The Forest and the Farm

by Vance Huxley

  “Tending a reed bed or a fish pond would leave plenty of time for Hunting.” Billi shrugged. “I only really need to be at the reed bed four or five times a year, though I call by for wildfowl now and then.”

  “About that reed bed, I went out that way to look and the wildfowl do like the cleared feeding among that stubble. Would you mind if I take a couple now and then, Billi? For a change, and also because I need to practice on smaller, moving targets.” Mikkel glanced at Pointer, his Hound, laid with Rabbit and Dapple. “If I make a mistake in the open reed bed, Pointer will have a better chance of running whatever I’ve wounded down.” He grimaced. “Instead of spending half a day beating the bushes.”

  Hektor chuckled. “I practiced there. Billi told me to start with the slower ones, the swimming fowl, and work up. That way Dapple only had to swim.” Both looked at Billi.

  “It isn’t a problem to me, as long as you don’t hunt enough to make the fowl wary.” Billi thought of the pair of swans. “I’d appreciate it if ye leave the swans alone until there’s more.”

  “Thinking of filling some maid’s pillow, Billi?” Mikkel sat up, alert for a chance of gossip.

  Billi pointed at his bed and the plump new pillow. “I was thinking of a cushion to go with that. A nice new pillow for my head has left the other end feeling neglected.” The youths laughed.

  Another night Billi’s visitor, Eddmune, came on his own. “I’ve got two sons and not much of a landshare. How much work do you reckon a clearing would take, Billi?”

  “That would depend what you tried to grow there, I would think.” Billi waved him to a seat and fixed him up with a drop of ale. “I’ve thought about it and stock, or crops like grain, would never survive. That would take a hut and a man with a bow though not necessarily a Hunter if ‘tis Farm, and there’d have to be a Hunter to travel to and from the place. Though if the Hunter had some land here, and maybe used the clearing for hay?” Billi had been thinking of the open ground near his valley, or even the grassland inside. The valley lay too far away to haul hay back to the Village, but a similar, nearer clear patch might work.

  “That would mean more stock could be held on the Farm, since no land would be needed for hay. I suppose if seedlings and bushes were cleared, that might be a sort of farming?” Eddmune smiled. “Though it might take a few such clearings to make a difference to the land needed for hay on the Farm.”

  “I did think of a line of youths with hoes and scythes, following me and Rabbit from clearing to clearing?” Billi chuckled and Eddmune joined in.

  * * *

  Though the next time he called by, landclaims weren’t on Eddmune’s mind at all. “The game has dropped off as usual with winter. They’re warier, or can see us coming without the leaves, or they’ve moved off to find more grazing. This it isn’t as bad as last winter, but food is shorter every year now.” Eddmune sighed. “There are too many folk here now, and there’s not a nice convenient clearing full of fat deer or boar to claim.”

  “I thought about that since I wander about a bit. Not the number of people, because I’d never realised. I did notice places there might still be prey in winter, or where the hunting is easier in summer.” Billi smiled. “I’ve found places the herds don’t move until they think Rabbit is a threat, which is well inside bow range.”

  Eddmune leant forward a little, intent. “But would there be enough animals to make it worth a Hunter travelling in this weather? This isn’t as bad as last winter, but some cellars are getting awful sparse, especially in families without a Hunter.”

  Billi debated for a moment, weighing up what he’d seen on his long explorations this year. “I’ve seen a place where I reckon there’ll be game in winter, though that would take a proper trip. ‘Twould take several Hunters and Hounds, some youths and maybe a pony to pull a travois. Enough meat to make the trip worthwhile would also attract the Wild.” Billi shrugged. “I’m not too bad for meat myself, but if a couple of the younger Hunters wanted to boost their storehouses I could give them directions?”

  “They’d need to more than a couple, because as usual the Wild is hungry in winter. There’s another Hunter just gone. Marris came home to let his family know and leave his bow, pack and knives, then went back to the Forest and Lop’s body to meet the Wild together.” The Hunter sighed. “Still, I’ll ask around because a few of us might fancy the idea. Hektor for instance, since that pair wouldn’t wait for spring so he’s not had chance to store a lot.” Eddmune smiled. “That’s if Bliss will let him stay out that long.”

  The Cost of Winter Meat

  Eleven days after talking to Eddmune, Billi returned home to find Hektor, Eddmune, Mikkel, and Cynel standing by his gate. “We want to try this winter hunt idea, Billi.” The two younger and two older Hunters all looked determined.

  “Come in then.” Billi looked at the Hounds, wondering how all four were going to fit inside but Rabbit went to join them and the five Hounds wandered off around his plot. Rabbit’s song sounded happy with that so Billi shut the door once the men were inside. “It wasn’t exactly a plan, just a stray thought.”

  “How far is this place, Billi?”

  “Three long days for me, four in this weather, but you might make it inside three if you push hard.” Billi looked them over. “Though definitely three or even four with a pony.” Billi smiled because the younger Hunters always boasted they could carry their catch faster than a pony. They might even be right because a pony needed a better path, and the plump pack beasts were always wary out in the Forest.

  “Three or possibly four days for a Stumpy Wanderer because you have to come, Billi, to show us the way.” Hektor grinned as he said Stumpy Wanderer because the young Hunters still found that funny.

  “I can tell you where.” Billi had been thinking of different places he had seen, and the one he had in mind should be ideal. There’d be plenty of unsuspecting prey, far enough away from his valley so nobody would see any of his sign, and several options to make sure the Hunters found meat.

  “But you’re the Hunter’s luck, if we’re going somewhere new. Everyone knows it needs the Wanderer to try out anything new in the Forest.” Cynel stopped smiling. “Seriously, some of us think the Forest and the Wild like you Billi, and maybe let you get away with just a little bit.”

  “More likely the Wild is waiting for me to drop my guard.” Though Billi wondered sometimes, because he did always seem to find pack full of prey or fish out there. Perhaps only because Billi and Rabbit moved slowly and carefully, more so than most because of his leg.

  “Aye, which is why you’ll need us along to try out this idea. We’ve talked it through and this will only work by going to someplace such as you suggested, right outside our hunting grounds. We hunt about a day and a half out from the Village, and not often that far since we don’t like to stop out two nights.” Eddmune paused, then smiled. “You go for seven or eight days, to where the game has never seen a Hunter, you said.”

  “True, Eddmune. The animals have no idea how far a bow will reach.” Billi decided, and from the little lift in the song Rabbit had kept track somehow. “There’s a series of valleys, five or six, that run into some upland. I tried getting up there but it’s steep and looks to be all scrub and heather and no water. The valleys each have a stream and plenty of trees and grass, but they’re narrow enough so a group will get a shot at anything that runs.”

  “Will the valleys be buried in snow?” Cynel frowned. “Dips collect snow sometimes.”

  “I reckon not, or rather it won’t matter. There’s enough trees to provide shelter, yet it’s not all choked with underbrush. There’s thickets of course but plenty of clear ground under the bigger trees.” Billi ran through his memories, to get the place clear in his head. “I saw sign for a lot of game, and both wolves and spotted hunters as well as the smaller ones so there’s enough prey to support a pack.”

  “No fish pond, Billi?” Mikkel wore a big smile and the rest also started to smile.

  “No,
hard luck, but maybe you can dig one?” The rest joined in, teasing Mikkel about carting a pony load of shovels three days into the Forest. The meeting broke up with promises that they’d be in touch. Billi warned them he’d be gone eight days to tend to his fish, and with a big smile Mikkel offered to help.

  * * *

  Once he came back from his valley, the Hunters didn’t waste any time and within two days were ready to go. Billi felt both embarrassed and flattered when the group assembled outside his gate and insisted that he ride the pony. “I can walk. Well hop, anyway.”

  “We need to toughen the pony up for all the meat, Billi.” Hektor grinned and Bliss, here to see them off, started laughing. Several others made similar comments and Billi gave up. He balanced himself on the empty packs tied to the pony, and off they went. Their departure looked nothing like the usual start to a hunt, with at least a score of relatives and villagers laughing, joking, and waving the party off.

  They made a very light-hearted hunting party, mostly younger Hunters who seemed to treat the trip out as more of a holiday than a serious hunt. Though all were serious about the reason, and all knew of at least one family who’d be hoping this went well. With so many Hunters and Hounds travelling together they ate well despite the snow, with the Hounds ranging wide then calling the Hunters in for the prey they found. The older Hunters were interested in how the Forest changed and thinned out towards the end of the third day of travel. The young Hunters were more interested in how game became easier to stalk.

  “I reckon a group like this could travel for a moon or more, and they’d not even need to feed their Hounds.” Cynel watched six of the Hounds run down a small herd of deer and turn them, trapping the prey against a thicket. Then they moved in and pulled down enough to feed every Hound. “Though the Hounds would have a wonderful time.” He looked at where the Hounds were feeding and shook his head. “A terrible waste of hides.”

  “Yes, I’d be lucky to get a pair of slippers out of one after the Hounds are done.” Perry laughed and looked down at Billi’s boot. “Even half a pair for Billi. Here’s our supper.” He nodded to where two Hunters were coming through the trees with deer over their shoulders. Their Hounds split off to join those feeding on fresh deer.

  The following morning when everyone rose bright and early, Billi took a good look round. It had been dark when they arrived, so he hadn’t been sure how far they’d got, but now he was. “If we go up the rise here, and find a gap in the trees, we might get a sight of the high ground and maybe the valleys.”

  “We can go up there and climb a tree. Then if we can see something, but there isn’t a gap in the trees for the old men, we can shout down.” Mikkel still sounded in high spirits. Four young Hunters and their Hounds, and Perry, ran up the slope shouting to each other.

  Eddmune shook his head. “We spend so long teaching them to be quiet, and then they go and scare all the game in earshot.” Then he laughed. “Though I’m tempted to join them. It’s all this new country Billi. I can see why you do it.”

  “Though it is a bit more peaceful when it’s just me and Rabbit.” Since Rabbit had started barking and running about the Hound treated this trip as different as well.

  “Over there!” Hektor shouted from his tree, and soon other calls joined him. “There’s a tree fallen down over there, a big one, so you should be able to see.” The rest made their way upslope, and followed the pointing arm. Sure enough high ground or low cloud showed in the far distance, a dark patch just above the trees.

  “There’s no trees on there, Billi. Is that the end of the Forest?” Cynel thought a moment. “I hadn’t thought of there being an end.”

  “No, I reckon it’s just a rocky patch. We’ve all found them, places with the rock near the surface and no trees and they’re often a hill.” Billi had considered that idea as well, briefly, and rejected it. The Forest just went on and on until it became too Wild for Man, that was why the Village had been called Trail’s End.

  “The hills aren’t usually as big as that, but your idea makes more sense.” Eddmune brought out a long-glass and grinned. “I borrowed this from the elders.” He put it to his eye. “I can see where the valleys are or at least six lines of green in the white of the slopes, so they must be decent-sized trees. Is one of the valleys better than the others for a hunt?”

  “I’ve no idea because I didn’t go up them all. We’d best get off to reach it today, and we can talk on the way.” Billi had come along as a guide, but as the group travelled and talked, found the others expected him to have a plan for the actual hunting. That felt odd with both Eddmune and Cynel being older but willing to listen.

  * * *

  The group kept going past dusk and camped the third night less than a candle-mark’s easy travel from the nearest valleys, and finalised plans. Mikkel had gone ahead with two of the other young Hunters, to see if one valley looked better than the others. “The first two valley entrances showed plenty of signs of game. What animals we saw looked to be plump, and were more cautious of the Hounds than our bows. We could see what Billi meant, there isn’t the tangled undergrowth out here and there’s open patches under trees like we’ve been seeing today.” Mikkel almost hopped from foot to foot with excitement and Pointer kept running in little circles for no apparent reason.

  “Then Billi’s idea stands. We hunt the nearest valley, with a pair of Hunters up the ridge each side. The rest go straight up the valley, with Billi taking any that break past us and guarding the pony.” Nobody mentioned Billi’s leg, but the plan neatly took care of the problem. So did Perry staying with him, carrying a spear to save Billi chasing after everyone’s wounded animals to finish them. “We’d netter sleep now, since it’ll be a hard day tomorrow.”

  * * *

  The hunt turned out to be pure bedlam. Their Hounds barked, the Hunters shouted, and the trees exploded with action.

  “Watch out, it’s getting past!”

  “Missed, watch out Billi.”

  “Cynel, something in the tree!”

  “Leave that one Tempert.”

  “But…”

  “There, another arrow, let Streak grab it first.”

  “Leave the boar, Hektor, hit the easy ones.”

  “But Eddmune... Oh, Dapple agrees.”

  The majority of the game animals tried to break past the line as the net tightened, relying on speed. Some of the larger such as elk, bulls and boars ran alone but smaller game ran in herds or, as with the female boars, with their young. The bows took a heavy toll as the animals ran past at close range, many dropping before reaching the valley entrance. Billi concentrated on bringing down those already wounded, especially the large loners who might run for hours.

  Though his accuracy soon started to suffer. “Hold up Perry, the pony is pulling me about.”

  “But the rest are getting ahead, Billi.” Parry turned to look as the pony panicked, trying to bolt and yanking Billi off-balance so he missed his shot. “Hang on I’ll grab it.” Together they wrestled the frightened animal next to a tree and tethered it.

  “Stay here now Perry, or something will kill the pony.” Billi set himself properly. “How are you?”

  “I don’t know, it’s not like the practice.” Perry had been practicing hard on the trip, coached in using a spear by Billi and the other Hunters. He’d started off tentative but had begun thrusting hard and true as he realised that did work best.

  “Just let Rabbit get in first, but then be quick.” Billi pulled and loosed, pulled and loosed as the line of Hunters drew ahead. Now he could see which ones were wounded in time to hit them properly, so they didn’t run too far.

  Ahead voices called out, warning or sometimes an exclamation as a wounded animal went for the Hunter rather than escape. The baying and snarling of Hounds rose as they pulled down or held the wounded. A Hound howled, a long pure note and Eddmune’s voice rose over the bedlam. “Enough, enough. We have enough. Finish the wounded.” Billi heard the note of agreement in Rabbit’s son
g and other Hunters raised their voices, agreeing.

  Eddmune had told them a warning would sound in the Hound song when enough prey had been taken, so no meat would be wasted. The Hunter claimed that happened occasionally when he hunted with others, especially if they trapped a small herd. “Leave it, Perry.” Perry hesitated, and Billi put another arrow into the elk, backed into the bushes with an arrow deep in its side. “Leave it a moment until that takes effect. A big one like that will kill you unless it’s weakened a bit.”

  Rabbit moved up and kept the elk in place until it dropped to its knees. “Now Perry, thrust when Rabbit takes hold.” The Hound darted in and seized the elk’s muzzle to hold the head still and Perry struck. Not perfect, but the animal quickly stopped thrashing. A crashing in the bushes alerted them to the next prey, a pair of deer with one already hobbling from an arrow in one shoulder. Billi put another arrow into it, and Rabbit and Perry pounced as it stumbled and fell.

  Ahead the other Hunters and youths were working back towards Billi, finishing the wounded. “Are you all right back there, Billi?”

  “Yes thank you, Hektor, I had to tie the pony. There’s a few wounded got past me.”

  “How many, Billi?”

  “Three, but one is labouring and bleeding badly so he won’t have gone far.” Cynel and Hektor came back with their Hounds to chase the runners, and Hektor collected the pony to help drag the carcases back.

  “Which way, Billi?” Billi sent them to where he had seen the animals and the Hounds soon picked up the blood trail.

  Mikkel came off the ridge to pick up the third trail, and report in. “We took mostly hunting beasts, so there’s some lovely pelts up there.” He set off after the last blood trail and Rabbit checked to see if there were any more, then Billi moved forward to meet the rest.