Bruihu gets up, walks a few steps, turns around and waves goodbye. Then he walks back into the woods.
"No." Clara replies and lies down to watch the sky again.
Jewel slowly repeats the motions Clara does to spell out J A C K, then bursts into giggles when she mimes wiping snot off of her nose. "That's the sign for ugly? I'd have guessed snotty!"
At Tarjun's question she thinks a moment, "Wait.... Is it something like this?" and motions with her hands covering her mouth and then moving away in a waving motion while opening her mouth and tilting her head up. "See? Like you are asking them to project sound from their mouth!" When she notices Bruihu leaving she watches him quietly. "I hope he wasn't offended. Maybe we should have suggested moving away from the house so the noise wouldn't keep the folks awake?"
She follows Clara example and lays down, looking up at the sky. Quietly she says a little prayer of thanks to Erastil. "Thank you Erastil for great friends and a great place to grow up. This was a really good day.... even if the wolves were a little scary, before Bruihu showed up."
"Good night Bruihu!" Clara calls after the tree-guy.
The kids enjoy the time under the night sky until they finally nod off. In the morning they are waken by the unpleasant touch of a drizzle.
Jewel wakes, grumpy at first with the feeling of the cold drizzle soaking her thoroughly, then she starts laughing. "I guess we didn't need to soak the ground so much here. The rain will do a better job than we could anyway! We should get inside and dry off. And we'll have to hang the blankets. If they don't dry proper they'll stink!" She starts gathering the blankets and walks toward their home.
"Clara? Are you coming in with us or going home?"
Clara picks up her blanket and crumples it up into a big ball. "What's for breakfast?"
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"Snails," Tarjun retorts. "And dirt. Maybe with a bucket of cold water on the side." He sneezes. "Even if we've got plenty of that already!"
He picks up his blanket, and wraps it around him, covering his head as with an improvised hood. If he's going to take time walking back home, he might as well try not to end up completely drenched.
"Ewww. Then I'm not coming. Want to come to my house instead? We have real breakfast." You can tell she is barely awake and you could sell her a beaver as a pet dog right now.
Jewel laughs at Tarjun's teasing but enjoys that Clara plays along with it. Nobody eats dirt! She wonders if anyone would eat a snail? It is an animal, sort of, and people do eat most any sort of animal.... "Tarjun! We haven't gathered snails in a long time. There can't be any left that we could have them for bearkfast!!!" She pretends to consider Clara's offer, like there was any real chance that she'd want to say no. "Well, A real breakfast would help warm us up. But we've got to hang these blankets, and what cloths could we wear?"
"I guess the blankets could be hung in the barn? And if there's a fire that we could stand near our cloths could dry out while we ear them? I sure wish there was magic that could dry things out! Kind of the opposite of create water? Un-create water maybe?"
She gathers up her blanket so it doesn't drag in the dirt and heads for the barn. "Clara, we'll be over once we get these blankets hung up to dry. Chirp will go with you. If your Mom says no just send Chirp to tell us." "Chirp. Go with Clara. Pay attention to what she tells you"
"As if my mom would ever be that uncool." Clara replies and runs ahead to her home.
As she opens the door she calls into the house "Moooom, Jewel and Tarjun are coming over for breakfast!"
"Nice. Then lay the table for six, cut some bread, cut some apples and put a hand full of sausages on the table. I'll make some tea and scrambled eggs." Gertrud replies.
"Yes, outside." Gertrud replies.
Jewel gets to the barn and looks around for some place to hang their.... "Tarjun?"
She realizes that Tarjun had ignored her and hadn't come to the barn with his blanket. With a shrug she works to get her blanket over anything that can hold it off of the ground. It is a struggle due to her size but she works it out. Once the blanket is hung and her other equipment stored away she exits the barn. She considers heading directly to the Johnson's but decides against it. Erastil didn't use stealth or misdirection, at least not against allies or family. She should tell her parents where they'd be.
"Mom, Dad? Rain woke us and I need to get dry cloths. I hung my blanket in the barn to dry. Clara asked us to breakfast. I'm pretty sure Tarjun is there already. I suppose I should take something dry for him too."
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Clara is not wet. "Sure mom."
Clara gets to work on laying the table for her family and the guests. She also uses the opportunity to fill up her pockets with sausages and feed weasel. Then she takes a seat, and prepares apples.
"Take a seat, maybe cut the bread." she tells Tarjun.
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Tarjun hangs his mildly damp blanket outside, and returns to the kitchen to set the table and cut the bread into thick slices. Hopefully the Johnsons have a lot of appetite.
"Where's Jewie? She was supposed to come too," he informs Mrs. Johnson. "Asking our parents for permission sure must be taking her a long time!"
"That's the benefit of being free to make your own decisions." Gertrud comments. "Jewel likes it better to have everyone on board for her decisions."
Having delivered the 'news' of where they were Jewel runs out to get to breakfast. She enters the room hearing her name. "Hi! I figured I should tell the folks where we were, in case they happened to glance out the window and notice that we weren't at the grove anymore. And I hung my blanket to dry."
She breaks a few crumbs from the crust of bread and calls Chirp over to enjoy the treat. "I hope the weather clears. I'd like to get ahead of the loggers with marking the trees for them to cut. I can think of at least one that'd like to just clear cut the area and blame me for not having the trees marked properly! They don't care that we're just trying to do things right!"
"You need a different attitude. What do you believe is the role of a Guardian of Erastil?"
Jewel considers Mrs. Johnson's question. Was it to her? Or Tarjun? Or both?
"That's a good question. I hope that we're learning, and doing things right. It's hard and I know I've made mistakes.... The Stag tried to explain things to me. I was trying to do too much, trying to help animals that didn't need help. It's hard to think like an animal or understand what is needed for a large area, the community and the forest around here." She looks hard at Clara's mother. "Are you indicating that I'm pushing too hard? Trying to do too much again? But the lumberjacks have been clear cutting the area way too much. We aren't trying to grow our town into a city...."
"All I committed to was marking the trees that they should cut. If they leave the trees that aren't full grown we can plant saplings in the area and it won't be clear cut. There's a little bit of work there but it's worth doing. I know that I ask Tarjun to help with the heavy stuff. He's a lot stronger than I am, or Clara. But I don't think I'm too demanding. Tarjun?" She pauses with a disturbed look on her face as she asks Tarjun, but doesn't really leave much of a gap for him to reply.
"But as to the role of a Guardian of Erastil.... I have to remember back to our encounter with the ghosts, when we were appointed as Guardians. It wasn't explained very well. Or, well, it really wasn't explained much. I've read the books that we have. Erastil is one of the original Gods. His ways are for a simple life, a good community in balance with all life. He is against fighting just to be fighting, and he is against necromancy. That was what caused Breathnach to fail as a Guardian. He turned to the power of necromancy just to be more powerful."
"So I think that Guardians of Erastil should be protectors of the community and the lands around. And we should try to be examples of the goodness of Erastil. I remember previously that you spoke of the freedom of Desna because Erastil does teach following the rules. That is true, but both Deities side with goodness."
She stops talking with her brow furrowed, obviously thinking. "What do you believe is the role of a Guardian of Erastil?"
"You're going to have a happy life. Not overthinking stuff tends to have that effect." Getrud replies with a chuckle to Tarjun's comment.
She listens intently to Jewel lay out her idea of being a guardian. "As guardians you are the protectors of the community and the environment, yes. And with the hole in the woods I think you did a great job." Gertrud approves.
"But I believe you're mixing up task and role. You have to ask yourself: If someone drops garbage in the woods, is it your job to pick up after them, or to confront them and make them pick it up themself."
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" I know that I ask Tarjun to help with the heavy stuff. He's a lot stronger than I am, or Clara. But I don't think I'm too demanding. Tarjun?"
"Well-" Tarjun seems about to speak his mind, before his sibling cuts him off, and he goes back to gobbling his sandwich while Jewel speaks.
When she threw herself into a speech like that, you just had to wait until she got everything off her chest before speaking.
"I say we pick the garbage up and just toss it at them," he suggests. "Give 'em a good whack. I know I'd think twice before dropping stuff again."
Jewel listens to Mrs. Johnson's explanation. She thinks about the example and it was very much like what the Stag had said. Doing too much.... "But they look at us as kids. And guys like Jack! That idiot wanted to fight Bruihu. I know not all of the lumberjacks are that stupid, but some of them are." She giggles at Tarjun's words though. "It might be better to dump them in a trash pit with their own. But it's not like we're supposed to be enforcing rules.... Or, Well, I just don't know."
"But the lumberjacks haven't been dumping trash. They've been clear cutting the woods. But now they are willing to work with us to fix that. It's hard work to restore the area but Dwayne seems OK to work with us, to get his men to work with us. Isn't that like getting them to pick up the trash?"
She smiles at the praise about the hole. "I'm hoping that there's good fishing there soon! Some of the people here, and not just Mr. Beaver like fishing!"
"They haven't?" Gertrud inquires. "They cut down any tree and leave the field barren. You come and tell them and Dwayne is like: Yes, you're right, and therefore YOU can mark the trees and YOU can plant saplings."
"And f+~* Jack. If he tries s#&* on you again, you make an example of him."
"And I'm not talking Desna here. For Desna it's perfectly fine to let Jack do as he pleases. And in turn getting taken apart by Bruihu. It's Erastil who would make him stand in line for the better of the community. Ask your dad if you don't believe me."
"Yes! F#*! Jack!" Clara blurts out.
Jewel is a bit surprised to hear the language from Mrs. Johnson, but then laughs when Clara echos part of it. "No! Let an ugly monkey F#@& Jack! But you'd have to find a really dumb monkey to equal him!"
"But yeah, True. They had been 'marking' the trees that they've wanted to cut, just by whatever was easiest. We can work to get it right, and once the area starts healing hopefully they'll have learned. And.... If not, we can push for them to start paying us for what we are doing. We're kids and I know they won't want to do that, so they'll have to figure out what we've been doing. If they decide to go back to clear cutting, we can contact Bruihu to help fix their attitudes! Can you imagine how they would freak out if the trees started pulling up their roots and walking away when they try to cut them? Or, instead of away they could trample their equipment! And maybe there's some magic to make all of the wooden parts of their equipment to warp, or start growing!?! But we'll be out of town when it happens so they can't blame us for their mistakes...."
"I said f~~* Jack, and only Jack, and I meant that in a non sexual way. Who gives you such ideas? How old are you?"
"At least you can stand your ground when cursing with the wood choppers. With all of them that are not Jack you can simply teach them how to do it themselves. Dwayne won't like it, as it takes time that they could use to cut down trees. But they are mostly nice men."
Gertrud takes another bite of her breakfast. "But the mental image of a tree coming after Jack is hilarious"
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"F+@$ Jack!" Tarjun joins in with a peak of laughter. He's still beaming when Gertrud tears into Dwayne's lazy opportunism.
He's never been comfortable with the idea of marking trees anyway. Seems a bit too much like drawing a big target on something that can't even move away.
"Yeah, f#*! Dwayne! I say we let 'im do it himself, and then get trampled real bad when he crosses a line. I' 'pretty sure he won't anyhoo," he shrugs. "Not now he knows the trees are guarded and can come to get' im. Heh. Imagine five Bruihu coming out of the woods if he tries and cut the wrong tree! Not even sure he'd get two strikes in."
"Aaargh, what have I done?" Gertrud states tearing her hair out. "Look, you need to think things through. What is the end of it, and does it further the community, and the co-existence with nature."
"Once Bruihu smacks a wood chopper, even if it is Jack, then you failed as guardians. What do you think will happen, if your tree friend kills someone? There will be complaints. Or a mob. And be assured, they'd come for you first."
"I got a tree, and I'm not afraid to use it!, may sound cool, but it doesn't work that way for a community you have to live in."
Jewel giggles but then chokes it off. "We do need to watch our language. Mom and Dad won't like it and we'll get a bad reputation around town. And you know I'm only nine! What do you mean about sex? We were just swearing, right? I don't really know what the word means...." Her grin tells the lie of her words though. Living around animals on a farm even a child would know a little!
"Oh, we wouldn't cause a war between the trees and the wood cutters. You're right that would be totally against Erastil's way. I'm pretty sure that Desna'd be against that too. And none of us want to follow the route of Breathnach and be kicked out of the church and become an angry ghost! I agreed to mark the trees, and Dwayne did make it pretty simple. It doesn't really take much time either. Planting the saplings is the only part that's actual work and I wouldn't trust any of the lumberjacks to get that right. Helping restore the trees is helping our community. It's the work of minutes per day for more years than any of us want to think about. But who knows? Once we grow up we might even work with the lumberjacks, maybe even take over the operation!" She openly laughs, choking out "And then there will be some kids saying F@#* Tarjun, Clara and Jewel!"
"Nah, Desna is too cool to start a war. If you want war, you shout and then charge into battle!"
"And that's what I'm going to do if someone says F~## Clara."
You can see Gertrud struggle to not rile up Clara more.
"What's your plan for today? I'm going hunting with Wookie and Paddington."
Jewel stares at Gertrud, obvious interest on her face. "Can we go too? We can be quiet, I think. But.... Can we take a few minutes so I can mark the trees for today? And tomorrow. Won't take me more than about... ten minutes? So the guys cut the right trees! And I'll run right back? Tarjun can go home to let our folks know!" She jumps up and starts for the door but pauses for an answer.
"Sure, why not. Worst case I'll send you back."
Jewel runs out and grabs her tools to mark the trees for cutting. Getting over to where the lumberjacks are working she glances to be sure they hadn't cut any of the smaller trees that should have another year or three to grow, then quickly picks out another dozen trees to mark. Looking around she checks to be sure that there is plenty of room for the selected trees to fall without damaging others, and room to trim the branches before dragging the trunk out for cutting or splitting.
Once that is done she jogs back, running by where the saplings had been planted, checking on whether or not any need water. She arrives at home to let their parents know they are going hunting with Gertrud. "Mom! Dad! Mrs. Johnson says she is going hunting and we asked if we could go with her. She said OK and that she'll send us back if we aren't quiet enough. Is that OK? Do you remember where I put my bow? I've got my spear but I'd like to practice with my bow too!"
"I'm not cleaning up after you. You need to know yourself where you put your stuff." Shelly answers.
Jewel nods as she jogs out the door. "Sorry Mom! I didn't mean it that way. Maybe I left it out in the barn. That would make sense and I'll look for Tarjun's too!"
Once she gets back to the Johnson's, out of breath, she calls out, "I'm back. Did I take too long? I had to look for our bows and arrows."
Gertrud is still sitting at the breakfast table. "We're not in a hurry. The hares in the traps won't run away."
She gets up, fetches her gear and leaves the house. A sharp whistle later Wookie and Paddington are at her side. "Let's see what's on the menu next week, shall we?"
She leads the way into the wood. The first stop being the new lake. "You did a nice work there. Could be worth to add a deer stand here."
"Yes it would make it easier to shoot deer. That's the point of building it. These tasty sausages we had for breakfast don't grow on trees."
"If you want to hunt down a salad, this is the wrong excursion. That you can do with Will. But I don't think we'll get to shoot deer today. We're too late in the day for that."
"That will still take some time to be filled. I wonder if it will fill with fish too."
She moves on to walk her usual trail to check all the traps if there are some bunnies in them.
"If we don't eat them, then the wolves do." Clara comments. And she likes the idea of her eating them much better.
Jewel walks along with the group thinking about deer, and the sausage. The sausage had been really good.... "I wonder if sausage made from wolves would taste good?" She also thinks of salads. They were.... crunchy, and filling. But not as good as sausage! "Probably not though. Wolves are runners and fighters. The meat would probably be all stringy and tough. And hunting them would be dangerous."
She glances over at the channel that they had cut to fill the hole. "We saw some fish in the channel earlier. Mr. Beaver was enjoying them. I hope he doesn't eat too much and get really fat and lazy!" She considers her recent lessons. If Mr. Beaver did eat too much, was that Erastil's will? Or another of her lengthy list of mistakes? She decides not to focus on the thought....
"Let us know when we need to be quiet. I mean stop talking. And be quiet...."
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Toiling to grow some veggies, or piercing some deer's flank with an arrow to eat?
Tarjun suddenly wishes he didn't have to make such choices. At least he perks up a bit when Gertrud mentions that they probably won't get any deers today.
"Oh. That's good! So what are we hunting? Rabbits? Hares? Beavers? Wild boars? Hedgehogs? Bears?" he glances at Paddington. "Maybe not bears. Sorry, Paddington."
"We'll see." Gertrud leads the way along her usual trail.
The traps on the trail are pit traps for small animals. Four of them actually contain the desired rodents. Gertrud reaches in, grabs the rabbit and pulls it out. Then she wacks it over the head with an iron stick and stabs it in the heart with a dagger. Once it stops bleeding, she binds the its legs with twine and hangs it at her belt.
Into one of the traps a stupid fox has fallen. "I'm not reaching into that. Do you want to give it a try?"
pauljathome
Conrad Mendelson