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Avani was eyeing the Hastar, who was in turn, eyeing her back.

Although in a pen and docile at least to her father, the hastar would not stay put as Avani tried to place it's harnesses and bridal on it. Her father and several of the farm hands were around the fence watching, some with serious faces and others hiding smiles (her father being one latter of course), watching her trying to get this hastar to cooperate.

The hastar snorted, and Avani inched closer. The hastar looked her in the eye, and Avani could swear he could read her thoughts, but she inched closer still, hoping the hastar wouldn't guess what she was trying to do.

Avani's tounge poked between her lips as she contimplated going in closer, and as she reached the hastar, and was in range to put the harnes on it, the hastar made a grunt, and trotted over to the other side to the pen.

Avani dropped the gear she had in her hand as laughter roared from the pen's fence, the workhands that were watching, amused at her spectacular failure. She glared at the discarded gear and was contemplating kicking it when her father's shadow came up to her own. She looked up at him and he looked at her with a kind smile.

"No worries Avani girl." he said putting an arm around her, "It's just your first try with a live one." Avani had been practicing placing the harnesses on the wooden hastar that her father had made for her. Avani's father gave her an one armed hug and said, "You just need to get used to the live ones a bit more."

He picked up part of the gear, Avani following with the rest to the barn to put it up. After they had stored the gear, they walked back to the house for lunch, stopping to look at her garden in the front of the building to look it over.

Avani and her father turned to look at the person who greeted them. Avani smiled as she recognized the Orderite Kadryn who had helped with the borgnah problem.

"Hello!" Avani said running up to her smiling, "It's been a while!"

Avani's papa soon joined his daughter and smiled too saying, "Well now," He stuck his hand out in greeting to the young, blue haired woman, "Kadryn I seem to remember the name was? There isn't any trouble around here is there? I haven't heard of anything."

Avani cringed a little remembering the borgnah, "As long as it's not another borgnah..." She then looked to Kadryn, "Is there anything we can do to help you with?" She looked to the house and then back, "We were about to go in to lunch, would you like something to eat or drink?"

Avani wanted to be a good host, and hoped that it was good idea to offer food or something to a traveler.

Avani felt hot at the mention of Kadryn wanting her help! Suddenly, she felt really shy.

Avani's father saw his daughter's face go as red as her hair and smiled. The child was growing in her knowledge, this would help her along in her path to be a farmer.

"It will be dependin on where you plan to plant this garden" Talmei said as he placed an arm around his daughter's shoulders, "Most of the things here can grow all over Magesc, cept in Aisko... Too cold for plants!" He chuckled for a moment at that, then said, "We'll talk about it inside then, and Avani can go gather what you need."

Avani nodded shyly, but looked up and said, "I'll do my best to help you!" She smiled then and said, "It's the least I can do, the least my family can, after your help." Avani nodded and said, "Our herd has grown since then, and it was in part thanks to you!"

"Yes, it's possible to grow a tree already planted." Avani's father said leading Kadryn into his study. Avani grabbed her usual spot on the foot stool by the big chair her father used. Though it was a tad smaller now that she was older... Talmei smiled at her as she sat down. That girl was getting too big for the house! He chuckled a bit at that and indicated the other comfy chair so Kadryn could sit too, "We can probably get an apple one from Shenra, she usually lets Avani run that orchard of hers. We can get peaches too if you want from our other neighbors, and to round it off with some variety, some walnuts or almonds."

Avani nodded enthusiastically. Many things grew on trees, not just fruit! She then said, "I can bring some strawberries seeds, and some tomatoes, and cucumbers..." She lifted up a hand and ticked off the names on her fingers, "And winter vegetables; Cauliflower, beets, radishes, turnips..." She then made a face... "Broccoli..."

Talmei laughed, "Nice to see you are willing to spread the seeds of broccoli."

"Not willingly..." Avani made another face. Then she looked at Kadryn, "Pretty straight forward on caring for them, just need to know when to harvest them really."

"Cept the trees..." Talmei rubbed his chin, "They have to be planted soon, or you have to wait till fall." He got up and went to a shelf of books. He selected and opened one of them and read a little, then said, "By the time ya get back to Ayr it would be a prime time to plant them."

He set that book down and then went to get another, looked in it and said, "Seems you came at the right time of year or you would have nothing but winter vegetables!"

He set that one down and turned to Kadryn, "We'll send you along with everything, a lot of fertilizer as well to make sure the transition is smooth for the living plants." He smiled slyly and said, "Might wanna think about getting a sheron, if not for the milk, then for the nice, er, 'fertilizer'."

Avani just rolled her eyes at her father's lame attempt at keeping from saying a dirty word in front of her. They both knew her mother was keeping an ear out to make sure he wasn't being rude in front of a guest.

Her father laughed and said, "If not, Hastar, er, stuff, works just as well!"

Avani's ears perked up when she heard that Kadryn wanted her to go with her back to Ayr. She remembered her last, secret, trip there, and though she knew it was to work on Kadryn's garden, she would love to visit the place on a new adventure!

Talmei thought about it for a moment. Having his daughter gone for that amount of time wouldn't be that hard on him and Maiika since half of Avani's chores could be handled by a ranch hand and the other could be done by Maiika herself.

But what of her training? What better way to get some practice in by starting a garden for Kadryn?

Talmei nodded and said, "Well Avani girl, you'll be doing the job, come and choose your payment."

Avani smiled and jumped up and came to the table where Kadryn had placed the bag of, "orbs" she called them? She looked down and peeked at the treasure and she stood amazed at the dragon orbs she saw there. She had seen in some in a book once that talked about dragons.

"Dragon orbs!" she exclaimed.

"That's right," her father said, "Haven't seen so much since I was about your age when someone bought some food off of my father." he smiled, "Thought you should see some for yourself." He placed a hand on her back and brought her closer to the table and said, "Choose two little one, that should be enough."

Avani eyed the different orbs, and saw one that caught her eye. A black one. She reached for it, and studied it before placing it near her on the table. She then chose a green one, reminding her of the green that she helps nurture from the earth.

She then smiled at Kadryn and said, "May I have these?"

"When you are done with that, go to Shenra's and see about those saplings!" Talmei called after his daughter as she ran up to her room. He smiled back at Kadryn knowing that she knew how fun it was to grow up and have more responsibilities. He then went to the bookshelf and said to Kadryn, "You go and visit your family for a week, and we will have it all squared away." He began pulling off books that Avani would need, "I have an idea of what you will need, but Avani will be there to build it for you and guide you, so I'll be sending books along with her as well. And don't worry about a wagon, we got one you can borrow. Avani can drive it, she just needs help harnessing the hastars." He chuckled at that, "Still hasn't gotten the knack of that yet..."

He turned with the last of the books Avani would need and said, "She will have to keep practicing that while she's there if you don't mind... I'm sending the most docile of the ones we have so she'll be safe with them... Been around those two since birth."

He sighed with the realization his daughter would be going on her first real trip away from home. Soon she would be working the farm like a real farmer... He smiled at that and then said turning to Kadryn, "Don't worry about a thing, Avani knows what she is doing."

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Avani ran up to her room and stashed her treasures into her secret space behind her bookshelf. Only Papa knew the place was there so she knew it was safe.

She then ran out through the kitchen (stopping only to steal a sweet biscuit from the tray her mother had just baked) and out to Shenra's house to ask her permission. She supposed she would stop by the other houses to ask for a few other saplings as well.

She couldn't wait, her first real trip from home!

Avani worked hard that day, running to and from house around the area. She bartered and traded with those who were a tad reluctant to let go of some seed or sapling. But by twilight, making her way home from Shenra's house, (a well known path, one she could traverse easily any time of day), she made it home with the slips of paper that her neighbors had given her as promises to collect the following week with a wagon after things had been readied.

She showed her father who approved of her trading methods and would allow some of the family stores to be traded.

The next few days she got things ready and in the wagon loaded for transport. She also packed her things, and consoled a sulking Nix who had wanted to go.

Such was life, but by the last night she was ready to go, along with the goods she would give to Kadryn.

She fell asleep, unaware of the sneaky little fae who slinked out the back door late at night and into a loaded wagon.



At the end of the week, the day of departure arrived. Avani's mother filled her daughter's backsack with sandwiches and jugs of sheron milk and water. She also filled it with snacks of sweet cakes and small biscuits. Avani, eating breakfast smiled and giggled silently at her mother's fussing. She wondered if she would be like that to her own child one day...

Avani shook her head and ate the hearty breakfast her mother had made. She was rather worried at the moment because she couldn't find Nix anywhere... not even the barn.

Nix was the least of her problems at the moment, for she had to get her one lone, small trunk down to the wagon. It was the last of what was to be loaded, and filled with her personal belongings that she would need.

Her father's books, her journal, clothes and 3 taming jewels if she needed them... Just in case!

It would be the longest she would be away from home, her last trip to Ayr a few days, this time 3 weeks. Her father was hitching up the hastars and pulling the wagon to the post outside the house.

Avani smiled and could help but feel excited about the upcoming journey!

Avani loved to travel, and having a new companion along was a refreshing change. She listened and made notes on what plants were medicinal and other things that Kadryn would show her. She was very happy to have packed some notebooks along as well.

Well into their trip, one day Avani yawned around mid day and reached back into the wagon for her pack and the snacks her mother had packed. As she did, she felt something moving inside. She frowned and then looked back into the wagon and at her pack. She saw a familiar face peek out of her bag and smile as much as it could.

"Nix!" she let go of the pack and watched as the little fea pop out of the bag and rush at Avani, jumping up and wrapping herself onto Avani's shoulder.

"You silly little fea!" Avani said rubbing Nix's head "You should be at home!"

Nix chirped and chimed, rubbing her head against her mistress' hand. If there was going to be an adventure, she sure wasn't gonna be left out. Nix then noticed a new person sitting next to Avani, and went over to sniff her.

Oh the smells on this person! Nix enjoyed most of the smells and so she scampered down Avani't arm and went over to lick the person's hand. She then purred and nuzzled the person's arm, trying not to hamper their driving. Nix knew that Avani didn't like nuzzles when she was driving...

Avani smiled and pulled Nix away from Kadryn and sort of smiled saying, "Sorry bout that, she's a little affectionate... She shouldn't even be here the silly little fea!"

Avani made a noise of frustration as she looked down at Nix, and all Nix did was chirp and nuzzle Avani's face. Nix, the little devil, knew that she could get away with a lot cause Avani loved her despite her actions.