The Fall Of Farms
610 Words
It was not an easy task being set to work in the fields to cut back the overgrown grain and bundle it, as any good farmer knows. Diraimeir soon discovered how long and hard the work was, and the state all of the farming tools were in made their harvest all the more difficult. The sickles in their hands were dulled by age and use, leaving messy, uneven cuts after each swing. Diraimeir was not so accustomed to this type of work as it was. He struggled quite a bit with handling the heavy iron tool. So, in truth, it was actually Tathlyn that had done the bulk of the cutting while Diraimeir tied the wheat into up-standing bundles with twine. By the time the sky began to darken, the two of them only managed to clear about a sixth of the field away. Not counting, of course, what had been done before they arrived.
Why on earth has this woman waited so long to find help in harvesting the wheat when there are several other farms with skilled hands just down the way? Most of the grain left isn’t edible. She let it dry up too much. And what isn’t burned to a crisp is wet and molding. The spring crop should have already been made ready to put into the earth by now. Won’t her neighbors lend her a hand?
When the sun almost completely disappeared beyond the horizon, Uatugy called to them from the porch of the farmhouse, announcing the spread in thanks for the day’s hard work. That perked both Diraimeir and Tathlyn right up. Diraimeir took the lead as he entered the house. The home itself was in the same state as the rest of the farm. It had a welcoming feeling at first, but there was a lack of anything personal about it when Diraimeir really got to looking at it. It felt like someone had wiped the home clean of any signs of having ever been lived in just for them. Very odd, indeed. Tathlyn must have been right… This is fishy.
Ushering the pair inside, Utaugy pushed Diraimeir into the seat across from the Fai. Between them was an inviting table full of the region’s best dishes. Whole roasted pork nestled on a bed of wild rice and pine nuts, pan-fried in butter sat in the center of the table. Smaller dishes of stewed root vegetables, Homemade sourdough, several kinds of cheeses and fruits, and even steamed hen covered the rest of the table with hardly any space left for actual eating. Diraimeir only saw this sort of meal on special occasions. Everything seemed perfect. He blinked, watching Tathlyn gave in to the want of the suckling pig. He could not blame him. The smell of the spiced meat made his own mouth water.
Before either of them could even take a bite of it, Uatugy swatted Tathlyn’s full fork from his hand. Diraimeir gasped softly, putting down his own. What’s all this then?
“Ah, ah, ah! Uatugy needs him to go fetch firewood. It’s cold. So cold.” She put her finger square in Tathlyn’s face. “Firewood is out by the barn, it is. Uatugy would get it herself, but he is strong. Much stronger than she. And his friend looks so tired. Too tired. Let him rest. Go fetch the kindling!” She practically pushed him out the door! Diraimeir felt the hair on his arms rise. Don’t go! Don’t leave me alone with her!
- Writer
