Snow Fields - Book Two of The Fields of Mendhavai Trilogy

Chapter Six

CHAPTER SIX

Hammering and sawing sounds reached my ears long before the trees of Aller Forest parted from the road and opened to a fantastic view of the harbor. The Harbourn Sea glistened in the late-afternoon sunlight and the cold northern breeze carried the scents of salt and fish. I gasped as I counted the number of standing buildings.

A shout rang out from one of the structures nearest us and a young girl bolted from the doorway, her feet carrying her quickly down the road to a man working where the docks were being put together. She gestured excitedly in our direction and he looked up, shading his face with his hand. After a moment, he shouted over his shoulder and several other men joined him as he started up the incline toward our party. His group grew as he passed through the buildings, a few women and children joining the ranks.

As they approached, I dropped from the saddle; boots thudding into dirt behind me told me the rest of my group had followed suit. I heard a groan and glanced over my shoulder to see Corban stretching he legs. I supposed being unaccustomed to riding could also have caused his discontent over the last couple of days.

“My Lady,” said a strongly featured, tall thin man, sweeping me a deep bow. “You weren’t s’posed to arrive unannounced.” He grinned. “T’was to be a surpise.”

“Oh, believe me, Garmond, it is quite a surprise!” I replied, laughing. “I couldn’t believe my ears when we rode by three days past; all that hammering and sawing. It seems you all have been quite busy.”

“Would you like a tour?” piped up the girl that had announced our arrival, excitedly. Garmond cuffed the little red-head gently on her shoulder and she belatedly added, “-my Lady?” with a quick curtsy.

“Autumn,” chided a woman who had come to stand side by side with Garmond, her hand resting gently on Autumn’s shoulder. “The lady and her party need a rest.” She gazed around at my group, then looked to me. “We’ve ale and fish at the inn, if you’d like, plenty for the lot of you. And of course beds for the evening as well.”

“We’d be most grateful,” I told her, then looked to the girl and nodded to her. “For the tour as well, after we’ve had a bite to eat.”

“Tobin, Tarly, Latola!” Garmond called over his shoulder.

Three youths stepped to the front of the group.

“Yes, father?” asked the tallest, a red-head the same as his sister.

“You three, and Autumn too, take th’ horses an’ see to their care.” The four groaned, and he added, “Ye can join us at the inn when you’ve finished, but don’t be neglectful just ‘cause you’re excited. Th’ rest of ye, back to work.” He shooed everyone away. “Ye can straggle in to visit wit’ the Lady an’ meet the new-comers as yer tasks allow. There’s no reason to stop, Latola tells me there’s a storm a’brewin’. Ye can all rest then.”

The four youths each took a horse or two by the reins and headed down the road before us. Garmond waited a few minutes for the dust to clear before he motioned us to follow.

“Looks like you’re in charge here,” I commented, watching the ground at my feet closely so as not to turn an ankle in a wagon rut.

Garmond shrugged. “T’wasn’t a’purpose. Just seemed that everyone came t’ me for direction, an’ there we were.”

“Who decided to get all this started?” I asked out of curiosity.

He grinned at me. “There’s been talk ‘round Murkana’s ‘bout it all spring. That an’ how ye healed us all. We’re all grateful to ye, Lady, an’ we started thinkin’ – rebuildin’ the harbor would be th’ best way t’ repay ye for it. Once th’ plantin’ was done, we figured how many it’d take at the least t’ farm, an’ th’ rest’d come out here. We go in shifts of a week, then switch farmers an’ builders. Seems to be workin’ well, so far.”