We started early, I walked beside the lead horses as Ellie sat on the wagon and worked on her new dress. Little One and Charles seemed content to ride in back and sleep. The farms we passed were well kept and they waved at us. We stopped beside a wide fast moving stream and I decided to fish for dinner.
Ellie thought I was crazy since it was cold but sat on the bank and watched. I hooked a huge fish and backed towards the bank as I fought it. She was jumping up and down clapping as I kept fighting the fish. I glanced at her and almost dropped the rod. An old man was standing behind her watching me curiously.
I gestured and Ellie turned as I backed out more and finally lifted the fish and walked ashore. The old man’s eyes were shining as he looked at the two foot long fish. He glanced at me finally, “That looked fun.”
I grinned and turned to start cleaning the fish. He watched everything I did closely. I handed the fish to Ellie, “put this by the fire.”
I looked at the old man, “Want to try your luck?”
He grinned, “I would love to.”
I started showing him what to do and a moment later he took off his old worn boots and waded into the stream. Beginners luck was with him because within seconds a huge fish exploded out of the water as it took the fly. He yanked the pole back and started reeling as I tried to calmly remind him what to do.
It was a quarter hour before he brought the fish ashore. I showed him how to clean it and then led him to the fire. I filleted the two fish and seasoned them before starting to grill them. Ellie was skeptical but made flat bread and pulled out a small wheel of cheese. Both Charles and Little One had devoured the parts of fish I had tossed to them.
While we ate dinner we talked and I found out Chris (the old man) was returning to the area with the burrowers. He grinned at us, “I built houses along the way on stone pillars to stay off the ground and away from burrowers. Burrowers are good for the soil, I farm the valley and they kept the pests away from my crop.”
I grinned, “no game to hunt?”
He laughed, “Burrowers taste good if you roast them.”
Ellie shuddered but I pointed to the two fillets she had eaten. She actually grinned before sticking her tongue out. Chris laughed and we talked about the rumors of orcs. He snorted, “they be dumb, if they come around my farm they’ll just be more worm food.”
Ellie nodded and then stood to stretch. She climbed into the wagon as I stood and said good night. Chris just rolled out a bed roll and laid back to watch the stars. Little One and Charles both crawled onto us when we laid down and started purring as we pet them and whispered to each other.
I was up early but Chris already had the fire going. I heated water for porridge and coffee before checking the horses and harnessing them. I glanced at him when I was done, “What about horses?”
He lifted an eyebrow, “What about them?”
I smiled, “the burrowers? I don’t think you pull the plow yourself.”
He grinned, “I have small stalls built up beside the houses. The trick is to get the horse up the narrow ramps.”
I nodded and glanced at the wagon as Ellie climbed out. When we left Chris tossed his heavy pack in the back of the wagon and bent to scoop Little One up before walking beside me, “stay on the road and I’ll show you where the way houses are.”
I smiled as Little One started purring and Ellie grinned as she bent to lift Charles. He had decided that if Little One was getting attention he should have it too. I let my super long hang as I carried the bow and started looking for targets to practice on. I thought these houses on pillars were only a few feet above ground.
