The Forest and the Farm

by Vance Huxley

  “It doesn’t have to be a full landshare. If your Da really is crowded, I’m sure your Bros will help you put up a little place. You’re a Hunter so you don’t need much land to get by. After all it only has to be...?” Billi spread his hands and indicated his plot and hut. After all, Billi lived comfortably with this amount. He watched the flint spark in two pairs of eyes and the tinder flare, and they looked at each other. “Buss her, idiot.” Billi got out of there before they made him remember his own situation and feel particularly lonely.

  * * *

  Two days later, Bliss let Billi know that he would be losing his part-time housekeeper. She had been booked full-time, once the formalities were completed. Neither one intended dragging their feet so that wouldn’t be far in the future.

  Billi asked Viktor and Barimar for advice and good solid iron pans and roasting dishes would be handy for this couple as a present. Hektor’s Ma had to supply two maids with their sets along with their brideshare so there were no spares available. Viktor used every pot and pan he had for his brood since the Tanner didn’t have all that many anyway, so he couldn’t supply enough for the couple. The next caravan through wasn’t Tinkerers and there wouldn’t be any more until after Harvestfest, a shame since their wares were prettier somehow. The Traders sold Billi a good solid set of pans, a kettle, and the same selection of ladles and cooking gear Bliss had told him were essential. Since this would be the first bonding gift Billi had bought since his sibs left home, he wanted to do this right.

  * * *

  Perry and Timath were both negotiating hard for Bliss’ job without appearing to do so. They were turning up to help out as they allegedly had nothing else to do, which meant that Billi’s garden had been well dug and weeded and his fence put in tip-top shape. The goats were shining with health, the chicken coop in good repair, and the little plot had never been so well tended.

  Billi thought that Perry, Bliss’ older Bro, had realised the benefits of having a place he could take a maid to practice his own chasing. That might be a trap that shut both ways if the maid suddenly decided to stop running, or even do some chasing of her own. Timath, a bit younger than Bliss, probably fancied the idea of some peace away from the crowded house and the two youths had a strong filial rivalry running anyway. Timath had only just started to wonder about maids.

  For either youth, the job provided a chance to get a start on a little nest egg, since Billi found they considered him a generous employer. Not deliberately, he just had a lot of meat and not many mouths to feed. If Billi brought home a goose for example, he didn’t chop it in half to pay Bliss. Billi just used another arrow for another goose and gave her a whole one. Viktor had, Billi realised after some time, made sure that a he gave a little something to Bliss for her own nest egg when she put meat on the table. Not the full value or Viktor would have been able to buy meat himself more often, but that he gave her anything when the family only just rubbed along spoke well of the man. Whichever of the youths ended up the job would no doubt benefit from the same arrangement.

  Viktor’s family only rubbed along because his after his lass went to the rock he had no help with raising the family, or with the work. Perry simply couldn’t help as much as his Ma had, not yet, because he hadn’t the skill. Billi insisted that Viktor dealt with any pelts or young hides he took though the tougher hides gave Perry some practice. Ellibeth, the eldest maid, had bonded and left home once, and then her man had died. Now she’d come back home but with a littlun of eight summers, as more a burden than help though she also took care of her youngest Bros well. Billi thought Viktor must truly love his six littluns to keep so cheerful about it all.

  * * *

  The new hut idea worked out well for Bliss and Hektor, since Hektor’s Da and Ma were happy to relieve the pressure in the house instead of adding another. His Bros were told they could all squeeze up or they could help Hektor to build himself a ‘Billi hut’ and they set to with a will. The dwelling would be tight and warm by Harvestfest, and probably in use by Midwinter. The chickens and garden would come with the spring while Hektor’s hunting should keep them well enough until then.

  There were a couple of current jokes about the couple. One that Bliss would have to let Hektor out of the hut now and then to hunt or they’d starve, since they did tend to be stitched together at the hip. Another joke claimed ‘twas the other way about, she’d have to drive him out to get some peace. Neither of the couple cared about any of the jokes when Bliss began to flaunt a secondary tusk from the Great-Boar on a fine chain. With a big smile she told them all that she couldn’t wear her other trophy as he was too big. The other trophy wore a smug smile.

  Edan had healed up but kept his mouth shut and stayed well out of the way. He seemed to be settling down to guarding cattle and training four guard dogs for the farmyards, burly beasts he’d bought from a trader. Edan intended breeding them as he claimed the beasts would be more help for those without Hounds than the Village ratters. He kept them by the stockyards where they definitely raised a racket if anyone or anything came near and the dogs were big enough to keep small predators off the new-borns. That worked well enough for the stock owners to pay Edan to guard the stockyard at night, though less than a Hunter would have earned.

  Opinion split on whether the project would work, because the dogs were going to take some feeding in the winter. The smaller Village dogs kept themselves partly fed by hunting rats and rabbits, but Edan’s dogs weren’t really agile enough for that. Worse still, Edan had moved out after some strife with his Da so he wasn’t in a family with a Hunter and spare meat.

  The strife might have to do with the number of times Edan drank too much with his friends. He would start bad-mouthing then, stirring trouble about that cripple, Billi, and the sort of people who befriended him, or stole Hounds. The latter meant Hektor though Edan took care to never say so near the young Hunter. Unfortunately, until recently Billi had been a recluse, so some did wonder if the stories had a real basis.

  Billi still didn’t see many people. He hunted every day now, for the fat young animals who had plumped up for winter. Even as he laid in more meat and traded the rest Billi wondered why he worked so hard at it. Perhaps because this was just how a Hunter should be and now Billi really had grown into being the real thing. The stack of prime pelts and furs in the rafters above his bed grew and Billi had traded for extra salt so the meat store bulged as well. Billi had never had so much food stored, more than he could eat himself over two winters.

  The salted meat sold well to the Traders because that worked out easier than trying to do the job themselves on the trail and meant no wastage. Billi bought more salt with part of the proceeds. Bliss had been right, again, so he would salt more to sell to villagers later in the winter. Almost everyone ran short of food by the end of winter, which explained why the whole Farm worked so hard in the summer to gather in every scrap they could. Now, for the first time, Billi had winter meat to trade and help everyone through the lean times. Perhaps part of that was Billi still being single, since any other Hunter of twenty-five summers had a lass and littluns to support.

  * * *

  Billi still found time to go out to ‘his’ valley with some blackberry cuttings to plant along the bottom of the hillside, so that the good grazing would be almost cut off. Eventually, when they grew into a hedge, that would form a trap for grazers or an enclosed pasture for stock. As a bonus the brambles would provide Billi with a lot of convenient blackberries, which he loved. Billi knew he could trade berries for pies and a bit of jam if there were enough, because all the villagers wanted berries.

  The villagers organised raids on the Forest berry patches in the autumn, always with extra Hunters and Hounds because the bears loved berries as well. If the bears raided Billi’s patch while he happened to be here, they would provide the occasional big fur throw for the bed or a heavy winter coat as well as thick juicy steaks. Bears were definitely plump at this time of year, just before they disappeared for the winter. Bil
li had salt in the shelter now as he couldn’t carry or eat a whole bear, and the Law said no waste.

  The Great Hunter prowled around the rough hut while Billi wasn’t there. There were pug marks to show that, but the beast hadn’t tried to get in or damaged the roof. From the way Rabbit lifted a leg the cat had marked the place so a competition started with what must be a male. The beast hadn’t hunted anything in the valley, or had cleaned up every scrap, but Billi still wouldn’t leave stock in here without a guard. Billi felt uneasy but he wouldn’t be driven away by pug marks and the beast apparently wouldn’t be driven away by a hut. Maybe they could learn to get along side by side? Billi had a bit of a smile at that idea because Man and any Wild hunter, let alone a Great Hunter, didn’t exactly share well.

  Billi kept the bushes beside the water from growing back and now the beavers helped him by collecting and storing leafy branches underwater. Billi could see the branches down there in the pool with the fish swimming in and out of the foliage. That would stop any fishing with lines in this pool. Because no bushes or saplings were growing to any size the beavers took smaller bushes almost entirely, accelerating Billi’s efforts to clear the valley. Billi deepened some pools, putting the silt in others to create a thicker, neater reed bed, more work that might be considered farming.

  The Wild didn’t seem to be objecting to the hut, and again Billi considered the place as a permanent home. That still wasn’t feasible without someone living here to watch the stock while Billi hunted or went into the Village. Though Billi would have to kidnap a maid if he wanted one out here because she wouldn’t be impressed by the accommodation. He had fairly basic needs, but having Bliss around the hut made it clear that a lass would expect a lot more.

  * * *

  “Billi, Billi! Come on, fish run. The fish are here!” Perry already sounded breathless with excitement and he hadn’t even started fishing. “I’ve got to go, see you there.” Billi had barely opened his door to answer when Perry raced off towards the river with most of the youths from the Village. The villagers were coming along behind bearing nets, clubs and their thin fishing spears. Rabbit dashed off around the plot, infected by the excitement as Billi gathered his fish spear, bow and the thin barbed fish arrows.

  By the time Billi reached the river the youths were in the water, splashing about. They were also guiding the big net out across the flow as a team of villagers heaved on the rope, hard work because of the rocks weighing the bottom of the net to keep it down despite the current.

  “Billi, Billi. Over here.” Viktor waved from the near bank. “We need a strong arm.” Viktor held up one of the round nets that could be thrown out then drawn tight. “You can reach the middle.” Billi knew he could. Even when few ever spoke to him, they always made Billi welcome at the fish run. His strong arms and shoulders could propel the small nets out to the middle even with the flick to spread them. This year more people called out to welcome him, almost a half, though a small group of youths on the far bank glared. Edan and his friends kept their grudge alive and well.

  Everyone joined in, Hunter or Villager because there would only be three days like this, at most. The silver and gold flecked bounty came once a year, and every possible fish must be caught. Then the whole Village smoked, dried, or salted the surplus and shared the lot between every family there. Billi threw and hauled, threw and hauled, and villagers clubbed the wriggling catch and tossed them onto a growing heap.

  The lasses and maids arrived, and knives flashed in the sun as they began to clean the fish. “Hektor’s in.” Bliss laughed as she pointed, at Hektor trying to climb back onto the raft in the middle where he should be clubbing the catch from the big net. Perry gave him a boost, then dived again. The youths dived to take fish trapped in the big net, and throw them on the bank or the raft.

  Even the littluns joined in, those old enough to seize a fish and drag it to the pile after an adult clubbed it. Some were being fed with fresh roe, quickly fried on a metal plate, because lore claimed the treat helped to strengthen littluns against the winter. The maids and lasses had brought watered ale and berry juice, and a few of them cooked fish on a skewer or a mesh using the frying fire. One at a time or in small groups the men and youths stopped to eat, then went back to the harvest.

  ‘Twas nearly dusk on the third day when the elders and Eldest called a halt because too few fish were still coming upstream to the net. Billi and other Hunters were reduced to fishing with bows and fish spears since there weren’t enough to be worth a thrown net. “Enough. The rest is for the Wild.” A great cheer went up but not as loud as it might be because everyone felt exhausted. The fishing had gone on through the night, with torches blazing above the net and on the banks.

  Now the catch had to be saved for the future and already smoke rose from the turf smoking ovens. More fish lay on the racks, drying in the sun, with the littluns shouting and waving to stop the birds stealing any. Ponies were brought out with the empty boxes and the barrels of salt belonging to those who could afford it. That included Billi this year and Viktor and his family agreed to salt Billi’s fish for a tub of the salt. He seemed to be turning into some sort of distant family member.

  Another two days of work and there were only the drying racks left. The Village cats had staggered back home, bellies swollen, as had the Village dogs. Even the Hounds had eaten enough fish scraps. The rest of the entrails were taken by a dozen Hunters to scatter along the edges of the Forest, as the tithe. The river counted as neither Forest nor Farm, so the Village preferred to play safe and make an offering as if it was Forest. A dozen Hunters and Hounds were needed for safety because the fish always attracted the Wild.

  This had been a better year, and the extra fish would make a big difference to many poorer families deep into the winter as food stocks ran low. The heap of timbers built up through the year for smoking fish had almost gone, but now everyone who brought wood from the Forest would throw in a branch or a log to rebuild the stack for next year. A few Village dogs, some youths and two Hunters with Hounds stayed to guard the drying racks and to cover them if the rain came. This had been a good year for another reason, as it only rained for a brief period on one day.

  Billi, and probably everyone else, slept late the next day. At least during the fish run Edan and his friends hadn’t been able to take advantage of his hut being empty, because their absence would have been noted. Billi spent a slow day recovering, as did Rabbit, but by evening they could both feel the pull of the green. Six days without being in the Forest had become a long time for them, now.

  * * *

  Billi had intended going into the Village to talk to Bliss but didn’t need to. Rabbit raised his head, and Billi heard the welcome in his song. An excited barking and voices told him Spots, with at least two people, had arrived. He opened the door to see Perry and Timath with a hand cart, and Bliss, Hektor and Dapple.

  “Come in. With all the visitors, it’s a good job I’ve got plenty of fish.”

  Groans greeted him. “It’ll be a ten-day at least before I can face fish on a plate.” Hektor smiled because everyone felt the same after the fish run. Five or six days of eating fish almost exclusively left everyone sated. “A nice bacon sandwich would go down well, or even dry bread?”

  Billi smiled. “Bacon yes, but my bread is very dry. My baker ran off for the last six days.”

  Bliss laughed. “I can come back tomorrow if you like, Billi, if you want to hunt?”

  When Billi saw the glance at Hektor he realised that Edan wasn’t the only one in full view of everyone for five days and nights. Bliss and Hektor, even though everyone knew they were to be bonded, had been reduced to hand holding and occasional hugging. Even a quick bussing now and then was frowned on by some of the villagers, and everyone had been at the river. Billi and Rabbit might be missing the green, but Bliss and Hektor were missing Billi’s hut. “I wanted to go out to the valley for seven or maybe ten days if you wouldn’t mind?” Billi tried not to laugh when the smiles lit up bot
h faces. “Once I’ve put that lot away.”

  That lot meant the stack of boxes of salted fish being brought through the gate by Perry and Timath. Perry paused. “Half this load is yours, Billi, since you sent all your share to be salted rather than drying or smoking them.”

  Timath butted in. “We can put them straight in the cold room, Billi, if you like?”

  “Thank ye Timath, that would be handy.” That would be easier than Billi doing it with one leg, and both youths knew that.

  “Are you still trying to get my job?” Bliss had her hands on her hips trying to look stern.

  “Why, are you leaving? What will you do with your time?” Perry ducked because Hektor made a half-hearted attempt to clip him round the ear. The two youths went back to the boxes, laughing.

  “Ale and a bit of pie when you’re done?” Billi smiled. “If someone will nip down there and fetch a pie since if you wait for me it’ll still be cold when you want to eat it.”

  Bliss smiled at that. “I might be able to find my way.” Bliss brought up a pie and they all sat and had a slice and talked over the fish harvest.

  “I thought about following the river, to see if I can find a few extra fish. I haven’t had chance to build up a big reserve of anything for winter.” Hektor sat on the bed with Timath and Perry, and Bliss sat in Billi’s spare chair. Billi kept wanting to smile since that only happened when Timath and Perry came in, until then the couple had been sat on his bed holding hands.

  “I wouldn’t if I were you, Hektor. I do go along the banks the rest of the year, but not just now because the fish run brings the Wild hunters to the banks and some will still be there. They are very jealous of fishing places.” Billi never laid his riverside traps until well past the fish run, because either he’d have to fight something like a bear to empty them or the Wild would simply eat whatever the trap caught.