1 Month Before Kadras Ascension
Two Months Before New Voidling Incursions
Rural Western Duchey, Kingdom of Mankind
Landar
I heard the twigs snapping almost lazily as my prey moved towards the clear adow I had been watching for the last two hours. Watching and waiting. The cold of early winter was biting against my skin in a familiar way that clouded my mind with dark mories. I took deep, slow breaths to shake them, and refocused on the hunt.
This will finish topping our at stores off, so I wont have to go back out once the snow gets here. I shook the thought away, I had to focus. I had been on my way back to the Farmstead from town, having completed another shipnt of reinforced nails for the blacksmith when I had heard the mating call. It was late in the season for a bull to be in rut, but it wasnt entirely unheard of.
First I heard the scraping of tal infused antlers on stone tree bark. That had been the first sign the Farr had taught to look for, or rather listen for. Then, I heard the heavy breathing, and frustrating chuffing. That had been the second clue. And if the noise was anything to go by, it was going to be a major haul. The buck must have been massive to make so much ruckus all on his own.
That made look for the closest blue grass adow, a Copper Tip Deers favorite food source. Once I found it, all I had to do was wait.
My bow was strung, my hand crafted arrow loose in its draw and the arrowhead glead with its mana hardened obsidian black tip. That had been the first real gift I had given back to the Farr and his family after they had rescued that winter all those years ago. The stronger, more easily maintained hunting arrowheads. Sothing they would never have been able to afford on their own, and I was able to provide it to them. Making the Farr and his sons hunting trips that much easier that winter.
The mory made smile a little. The pride I had felt at giving back in a real, tangible way, was still there. Healthy as ever. Sure, there were darker mories behind it. But that one? Being rescued by the farr and his wife and children? That had been a good one.
Walking out of the city while it was still on fire like I was a zombie, my shoes were quickly eaten up by the road. My bare feet were cut to pieces by the cold, nearly frozen stones at first. Why I didnt stop and fashion new ones, I wasnt sure. I still didnt rember everything that happened, or exactly how I got out. But I had been on the main road south, with cut up bloody feet as the first snows fell.
And they kept falling.
Winter ca exceptionally early that year, and I was hardly the only one fleeing south. Fleeing the violence the city had degenerated into.
Enough, I told myself, shaking my head in frustration. The past is behind you. Leave it there, until you can do sothing about it.
That had been the mantra gifted to by the farr's wife, Wilma. She was a kind hearted woman, hard working, and tough as cold stone when she had to be. But she was warm as a good fire after a long winter trek on the road most other tis.
Her husband, Fradel, a weird na if anyone ever heard one, preferred to simply be known as The Farr most days. His mother had been a drunk and a whore, according to town rumors and she had ant to say Fred when he was born but slurred the words so badly the gray priest who had helped with the birth wrote it down wrong.
But the man had built himself a ho, scraped together a barely producing farm out of rocky land no one else wanted, and then convinced Wilmas father to let her marry him.
The two had a truly intimidating number of children at twelve. And those were just the ones that had survived so far. There had been others, lots of others, according to gossip in town. Life out here in the middle of no where, far from any large city and off the main road ways was dangerous and difficult. To say the least.
They lived modest lives, if by modest you ant third world levels of poverty and food insecurity. But they were all of them, hard workers. Most of the children were old enough to help out around the farm, and so the house, which had been a small one bedroom, kitchen, and storeroom smaller than my family's old apartnt back in the capital had been, had grown over ti.
Now, it had seven rooms. Most with two or three kids to a room. With the oldest children having their own small cabins on the rather large farmstead. The land was piss poor for farming dostic crops. But it was rich in wild berries, ga, and other sources of food. Making hunting and gathering far more reliable then planting and harvesting. Sothing the entire family, including myself for the last several years, was constantly at work doing.
Roots, berries, hares, and a type of pheasant like bird that was as stupid as Quail in mating season but faster on the ground then it was in the air were common stock. Which was saying sothing. It was far more effective to lay traps, then to actively hunt most days.
But the farr kept working. Kept tilling his crappy fields, and removing boulders and stones from them each and every year. The ager crop they gathered in was always more work than it was worth in my estimation.
Gets easier every year, the old man insisted. But I wasnt so sure. It was back breaking work. I was sure the man had cut his own life span in half from just how much he . . .
The buck stord out of the underbrush and into the center of the adow. Hot breath stread from his nostrils as he angrily took in the scene. He was breathing heavily, and still clearly under the affects of his yearly musk.
Well, hes not as big as I thought. But, hell do.
I pulled the draw string as quietly as I could and waited through the bush. I gave myself a few seconds, breathing steadily to slow my heart rate, and steady my hands. I activated my ntal journal, and confird just what I was looking at.
Copper Tipped Deer
Male
Apx. Weight: 295lbs
8 point antlers
Potential uses: at - Food. Sinew - Draw strings. Antlers - Knives and other basic tools. Bones - Glue and other forms of adhesive.
My ntal Journal ability had expanded dramatically over the last few years as I improved on the enchantnt. Now, it acted more like a wiki. I still hadnt figured out a way to make it automatically pull up information, which ant I had to search for it in the ntal constructs database. But, that database was growing every day.
As the bucks copper tipped antlers dipped down so he could begin eating the tall greenish blue grass I released the black tipped arrow.
The arrow sunk deep into its chest just behind the leg joint. It let out a soft huffing noise, and then quickly collapsed.
I rushed forward, pulling my ax from the loop at my hip and bringing up its sharp edge. Before the creature could begin thrashing in panic I brought the blade down and severed its spinal cord. The body went limp.
Thank you buddy. Youre going to feed the family who helped on the worst day of my life. I put the ax away, and pulled my carving knife, and then went to work field dressing the animal.
***
It didnt take long to clean the deer and prepare it for transport back ho. I held the valuable organs, like the liver and the creature's heart in a bag made from its own leather. That would keep them clean while I finished the hike, until we could properly cure and either pickle them, or prepare them for dinner that night.
I hope we have it for dinner. Itd be nice to celebrate a little.
The rest of the deer I left on its bones, simply removing its innards so it could start rotting. The carcass fit well across my shoulders, though it was a difficult hike holding such a heavy beast and going uphill.
Over the last five years I had grown. A lot. I was still a skinny fellow, but my shoulders were broad, and I could tell I was going to have my fathers fra, but my mothers features. My hair had gone from brown, to an almost blond color, lightening to match more closely with hers.
Terror, tear streaks down her face, screaming for to run.
Images of that night flashed in my mind and I had to shake myself to clear it. Gotta get ho.
***
A light dusting of snow began to fall. Not the hard snow that would stick to the ground. That wouldnt co for at least another week or so. But enough to create a sheen of white everywhere I looked. In an hour or so itd be gone. But for now it stayed.
Nature's warning that winters coming, I thought with a smile. Rembering my Earthly grandpas favorite quip whenever this ti of year ca around.
Descending the hill into the small valley that contained the farmstead, I could see the main house, and the winterized fields from where I was. The sight gave renewed strength as I shifted the weight of the kill on my shoulders, and drudged on.
When I finally made the main adow that ran the length of the small, sheltered valley and contained all the rocky tilled plots, I heard soone ring a bell.
Thats probably Marsha, I thought with a smile. Marsha was the Farrs eldest daughter. She was a mother herself now. Two children, with a husband who was a pretty good livestock handler, and a better hunter than farr. Marsha had inherited her fathers size, and her mothers gregarious personality and good looks.
As I marched across the fields the main house erupted in a flurry of activity. Children ran out to et , so turning back when they saw the snow, others when they heard their mothers harsh words of warning. Two n, those who had married into the large family, stood outside, spears and bows at hand, just in case I turned out to be soone other than Marsha, or whoever the bell ringer turned out to be, thought I was.
The Farr joined them, a massive boar spear held in one hand like it was little more than a twig. The man was almost the sa size as Tomas, but instead of muscular, he had a tall, broad shouldered, with a lean and wiry fra. I suspected he had sotis didnt eat to ensure his kids could.
That was sothing we had changed over the last few years. Regular als. For everyone. Even if it was mushroom soup, and wafer thin crackers.
As soon as I had joined in the hunting, gathering, and other work, the family food supply had stabilized. With the two marriages over the last five years, and with more of the younger kids growing old enough to help hunt for roots, berries, and fruit in the woods, things had only gotten better.
Now, everyone ate.
And the man had filled out a little during that ti, but I suspected he was also naturally built that way.
Hail the house! I yelled when I finally got within earshot. I removed my face cover, which had been keeping the biting cold out of my eyes and nose, so they could get a good look at .
Landar, is that you? The farr demanded.
Yes sir! Sorry I'm late, but I brought dinner!
***
The Farr and his two son-in-laws rushed out to help bring in the kill. They imdiately took the massive deer to the shop in the back of the house, and began dressing the animal far more skillfully then I had after the kill.
Theyd use every part of the animal, not just the at. Sinew would go towards making string for specialty equipnt like new bows for the growing kids, or to be used as leather binding for cloths, or any other of a thousand uses it could be used for.
The bones would be broken, and the marrow extracted. Every calorie would be taken from the kill, and as much of it as could be would be saved for deep winter. The at would be turned into jerky or salted stakes, what organs could be preserved would be pickled in glass jars vacuum sealed with wax under boiling water.
Even the creature's hooves would be quickly taken off, and used to mix into glue for the thousands of little woodworking projects the farmstead saw every year.
I took a short break, ward my hands and feet by the fire, and gave the liver and kidneys id harvested too Marsha who was in charge of cooking that night. Then, as the little kids began working themselves into a frothing horde demanding the story of the hunt, and news from town, I disappeared and joined the other n in the shed as they worked.
When I got there they were boiling the canned at, the last step in the process.
Good kill Landar, the Farr said. You did well boy.
Thanks.
Yeah not bad, John said, he was Gwen's husband. Broad shouldered and strong, but much shorter than the rest of us there. Though that wasnt an entirely fair description, he was average height after all.
Right through the lounges and cracked the spine. A very clean kill. Im surprised you had to use your ax. Gregory, Marthas husband said. He was older than John, but not by much. Mirroring the sisters own relationship.
Why dont you two lads go inside and help finish setting up for dinner. and Landar can watch the water boil, and clean up. The Farr said, and his two son in laws agreed and went inside to help their families with dinner duty. So, where did you find him?
About the midway point between town and ho.
And your legs arent shaking. Even a little. He gave a scrutinizing gaze. I knew you were a strong lad, but that? Thats beyond normal. I opened my mouth to say so explanation but he shook his head. It dont bother none Landar. Just dont piss into the wind and tell it's raining. You were what, eleven winters when we picked you up? Your feet all bloody and your body nearly as blue as the ice you was bleeding on. Even then you were strong as an ox. And youve only gotten stronger since.
He shook his head, clearly annoyed by the topic, and took the pot with the six jars in it off the small fire. Look. Whatever trouble you got into back in Vlane, youre kin now. You understand? Kin lad. That ans you can tell anything short of murdering my own blood, and I'd have your back. But if I were to ever take you back there, Id need to know I wasnt putting my blood at risk. Understood?
My blood ran cold. Return to Vlane? After five years? The capital of the western duchy was a place filled with haunting mories. And a burning desire for revenge that even now, I felt calling .
Out here in the middle of nowhere, I felt content. It was peaceful despite all the hardship and toil. Magic wasnt a major part of life, and what little there was of it either ca from the local Dwarven smiths the town traded with for ore occasionally, or the Grey Priesthood.
And Father Earl was a good man who didnt ask any questions of no one. He knew enough to not spread around a confession like gossip, or to speculate on things best left to the Gods eyes and ears. At least, that's what the Farr and Wilma said whenever he was brought up.
I had avoided the man as much as possible. Pretty much the entire five years I lived here. The only ti I had said so much as a full sentence to him was when I first arrived, and the man had treated and healed my feet with a simple spell.
Even that much magic seed to exhaust him.
I shook myself. I was trying to avoid what Farr had just said.
Im sorry sir. Did you say return to Vlane? Why? We have everything here, dont we?
Boy, do you know why I was in Vlane in the first place? Gods know I hate that place. Stinks of desperation and rot.
I thought about it, and realized I didnt know. I shook my head.
I was dropping off our towns tithe and taxes. Father Earl is too old to be making the trip yearly. So, every year one of us towns folk get sattled with the duty. Taxes to the Duke, and Tithes to the Grey so we can keep Earl around. This year, well be asking for an apprentice to co back with us, so Earl can start training the next one. Hes thinking he might not have long left. And im the only one with a wagon large enough for the tithes, taxes, my fat ass, and a couple of passengers.
What about the Crawlers? Dont they have that covered wagon?
Farr nodded. Aye they did. Was a good sturdy thing too. But they got hold up by so bastard highwayn a few months ago. Lost the wagon, but thankfully the horses showed back up on their farm a few days later. Half starved, but alive. They rebuilt, and have a wagon again. But it aint nearly as large as mine. And the Teetles lost their father last winter, so they cant take it. Theyre too busy just trying to keep things running. And there ain't no one else in town, save Lord Desmond, that old half crazy coot, who has horses strong enough, and a wagon large enough. So . . . im going.
When? I asked, realizing hed need to leave in the next few days if he was going to make it back before the deepest snows.
Tomorrow. If this storm lets up. If it turns into a blizzard, then first week of spring. It's a few days to Vlane, and a few days back and I cant be doing that in deep snow.
I take it you want to go with you? he nodded as he finished putting the last jar away in the pantry. Because John and Gregory have wives, and I dont have anyone to care for other then myself. Just in case, im expendable.
I wasnt angry at the idea. It was practical and honestly, morally right in my view.
There's so sad sense in that, true. Hell, I'm in the sa wagon. Im just an old man who cant work nearly as hard as he once could. But theres more to it. Youre also nearly a man grown, Landar. It's ti we start introducing you to people. See about, well, see about finding you a woman so you can start your own family.
I must have looked shocked, and the edges of his mouth crept up into what for him was a wicked smile. I once thought itd be Martha, but she was too old for you anyway. And then for a minute or two there, Wilma and I thought Gwen might make a good match. But, shes not as inquisitive as you are. Always tinkering with things, and people. Trying to make them better. No . . . you need soone who can handle your . . . Well, to be blunt lad, soone who can handle you. Without either breaking your spirit, or being broken by it.
Right . . . can I think on it tonight?
Yes lad. Give it a took think, and well talk in the morning while I prepare the horses. Tonight, eat, have a good ti. Visit with the family, and get to bed early. First day of winter, or on our trip to Vlane, well need our rest for tomorrow.
He left in the workshop, and for a few minutes I stood there considering his words. Finally, I made up my mind and headed to the one place on the Farmstead that was truly mine. A place I'd had made for nearly four years ago.
I entered the light winter storm, and headed towards my forge.
The Copper Tipped Antlers, all eight points worth of them, in my hands.
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