posted: March 4th, 2015 Words: 1,063
Apple Blossom19
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Apple Blossom19
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Posted: Sun Oct 12, 2014 12:35 am
~Water,Soil,Sun,&Love~ ~"For Green in the Winter"~ ~A Profession Learning Requirement~
Repairs on her house just starting, Avani looked over the plans of her house Shenra had shown her before they started. Just looking at the layout of the buildings on her land, she talked to Sherna one night before she left Avani’s parent’s house.
“Perhaps,” Avani said shyly as she showed the layouts to her friend, “We could build a glasshouse, perhaps behind the kitchen and barn.”
Shenra looked to her friend and then to the plans. She thought for a moment and said, “How big would you want it. The glass will be expensive, and you still have renovations on the farm house that came with your property.”
Avani shook her head, “I have lot of coins saved. I am getting windows on discount for that house, I got an estimate on repairing the old house. I have just enough for one of my choosing if I work on the piping myself…” She blushed as she looked at Sherna, “If you think I can do it.”
“As long as you do as I say, I think you could handle it.”
So plans went into action. Avani helped dig the ditch that would hold the concrete for her glasshouse. Stones would be used as the base of the building, thus saving more coin as she could find as much as she needed around the area. The walls and roof would be wood and iron that were implemented with spells that would insure it would be rot and rust proof.
As soon as she had dug out the lay of the building, Avani helped place a rock base for the floor where the pipes would heat the glasshouse would run. She and Shenra then placed the pipes that would heat the floor. Avani would build a small room between her house and the glasshouse that would be used as a boiler room. Shenra would make the boiler, just like the ones she used in the houses she modernized. After the pipes were set, Avani helped place metal vents in the floor as she went along making the floor. Using cement, Avani plastered rocks into a floor much like she had done for the base. Criani helped find rocks from around the area when Avani needed more. She was a good sport about it and said it was the least she could do to help her friend.
Once the base was done, Shenra worked on the metal work for the roof and other walls, as Avani continued to build up one wall with rocks. This would help more sunlight come through the glasshouse. Soon the glass would come and Avani could put the finishing touches.
The glass came, and was a cut with the tops and bottoms in a curved shape. This helped keep rainwater from damaging the frames they were in. Avani smiled and giggled like she was still a schoolgirl. Soon she would have food year round! Perhaps she could start an herb garden as well…
As Avani and Shenra set the metal and wood work frames, Shenra applied her trusty protection spells to protect the metal and wood from rotting. She also placed anti-freezing spells on all the pipes too to keep them warm in the winter. Avani’s father came and helped with installing the glass, and as father worked on the glass, daughter, helped by Shenra finish the boiler room.
“I’ll put all the spell runes here so you can just activate the protection spell for the framework as well as the glass once a year without having to go all over the building.” She said placing the finished boiler in the finished room, “I’ll also give you a special rune to start the boiler too.”
Avani had to admire Shenra’s ability to use magic in her work. It wasn’t as if she was enchanting weapons or anything, she was protecting her work, but using existing spells in innovative ways. The fact she could use basic protection spells that many would use in battle or combat for the protection of objects on the scale of a building was rather ingenious. The world could use more tinkers like her!
Shenra used her portable welder to hook up the heating system to the boiler. Avani was rather giddy as she waited in the now finished glasshouse for the first waves of heat to rise through the grates.
She heard the hiss of the pipes and waited impatiently. Soon the glasshouse was getting warmer. Avani pressed her hands on the grates and found heat coming through them. She smiled happily, and danced around the glasshouse in excitement.
The building had been finished just before the first hard snow, so its strength had yet to be tested. In the spring Avani would begin to plant her first plants in here, and hopefully harvest year round after that.
“Thanks Shenra!” Avani said coming out of the glasshouse. Shenra had stopped the boiler and joined her outside. Both women looked up at the building, “It will last for a long time.”
“You helped too.” Shenra said placing an arm around Avani’s shoulders, “I just helped with the hard parts.”
Avani smiled and allowed Shenra to give her a one armed hug, “Well, I’ll have to repay you with some of my first crop then.”
“What will you grow?” Shenra asked.
“The question really is, what won’t I grow!”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Date Posted: March 5th, 2015 Words: 894
Avani looked out the new window of her newly restored house, watching fat flakes fall to the ground.
Winter had finally come to her part of the world.
She glanced to the darkening sky, knowing the sun was setting at last, however, the storm had come in already an angry dark grey. Avani had shut all the shutters early that morning, save the ones in front. Soon she would go out to shut the ones on the bottom level of the house, just before she went out to the barn to feed the animals.
She had made a walkway out to the barn that had railings on the side as well as a small roof so that people could get to the barn from the house if it was snowing or raining, and if there was a blizzard or bad storm, the railings were tall enough to guide a large adult without fear of getting lost. She had extended this walkway just recently to get to the glasshouse she had just built. Nothing was in there at the moment, so she would only go out to the barn.
But first, she would shut the shutters. There was a wind at the moment, and that could mean a rather nasty storm was brewing.
After shutting the front shutters, Avani made her way to the barn huddled in bulky warm clothes. She told Honoka and Nix to stay in the house, not wanting them to get lost in this weather. She opened the side door to the barn and went inside the warm building. Sheading her coat and other warm gear, she went to work feeding the animals. The animals made happy noises as she pushed hay into their stalls from the loft, and before she left, she gave her recently captured hastar his favorite treat, some sweet fruit she had brought from storage.
Putting her outdoor stuffs on again, Avani went back out the side door, and was glad that she had found her little walkway quickly. The wind had picked up and the fat snowflakes were falling sideways instead of down.
“Definitely a blizzard.” She thought pulling her hat down as she walked, “I won’t be going into work for a few days… Glad I brought in extra wood this morning.”
She went into the house and stomped the slush from her feat, and placed her coat and other things on the rack by the back door. It was blessedly warm inside, thank the gods, but she would have to monitor the wood storage as the storm blew through. Seren only knew how long this one would last.
She doused all unnecessary lamps, and brought down two of the large feather mattresses she used for the nest box rooms and placed them in front of the fire, Honoka jumping onto one of them wagging her tail as she watched happily as Avani placed the other one close to Honoka’s. The three of them would sleep downstairs during the storm, and Avani smiled as she watched her daughter, knowing she loved it when the whole family slept together like this.
Avani looked upstairs as the wind whistled around the house. It seemed to be picking up strength. But that didn’t bother her. She settled down on one of the mattresses and picked up one of the books she had bought on her trip to the Ashen City. It was a book about plants in Ayr and their uses. There were also recipes for dishes in the rather large book, along with sketched pictures of the food and dishes that were found there.
Using the light from the one lamp she did not blow out, as well from the glow from the healthy fire, she read about plants that could not only heal, but could be cooked with food. Avani wondered if she could take a trip to Ayr sometime to collect some of these plants. She had to make a list of the ones that could withstand the journey and then the climate on Serenia.
Avani then took the book about plants on Eowyn. Not much grew there, but there were some strange plants that grew in the mountains. Perhaps she wouldn’t be able to go there to collect any, but if she found a way to get there, she would.
She heard Honoka yawn and looking over at the youngling and saw she was trying to stay awake. Avani smiled and stood to put a blanket she had brought down over her child. While Honoka was laying her head on one of the pillows Avani had brought down too, Nix scampered to huddle near Honoka as the blanket came slowly down. Avani smiled as she saw the quilt moving while Nix snuggled in for the night. Avani blew out the lamp she had kept lit, and then read a bit more in the book on Ayr. Perhaps she would plan a trip there one day to explore the wilds and bring back a few plants.
Placing her books and thoughts of an Ayr adventure aside, she fluffed her pillows and snuggled under her own quilt. She went to sleep huddling next to Honoka and thinking of the planning that had to be done over the winter for the spring.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Date Posted: March 8th 2015 Words: 879
Avani felt giddy. But when did she not? Well, ok not when cleaning out the barn, but today was a good day to be giddy.
Trying to hide her excitement from Honoka, for if she didn’t the little youngling would demand to go with her to the farm today, she ushered her out of the house after breakfast, cleaned their plates, and told Nix to stand guard at the house today. Of course it wasn’t hard since that little one was fast asleep on a pillow set in the light from a window. Avani smiled as the fea lifted an eye, yawned, then repositioned herself on the pillow, her back turned to Avani. Some guardian…
However, the fact that her home was at the very least moderately guarded would not detour Avani’s mood. Today the ranch hands would be busy with the first stirrings of spring around the ranch. The leklan would still be in the meadows close to the farm, most lambing in the birthing shed of the leklan barn. The hands in the main barn would be bringing out stored tools to sharpen and oil, not to mention harnesses and tack that was stored all winter. The hastars would be let out into the paddock to run to their hearts content after months cooped up in the barn.
Spring was about to return to the ranch.
Today, Avani would help oversee the purchase of seed and feed for the next year. She would make note of the cost and report to the lead foreman of her purchase orders. Then she would go into the village and get what she needed from the seed store. Then it was a matter of getting the land ready and then getting the ranch hands out there to plant the crops.
This year however, Avani was to buy her own seed. She was extremely giddy about that fact.
Avani shut the door to her home, locked it, and mounted her hastar. She contained her happiness till she got to the ranch however as her mount needed all her concentration. She just had to console herself with that at the end of the ride, she would begin a happy task.
Avani walked into the back office where the bookkeeping was kept, and waved at the head foreman, then looked into her workbox to see what they had given her to calculate.
She was to buy enough seed for the whole of the farm apparently. She was excited, yet suddenly nervous. What would happen if she got too little? What if she got too much? Avani shook her head and looked at the books determined to do her best. She was good at her numbers and frankly she had done well with last fall’s harvest, not to mention that she had handled the winter gains well too.
She went to an empty desk, the one she liked to use, and started on the books. As she looked over the information and recalled her father’s information, the lessons from the past about seed and planting came into use here. She calculated away how many seeds she needed for a certain amount of land and added more just in case birds ate the seeds, or they were planted in fallow ground.
The whole thing took her a while, then she applied the mathematics to her own land. Not only did she have to calculate how much seed she needed, but also how much it would cost. With what she earned from learning how to make bat from the leaklan wool, and what she saved on the house she was renovating, she would barely be able to pay for the seeds on her farm. She would use her father’s hastars and tools to till her land, and she had also asked for help from the farm hands on her parent’s ranch. She had barely enough to pay them.
She sat back and looked at the figures, and rubbed her eyes thinking.
She would have to stretch her savings to get through till harvest, but the profit… If things went as planned, she could take a large chunk of that to make even more improvements to the old farmhouse, perhaps redo the barn out there. She would also help pay off the land, taking a huge chunk out of that debt.
But first thing is first, and that was she was now ready to present her findings to not only the lead foreman, but her father as well. She was pleased with her work, and that was only because she knew they both would be pleased with it themselves.
She leaned back and allowed herself to daydream for a moment. So far all her hard work was paying off. She prayed to whatever god was listening that her crop would do well this year. She needed all the help she could get.
“That’s the last of the seeds Miss. Avani.” Mr. Iseld said as he watched the last of his workmen place the seed bags into the back of her father’s wagon.
There were many wagons there in the village to pick up seeds for this spring from so many farms! Avani smiled as she remembered coming here with her father when she was little. She turned to Mr. Iseld and smiled brightly.
“Are all the seeds I ordered there as well?” Avani asked.
“Yes Miss!” Mr. Iseld said, “Even gave you some extra seeds for a garden out at your house this year… No don’t refuse, sort of a gift from me congratulating you for finally getting your own farm started.” He smiled and said, “Seeing you grow up loving the land so much, figure it’s my way of welcoming you to the farming community as a farmer.” He smiled and scratched his head saying, “Bungling up what I mean, I suppose, but when it’s all said and done Avani, you are going to do well.”
Avani smiled shyly and hugged her ledger. She appreciated his words, even if it didn’t make sense to him, they were from the heart and that’s all that mattered. He had known her since she came to the village, so his words meant a lot to her.
Mr. Iseld bristled and then turned and shouted orders to the wagons lining up for seed. Avani smiled and proceeded to get into one of the wagons heading to her family’s farm.
After unloading the sacks of seed, Avani ran her hand along them. The burlap sacks felt gritty, and harsh, but it contained all the hopes and dreams Avani had always had since she started down this path. She hoped that those hopes and dreams would finally come true.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Date Posted: March 14th 2015 Words: 1,115
Avani looked out at her fields and watched as the men she had asked to come and help her carefully round up the weeds that had sprung there. The earth, being left fallow for so long, had developed large weeds. Her healing of the land did not help since that helped the plants grow stronger.
Avani just hated weeds.
Even though they were plants, and had the right to survive, she knew they would take needed nutrients from the ground, and would have to be pulled. Stubborn as a hastar, she really disliked the large ones.
Avani went back to picking the weeds, even the large ones didn’t bother her anymore. She knew how to take them out now with ease. She smiled and when her basket filled with the plants, she took the basket over to the burn pile. After she took the basket over to the workers that were at the burn pile, she went over to the shade tent and took a break, getting a dipper full of water to drink, and to sit and rest a while.
Avani looked out over her fields and a swell of pride filled her heart.
She had hired some ranch hands, and they were working alongside the new lead foreman, Rilale Jansokin. She could see his wife Aryna and daughter Lysil beside him working too. Avani had said that they didn’t have to work, but all three said that even though they didn’t own the land, they would work it together.
Avani watched with interest the little girl with a smile.
She had trouble with the larger weeds, yet Avani was glad she had gloves on. That way she didn’t have to put any salve on later, and not have smelly hands from the weeds themselves. It was like looking into a mirror, seeing herself at that age. Avani would extend her help to the little one if she decided to pursue a career in farming. She had the passion and will to become just as good as Avani was.
Avani broke from her thoughts and then picked up an empty basket and went back to the area she was working. She heard laughing behind her, and turned to see Honoka flying around the already cleared land. She was using her magic to till the land, to “wake it up” as she had put it. Avani smiled at her young one, glad she could share this day with her. Criani had said that she was leaving for a short while, and that Honoka needed to work on her magic while she had days off. She seemed to be doing well. Avani saw some of the ranch hands that had come from her father’s farms laugh at Honoka’s happiness. She saw the sincere smiles on the men and was happy that at least a few could see her as she did.
Going back to work, Avani though about the past years living in this part of Serenia. It had been hard work, but papa had started a well to do farm, one of the best in the area. She remembered all the friends she had made here and all the heartaches and hurts. But what stood out most were the joys.
And now, she had her own land and was starting the process all over again.
All things, not just plants needed love. She wanted to put all her love into the land just as her father did, and perhaps, in the future, if the gods granted it to her, she would be able to show her children how to love the land.
She smiled at the weeds in front of her and thought back to her first experience working the land.
“Yes,” Avani said smiling at the weeds, “even weeds need love.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Date Posted: March 19th, 2015 Words: 632
Apple Blossom19
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Apple Blossom19
Eloquent Exhibitionist
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Posted: Sun Oct 12, 2014 12:37 am
~Water,Soil,Sun,&Love~ ~"One Final Lesson..."~ ~A Profession Learning Requirement~
Avani woke before the sun even shed one ray of light over the horizon. She breathed in deeply and smelled her lover’s scent, not wanting to leave the bed they shared. For his part, Oblivion didn’t want her to leave period, but duty called. Her father said that he was going on a camping trip into the mountains, and required her help. They had to leave early as they had to make it to the trail they would use by the end of the day. They would spend a few days going up the trail to reach the destination… Whatever that place happened to be.
As Avani got out of bed, Oblivion stirred restlessly. Avani smiled and leaned over his head to kiss it. A soft “Vani…” escaped him as he nestled down into his pillow, going back to a restful sleep. Avani smiled at him, and quietly got dressed. He didn’t want her to go, but he seemed to be resigned to the fact as by his actions last night. Avani blushed a bit at the memories, and quickly finished braiding her hair, then pulled the heavy curtains over the windows. Livi didn’t like getting up, and he especially didn’t like it when he got up when she had already left the bed, so she decided the kindest thing to do was make sure he had a peaceful sleep in without the light bothering him.
She went downstairs and made a quick breakfast for herself. Oblivion would see that Honoka would eat weather they went hunting together or eating the leftovers from last night. She hoped they would go hunt together as she wanted them to be together often. Honoka was growing, and soon she would be leaving for longer periods, spreading her wings so to speak.
Avani shook her head and picked up her pack she had left by the back door the night before. She went into the barn and saddled her hastar, then went off into the early morning of the forest, headed for her parent’s ranch.
Her father was loading up a small wagon when she came up to the house. She smiled at him and tossed her small pack in the back. She had packed light, not needing anything other than at least one more dress for the adventure.
“How long will we be on the trail with a wagon?” Avani asked chuckling.
“It’s for food and such.” Her father said giving her a look that was questioning her, “We have two other’s coming along, so it’s necessary to carry more than needed this time.”
Avani nodded and helped her father pack.
When they were done, he told her to hitch the hastars that were kept in reserve to the wagon, and to place his and Avani’s mother’s hastar. Avani looked at him raising an eyebrow, but went to do his bidding when all he did was give her a large grin. Why was her mother coming? What in was going on?
Avani sighed as she opened the barn door. It was going to be a long journey.
“What are we doing up here Papa?” Avani finally asked the second day they were riding on the mountain trail.
Neither her mother or father, nor the ranch hand that had come with them was saying much. Her father kept pointing out some plant or another that Avani already knew about, and her mother, bless her, was picking flowers along the trail to make chains out of, and them placing them about her father. Though, recently she had begun to give her efforts of flower chains to Avani instead. Avani had the feeling by the time they reached where they were going her mother would be wearing them herself.
Her father was silent a moment before he answered.
“You’ll see.” He said smiling again.
Apparently Avani had to wait to see what this was all about. She accepted a finished flower chain necklace from her mother and sighed. Well, at least someone was having fun.
About four days from the start of the ride, they had finally reached the end of the trail. It was just starting to get dark, so Avani and her parents set out the blankets for them all, along with the ranch hand who slept by the wagon, tending to the hastars during the night.
“Will you tell me now?” Avani said when they all gathered by the fire at night.
“Tomorrow.” Her father said taking a sip of coffee, “Tomorrow afternoon, so sleep in if you wish.” He looked from his cup to his daughter, “Don’t worry about it Avani, enjoy yourself.”
Avani sat down and smiled, “I’m just not used to being led around for no reason.”
“I know.” Her father smiled, “But it will be worth it.”
Avani just lifted a brow at him, and all the infuriating man would do was grin. Avani huffed a bit and took her took her own cup in her hand. What was so special about this place anyway? Avani looked around as far as the fire light could reach and saw nothing out of the ordinary. It was just a place in the middle of the forest.
Avani shook her head and sipped her coffee. She would find out tomorrow she guessed.
Avani woke late in the morning, well later than she was used too. She stretched and just let her senses fill with the sounds of the forest. She heard the birds singing their last songs of the morning, the hastars moving around where they were tied up, her parents and the ranch hand moving around what remained of the fire.
She breathed deep the fresh smell of the forest, and watched clouds pass above her. It was a good day today.
Getting up she took care of her needs, washed her face and hands in the water provided by a barrel in the wagon, and braided her hair. She placed the flowers her mother had gathered in the braid, giving it color and a fresh fragrance.
“Here’s some food love.” Her mother said giving her a plate of breakfast.
Avani also received some warm coffee, and proceeded to eat all that was given to her. She helped her parents place their things into the wagon, wondering what was going on again. This time however, they placed the saddles of the hastars she and her parents had ridden in the wagon as well.
“Why are we placing the saddles in the wagon?” Avani asked as she placed her own saddle in the back of the wagon, “How will we get down?”
Avani’s father smiled at her and pulled her away from the wagon and hugged her with one arm.
“This is your final lesson my dear.” He whispered. Avani looked up into his eyes and saw them seeming to sparkle from the tears there, “I can teach you no more, and so it’s time for you to come with me for your right of passage into the group of Autumntree farmers.”
Avani opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out.
She was done? Done with lessons? But… didn’t she still have so much to learn? Had she truly learned all she could? She looked away from her father and remembered all the lessons she had learned over the years. All the hard work, all the sweat and hardships she had shed and gone through… Was this really the end of learning?
“You will undoubtedly learn more the rest of your life,” her father said to her as if he could read her thoughts, “I can just teach you what I know, and over the past months you have come less and less to me and the other foremen with your problems, solving them on your own.” He smiled at her looking a little sad and said, “It’s time I gave you your last lesson, and see you on your way into the world by yourself.”
Avani felt her mouth open as if to reject what her father was saying, a part of her screaming out that she still needed him. The little girl in Avani felt alone now, left to wander in the dark. However, she watched as her mother came over and placed an arm around her father and he did the same to her, and both looked at Avani with loving smiles, and pride in their eyes. She closed her mouth and swallowed, silencing the little girl inside, and bracing herself against the feeling of abandonment. They really weren’t abandoning her, they were just letting her fly on her own now, letting her take those first steps alone.
“And why should I need them?” A little voice said in her heart. It seemed a cold thought, but she had to agree with it. She had been raising Honoka alone for some time now, she even had a lover for the god’s sake. The little girl seemed silenced now by the woman in her, consoled, and told she was not alone, that she was never alone.
“Thank you.” Was all Avani could say before her tears spilled over, and she stepped hastily to her parents and hugged them both. One part of her heart would remain with them and be their little girl, and she always knew she could come to them with any problem she couldn’t solve.
“Now.” Her father said pushing her away, “Taim will take the wagon back with our hastars. We will fly back down the mountain.” He looked over at the ranch hand and smiled wincing a bit, “Sorry about that…”
“My pleasure to do it sir.” The man said from his seat in the wagon, “Glad I could help with Miss Avani’s final lesson.” And with a smile, a wave and a shake of the reigns, the wagon and animals were off down the mountain and to the ranch.
Avani waved and smiled till she saw the wagon disappear. She looked to her parents who were brushing themselves off, and revealing their wings.
Her papa had bright orange wings, the color of autumn leaves fading into a peach color on the bottom, her mother had dark gold wings that faded into green on the bottom. Avani was happy her wings were a combination of her father and mother’s wings, the top part dark gold like her mother, and peachy on the ends like her father. It made her feel as if she herself was truly part of them. Though her parents had their third set of wings, Avani was happy she finally got her second set. It made her happy she could fly up with her parents and enjoy this moment.
Avani shook herself off, getting all the dust from her clothes, and then let her wings reveal themselves. She felt shy about her new wings… She shook them out to get the feather’s straight, and then smiled at her parents.
Her parents smiled back and both leapt into the air and took flight. Avani, still getting used to taking off, leapt up and flapped hard to pick herself up. She hopped and jumped a bit as she faltered with the take off, but eventually got herself off the ground.
Ever she loved flying. She had been enamored of the activity since she was little, and couldn’t wait to grow her second pair. Feeling the wind rush by, she followed them into a thermal and allowed the warm air to pull her up into the sky.
As she did, she saw the ground get smaller and smaller, watching it play out like a patchwork quilt of browns and greens, and the odd blue of a lake or flooded field. Soon she saw her and her father’s lands and followed her mother and father out of the thermal and glide back down to the earth.
She breathed in the sweetness of the air and she felt her heart tug back to the land. She loved flying, but her heart was in the land with the growing things. She saw the outlines of her fields, the house where her ranch foreman lived with his family, she saw the forests where she lived, and most likely Oblivion was waiting for her return. She then saw her father’s fields and her parent’s house. She envisioned both fields merged into one property when her father handed it off to her when he could no longer be the boss. She prayed a silent prayer that it wouldn’t be anytime soon.
She then saw Shenra’s house, and the orchard she took care of on the edge of her property. She saw the smoke coming from the chimney in the shed Shenra worked in and knew the tinker was probably absorbed in a project. Avani had great plans for the work that she would do with her tinkering. She would like to bring about better machines to use for farming though her work. Shenra said it was all a matter of being patient and hard work.
Avani enjoyed the rest of the flight down to her father’s yard. Her parents had landed before her, and were waiting with outstretched arms.
Avani flew into a hug with them. She would never forget her lessons, especially this one.
A few days after her flight from the mountain, and her hastar returned to her, Avani was surprised to see Shenra at her front door. It was a rare day off, and Avani was planning on spending it at home relaxing as Oblivion had wandered off with Honoka to practice hunting.
“What are you doing here?!” Avani said smiling and opening her door wide to let the woman in.
“Just came to give you this.” Shenra said refusing the invitation to come in. She held in her hand a long shepherd’s crook that was taller than Avani while on the ground. It was curled at the end, and had woodwork of ivy. “It’s a gift from me on finishing your farming studies.” She then pressed one of the ivy leafs, and out popped the top end of the staff, and a blade appeared as she pulled it away from the bottom end. “I heard how you like Rhees’ and so took it upon myself to get this for you.”
Avani took the staff and gaped at it. It was so lovely, so thoughtful of her friend. She placed the sword back into the bottom of the staff and hugged her friend.
“Thank you.” Avani said. She felt her friend hug her back and then said, “I don’t know what to say.”
“Nothing is fine.” Shenra said pulling away and smiling, “It’s a gift to a friend who broke into my heart.”
Avani hugged her once again, and invited her friend in for some refreshments before she went back to her own house. Avani looked at the staff once more before placing it with reverence by the front door. Sometimes, even friends didn’t need words to tell them how much they were loved.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Date Posted: March 26, 2014 Words: 2,497
Posted: Wed Oct 15, 2014 11:27 pm
~AnAvaniAdventure!~ ~Who Your Friends Are~ ~A Solo RP~
Trigger Warning: Alludes to violence and upsetting content. Read at your own discretion.
Avani plopped down into the chair in the foreman’s office, exasperated with some of the ranch hands on her father’s ranch
“I can’t understand why they still won’t listen to me.” Avani said to her boss, Mr. Danack, “I’ve been working here the past five years and proved I work just as hard as them.”
“Some people just think a woman’s place is still in the kitchen.” Mr. Danack said sitting into his chair behind the desk, “Not that I think that way, but it’s the mentality of some of these roaming ranch hands.” He lifted an eyebrow at Avani, “You are talking about those new hands aren’t you?”
“Yes.” Avani said scrunching up her face and folding her arms. She glared at them and said, “I guess there‘s a problem with some people.”
Avani didn’t see it, but Mr. Danack smiled softly at the young woman he had watched grow up from a young girl. There was much in this world that she didn’t know about and most if it was the prejudice that was breed into it. He hoped she would never see the worst of it for herself.
Avani walked out of the mercantile her arms caring all the packages she and her parents had needed from town. There were some things a farm could not produce for free, so this once a month trip to town was needed to keep things in stock.
Avani placed the crate into the back of the small wagon and then looked around the square. After purloining their peppermint sticks from the store, Honoka and Nix ran back outside to do Seren knew what. Luckily she found her charges where they normally were, sitting at the fountain in the middle of the village. She went over to them smiling and sat with them a while. Nix ran about in the fountain, as Honoka raced along the edge after her. While Avani didn’t mind her child getting wet, she did appreciate that she didn’t have to dry Honoka off before leaving. Nix would be a challenge herself!
Honoka scrambled over to Avani as she sat down on the rim of the fountain. She cuddled up next to her as Avani rubbed her horns. Nix then came next to Avani on her other side and shook off the water from the fountain. Avani laughed as she tried to block the flying water and then petted the damp fea.
“Ok, time to go! But I have to dry you first Nix or you’ll catch cold.”
Avani picked up the small fea and took her over to the wagon, Honoka following at her heals.
Denir watched the young woman with orange hair as she walked towards the fountain. Hidden in the shadows between the livery stable and the tavern, he took great care when he first spotted her so that he could observe the girl and not be seen.
Emotions flowed through him as he watched the girl in the square. Why was she wearing boy’s breaches? Why did she have a Khehora youngling with her? Why was she not at home? These questions made him angry as he asked them in his mind. He shuddered as he watched the woman rub the horns of the youngling. Perhaps she was bonded? All the more horrific in his mind. He shuddered again at the thoughts that flowed through his mind.
“Patience,” he said as he watched the young woman dry off the little blue and white animal. He watched the young woman more closely, “Patience.”
Denir bided his time waiting in the village. However his orange blossom did not show. It was now time to change tactics. So he haunted the tavern, keeping an ear turned to conversation about village life. It was about two weeks since he last saw the young woman, when a bunch of ranch hands came into the tavern to drink. With as loud and boisterous these men were it wasn’t hard to overhear the conversations.
“Just wish the little b***h would leave us be.”
Denir found that comment interesting. Sitting at the bar, he raised his drink and listened in on the conversation the man next to him was having with his companion.
“Only reason she gets to boss us around is she’s the boss’ daughter.” Said the man. “Shame such a fine man would let his daughter be running around with men all day.”
“I feel sorry for the poor man, must have a harpy of a wife if his daughter is that way.” A second man said.
There was laughter at the joke. Denir was about to dismiss the conversation when he heard what was next.
“Taming that shrew will be difficult if she did marry.” Said the first man. “Though she is nice to look at, seems to be her only redeeming quality.” He sighed and said, “Beautiful creature that orange haired green eyed vixen.” Denir watched the man take a drink through the mirror behind the bar, then wipe his mouth with his sleeve, “Wearing breaches like that, wouldn’t let any female of mine wear those.”
Denir smiled as he took a sip of his ale. This was the information he needed. Perhaps she wasn’t the one, but it was a good lead. He had time to kill after all.
But where did this vixen live?
“Better not drink too much Henli.” Said the second man, “You know how Mr. Autumntree dislikes bar fights.”
“Pfffht.” The first man said, “Another thing I dislike about this job. If I didn’t need it, I would leave now.”
The two laughed and then had another drink. Denir smiled and sipped at his drink leisurely. No need to rush. He would get the location of the farm from the ranch hands as soon as they were good and sotted. Then he would arrive at the ranch in the next few days to apply for a job. There he could watch for his little flower and wait for the right time.
Avani wiped her brow as she stood from planting the grass seeds in the sheron and leklon fields. This needed to be done every year to ensure the best grass feed for the next three seasons. She joined the men she was in charge of to prove that she expects just as much work from them as she does from herself. If they chose to slack off, then she would report them and let her boss handle it. Many of the ones she reported disliked her greatly for that and said nasty things about her because of it. Avani just chalked it up to them being lazy and wanting to get paid for that.
Sighing and hefting up the seed bag that was strapped across her chest, she went back to work spreading the grass seed along the path she took. It didn’t really matter as they had just hired more men to replace the ones her father had told to get off the land because of their laziness. They were paid, but still, they seemed to be the only kind of men her father fired.
Avani hadn’t met some of the men, but most seemed ok with a woman working with them. A few men had been placed under different Jr. foremen, while a couple had been placed under her and were working with her today. She just hoped that they didn’t slack off.
Denir had waited a few days after learning where his little orange blossom worked to go and ask for work. He was fortunate to get a position on the ranch where he could watch the comings and goings of all on the farm. He had learned that not only did his blossom work on the farm, she was a low level foreman. She gave the orders. This information just served to anger him more, and fuel the desire for him to teach her a lesson she wouldn’t forget anytime soon.
He still had to find out where she lived on the vast ranch. She didn’t live in the barracks with the ranch hands, nor did she seem to live in the house. He had gone around the house at night peeking into windows and hadn’t seen her anywhere her parents were.
One day, as Denir was assigned to rake hay out of the loft for the animals below. He stopped raking when he heard a woman’s voice in the barn below.
“Ah, it’s time to go home now.” Said the voice, “It’s almost the end of one more day, and I need to start dinner.”
Denir peeked over the side of the loft, and his emotions leaped up like a stoked flame. It was his little orange blossom talking to a hastar. She was untying the reigns of the beast, and placing a foot in the foot hold to mount the animal. He felt desire for her rise as he watched her swing a leg over.
“Patience.” He said watching her leave the barn.
He now knew that she left each day to go home. It had to be near. He would follow her, not tonight though, to find her house.
Yes, things were falling into place…
Denir had watched the barn each evening. Around the same time, his orange blossom would go to the barn, return with her hastar, and head off into the woods. All he had to do was wait till he had a day off, then he would follow her to her house.
Many forays into the woods in the direction she took had ultimately led to him getting lost. It frustrated him that this wasn’t as easy as he first thought. But then, the only thing that kept him going was the impertinence she showed by coming back to the farm to boss people around. And sometime in breaches. That ranked him even more.
But the day came and Denir waited patiently for his orange blossom to come to the barn for the night. He would follow as close as he could so he could find her house. Once he found it, then he could make definite plans.
She came in her usual way, talking to the stupid animal that would carry her back to her home. He hid in the loft of the barn, waiting for his chance to follow. As she exited the barn with her hastar, he waited a while after she had shut it to follow on foot out the main door. He saw her ride into the woods and then followed soon after, keeping a distance behind and to the side in the deep brush of the forest off the path. He had known how to keep his distance, the one thing he had learned over the years.
After following her for some time, Denir, who was marking the way with cloth scraps, saw just how deep into the forest her home was. So perfect it was for him. No one would hear her screams. He was just getting annoyed at the fact that it seemed forever to get to her house, when she entered a copse of woods, nearly disappearing. Denir grumbled and followed her through, not expecting the large monstrosity of a house she had here in the woods.
Hiding in the copse, Denir watched as she placed the hastar she was riding into the barn, and return to unlock the door to the house. As she went in Denir didn’t stay to watch her anymore. He knew where she lived now, it was time to make plans.
Waiting till pay day, Denir went to get his pay first. Nothing wrong with fleecing her father a bit he reasoned. Anyway, his reason for being first was to wait for a couple of men he knew would love an opportunity to teach the b***h a lesson.
He didn’t have to wait long to see the two who had been at the bar complaining about her. He smiled and followed them into town and into the bar. Happy men made good marks.
“What do ya mean 'get even'?" Said one man.
“I mean what I said.” Denir said spreading his hands out and open, “Teach her a lesson about being a woman.”
The two men eyed each other. Denir lifted his eyebrow.
“What ya have planned?”
Denir smiled. These were his kind of men.
It was another quiet, yet cold night. The snows would come soon, though the autumn rains would start before that. She smiled and then went back inside from coming out of the barn. The hastar, sheron, and leklan she kept in there were snug and fed for the night, and it was almost time for a little khehora to go to bed as well.
Avani smiled as she looked in from the side door that led to the barn through a small walk way. Honoka and Nix were playing by the fire.
“Almost time for bed Honoka.” She said taking off her boots and coat by the front door.
“Awww… five more minutes Mama?” Honoka said looking up from Nix who was nudging a small leather ball along waiting for Honoka’s attention.
“Five more, no less.” Avani said smiling.
Honoka smiled and thumped her tail, then went back to Nix.
As Avani turned from the door, something caught her eye through the window. It was something that flashed in the darkness, something that shouldn’t be there. She looked out the window and saw the flash again after a few moments. Avani shut the drapes on all the windows after that.
It was the flash of eyeshine in a hastar.
She knew what it was because she had seen it before. The thing that scared her was that no wild hastars came around her house at night anymore.
“Honoka.” She said as she shut the curtains on her front windows, “Do you remember when we talked about a plan to escape the house in case someone didn’t like us?”
“Yes Mama.” She said as Avani looked over to her two charges. “Me and Nix go to the barn and run to Grandmama and Grandpapa’s house and never stop.”
“Good girl.” Avani said smiling. She heard hastar hooves and shouting, “Go now.”
Honoka stared at her then grabbed Nix up. She went to the door that Avani just came through, and watched them leave. She then turned as someone pounded on the door. Avani set her jaw and went to hold it shut as long as she could while her children escaped.
Honoka and Nix went out to the barn and in through the small door that Avani had made just for them. Honoka shut it and then put Nix down.
“Mama needs help.” Honoka said to the little fea in draconic. Honoka had discovered that Nix knew some draconic words so she spoke out her plan to her in that language. “Go get Cri.”
Along with teaching the fea some words, she taught her who was named what and was surprised the fea knew her name, but never knew mama’s. But the fea knew Cri, so Honoka wasn’t worried about Nix not knowing what she meant.
Nix chirped and chimed disgruntledly.
“No. Go get Cri, she can help Mama, I’ll go help mama more till you get her ok?”
The fea sighed and voiced her compliance.
They went out the special door in the back of the barn and parted ways.
Nix into the forest, and Honoka to the front of the house.
“Well now,” said the man who seemed to be the leader of the three men who had broken into Avani’s house, “you seem to have rather large house here. Is it so you can raise your pigeon all up and into a killer?"
Avani prudently said nothing. The leader smirked.
“Not a talker I see Ms. Autumntree,” Said the leader, “I’d rather hear you scream anyway.”
He nodded to the other men who were holding Avani’s arms, rather tightly in her honest opinion. At the sudden movement of the two men throwing her the ground on her face, she grunted and tried to look up at the leader. He seemed to be smiling as he moved closer, so close Avani could see the caked mud on his boots. He bent down and pulled her head up by the long braid she had. She was forced to look at his face as he smiled and placed his fingers on the side of her check in a caress. Avani gritted her teeth silently daring him to put his fingers closer so she could bite them.
“My sweet little orange blossom,” he said, “You are sorely in need of a lesson in how to be a proper orderite woman.”
He let go of her braid and let her head hit the floor. Avani grunted but didn’t miss his next order.
“Turn her over.”
But she saw movement in the doorway that the men had crashed through. Avani hoped it was her father or one of the farm hands.
Honoka peeked into the house from the broken door. She sniffed the air and smelt bad air.
“Bad smell.” She thought.
She saw two men holding down mama’s arms and one standing above her head. They were not paying attention to the doorway. Honoka smiled bearing her teeth. She pulled on every lesson that Criani had taught her about being sneaky and crawled along the floor up to the worst bad smelling man there was.
Honoka had a plan too.
Nix flew through the woods smelling her way to Criani. The khehora’s scent was alive and fresh since she had just left her mistress’ house.
It wasn’t long till she had caught up the the blue adult and started chirping and chiming in happiness she wasn’t going to have to search for long. The khehora seemed to hear her, for she turned around in question to Nix’s happy chatter.
“Nix?” Criani said sniffing the air, “What’s wrong?”
Nix chattered quickly, having to repeat herself sometimes because she was too excited to slow down.
Criani gave a loud roar in what seemed like anger and took off towards home. Nix smiled and happily followed Criani.
One day, Honoka had been playing in the hay loft of Grandpapa’s barn. She had stopped playing as she heard voices and leaned over to watch two men laughing over another’s misfortune. He had been holding the space between his legs and swerving around trying not to fall. Apparently the man had just been kicked there by a nasty hastar he had been training. That night at dinner she asked at the table what had happened to cause the man such pain.
Her mother had just stared at her in what seemed like shock, while her grandparents had chuckled at the question. It was her grandfather who answered that area was very, very tender for a man and that getting kicked there was rather painful.
While Honoka then dismissed the whole incident, she had never forgotten about it.
So when he saw the very bad smelling mad standing over her mama, Honoka’s smile got bigger as an idea formed.
“Ah, my little orange blossom, you don’t know how long I have dreamed of this moment over the past month.” The man said standing over Avani. Avani just glared into his face. He smiled, “Ah you are angry. Don’t worry, you’ll soon feel different.”
Avani noticed movement in her peripheral vision. She felt fear at who she saw had come to the house.
It happened all at once.
Honoka bit into the man’s privets, the man screamed as if he was being gelded, the two men who had been holding Avani’s arms down jumped to help their leader, but stopped as a roar shook the house, and Criani came flying through the door, breaking windows and the front of her house.
Bedlam broke loose in Avani’s house.
However it was the distraction Avani needed.
“Get out Honoka!” Avani screamed as she tried to get up.
After another large scream from the leader, apparently one last bite from Honoka, the little khehora bolted out of the broken front of the house, followed a chattering Nix.
Criani lashed her tail across the room and hit one of the other men in the stomach, surprising him as he tried to take a blade to the large animal. He went flying across the room and landed with his arm in the fireplace. He screamed, probably as loud as his leader when he was bit, as he pulled out his arm running for the hole in the house. Criani, who had taken the other lackey by one hand and threw him across the back wall, partially breaking it. He didn’t move after that.
In Criani’s other hand, she held the man who Honoka had bit. After regaining her other hand, she lifted him up by his shirt with both hands. The man, who was holding himself and whimpering, blanched as Criani roared rather loudly in his face. Avani saw the fear there. Not a lot, but fear none the less.
Criani then threw him out of the house through the large hole and allowed him to hit the ground like he was a rag doll.
But he quickly recovered and took off running into the forest. Criani was distracted by the decision of going after that man or the one who was burned.
She must have come back to reality for a moment, for she went back inside to Avani who was trying to put out a fire started by one of the lamps that had been knocked over in the fighting and was starting to burn up the curtains of the side windows.
Avani watched as she quickly summoned water, perhaps from the well outside the kitchen door, into the house placing it over all fire she could find, even the one in the fireplace. After replacing the water back outside, Avani watched as she plucked the water off of the wet spots of her house.
“You, are coming with me to your parents.” She stated going to the back wall to gather the knocked out man there. “I do hope Honoka is there.”
Avani smiled and gladly followed Criani out of the damaged house.
Avani met her father, as well as a whole host of ranch hands following him, on her way out of the forest. Criani, foregoing her shyness around two-leggers tossed the lackey into a tree and said that she would now go after the other two since Avani was safe. She suggested that some of the men go to guard Avani’s house overnight since there was a rather large hole in the front. She also said the others were welcomed to follow her, but reminded them she followed no two-legger laws about taking prisoners.
After Criani took her leave with the ranch hands, Avani’s father hoisted her onto his hastar, and she leaned into his back as they took off for home.
The trial of and the two men who had broken into Avani’s house was the sensation of the year in the little village near her home.
It got juicier as the guardians showed up looking for the man. He was wanted for two murders, one, not only a guardian herself, but the daughter of one Aevah Avi’s personal guards. Word was among them that the leader was out for blood on this case. After being found guilty in Avani’s village, he was carted off to the Ashen City for justice there.
A personal letter to Avani, she received a few months later from Aevah Avi herself, assured her that Denir Wildfield, found guilty and on a plea from the father of the dead girl, was now a permanent resident of the heaviest guarded cells in the Citadel.
Avani just threw the letter into the flames of the fire in her parent’s house, having put the whole thing behind her.
In fact, Avani had moved on from the very next day after the whole episode.
She had found it strange that day when she woke up and put on some of her mother’s clothes, that the ranch seemed oddly quiet. Only the noises of animals drifted to the front porch. Even her mother wasn’t around, having left breakfast for her in the oven.
Honoka, who had ran like the wind to her parent’s house after biting the “bad smelling man” and alerting the ranch to the problem, had been spoiled beyond rotten by both grandmother and grandfather. Nix also got spoiled as much as well for her part in getting Criani. She stood by Avani looking up at her, Nix riding on the youngling’s head.
“Well, let’s go see the damage.” She said smiling down at Honoka.
As they walked through the forest to their house, she heard voices coming from there, lots of voices. Avani was curious, but cautious after her recent encounter.
As she walked into the clearing, she saw all of her father’s ranch hands, her mother and father, and Criani milling about the yard. Her mother was serving food to the men, currently handing Criani a plate of food laden much like Avnai’s breakfast had been. The khehora, who was lying down near her mother, took it with a smile and happy crow of delight, picking off the plate with as pretty manners as a noble orderite. All of this support shown to her in front of her damaged house, a canvas covering the gaping hole in front where the door and windows had been.
It seemed her mother enjoyed the fact a full grown khehora would like her cooking as much as Honoka. But before she could stop her, Honoka rushed up to her grandmother to beg some treats, thus announcing Avani’s presence.
The conversations of the ranch hands who were gathered together near a workbench. They turned and stood silent as they saw Avani walk forward. All of them nodded to her, some pulling on their caps or forelocks. They had been the ones from the city she knew of course, she knew all the men except the newer ones. However, she did know city customs, and that custom she knew was a show of respect, though was spared for no one but their betters or important women. No one before had ever done that for her.
She saw a figure bending over the bench and looking at papers there. Avani smiled as she recognized Shenra’s person, also the habit she had of being so absorbed in something she didn’t notice her surroundings and the goings on of others. Avani could only guess that those were the plans of her house… her now damaged house.
Nodding with a smile to the ranch hands, Avani made her way to where her family stood, Honoka trying to sneak another sweet roll.
“Hello dear!” her mother said swatting Honoka’s hand away, however Honoka ran off with a sweet roll anyway, “Would you like more breakfast?”
“Ish good!” Criani said with her full mouth and an empty plate in her hand, which she presented to Avani’s mother for more.
Avani smiled at her friend and then looked back to her mother who was joined by her father. They both smiled at her, and Avani approached them with building emotions.
“Ah Avani girl.” Her father said placing a hand on her head, “We all care ya know. I told the ones who wished to go because of any dislike they felt towards you to go, and only a few left.” He smiled down at her and said, “No worry about chores now, we are planning how to rebuild. Shenra has looked over the place and said it can be managed. We might have to pull out some of the upper floor, but it can be saved.”
“The wood will be free!” spoke up someone from near Shenra. Avani looked and saw the owner of the lumber mill, a rotund man with a balding head and a mustache move forward and speak up. “The windows will be discounted, I talked to Mr. Mr. Hodol said that while it’s too expensive to give for free, he will reduce the price by more than half.” The mill owner stroked the ends of his mustache smiling, “Can’t help being in trouble dearie.” He frowned a bit then smiled saying, “Though it’s a trouble to get the goods here, I’ll do it free of charge as well.”
“I con help weth hat.” Said Criani’s voice. She had just finished her second plate. She swallowed and said, “Just drop it off at the farm and I’ll fly it all here.”
The mill owner looked a litter nervous, but nodded. Avani smiled, it seems Criani had allowed these people to see that at least she was a khehora to be trusted.
She turned back to her father and hugged him burring herself into his fresh smelling shirt. She cried a bit at all the love from friends she never even knew she had. She felt her father stroke her hair and comfort her, and felt her mother touch her shoulder.
“Oh!” Avani heard Shenra’s voice say, “You’re here! Good! Here are the plans Avani let’s go over a few things I’ve added.”
Avani laughed. Her friend was so oblivious at times. Shenra’s announcement helped her to stop crying, and all negative emotion flee from her heart, and she wiped her face on her father’s offered sleeve smiling.
“Let’s get to work!” Avani said smiling at her friends.
A cheer went up from those gathered, a roar from Criani and Honoka, and chattering from Nix as she flapped up to Avani’s shoulder. Avani smiled. At least she never, ever, had to doubt who her true friends were.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Date Posted: March 2nd, 2015 Words: 4,959
Apple Blossom19
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Apple Blossom19
Eloquent Exhibitionist
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Posted: Wed Oct 15, 2014 11:28 pm
~AnAvaniAdventure!~ ~Shop Till You Drop!~ ~A Solo RP~
It had been a busy winter so far.
Avani had lessons in wool, a house to renovate, and built a glasshouse.
She was also sick and tired of being on the farm.
So she when she went over to the main ranch, she told her parents she was going to the Ashen City for a vacation. Just a few nights away, but she needed to get away. Her mother understood, her father just lifted an eyebrow and mumbled about “extra chores”.
She kissed her father on the head knowing she would be allowed to go. He brushed her off and sipped the rest of his coffee.
“Be safe.” He said, worry in his eyes.
Avani smiled knowing what he meant. “I will papa. I’ll have Honoka and Nix with me.”
And so she set off on her hastar to the big city, Honoka perched on the back of the large animal, Nix on her head.
Avani, having taken all her extra money with her, stayed at the inn she used when she dropped off the fall harvest. It was within walking distance of the major shopping district and good pubs for food. The businesses knew her and allowed Honoka and Nix in because they were well behaved, sometimes getting treats from the owner themselves.
But on this trip, Avani mostly wandered up and down the streets looking at all the shops she hadn’t had time to explore before when she brought goods to sell. She kept her charges close, yet allowed her mind to wander from time to time about the fashion in the city. She didn’t like the dresses here, they seemed too formal, too stifling. So she was happy when she found a two story bookshop spouting that it sold spell books plus more. Avani wondered if the shop sold other books aside from spell books too. However, the chance to see a book store in the Ashen City was not one she would miss out on.
This interested her greatly, as she wondered if there were more spells out there to help her on the farm.
As she entered the shop she breathed in the smell of books, old and new. It was a quiet place, as places with books tended to be. There, of course, was the odd shuffle and movement of people taking books out to read the covers and putting books away. Avani had always liked bookstores… she never knew why.
Seeing that the clerk was busy, she whispered to Honoka and Nix to stay right by her side. They nodded and followed her around, sitting whenever Avani stopped to look at a particular book.
She never dreamed that there could be so many books in one place. It wasn’t a huge shop, but bigger than the village bookstore at home.
She moved along the isles and a few tomes caught her eyes. They were alarm spells, designed to warn people of intruders. This was a must buy after the nasty experience a few months ago. She also saw a tome for vines that could trap people. This could work too! She also saw some tomes on household helpers, a levitation spell, a tome for an extra pair of hands, and even a candle and flame tome. No more need for lamps or candles! Also she could send off heat runes with Honoka and Criani when they trained in the winter or cold areas! She saw a tome for shields. She could use this to protect her house in violent storms…
Thinking of her friend and little one, she wondered if there were more specific tomes for their magic as well.
She looked over in the section set up for the two different elements that the khehoras had, and saw that it offered just two spells each, but worth it. Criani had been taking lessons from Avani on how to read and write in Magescian, and Honoka was coming along well in hers. So why not just get them each a set of books?
There were other books there as well, some on new farming methods, but Avani skipped over those since the village bookstore sold a lot of those, and she could get them anytime she wished. However, there were books about other plants from around the world, even a few about Soudulian plants! She took a few of these as well since she might want to dabble in herbs or plants from another land.
When she was done finding the books she wanted, Avani went to the counter with the books she had picked. The clerk stared at her when she placed them before him. Avani just smiled and said it would be fine. She had come into an unexpected boon last harvest, so she was going to indulge herself.
She paid for the books, and felt her purse get significantly lighter. But she still had enough to stay for the rest of her vacation in the big city. As she left the store with the stack of books, she happily, if not slowly, made her way back to her room at the in. She would ask later that night if the owner had a sack she could carry the books home in.
As Avani toppled the books onto the bed in her room at the inn, Avani sorted out the books between those for Honoka and Criani, and herself. She then took the books she had bought for Honoka and went over to where the khehora and fea were laying down resting.
“Here you go Honoka!” she said happily giving her child the two books, “I bought two for you to read.”
Honoka perked up, and then sat up, taking both of them from her in one clawed hand. She placed them on the ground and then lay back on the floor studying the titles.
“Eath-Eatheir Similasseh," Honoka read, “Trembling Soil.” She looked at the next book and said, “Gaithri Erri-Erritae: Dust Storm.” Honoka looked up and said, “What is it?”
“They are spells to help you in battle.” Avani said smiling, “If you can master them, they will be very helpful someday.” She rubbed Honoka’s head and said, “But you have to work hard at your reading lessons so you can read the book to know how to cast them.” She smiled a bit and said, “You might have to be a little bit older to fully master them, but it’s good to have them now than later.”
“I’ll practice my reading with the books! That way I can just read them now anyway.” Honoka said smiling and wiggling her tail in happiness.
Avani smiled at her little one and gave her head a good pat. She loved her little Khehora so much, and was amused that the little one was trying so hard to grow up.
A few days after she returned home from the city, Avani placed the books she was going to give Criani in her parent’s kitchen so she would be able to remember to give her the gifts when she came by for Honoka. Her house was still being worked on, so she was staying with her parents till it was fixed. Criani came early in the morning to get Honoka, so Avani would have to wait till she brought her back in the evening to give her the present.
Avani was giddy with excitement, and was distracted all day with how pleased she knew her friend would be.
As the sun set, Avani went home for the night, she found that Criani was waiting with the little one to give an account for the day in Honoka’s schooling of how to be a khehora. After she had gotten the report, Avani told her friend to wait there, and rushed in the back door to get the books. She was glad when she saw the two books sitting where she had left them, and gathered them up quickly to give to her friend.
“Here you go Criani!” Avani smiled and handed her the books, “I got some books for you when I was in the city.”
“I got some too!” Honoka happily told anyone, “Mama said I had to wait to learn them since they are pretty hard for a youngling.”
Criani smiled at the young one and said, “True, but your magic gets stronger every day.” She turned to her friend and said, “Thank you. I will treasure these. I will also use them to study my reading and writing in Magescian, and when I get good enough in that, I will be honored to use these spells.”
Setting the books down to hug Avani, she nuzzled Honoka before picking them up and taking off into the air
Avani smiled as she watched her friend fly away, and after she could not see her anymore, she ushered Honoka into the house for dinner. Smiling to herself, she was happy that her gifts pleased her friend as well as her child. She hoped the spells could help them both when they needed it.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Date Posted: March 8th, 2014 Words: 1,508
