The fields basically planted themselves.
Jacob and Bran began to unhitch the harness from Barnaby, who stood patiently with a flick of his ears, appearing entirely unbothered by the morning's labor.
Arthur walked toward them from the edge of the property, his boots crunching on the dry grass. He stopped at the head of the rows, looking out over the hundreds of perfectly spaced mounds.
Then, he looked from the fresh furrows back to the boys. "I have spent weeks on this ground every year since I was your age," he said. He shook his head slowly. "To see a whole field turned and ready before lunch is something I never thought possible."
"Well," Jacob replied, "We actually just planted these bulbs with the help of the seeding mechanism."
He pointed over to the far field where Elis could faintly be seen pulling a plow on one side while Tom was pushing an Ox with another plow on the other side.
Bramble, the old donkey, was hooked up to a wagon filled with stones at the edge of that field where Caleb could be seen depositing his latest round of rocks.
"Caleb and Tom finished the fencing early, and Elis wanted to test his new strength or something, so they are the ones who actually plowed this field and cleared the stones."
Arthur looked incredulously at his farmhand plowing the field like an Ox before shaking his head, apparently devoid of words to say about such a sight.
He walked a few paces into the field, kneeling to inspect a single injection site.
The soil was loose and aerated, exactly as it should be for the spring crop. He stood back up and looked at the brass machine with a look of profound respect.
"All we need now is a harvesting mechanism to really push the efficiency of the farm," Arthur joked, giving a rough pat to the side of the seeder. "Then I suppose I could just sit on the porch and watch the crops grow in the sun."
Jacob and Bran shared a quick, knowing look. A small, competitive spark passed between them that Arthur didn't miss.
"We should probably wait until after the heavy spring rains for that," Jacob said, trying to keep his tone casual. "The mud would be too thick for the sorting valves we have in mind for a harvester."
Arthur's mouth hung open for a second. He looked from his son to the young apprentice, realization dawning on him that they weren't joking in return.
He shook his head, a small laugh escaping his lips as he realized the limits of his own imagination were nowhere near the limits of Jacob's ambition.
"I suppose I should stop giving you ideas," Arthur muttered, though he looked more proud than worried. "Let's get inside. The women have the table set, and I suspect we have a couple of guests who have some explaining to do."
"I'll catch up later," Bran said to Arthur and Jacob, "My ma is expecting me home for lunch. But it was fun, Jacob! We need to get together and do this again soon. I have so many ideas that I'll be working on after seeing a different direction for tinkering."
Arthur and Jacob waved as Bran headed down the lane, back toward the village. They dropped Bramble off at the barn before heading in for lunch.
The kitchen was filled with the warm, savory scent of a slow-simmered stew and fresh-baked bread.
It was a stark contrast to the scent of ozone and iron that had dominated the yard the day before.
Jacob and Arthur entered first, with Caleb trailing behind them after he finished washing up at the pump.
May and Lila were moving around the central table, laying out mismatched ceramic bowls and heavy wooden spoons.
Sera sat near the hearth, but Mira had finally moved from her cot to a chair. She looked pale, but her eyes were focused as she watched the men enter.
Oren was already seated, looking remarkably refreshed.
His rugged armor had been set aside, leaving him in a simple linen tunic that showed the fading lines where his deep wounds had been just a day ago.
He looked up as Jacob approached, giving a respectful nod.
The atmosphere was pleasant as everyone took their seats, the initial tension of the raid replaced by the shared hunger of a hard morning's work. However, the silence didn't last long once the first round of stew was served.
"So," Caleb began, leaning forward with a look of curiosity. "You aren't wearing militia colors, and you don't talk like the boys from the village."
Lila set a basket of bread down and stayed there, her eyes fixed on the young warrior. "Where did you come from, Oren? And why were you out in those woods alone?"
"We want to know who we're sharing our bread with," May added, though her voice was kind. "A boy who can move like a red flash and chase a pack of goblins off of a farm is a rare sight to see around here."
The questions began to cascade around the table. Arthur asked about his training, while Sera wanted to know if he was trying to join the militia.
Even Mira, who had remained silent, leaned in to hear his response.
Oren looked around the table, his expression shifting from amusement to a thoughtful look as he realized he was the center of the farm's entire world for the moment.
He set his spoon into the empty bowl and noticed the expectant looks around the table, sitting up a bit straighter.
"My name is Oren," he said, his voice steady despite the fatigue still lingering in his eyes. "I am fourteen, though I will be fifteen once the spring rains finish. I was born in Thornhold, and my father put a sword in my hand and taught me how to swing it when I was seven."
He looked around the room as he spoke. "I lost both my parents when I was eight. I ended up in the county orphanage just outside the Thornhold walls. It was a rough place, but the people there were kind enough to let me stay out in the yard. I spent every spare hour practicing the footwork and the strikes my father taught me before he passed."
"A few years ago, the militia established a temporary camp in the woods near the orphanage," Oren continued. "That is where I met Corporal Durand. He saw me swinging my father's sword in the brush, told me my grip was so loose a child could disarm me, so he began training me during his off-shifts."
Oren's expression shifted, showing a brief smile. "He's a hard teacher, and the one who really taught me how to fight."
Lila looked from Jacob to the traveler. "Is that why you were in the valley? Were you searching for him?"
"He sent word for me to meet him at the garrison near the bridge," Oren explained. "He decided it was time I observed a real patrol since I can join the militia next year. I was taking a shortcut through the valley when I spotted the smoke and the tracks, and I couldn't justify ignoring the raiding party heading in this direction."
"You arrived at the right moment," Jacob said. "Corporal Durand clearly taught you the value of standing your ground."
May began to clear the empty bowls. Her expression softened as she looked at the young swordsman. "Well, Oren of Thornhold, you saved our home today. You are welcome to stay here until your strength returns. I don't care how many Sergeants are waiting for you at that bridge. A boy needs more than a single bowl of stew after what you have all been through today."
Lila turned her attention toward Mira. She reached out to refill the scout's tea and noticed the edge of a bandage peeking from the collar of Mira's leather vest.
"What about you, Mira?" Lila asked. "You got hurt during the fight, too. Is your family in the village?"
Mira shifted in her chair. She looked at the tea rather than meeting Lila's eyes. She seemed ill at ease in the bright dining room.
"I was born in Ruvka," Mira said in a small voice. "I've been on my own since I was young, and I don't have a family. Also, I stay in the caves near the valley while I scout the surroundings."
Lila frowned and set the teapot down. "The caves? That must be freezing, even with the thaw. Big brother Jacob made my clothes warm!"
Mira acknowledged the little girl and nodded her head toward Jacob. "I will be fifteen at the start of autumn."
Jacob watched her from across the table. While Oren had no problems chatting away about himself, it seemed that Mira was not so comfortable.
He could tell that she was mostly used to being alone, while Oren had likely spent a good deal of time with the militia and his master.
May came back from the kitchen and placed a plate of sliced apples in the center of the table while offering an encouraging smile to the group.
"Well, it sounds like you could both use a place to rest from time to time when you are tired of training out there all day," May said, looking to her husband. "I am sure Arthur will agree that you are both welcome any time."
He nodded in confirmation, "Mira, it sounds like you could use a place to call home, so you are welcome to sleep here any time, Jacob is fine sleeping in the hay of the barn."
This caused Jacob to spit out his drink, "Hey! I don't remember volunteering for that!"
His reaction managed to rouse a chuckle from Arthur and the rest of the table.
"Well, son," Arthur replied, "I guess we will just have to add on a guest bedroom since you keep bringing home so many friends!"
Then he turned to Oren, "And you, Oren, it sounds like Corporal Durand has a place for you to stay, but you are also welcome to come out to the farm any time you like, maybe stop in for a meal from time to time, eh?"
Mira and Oren both looked to Jacob, who just gave them a confused nod.
Why does it seem like they are asking me for permission first?
Mira answered before Oren could get a word out, "I spend most of my time scouting, but I wouldn't mind having a place to grab a nice meal. I need to get going, though."
She stood up and nodded to her hosts before leaving, seemingly a bit uncomfortable still.
As she was walking out, she turned to Jacob and May, "Thank you both for patching me up."
Then she turned to Sera, "And you, for helping me through it all."
When she was gone, Oren cleared his throat a bit awkwardly.
"Well, I would also be happy to come by every now and then to share a meal or see what Jacob is up to. I am sure my master would also like to stop by if he gets a chance. Especially when he hears about how hard both Jacob and Elis fought off those goblins. You know, they are all at a combat level of, heuk!"
It seemed that the system was not too happy with Oren at that moment as the geas tightened around his throat and choked the words out before they could continue.
He took a drink of water to help relax before he continued.
"Gah! Ah, well, I suppose that is my cue to leave," he said as he looked at both Lila and Jacob.
"It seems my mouth is getting ahead of my brain, but I will be back, you can count on that!"
He then grabbed his things from Jacob's room before leaving.
The family and Sera waved him off as he shuffled around them and again as he headed out of the back door.
Sera and Lila moved into the living area, next to the hearth, where they started gossiping as they prepared the materials they would need for the mending lessons May would be teaching them soon.
Arthur and Caleb took off together to head out to the fields.
And Jacob walked over to the barn.
Time to practice some magic, he thought to himself. Those goblins gave me a couple of things to think about, and that one thing Gerald mentioned is getting to me. Why is density so important, and what did he even mean?