The Forest and the Farm

by Vance Huxley

  * * *

  At dawn Mikkel, who had risen early for that reason, took a deer that came for the fresh grass just outside the valley and a drink. He quickly butchered and packed his catch and the group had a good breakfast of fish after Billi explained cropping them. Then Mikkel set off with the non-Hunters while Eddmune and Billi waited in hiding. Billi expected more game to come when the party left, and he was right. They took a small deer, and then a young Moose that came for the water weed. He’d already put some weight on and this would be where it had come from.

  Both were quickly butchered and the Hunters threw everything they weren’t taking down by the trees for the Wild. Both Hounds gorged on the remains. They probably wouldn’t eat tomorrow but would have no trouble keeping up with men. Both men were loaded down with good meat and pleased that the party had slowed to make catching up easier. The two of them spread the load out a bit, and it would lighten again after supper.

  The weather had warmed, and today might be the last time Billi could take meat in the valley and get it all the way home without smoking or salting it first. The Hunters took two more deer on the way back since they had additional people to carry the meat and hides. The nice bonus for all three Hunters affirmed just how much prey the local woodland supported, and how easy it was to hunt. Patre thought the ponies in the valley could even transport meat to the Village.

  Especially in spring before the hunting grounds near the Village picked up. Spring had definitely arrived, at last. The first flush of green showed on the early trees, the forerunners of the deep emerald blanket that would turn the pathways into gloomy tunnels all summer. Blossom burst from the bare branches on other trees and bushes, bright in the pale sunlight, stark against the dark trunks and branches. Some flowers dangled in the breeze, shedding pollen to dust the world with gold or smear thickly on careless travellers.

  The fresh flush of new grass had already thrust through remaining snow, or sprouted from the bare ground. Soon the creepers would burst from their winter prison to clamber exuberantly over the fallen branches and old hay of last year, burying it all in blossom and leaf. A scattered, fallen rainbow of tiny wildflowers starred the thin grass, desperate to claim their share of sunshine. All of them trying to lure bee or flutterbye before the rougher growth swamped them. Right now was the turn of the small, swift and bright, the transients and in days they would all be gone for another year.

  There wasn’t enough browse or grazing for grazers to be tempted back nearer the Village, but out here the woods were alive with game. A lot were still lean from winter, but packing the meat back on as fast as possible. The air seemed alive with fluttering and buzzing, and biting now and then of course. At least alongside a running stream there were few pests. By the stagnant pools that sometimes lingered in Forest glades the biters gathered in thick clouds. Billi looked for different flowers and brought them for Ellibeth to see and she put some in her hair. Then both stopped and blushed after comments about putting flowers in a maid’s hair.

  The trip back slept out three nights, still a novelty for the non-Hunters and Ellibeth agreed the stars out here were bigger and brighter somehow. A steady and lively discussion continued all the way about changing hunting methods, about perhaps starting out that way in the valley. Also about Hunters deliberately hunting two days away, to preserve local hunting for winter. That would keep the area well stocked and the game less wary, and the party agreed that Billi should add it to the local Law of the Farm. There were other snippets about developing and organising the valley, and Billi tried to remember it all.

  Not that easy when as he walked in the green with Ellibeth, who wanted to know about every bush, tree, flower, insect and bird. The lack of thick leaf helped her, since every splash of colour or flicker of movement caught her eye. Later many of them would be hidden in the Forest, but now they were all on show. Many didn’t really have a proper name as they were only seen in the Forest so Ellibeth started naming them and the others joined in. Instead of bringing flowers, Billi showed Ellibeth and she gathered a few to take home.

  Billi hoped someone else remembered some of those names, because his head was bursting with all this information. It was bursting with the song as well because Rabbit truly enjoyed being out in the green with other Hounds again. It was almost becoming a habit.

  * * *

  A riot of discussion exploded in the Village when the group arrived back. That went on for a whole half-moon while Billi tried to sort it all out in his head or with scratched maps in the dirt. His preferred solution rather depended on one thing, or one person. After his second four-day trip to the Forest to think, Billi arrived home a little bit early to ask her. After all, how many could live there depended on her answer.

  “Your bread will be a little while Billi. You’re early.” Ellibeth smiled. “It’s usually dusk before you can bear to leave the Forest.”

  “Ah, well, I’ve been thinking.”

  Ellibeth laughed. “I know, and so do the Village. They keep asking me what you’ve come up with. I tell them all I can see is the smoke coming from your ears, but I’ve no idea what it means.”

  “Well now you’ll know.”

  “I will?” Ellibeth sniggered. “They all will if you’re off to the elders because one will talk.”

  “But I need some advice about part of the answer, so we need a quiet talk without someone getting excited and the wrong ideas.” Ellibeth understood that.

  “Rubyn, take Spots and check the chickens and goats again will you? Just in case there’s rats about since One-shut is still asleep by the fire.” Ellibeth had barely finished before Rubyn was on his way out, and Rabbit followed. It wasn’t that far off dusk so it was best to be safe. “Now, what do you want to talk about?”

  “I’ll be taking the side of the valley with the pastures and my hut as a landclaim, and letting the other half go. After what Patre said the whole valley floor is too much for one landclaim.” Billi took a deep breath. “Would you take most of the other half, Ellibeth?”

  “Me? Just me? That’s a lot of land for a maid, Billi, more than a lot of landshares here in the Village and Farm.” Ellibeth hesitated. “Why me?”

  “So that Rubyn has a landshare before you go to the Rock, if he needs one. In time you’ll get a share from your man’s family, and another from your Da. That could be some years and meanwhile this will give you a living.” Billi paused but Ellibeth stayed silent, waiting for the rest. “Then when you have your shares, you can give Rubyn the valley land, or your shares here in Trail’s End.” Billi smiled. “He’ll not need a Billi-hut.”

  “So this is for Rubyn?” Ellibeth seemed insistent on that and Billi knew why. If it was for her, then she would say too much. Billi nodded and Ellibeth sighed. “Which means I can’t say no, because he’ll love that valley.” She smiled. “And you knew that, you sneaky man. He might get a Hound?”

  “Then he’ll be able to rent the land out and will have a good base for hunting.” Exactly what Billi had arranged for if he didn’t come back from a hunt one day, though he didn’t mention that.

  Ellibeth still wasn’t totally convinced. “That’s a bit close for a maid to live to a man. We’ll be neighbours out there in the middle of nowhere, with only the gravel bar betwixt our cottages.”

  Billi shook his head because he knew just what would keep her reputation safe. He’d let in more people, in return for getting Ellibeth to live out there. “No. I’ve decided, and if there’s room for six more cottages as Bettram and Patre seemed to think, then I’ll let them come. It’ll be a proper Village, so perfectly decent.” He grinned. “You’ll just have to be careful where you wander at night so a bear doesn’t catch you.”

  That made Ellibeth laugh, but then she sobered. “I can only come if it really will support both of us. I’ll not be a burden on anyone.” She smiled. “Though it’ll be handy for if you want more cheese.”

  Billi took out the thin flat rock he’d been drawing on with chalk, out in the Forest. “It�
��ll be plenty. Look, this is the valley, and I’ve sort of marked you up for two thirds of that side. Patre said that side was enough to split into three for littluns eventually, so this part will support two of you.”

  “What about that gravel bar? You’ve not put it into any share.”

  “I’ll be keeping the gravel though everyone will use it to cross the valley for fresh water.” Billi hesitated and then told her. “There’s a lot of stones in there, the good ones for Tinkerers.”

  “In that case.” Ellibeth took the chalk and drew a line to put the gravel in Billi’s landclaim, then added a little bit onto hers to block off the other end of the gravel. “Now nobody has any reason to do other than walk across it. If there’s gravel needed for paths it’ll need searching first.” She put the chalk down. “I’ll help with that to make sure you get all the stones.” That came as a surprise for Billi that he was careful not to let show. Ellibeth would search the gravel bar for his pretty stones, not for herself?

  Then Ellibeth pointed at the rough drawing. “Are these the other cottages, along the valley edge?”

  “Yes, I’ll let them take a small claim on the valley floor for a garden.” Billi indicated the lines around each cottage.

  “That’s generous, Billi.”

  “Not really. We’re all going to be neighbours, and it’s all found land.” Billi grinned and Ellibeth smiled back.

  “Everything is found and so it’s free as far as you’re concerned.” Ellibeth sniggered, “Free land. You’d give some of the farmers’ seizures if they heard that. Don’t say it to the elders.” They were forced to stop talking and joking about seizures in the end as Rubyn came back so Billi took Ellibeth home.

  The following day Billi took Ellibeth to see the Eldest and she registered her landclaim, and Billi confirmed it. Then they had to explain again because it made no sense to the Eldest for some reason. Then one said there could be more and they all nodded and got on with it. Soon the elders were asking exactly how much other landclaims would take on the valley floor and how they’d have water access for stock?

  The numbers and positions of other plots went on another piece of that reed parchment that came in so handy for such as this. The Elders and Billi were both uncertain about limits to the landclaim up on the moors. It seemed open land but the Wild would put in limits as would the lack of water. As Kina wrote it all down Billi could feel everything becoming more solid, more real, no longer just talk around a campfire. The written words had a power all of their own.

  Billi mentioned that even Farmers would give the tithe in the valley, and where it must go, and that went onto the parchment as part of the Law of the Farm. “It really is Law?” Ellibeth had heard Billi say it, but still didn’t quite believe it.

  “We’ve be talking and looking and as far as we can see, the Law of the Farm is what the founder says.” Kina smiled. “Though the elders might alter it once he’s gone.” She looked at the drawing. “News of this will go up and down the trails. A new Village of eight houses, taken straight from the Forest all at once. I’ve never heard of that!” Kina looked at Billi, her old eyes bright with excitement. “What will ye call it?” Ellibeth laughed when Billi said he’d think on it, since she’d heard a few suggestions.

  * * *

  The Village came alive with discussion and rumour, and speculation ran riot. At least that partly counter-balanced the rumours about Billi standing back from the Winter Hunt and letting Raban go to his death. Part of the trouble with that rumour was that Billi really had stood at the back and some non-Hunters didn’t understand or believe the Hunters who explained why. At least the Hunters had no qualms, and nor did Treese, though the continued nasty undertone in the Village left Billi even keener to be out on the green.

  A half-moon later Billi took Ellibeth again, with Rubyn. This time Gerant and Lilith came to look over the possible landclaim, with Hektor as the second Hunter on the trip so that one of them could manage some hunting. Lilith in particular seemed very excited. They weren’t quite bonded yet but only because they had nowhere to live, and had been nudging both parents about a Billi-hut. This would be much better all round.

  This trip out meant another three nights under the stars, and Rubyn, Gerant and Lilith were all very quiet the first night. Once again that slowly became excitement especially on the last day when the Hunters took an opportunity to collect meat for when they arrived. Hektor and Dapple worked around a small herd of deer so when they took one the rest ran towards where the group waited, hidden. There Billi took a second. Rubyn in particular looked utterly awestruck by being at the hunt, and then wanted to help with the skinning using his little knife. In the end he had to be content with the promise of a trapline overnight on the moors for birds.

  He’d never caught game birds. There were none near the Village now but the chances were good, and he’d want to start practicing. There should always be some near the valley as the moors would remain the roughest of pastures, and Rubyn could gain a steady little income that way. Billi stressed that there must always be a Hunter up there to watch over him. This place wasn’t as tame as the fields near Billi’s hut.

  The courting plumage on these birds would be a lovely surprise for Rubyn as they had been for Billi. He had seen a few from below, strutting on the upper slopes and had no idea what they were. Maybe the Tinkerers would have a name for them? Billi couldn’t get up there to snare any so he was looking forward to seeing the feathers close up. The rich, almost orange browns and flecks were no doubt wonderful camouflage in the dried heather and bracken. The longer tail feathers of the males, strutting with their glistening emerald throats distended and crooning softly, should be a good sale item with the Tinkerers.

  From the comments around him a lot of the small wildlife down below would be a welcome surprise for those brought up in the Village. Billi had never fully realised how the birds changed as he came nearer to the fields except they were quieter. The larger birds raided crops of course as did flocks of some of the smaller ones, relying on numbers to keep them safe. It was the small flocks and solitaries that dropped away, and often the solitaries were the most colourful and sang loudest. The trip was accompanied by exclamations as bursts of colour and song assaulted them from the spring courting season now in full flight.

  Rubyn and Gerant were both delighted to catch some unwary fish in the stream on the way with lines borrowed from Billi and Hektor. They were warned, the fish would become warier as more people trapped them. There should still be some though, if everyone took care not to overfish. That might be the reason for the poor fishing near the Village. Another line went onto the new Village’s Law of the Farm.

  Rubyn finally managed to find a use for his knife, as he cleaned his own fish under close supervision. The littlun carefully put the tithe for the Wild under a bush before they moved off. He kept a fishtail though Ellibeth wasn’t sure how well it would last as a trophy. The group arrived at dusk, tired from the trip so after lighting the stove and cooking and eating a meal they went to sleep. Though not before Rubyn persuaded Hektor to go up onto the moors so the littlun could set a few snares. Rubyn had no traps with him but Hektor helped him to improvise.

  The maids slept in Billi’s hut with Rubyn. The men slept nearby with two Hounds and a fire that burned bright and hot with heather, then died down to provide a bed of embers round a thick log. The next day Billi’s bed had a makeover with a load of heather being brought down the hillside to replace the dried grass, leaves and reeds. Rubyn went up with the heather collectors to check his snares, and brought back a mottled brown bird with a plump breast.

  Hektor and Gerant went off to properly assess the moors, so that Gerant could choose which cottage he preferred. The two would overnight up there, heading out in a wide arc to really explore the moor and water supplies. Gerant and Lilith already wanted a claim, any claim but since they had a choice Gerant wanted to get it right. Apart from that both wanted to move out to the valley yesterday please. Billi and Rabbit remai
ned to guard the maids and Rubyn.

  Billi took the opportunity to weave his brambles into a better barrier and clean out the sediment between the smaller ponds, enthusiastically helped by Rubyn. They were both scolded by his Ma when Rubyn returned to her scratched, muddy and dripping. Though Rabbit should have got the blame since he loved finding someone who would race around in the shallow water and mud with him, and had made the most of it.

  Billi slept outside alone but he’d done that with Rabbit many times in much wilder places, and had a pile of heather to lie on this time. Though it felt strange to sleep in the valley with others in his hut, smoke coming from the chimney, and a faint light from the tiny window in the door. Billi watched that smoke and light for a little while, and drifted off to sleep.

  * * *

  Rabbit roused him, just enough to wake and the song sounded happy, not a warning. When Billi looked carefully around someone had come out of the hut. Ellibeth? His alarm died at the slow, careful way she picked a path and turned to humour. Was Ellibeth trying to sneak up on a Hunter with a Hound?

  As she arrived Billi half sat up and opened his mouth to ask, but the maid bent and put a finger on his lips. She kept it there as she pulled the furs back with the other hand, tugged his arm aside and slipped in next to him. Ellibeth put her mouth up near his ear and whispered “no gloves, you must hold me very tight Billi bear” and then replaced her finger with her lips!

  Later, they cuddled together under the fur and watched the stars. “That one is the Lodestar, and tells the Hunter where North lies, the same as a Lodestone. The four stars there, with the last one turned in towards us, that one points at Trail’s End and we call it The Way Home. In the winter it points at the Stooping Hawk, and Trail’s End lies betwixt them.” Billi found out that Ellibeth couldn’t see the Hawk, or the Hawkfly, or the Broken Arrow, and spent a while showing her each one until Ellibeth could recognise them. By then the wheel had turned, the stars spinning around them as they did at night, Billi explained how that told Hunter when dawn would come. “Now I must learn exactly where the stars should be in the sky to get me here, for when I roam away from the stream or the edge of the uplands.”