by Vance Huxley
Timath looked in to see what the noise was about. Once he knew, he laughed. “He’ll be safe enough with a bearr, a Hunter and a Hound.”
Billi sighed. “How long will that keep up?”
“Oh, a long while yet.” Timath grinned. “The Village youths are proper proud of our ssrrong bearr. They’re bragging about how you actually caught her at the end though they’re all bit jealous of the cuddle and the bussing, and some want to know how far those tattoos went?” Timath waited hopefully, so he was one wanting to know.
“Yes, how far do they go?” Ellibeth had a wicked smile, and Billi decided to get out before cheese cloths were introduced to the discussion.
Luckily Rubyn arrived back. “Not something to discuss with Rubyn present.” Billi saw it in Ellibeth’s eyes; she was going to mention cheese. “Rubyn, are you ready?” The sheer volume of chatter one littlun produced stopped any other discussions, but conversations around Ellibeth were going to be fraught for a while. Rubyn kept it going all the way back to the fields, and in the hut while Billi sorted out some extra traps and gloves.
What Billi would teach Rubyn didn’t need a Hound or a Hunter because the fields were Farm, though trapping could provide useful winter income even for a Farmer or Tanner. They laid a dozen traps and this time Billi did it all, explaining everything he did and why while an impatient littlun watched carefully. Tomorrow morning after either Billi collected him or someone brought Rubyn out to the hut, Rubyn could learn how to empty and reset any with prey. Tomorrow evening, if he could repeat the lessons back to Billi, Rubyn could set a couple.
Perry brought out the apprentice Hunter the next morning, “So I can get some peace. He’s been rattling on since his eyes opened.”
“Thank you, Perry. You can go back home now and get some sleep.” Perry rolled his eyes and set off home, though Billi doubted that Viktor would let the youth go back to bed. Billi and Rubyn checked the traps, took out the catch in three, and reset them. Billi explained, again, that they had to take the traps in tomorrow evening as Billi wouldn’t be here to empty them the next day, he’d be away to cut reed at first light.
Rubyn stood there hesitating, then took a big breath and it all came out in a rush. “Could I take Ma round to help me empty them since I’ll be here right over the fence and so will she and your hut isn’t big and doesn’t need a lot of cleaning every day?” Then Rubyn stood there, barely breathing, and waited for the reply. Billi thought the littlun must have been churning it all over all night.
Maybe it just made Billi a soft touch, but this would also bring in a bit to start the littlun’s nest egg. After all, Rubyn had no Da to teach him or find him jobs to start him off. With a little smile Billi realised this skill would also come in handy if Rubyn ended up with the valley landclaim. “Yes, if your Ma agrees but you’ve got to let me talk to her alone, to work it out. No pestering while we decide, all right?” Billi didn’t fancy trying that with Rubyn butting in every few seconds. Actually, Billi expected Ellibeth to say no.
Billi started by giving Rubyn a lesson on the Laws. The littlun had the words from school, where he’d be going today as soon as the traps were all checked, but until now they wouldn’t seem real to him. Being told not go near the Forest or wander about on his own in case the Wild snatched him made sense without the Laws. Now Billi made it clear, Rubyn had to act like a Hunter. The littlun had to obey the Law of the Wild and Billi tried to remember when they’d really impacted him. When he had reason to notice no doubt, when it suddenly mattered because he started hunting.
The lessons continued after school, about using a skin that had no Man or Hound smell on it to carry the traps in, and about boiling them to get all the smells off. “Take care with the bait, just tight enough so that the prey has to tug, not loose enough to grab and run or big enough to take a piece from the edge.” The man and other scents didn’t matter so much here in the fields where man and dog and Hound were all over the place, but ‘twas best to learn the lesson from the off. Even if Rubyn never had a Hound he might be living in that valley one day, and while ever there were fish in those lakes there’d be winter pelts to trap. On the Farm there were other problems that wouldn’t come up in the Forest, such as Spots marking the traps. “Spots will try to mark every one because the trap is yours and he wants to tell everyone to stay off.”
“There’s a lot of traps, Billi. Will they all catch something?”
“No, not every time and some will only catch rats or mice, though Spots will enjoy those. Take care, make sure everything is dead before you try and take it out because even a mouse can bite.” Billi wouldn’t say so but knew Rubyn might mess up and maybe catch little or nothing. If it was nothing Billi would have a look with a lantern after the littlun went home and put it right, then set Rubyn right in the next lesson
Taking Rubyn home that evening felt really strange, because Billi cleaned himself up first. Then when he delivered Rubyn, instead of going home as usual Billi came inside for his meal. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d eaten in someone else’s house, if ever. Billi thought about that and he’d never sat around a table with others to eat since his Ma and Da went to the rock. Apparently Viktor really didn’t mind who his maid invited to dinner, and acted as if Billi usually ate with them. At least Billi didn’t have to make conversation because Rubyn entertained them all, expounding on the lessons he had learned, and the importance of the Laws. Then Billi found himself discussing what they’d done with Ellibeth in greater detail.
Ellibeth seemed impressed by the extent of Rubyn’s lessons. She understood well enough that this would be a useful skill even if Rubyn never had a Hound, and told Billi that having a Hunter teach Rubyn was a gift in itself. Ellibeth had no problem with killing whatever Rubyn caught, or gutting and skinning, when Billi mentioned Rubyn’s idea. As a tanner’s littlun she sometimes helped her Da scrape hides. What she’d never had to think about was the tithe for the Wild. Most farmers didn’t bother because the Law of Man ruled on the Farm and anyway the dogs or cats often ate any vermin caught whole.
Billi tried to explain. “This is my luck. I’m a Hunter, so I prefer to act like one even on the Farm.” Billi smiled. “I even do it out where the valley is, put the tithe from the fish and anything I trap or hunt at the edge of the Forest. I do the same with the reed bed, I clean any birds in the trees, not in the reeds, and even put the weeds into the Forest.” Billi chuckled. “Us Hunters are a funny lot. Leave the tithe from the traps for me to take, since going to the edge of the Forest without a Hound is risky.”
Ellibeth didn’t find him or his habits funny. “I do understand, Billi, sort of, and if it’s your luck that’s good enough for me anyway. I told you, a good few Hunters reckon the Forest likes you, Billi, and didn’t your luck rub off on the whole Village after the Wood Hunt?”
“That really was blind luck, Ellibeth, and some of the luck came from having everyone along.” The importance attached to the Wood Hunt still made Billi uncomfortable. “I still can’t work out what I’d have done with a whole Great-Boar all alone in the Forest. With just me and Rabbit there, we’d have had to live in the Forest eating boar rather than waste any. Eventually we’d have eaten enough so I could carry the rest. It’s the Law.”
Ellibeth burst out laughing. “Sorry Billi. ‘Tis the thought of the two of you living next to a big frozen pig, with a little fire so you could cook it a bit at a time. Though you’d have had plenty of firewood from what Bliss said.” She sobered a bit. “Though that means it was our luck, yours and everyone there because I have fond memories of roast pork that winter.” Billi gave up, because there really had been a lot of luck involved one way or another.
* * *
This morning Rubyn turned up early, towing his Ma up the track. The trainee mighty Hunter arrived keen, noisy, and had trouble with the slow and careful part. Since he didn’t need to sneak up on anything that wasn’t too bad. With his small hands Rubyn found the little scraps of bait easy to fix though his wrists w
eren’t quite strong enough yet to put the full tension on some of the traps. Billi took up the strongest traps as an accident with those might have cost the lad a finger, and the rest were good enough for the little furred hunters.
Rubyn promised to work on his wrists and grip so even if he couldn’t manage this year, he could set the other traps another winter. Billi told him that would come with the years as he grew, and growth would deal with the herb-boiled gloves being too big but that could take years. Ellibeth came round with them to see what Billi wanted doing, and now she had a good look at the gloves. “I’ll ask Da if he’s any scraps of leather and make some small ones for now.”
“If not, take a bit from one of those he’s curing for me, because these big gloves really will make him clumsy.” Billi shrugged. “Take a piece from the end of a leg since the quality of the leather won’t matter for this.”
“Will I get lessons in skinning if I have proper gloves, Billi?”
Billi smiled at Ellibeth’s startled look. “I told him he’d cut himself using a knife with these. I didn’t expect someone to make him a small pair.”
Ellibeth smiled back. “I’ll skin the ones from the traps for now, and I’ll keep an eye open for something Rubyn can learn on. Perhaps you could leave the hide on my wages for him to start with?” They both laughed because Billi paying for goods with meat still bearing hide or fur was a Village joke, even if he rarely did.
“You could start him on rats? I had to teach myself to skin prey without spoiling the hide or pelt and used rats, and if he learns to skin rats anything with a thicker skin will be easy.” Billi frowned as a thought struck him. “He could learn to cure them as well.”
“Rat skins?” Ellibeth laughed. “I doubt there’s much point. There’s no real use for rat skin, is there?”
“Rat skins actually make a decent thin leather, it’s just that most people don’t like the idea. Not only that but ‘tis finicky work. I had a go to teach myself to cure my hides, then gave up and came to your Da.” Billi looked over at Rubyn, busy explaining to Spots why he couldn’t lift a leg on the traps. “Maybe he’ll start a new fashion and in any case he’ll learn to cure skins. Then if he ends up a Tanner?”
“I doubt rat skin will catch on but Da will probably enjoy teaching him and it’ll keep Rubyn’s hands busy instead of finding mischief.” Ellibeth laughed. “If you get a rat skin purse or gloves, you’ll know he’s got it right. Now I’m going home to set into the sweeping. Do you want me to take Rubyn? There’s no school today.”
“Leave him. We’ll spend the day working on this and that and going over his trapping lessons, and he can earn a couple of eggs.” They both smiled at that. With all day to fill Billi ended up helping Rubyn with a snowman, something he’d not done for much too long. Rubyn couldn’t manage a one-legged version but did insist the Snow-Billi had a crutch. He also insisted there had to be a Snow-Hound sitting alongside.
Well before dusk the littlun bounced off home with eight pelts for Viktor to deal with, his eggs, Spots, and Rabbit to watch over him to Victor’s gate. Meanwhile Billi tidied up and waited for the Hound so he could take the scraps to the Forest. Billi debated if he did worry overmuch about tithing these bits? Rabbit would barely taste them, and there would only be a couple of mouthfuls for Spots, but Billi had decided long ago that he would keep to his idea of the Law at all times. The Forest really had been good to him, perhaps because he didn’t cheat the Wild.
* * *
A crowd gathered outside Billi’s gate in the morning as the reed party and the hut sitters arrived together. Ellibeth brought a piece of leather and Billi confirmed Rubyn could have it for gloves, and the Thatcher’s party set off for the reeds. It took a bit longer to get there this year because of the deeper snow but the three youths went ahead, towing the boats, and trampled a path for the ‘olduns’ to follow. They were in high spirits since this break from their normal life also paid well.
Even wading in the icy water didn’t slow them up and the youths built a bonfire to warm up while they had their dinner. The first bonfire used the broken wreckage of reeds where something large had wanted a drink and took the direct route through the reed bed. Because Fellip had been out three times since spring little weed had grown, and the bundles of cut reed were soon piling up. The harvest would still take five days according to the Thatcher because Fellip had been right and the reeds were taller and thicker in the parts that had been mostly overgrown last year. The rest of the reed also grew stronger and without rotten stalks mixed in. Billi used the standing reed to stalk the birds for everyone’s pay, then went looking for Ellibeth’s.
He went to the bend again and waited as disturbed bits of weed floated downstream. When he came back there were a few comments, but Billi explained he wanted a pillow so the maid wouldn’t get the whole swan. While he’d been out of hearing there must have been some intense discussion about Rubyn’s trapping lessons because both Perry and Timath let Billi know they were interested in a bit of tuition. They had both laid snares for rabbits in the communal rough grazing with varying success. “I’ve promised to teach Rubyn first but then I’ll show you.” Billi grinned. “Unless you can persuade Rubyn to pass his lessons on?”
Neither seemed keen on a littlun teaching youths to hunt, but then Timath suddenly smiled. “Rubyn will come out to your hut while you’re hunting, so I can go round the traps with him and learn as fast as he does.” Timath glanced at Perry. “Since I’ll not mind big eyes and a big mouth seeing who calls by.”
Perry looked really torn, then he smiled. “If I spend a few days learning I’ll catch a few pelts, then I can cure them to get more business. Better still, I can make a really fancy present out of a couple for someone.” His smile faltered. “Would you mind looking if my traps aren’t working Billi, just to check?” The same question appeared in Timath’s eyes. Billi agreed, and had a quiet smile at the thought of Rubyn lecturing two youths on the Laws, since Perry was twice the age of the littlun.
While everyone ate their midday meal the bros confirmed that the whole Village already knew about Billi’s landclaim and speculation had started over the actual size. Could a man actually live there full time with his lass? Billi refused to confirm or deny that, though after the talk with the elders he wondered himself. Timath wondered if, with a proper landclaim, some maid might hang about near enough to see if “ssrrong bearr” wanted to catch one?
On the other four days’ day Billi took the party into the nearby Forest when they arrived, to collect wood to build their bonfire. Billi made sure everyone had geese on at least three days so that anyone wanting pillows could collect enough feathers. That wasn’t difficult as a flock were feeding in the shallow water each morning when he sneaked in ahead of the reed cutters. The snow had covered most of the grazing on the banks, so the cleared portions of the reed bed attracted plenty of fowl. Fellip traded for geese once he heard about the pillows as his lass would probably appreciate fresh feathers.
More comments greeted the second swan for Ellibeth but once again Billi explained the sewing and plucking fee for his new pillows. Everyone agreed her stitching would be better than any man would manage, and now Billi found that it would be better than most maids could achieve as well. Ellibeth apparently sold bits of embroidered leather portraying small creatures, good enough that some maids sewed them on their coats for a bit of fancy. Her Bros both claimed she would put something fancy on the pillows since she didn’t seem able to manage plain sewing.
Billi took three yearling swans altogether, and two geese on the last two days to leave the original parent swans and one yearling. He told Ellibeth that Viktor should sell what fowl he wished, as the youths also had geese so that Perry could have his pillow. Ellibeth told Billi he was a soft touch, but smiled and this time took the birds without making a fuss.
Each night Billi came home to fresh bread and then sat while Rubyn showed him the take from the traps and explained where each one came from. Rubyn dragged his Ma out to the h
ut early every morning so Billi could go out with him, before leaving, to look at the traps that were taking nothing. Sometimes that was the way he’d set the trap, sometimes they just found a different place.
A couple of days after the reed cutting finished, a fine new pillow arrived in the hut, one with a spray of embroidered leaves in the corner “because you like the green, the Forest, so much.” When Billi threw it at Rubyn because it would stop him stealing the one from the bed Ellibeth blushed and confessed. She’d made an extra one, for her bed through there, so the big new one wouldn’t really fit. They compromised and Rubyn ended up with the smaller one Billi normally used, the one Bliss made so it was a good pillow.
Billi only needed the new one, since Ellibeth pointed out if someone ended up sharing his bed they probably wouldn’t mind squeezing up a bit. She still teased him a little bit now and then about how the cheese lessons were coming along and also about ssrrong bearr. The maids in the Village didn’t let it drop and Billi still received the occasional shriek as some maid would claim the bearr had made a grab for her. A couple might have been testing, since some started wondering if Billi had a cabin out on his landclaim for the winter trips, and might need a maid. A lot of speculation started up about the landclaim generally, and according to some stories there would be room for a whole new Village.
* * *
Winter closed in and the heavy snow and sharp early freeze threatened this would be a long cold one, the second in three years. A few villagers asked if Billi had a Great-Boar lined up just in case. More snow and more freezing meant Billi only went to his lakes twice before midwinter. Both times he broke open the ice and moved the lumps so that the Great Hunter could get at the fresh water and fish from near the trees. Billi took a good crop of thick winter fur from the small hunters and the second time a young lion who wanted the contents of the traps.