by Vance Huxley
* * *
During the other twenty days each moon, back in the Village, Billi spent most of his time hunting, fishing, and taking parties of villagers for wood. He found himself busier than ever before, and despite being away in the valley a third of the time had to trade more meat than ever just to keep room in the store. Billi sometimes went on a three- or four-day trip even when not visiting the valley because the constant heavy exercise made him even stronger, or his leg and back at least. Billi already had very strong arms and shoulders from the wheelchair and then crutches, but the continual travelling with a pack now built the rest of him up to match. Villagers commented on Rabbit putting on weight because Rabbit also built solid muscle, helped by the constant exercise and plentiful fresh meat. As a result, even their two day trips went further than before. Both were now revelling in travelling further than anyone else, being the first man and Hound to see a glade, a stream or a gnarled, ancient tree.
Twice their wider travels revealed fallen Forest giants, great trees that had died or finally been pulled down by storms and the vines and creepers choking them. New big timbers were rare now since any big trees that had fallen within a day’s travel of the Village had been brought in long ago, and new falls were rare. Billi’s trees were expensive but worth the extra cost of three Hunters as guards, especially since both were true giants. Three Hunters because such a distance meant ponies and villagers out in the Forest for three nights, and both were a temptation for the Wild, especially the plump ponies. The distance to the trees drove home to everyone how far Billi must be ranging, that and his going missing for up to ten days once a moon.
Billi stopped dead in surprise the first time a villager raised a hand in greeting and said, “Ho there, Wanderer.” Syman the Stonemason laughed at Billi’s expression. “What else did you expect?”
“Stumpy or Billi?” Billi smiled. “Or Stumpy Billi, though a few youths call me Hunter these days.”
“The youths have a problem now. They like the idea of a man with crutches being the Wanderer, but fitting it with Stumpy is taxing a few brains.” Syman waved a hand down the Village street. “It’s good for them to think of something other than maids now and then. Since I’ve caught you not wandering, Kravitt the Blacksmith would like a word.”
That fitted well with Billi’s needs as well, since he needed some bits from the Blacksmith so he went straight there. “Ho there Kravitt. I’m after some arrowheads and a bit of ironwork, but Syman says you wanted a word?”
“Yes Billi. How often do you find smaller timber out there? Not big enough to be worth hauling back, but big enough to make into charcoal.”
“All the time. That sort of timber is too big to strap on a pack for firewood, and too small to be worth a pony and guards.” Billi smiled. “Some is because I’m wandering a bit further than most.”
“Hah, yes. Most of us like the name. Some find it funny but watch your back, Billi, there’s a few getting very angry about you and your successes.” Kravitt sighed. “Angry enough to maybe do something truly stupid out at your place. Maybe not while Bliss is there, but when you stay home, maybe at night.”
“With Rabbit there? They must be crazy.”
“Maybe one of them is.” Kravitt glanced at Rabbit. “He’s a brawny lad these days, and so are you, but there’s them as can’t get past calling the pair of ye cripples. No offence meant Billi.”
“None taken. I’ll keep a length of firewood by the door, since it wouldn’t do to stick an arrow in one of them.” Billi stroked Rabbit’s head. “Though that might be better for them than Rabbit catching one. He’s not best pleased.” Billi could hear the edge of annoyance, not quite anger, in Rabbit’s song. Either he’d picked it up from Billi or understood what had been said, and Billi still didn’t know which. “Was that what ye wanted me for? The warning?”
“No, I wanted to ask about the timber. The thing is, all the timber found close to Trail’s End is needed for fires to keep everyone warm over winter. This summer is worse because every scrap had to be collected and burned over winter. I wondered about the costs of a Hunter guarding a youth further out there to watch over some charcoal making?” Kravitt pointed at his forge. “It’ll be better than the rubbish the Traders sell me. We’re at the end of their route so all the best has gone. Hah, the Village name is a big hint of how they see the world. Trail’s End, the Traders think the world ends here.”
“How long would the youth be out there? You’ll have to hire the Hunter for the whole time.” Billi could see Kravitt’s face fall. “What about if I built the kiln and made the charcoal? If you advise me how, we’ll sort out a couple of lads with ponies and then it’s a straight trip out and back to collect when your goods are ready.”
“Really? I’d find you a decent saw and a couple of wedges to help with that. Won’t it be more profitable if you hunt instead of tending charcoal?” Billi could see Kravitt working through the proposition in his head. “If I tell you the best wood to use, and how to do it, I’ll expect first chance at the result and cheap charcoal?”
“We can work the cost out easily enough because I won’t tend it. If I set the burn up in a clearing, I can go off and hunt. The Wild won’t bother a fire.” Billi smiled. “That’s a big part of how we keep safe out there at night. I’d actually thought about making charcoal but didn’t think ‘twas worth it for the price, especially the sort of charcoal I’d end up making. I’ve never made any nor bought it because wood collecting isn’t a problem.”
“For good charcoal, decent pieces, the price will make it well worthwhile. After all, the Traders cart the rubbish sort miles up the trail.” Kravitt bent and thrust his hand into a sack. “Look at this, tiny bits and dust. It makes my work a lot harder and affects the quality of my ironwork. Now, if we’re going into business, did ye want to buy the saw and wedges and a good sharp spade for cutting turf, or hire them and knock a bit off the charcoal?”
“I’ll need to talk through how both work out. A big saw and a couple of decent wedges might be handy sometime.” Billi meant in his valley. The pair of them set into some serious bargaining and Billi ended up owning a big saw, a medium sized axe to use instead of his hatchet, three wedges because three worked better, and a small but heavy hammer as well as the sharp spade. Billi felt content he’d made a good deal, because the wood came free and he’d not spend that long building a kiln. The tools would actually cost him nothing but a bit of time and would come in handy at his new home from home.
“That hammer will save ruining the back of the axe banging in wedges.” Kravitt sounded happy as well since paying in iron worked out cheaper for a Blacksmith, a bit like a Hunter paying in meat. “Keep an eye open for blackstone or ironstone while ye wander, Billi.”
“I do, and greenstone. No luck yet.”
“You’ll trip over some one day. Dig up a turf to set the fire into, or find a place a stream cut through it. That’s the usual way.” Kravitt laughed. “Ye could teach Rabbit to sniff it out?”
“That would be some trick.” One the song said Rabbit wasn’t interested in learning.
“I can hire ponies cheap enough if we need them for this charcoal, and pay in ironwork. Do ye want me to find the youths to come out with them?”
Billi laughed. “Not unless you’ve someone in mind. Perry and Timath will be keen enough and not give me any trouble, or Viktor will want to know why. I can catch the meat to pay them on the trip.”
“It’ll stop them teasing that Sis of theirs. Not that she cares, I reckon she’s already caught her Hunter.” Kravitt smiled wistfully. “Brings back memories, a maid or youth running slow enough to be caught by the right person. Most reckon young Hektor is running awful slow for a Hunter.”
“I reckon I can run faster.” Billi tapped his stump. “Even without the crutch. It won’t be too long before I lose my housekeeper.”
“Judging by the amount of spare meat Hektor is dropping off for Viktor and his family, most reckon it’ll be before Harvestfest.” Kr
avitt sighed. “Though it’ll be the usual problem then, which house to squeeze into.” He smiled. “Though I doubt they’ll mind squeezing at first.”
“Probably not.” On his way home Billi thought about a new housekeeper and Perry and Timath. He somehow didn’t think their pies would be up to much, and he’d be buying bread if he wanted any worth eating.
* * *
Eleven days later Billi hired Bliss’ Bros for a fast overnight trip using packs and two ponies with travois to help him carry the charcoal back. Kravitt sounded a truly happy man, exclaiming over the big, clean chunks in the rough sacks. “There’s more than enough for me here Billi, or more than I can afford in one payment. What will ye do with the rest?”
“I suppose I’ll find someone to buy it. I’d no idea what ye needed, so I built two kilns. I picked a spot where there’s plenty of hardwood trees in the area. If I cart some wood to the kilns each time I go past I can make the same again in a moon or two?” Billi had expected Kravitt to take the lot.
“There’s others in the Village will buy some of this because ‘tis good stuff and even the remainder will sell, the little bits, though that’ll fetch less.” Kravitt tipped a bag out. “There’s no dust at all, really.”
“We left that scattered in the Forest because you said ‘twas useless.” Billi felt that counted as a sort of tithe, somehow, though he’d not say or folk might think it odd. “Can ye sell the rest of the charcoal, Kravitt, on commission? Then when I finish the next burn ye can keep enough to last the winter. On credit, since I could be needing some serious ironwork in the spring.” Billi had started considering the benefits of a small stove out in the valley, and could afford it now since this charcoal seemed to be valuable.
“That’s generous Billi. I’ll make sure you get a decent price for the rest, in copper or silver?” He laughed. “Since meat, hides, and stones aren’t a lot of good to you. Unless ye need some extra mugs and dishes, since the Potter will want some of this I reckon?”
“I’ll take some mugs and dishes, and a four pie dishes since if Bliss will be leaving I’ll get some extras made.”
“Good idea. You’d better get her at it because Hektor is looking keener every day.”
* * *
Rabbit and Billi went out hunting the following day but when he arrived home Bliss and Hektor were waiting, looking very serious. “Could ye give us some advice, Billi?”
Billi laughed. “If ‘tis about chasing and such, I reckon I’m the wrong one.”
Bliss blushed but Hektor answered. “The chasing is done, really. I don’t reckon anyone’s running now.” Bliss smiled happily and took hold of his hand, the first time she’d done so where Billi could see and Hektor didn’t object so the running was definitely over.
Billi made shooing motions with his hands. “Well get off and give your families the news then. They’ll have lots of advice.”
Both Hektor and Bliss looked really worried. “It’s just that I’m not sure how my family will take it, or how it works. Bliss will bring no land with her brideshare, and a share of a Tanner’s business is no good to a Farmer or a Hunter.” Hektor stopped and took hold of Bliss’ hand between his. “I don’t care if there’s no share at all as long as I’ve got Bliss, but the family worries about the holdings getting smaller. My two Sis’s will take land away as their brideshare when Ma and Da go to the rock.”
Bliss broke in. “I don’t want to cause trouble betwixt Hektor and his family, and a Tanner brideshare, only a sixth, isn’t much. What are we to do, Billi?” She looked at Hektor. “We don’t want to tell anyone until we know it won’t cause strife.”
“Most of the Village are just waiting for the announcement anyway. Don’t worry.” Alarm had shown on both young faces. “They’ve just noticed that the rest of the maids have given up on Hektor despite him being a Hunter, and your Da has enough meat to trade some these days.”
“I’m sorry Billi. Do you mind us trading a bit of your meat?” Now Bliss looked worried about that.
“Not at all, is there anything else you want for looking after this place?” Billi didn’t mind, he would give Bliss stones if that’s what she wanted as long as he could keep going out to his valley.
“A goose or two would help, Billi, for the feathers. For cushions and er, suchlike. Hektor isn’t good enough with a bow to knock down birds yet, though he practices really hard.” Hektor nodded agreement.
“I’ve been hunting for years and knocking them down still isn’t easy, though it’ll not take long for Hektor to get better.” Billi kept the smile from his face because suchlike would be pillows. “Hang on a couple of days and I’ll ask around.” Billi let his smile come because now he had a reason for it. “Nobody will think I’m asking for anything other than curiosity. Not unless a one-legged maid turns up.”
“Thank ye Billi. Oh, look, it’s nearly dark so I’d better get on home. If Hektor will walk me?” Billi did laugh this time, and after a moment they both joined in.
* * *
Over the next few days Billi did actually get a bit of teasing, asking what maid he might be eyeing up, but only in jest. The answers meant there wasn’t a problem for the couple, a relief for him and ‘twould be a bigger one for two other people. When he set off hunting Billi asked Bliss if Hektor could be here when he got back, since he’d got some answers. The quick agreement that Hektor would be waiting confirmed Billi’s opinion that the young Hunter spent a lot of time in Billi’s hut, when there wasn’t a Billi about.
The two apprehensive faces that greeted him stopped all Billi’s notions of a bit of teasing. “Relax you two, there isn’t a problem. Just let me get my coat off and pack settled and I’ll explain.”
“There’s hot meat and tater pie here, Billi, and I’ll make a bit of brew if ye want?” Bliss started fussing, probably to settle her nerves.
“Ale will do, for Hektor as well. Did ye want a drop for a change or there’s berry juice?”
“Berry juice, thank ye Billi.” As Billi sat a plate with his big slice of pie landed in front of him and two expectant faces looked from across the table. Billi gave up on pie for now.
“First off, the brideshare isn’t really a problem. Someone who is due a landshare will want to be a Tanner or something similar and will trade land for a part of the business. Your brideshare, Bliss, to be exact. Maybe a Hunter will want a share in a business in the Village rather than farm their landshare as well as hunt. Sometimes whoever trades will trade again until they get the whatever they are after.” Billi started on his pie while the two of them worked that through.
A lot of working through it seemed to involve staring into each other’s eyes with happy smiles. Though they did talk, quietly, and came up with another question. “Hektor says he doesn’t care, but his Ma and Da might. I don’t think a share of my Da’s business will bring much land.”
Billi swallowed his mouthful of pie. “It might not be a big piece of land but shares aren’t always the same. Folk from different families don’t bring the same but that doesn’t stop couples getting bonded. Over time the farms become split up into smaller and smaller brideshares and landshares and then there’s a bit of sorting out, swapping back and forth, to pull it back into a lump around the farmhouse. The result might mean the overall size has shrunk, or maybe grown a bit.”
Hektor still seemed worried. “Ma and Pa might worry if the result is a bit smaller.”
Billi nodded towards the young Hunter. “As a Hunter you can build up a bit of silver, so you could even buy a bit of land from someone who doesn’t need as much.” Billi thought this couple had better get on with the official bonding part regardless of brideshares. They had both sat down on the edge of his bed and were holding hands, despite there being one empty chair. Once again discussing seemed to involve mostly looking and smiling a lot. Enough of that for Billi to finish his pie.
“We’re still a bit worried, Billi.” Hektor glanced at Bliss. “My Ma and Da are crowded already. I’ve got two Bros at home
with their lasses, because they can’t build a house or take landshare until Ma and Da go on.”
That always caused problems on the Farm. A property couldn’t be split up into the landshares until the skulls of the oldest members were on the rock. Until then, couples lived with the man’s family, which meant another couple in Barimar’s home if Bliss and Hektor bonded. At least with a Farmer there’d be some space outside whereas in Viktor’s house, for instance, they’d all be cooped up together. If babes arrived that just made the problem worse.
“I’d ask Da but with Ellibeth coming home and bringing Rubyn, we’re crowded as well.” Bliss looked down. “Not so much now since I’ve been here so much Billi, but there’s not really any room for Hektor as well. We, er, I’ve got used to a bit of quiet time to myself.”
Billi opened his mouth to point out what Kravitt had said and realised telling them squeezing was a plus might not be a good idea. Not since they were now holding hands on his bed. He sipped ale and thought about what Bliss had said. Actually Billi thought Viktor would welcome a Hunter in the house, but that might not be the problem. Likewise, if Hektor had a room at home now, squeezing Bliss in wouldn’t be that hard.
The last bit bothered this pair because when Bliss had mentioned having a bit of quiet time to herself, Hektor had nodded even if he hadn’t realised. Though they wouldn’t exactly say it the couple wanted privacy when they finally shared a bed, officially. Billi kept his face straight since that was his fault. He had given them privacy and they didn’t want to lose it. Despite Bliss wielding a ferocious broom and duster there were quite a few odd corners with a couple of Dapple’s hairs caught in them. At least the young Hunter had been discreet, since most of the Village seemed unaware and there were no rumours. Well, if they liked the hut, that could provide a solution. Billi smiled. “I suppose a home of your own would be the best answer.”
Yes was written on both faces, but Hektor answered. “That would be perfect, but it can’t happen until the landshares are sorted out. That could be years yet.” Years sounded like several lifetimes said like that.