The Barkeep

A Walk

        There was a knock at the door, forcing Lily to slowly wake up.  She glanced at the window, it was still dark outside, groaning she made her way to the door where Takakura waited.  "What time is it?" She mumbled still half asleep.
        "Five am.  Farm life starts early.  The cow needs to be milked at six." He was short when speaking to her and handed her a heavy hoe. "You can use my hoe until you can afford a lighter one."  With that he walked away to the cold storage.
        Lily leaned on the hoe, wobbling slightly as she wiped the sleep from her eyes.  Leaning the hoe against the door she got dressed with her eyes closed then made her way back outside, checking her watch she went to the barn. She sat back on her heels milking the cow leaning her had against its side as she milked.  Milking alone took longer than it had with Takakura, it was already nearly seven am by the time she finished.  Hurriedly she put the bucket of milk in the cold storage and ran to the field next to her house with the hoe, she had picked this field because it was the smallest and had the fewest weeds.  
        Several hours later Lily stepped back and looked at her field, now tilled into neat rows ready for seeds.
        Takakura walked up behind her admiring the field.  "You might be cut out for this yet." He mumbled, seeming almost surprised.
        "Bark Bark!"  Two dogs ran along the side of her pasture and stopped in front of Lily, who leaned down to pet them.
        "Aww how cute." She beamed petting them.  She looked up at Takakura.  "Would you mind if I kept one?"
        He took a step back from the dogs then grumbled, "I suppose you can keep one, I'm not too fond of dogs though." Lily hugged the smaller of the two dogs still grinning up at him, to him like this she still looked very much like a child, bright and full of life.  He pat her head. "You look just like your dad." He mumbled. "I'll find a home for the other dog when I go into town.  With that he walked away, the other dog on his heels.
        Lily sat on the ground petting the dog for a few minutes, then with a sigh she put the dog in the house.  "Ill think of a name for you later."  She picked up the few gold coins sitting on her nightstand and made her way out toward Vesta's farm to buy more seeds.

        Griffin ran his fingers through his messy hair before tying what he could back with a piece of leather. "Muffy I'm going into town!" He yelled up the stairs, taking his brown jacket off the hook next to the steps.  He flipped the sign on the door to closed as he left the bar.  
        Walking past the inn he heard a voice call out to him. "Griffin!" Ruby ran up to him holding a lunch bag, "You almost forgot your order." She said breathlessly.
        Griffin ran a hand through his hair embarrassed.  "So I did, thank you."
        "Are you heading into town?"
        He nodded peering into the lunch bag, the scent that wafted out was intoxicating, nothing smelled better than home cooking.  "Do you need something?"
        Ruby handed him a paper with a few things written on it.  "The market was out of stock when I went to town."
        He glanced over the list.  "I can pick these up for you, no problem."  
        She bowed to him, smiling.  "Thank you."   Inside the inn there was a loud beeping.  "Oh, thats the bread!" She dashed off back inside.
        The birds seemed to chirp more loudly today and there was a light breeze coming off the ocean, carrying the scent of spring flowers with it.  Nearing the bridge he could see Vesta and Marlin planting crops in their fields.  Celia picked bright yellow flowers on the other side of the dirt road.  Heavy footsteps of someone running thudded behind him.  
     "Hey Griffin!"  Lily caught up to him and walked briskly to keep pace with him, her ponytail bouncing as she did.  "Going somewhere?"
      He walked a little faster, hoping she'd tire and leave him alone, he never was very good at making small talk. "Into town."
        Lily panted trying to keep up with his brisk walk.  "Do you know people in town?"
        "I have some friends there, one of them owns a bar too." He said bluntly.  "Where are you going?" He added, wondering why she was still walking with him now that he was just following the river.
        "To Vesta's."  She panted. "To buy seeds.  I got a dog.  Takakura said I could keep it."
        Griffin stopped near the waterfall, Carter's dig site to his back.  The loosely tied leather in his hair fell out, Lily picked it up off the ground.  
        "Does that happen often?" She asked brushing the dirt off the strip of leather.
        He nodded, he could feel Carter and Flora's eyes boring holes into the back of his head.
       Lily dipped the tie into the river, rubbing it between her hands for a moment.  "If you get it wet before tying it, it will be tighter when it dries and it won't fall out so easily." She handed it back to him and watched as he tied it back into his hair, then checked her watch.  "I need to get to Vesta's." She said hurriedly.  "See you later!" She shouted as she sprinted toward Vesta's farm.
        Griffin watched her go, a faint smile resting on his lips well into his walk to Mineral Town.  The air changed scent as he hiked over the mountain and now smelled more of earth than sea.  Making his way into town he walked the familiar roads to the bar.