Restoration Chapter 1

I stared for a moment at the plots in front of me.

Everything seemed so surreal.

Dunhill had finally left for the day after making sure I knew how to farm.

I looked around my land. The land that had been in my family for a long while.

High dirt and rock wall sectioned it off on three sides, with the river forming the last side.

A rockfall had blocked off the other two sections and I was honestly surprised to see the farmhouse in decent shape.

It didn't look worse for wear like the town.

Trees had grown up and I'd need to chop them down to make use of the rest of my land.

I looked down at my hands.

I'd come out here hoping to start a normal life.

All my life, I'd seen the little sprites of the Harvest Goddess and been treated a bit odd for it.

Now I could see even more things. Had control of something I'd never thought possible.

I could feel an innate power in the hoe I held in my right hand.

It was weak, but it was there.

I shook my head as I planted the seeds Dunhill had left me.

I'd need something that would earn me some quick cash.

I headed into the town and was again startled by how run down it looked.

Empty and lonely.

I glanced at Emma's house and waved at the older woman.

Hana's place was neat, but I could tell the old woman was needing help maintaining it.

The brick house stood empty as well and I wondered who lived there.

I hadn't had time to explore anything yesterday as Dunhill kept me busy getting settled in.

But I could tell that house was still occupied.

Unless it was Emma taking care of the flower boxes and the ivy growing on one wall of the house.

That wasn't ordinary ivy, it was a flowering species that would have thousands of tiny blooms in late spring until mid fall when they dropped.

I envied whoever lived there.

It looked like a beautiful house.

xXx

I made my way through the forest, picking up loose stones that I could turn into material if I had the right tools. I also found some small branches and honeycombs and flowers and even some wild herbs.

The mint was easiest to find.

I stared at the collapsed mine for a moment and then shook my head as I continued on.

A couple large boulders covered huge mushrooms with a solid illusion.

Did the local sprites realize I could see through it? I knew those things were there, but their illusions were solid enough that I couldn't use them.

I continued into the mountain area, picking up more things.

The bag I'd found in my family house was old, but special.

I had to wonder why no one had stolen it.

Then again, Emma had seen me put something much too large in it and hadn't blinked.

I wondered if these bags were more common out here than in the city?

Maybe that was how people still used to the magic of the Goddess and sprites did things.

I collected things from stumps in the mountain area, using the mushroom at the edge of the water.

At first, I'd been nervous about climbing onto it and had stayed crouched down, but as the magic took effect and it prepared to launch me across the river, I realized the Goddess herself had enchanted these things. I'd be fine.

I collected more things from the other stump and then bounced back across.

I paused as I headed back up the path to the spring.

There were several scattered debris piles of stones and branches from storms and I cleaned them up, putting the material in my bag.

I pulled out one of the blue flowers I'd found and laid it by the edge of the spring.

I headed for the river area and kept finding more things. Mushrooms I could eat, more materials, more honeycombs.

As I stood on the bridge leading back to town, I brushed my long white hair from my face.

Just yesterday, I'd found Dunhill here trying to greet me.

Crazy old man.

He cared a lot for his town, and I could see it being in such bad shape wore on him badly.

I made my way back to Emma's house and opened the large bin.

The inky blackness inside hid powerful magic from anyone who didn't believe in it.

Emma used this to ship things overnight wherever she wanted.

I opened my bag and pulled out all the bugs I'd been catching in the various areas.

They were prime specimens and some were quite beautiful.

I didn't think I'd be making a living like this, but for now it would do.

I headed back to my house and started to map out the area I had on a piece of graphing paper.

It was hard on my head to use my secondary vision, but I could see the gridlines of magic that my family had long used in our construction business back in the city.

It helped to learn how to place buildings and amenities when you could step into a room infused with magic and move and place things in an instant with magic.

My family had been doing it for years now, and I was one of the strongest.

I had seen the studio on the side of the house, but couldn't find the key.

Until I found it, I could still use my own magic to plan how I'd use this land.

As my watch showed four, I finished my outline of the land on my pad of paper.

I looked at the boulders to the right and headed for them.

I tucked the pencil behind my ear and the pad under my arm and carefully climbed over the rocks.

I wouldn't be doing that every day, but as I saw the terraced land that I'd be able to utilize later, I was happy enough to quickly map it out on paper for planning.

I climbed back as it was nearing ten, frustrated at how overgrown my family had let the old farmstead get.

I headed for my house and more importantly, my bed.

xXx

After caring for my newly budding plants, I made my way around the areas in a couple hours.

My new routine was quick, but left me with a lot of spare time.

Which I filled with mapping, but I worried once that ran out.

I decided to start growing fodder grass once my current crops were harvested.

It would be easier work and allow me to study the area and people more.

Hana was happy to sell me even those cheap seeds, but I did keep a plot for growing real crops as well. And after fertilizing and carefully managing a set of potatoes, I felt good that it was a very good quality crop.

Dunhill had told me to grow something good for the harvest festival he wanted to throw at the end of the season.

Just a few more weeks out. It worried me.

My skill in growing crops wasn't as good as I'd like.

I guess my family got lax in the past couple generations.

I went to bed as usual after a serious bout of plotting on my farmland.

I knew some things I wanted to build, but I also wanted maximum farmland space too. To practice my skill and make this farm profitable.

It was going to be a lot of work.

xXx

It was little over a week after I came in that I woke in the morning to the sound of a cow in my yard.

I yanked on my clothes and threw my hair into it's usual ponytail.

As I hurried out and around the corner of the house, I saw a large cow wandering along heading for my barn.

Did it think that was home?

"Dammit, wait up." I heard the voice from the path leading off my farm.

I looked up the slight incline to see a flash of red and cameo and blond hair.

The man tripped as he stumbled down the incline trying to catch up with his cow.

I stifled a small laugh.

Combat boots didn't help keep your balance when not properly tied.

He looked about as thrown together as I was.

I reached to pet the cow as it came closer to me and settled in calmly.

It took to nibbling on a patch of fodder grass and I sighed.

I'd have to teach it to not mess with my plots.

I'd get it some real fodder after I cut this grass later.

I took the chance to get a good look at the man in my yard.

He looked tall, much more than myself. Granted that wasn't hard considering I was maybe five two. I put him at least six foot.

Muscled, probably from his work. He filled out that red coat quite well and the shirt under it was stretched a bit, revealing a hint of a very toned chest and hard abs.

His cameo pants weren't military, just a regular kind like hunters wore, but I had a good feeling he wasn't a hunter.

Those combat style boots would have swallowed my tiny feet. Maybe a size thirteen or fourteen?

I stifled a smile at the old thought: guys with big hands and feet were well endowed...I was pretty sure it was accurate enough. Where there was smoke, there was fire.

At any rate, even the messy blond hair and hint of stubble on his chin and jaw looked pretty sexy.

He was hot.

I pushed all the dirty thoughts from my head as the man finally caught up.

"So...you must be Rachel." He looked at me.

I nodded.

"Well...Dunhill asked me to bring this cow down to you as a kind of welcoming present. I don't normally do such things, but...she is a bit of a problem."

"Pushing a problem child off on someone else."

He gave me a sharp look.

"No, she just seems to like it here. Won't go to another farm." He scoffed and cleared his throat. "Anyway, you can have her." He reached in the backpack he carried and pulled out several tools.

That did explain why no one was fazed by my bag.

His was the same way.

He held out the pitchfork and milker and brush.

"Here. These are going to be needed for you to care for her properly. You should brush her whenever she gets dirty, milk her every day, and make sure the barn is kept clean." He said.

He started to turn away.

"Wait." I reached out and snagged his sleeve as my new cow wandered off to the fenced in area by the barn.

He gave me a hard glare for touching his red rocker coat.

I pulled away.

"Who are you?" I frowned.

"Neil." He ran his fingers through his hair. "I live in that brick house and manage the animals for the neighboring regions with a couple others at the animal ranch. I'll be the one getting all the animals you need too."

I nodded as he turned and started back up the incline to head for town.

"Too damn early in the morning for this shit."

I could hear him mumbling as he left.

I turned to guide my cow into the barn and closed the doors after getting her settled in.

He might have been hot, but he did have a bit of an attitude.

xXx

I finished my farm chores and started to head into town.

Melina was fed, milked, and brushed and seemed to like me just fine.

I walked up to the square to start my usual rounds of foraging and paused as I saw the little setup Neil had.

I did actually see a man walking away carrying a cage containing a chicken.

Guess he'd be able to sell animals from here after all.

He looked at me and I saw his face sink into a scowl.

I steeled myself and walked towards him anyway.

As I came close enough I pulled my bag off my shoulder and pulled out a piece of the fodder I'd cut this morning.

Six in the morning was obviously too early for him to socialize or sell, but it was closer to lunch now.

I set the bundle of fodder on the counter set up and he looked at it.

"This is okay to give her right?"

He frowned at me as he picked it up.

I watched him look it over and test a long leaf of grass with his fingers.

"Yeah, this is good. It's...better than what I've had for the past couple years."

I nodded with a smile.

"Good, I would hate to get her sick right after you gave her to me."

He looked at me a little unsure.

"I'm sorry about this morning." He mumbled.

"It's nothing. It was too early for either of us."

"Still...I was rude. I'm just used to people getting animals only for their products and not really caring about the animals themselves. Even Dunhill only thought of how a cow could increase productivity on your little farm."

I sighed. "Well, a better treated and raised animal gives better goods, right?"

He cracked a laugh. "Yeah."

I watched him set the fodder on the counter again and he reached into the cart behind him into a crate.

He turned back with a hand sized bottle.

"Here. In case she does get sick. Since...you seem actually concerned with her."

I took the bottle carefully and put it in my bag.

He collected up the fodder and made to hand it back to me.

"Keep it. It's a gift." I said.

He frowned again as I started to walk away and head for the forest.

xXx

When I came back around into town I could still see the top of his wagon up on the plaza.

I jolted when Dunhill came up beside me as I was putting my critters inside the bin in front of Emma's house.

I also put most of the fodder in as well.

I figured it could be sold to that ranch he got his animals from.

Better fodder, happier animals, right?

"So, Neil get that cow to you?" He asked.

I nodded. "She seems more than content to hang out in my barn."

"Good. I was hoping that cow could be helpful in getting your farm back up and running."

"Next time, ask me first. I was planning on waiting a season before getting any animals. Settle into a rhythm of sorts."

The older man looked a bit chastised by my words, as I'd intended. But he still nodded.

I headed back into my farmland.

xXx

I added harassing Neil to my list of things I did on a daily basis.

I brought him good fodder for a gift every day for almost a week before Hana came to ask me to take a walk with her.

He acted surly, but he felt happy when I gave him the little gift every day.

Melina had settled in quite nicely with being the only cow and he came by after work to check on her once and determined me to be fit enough to handle her.

As Hana and I walked through the forest, I listened to the older woman talk about how the tiny town used to be.

"I think Neil only stays with us because he doesn't like people much." She said.

I looked at her.

"I kind of figured he didn't care for people. I had been hoping it wasn't just me he didn't like."

Hana laughed. "Far as I've known him, since before his father left him at ten here alone, he's never gotten along with anyone. He was such a carefree little boy before his mother died when he was six. Then his father just kind of ignored him and the kids from the school in the neighboring town picked on him because he was small."

I frowned.

He wasn't small now.

He was easily taller and more muscled than my older brother.

About six foot and a couple inches and muscled from taking care of animals most of his life.

"He was bullied?" I asked.

"Not too badly. But in grade school Kosaburo used to get called in because he'd gotten into fights with other kids. When Rod's family came for those few years, I think that's what made Neil happiest. Rod's family took care of the animals around here and Neil just kind of fell in with them. I think Rod is probably the only one Neil sees as a real friend."

"Whatever happened to his father?" I asked as we came to the mountain area.

"That brat left Neil here with us in that old house and we tried to raise him well, but he'd already hurt the boy too much. Last I heard, he had moved to the city and became a drunk. Neil doesn't really keep in contact and neither do we."

"Poor Neil." I mumbled.

"Yes, so take care with him. He's a nice boy, he just doesn't trust people."

I nodded.

"Well, thank you for the walk. It was quite lovely."

We both looked down as we heard quiet talking.

xXx

Getting Iroha settled in had been much easier than anticipated.

The budding smith was more than happy with the house the old smith had lived in.

Dunhill was happy to have a new person in town.

I slowly settled myself in with my rounds of caring for my cow, taking care of my farm, then teasing Neil and giving him the gift of good quality fodder, and then foraging.

I didn't need to collect bugs anymore and I think Emma was happy to not be shipping them too.

It was several more days before I finished my work early for once and headed into town at almost eight. All crops harvested, Melina happy and milked, and fodder cut.

It felt strange to be done so early, but I was happy with my harvest safely tucked in my fridge.

The magic on it and the other supply containers was still strong.

I'd found the link between my storage and barn feeder quite steady still and used it daily now that I'd stocked the chest.

I'd also found a couple old bowls of potato soup in the fridge when I first arrived and had slowly finished them off.

The harvest sprites had introduced themselves, but I still didn't really talk to them.

I stopped by Neil's house and debated on knocking.

I stepped up as I heard voices from inside.

Angry voices.

I eased the door open and neither him, nor one of his customers heard me.

The man was angry that his cow was sick.

Claimed Neil sold him a sick cow.

He pushed me out of the way as he left.

I flinched as the door slammed and looked at Neil.

"What?" He snapped at me.

"I...just wanted to see what was the matter. You sound pretty angry."

"I am dammit. Who the hell would think that I, or anyone from that ranch, would sell a sick animal? Is your cow sick too? Gonna blame me for that?"

"She's not sick, like I said, I was just worried about you sounding so angry." He turned and put his hands on the table.

"Sorry." He mumbled.

I didn't think it was a great idea, but I stepped closer and put my hands on his back.

Under his jacket, I could feel him tense up. Both stress and anger made his muscles tight.

"Neil...what about that cow? Shouldn't you go check on it? It can't be far if that man walked here."

He pushed away from the table.

"Right. I can't blame the cow for his being stupid." He shook his head and I watched him go to the shelf by his front door and grab a bottle of medicine.

He stuffed it in his pocket before running out the door.

I moved to sit at his kitchen table, not wanting to leave before he got back, but also feeling uneasy with being in his home alone too.

I looked around.

The open plan was nice, the dark colors great for him, but maybe they contributed to his natural anger.

His kitchen was clean, everything put away neatly, but his pans showed obvious use.

I moved to look at his cookbook and saw basic recipes that he must have memorized by now and ate every day.

Seasonal simple things.

The bookshelf beside his bed was full of stuff, not all of it books.

One shelf had a framed picture of a little blond boy with an older woman.

She was pretty, but looked sick.

His mother.

I touched it, feeling a bit sad for such a little boy losing his mother and being left with a man who no longer cared.

Her death had probably hit them both pretty hard.

He had several books on animal physiology and diet and psychology. He did seem to love animals.

There was also a full shelf of adventure books that had hints of romance to them. A closet romantic hiding it behind a wall of roughness.

I found a binder tucked on top of the shelf of adventure books.

I pulled it out and flipped it open.

Sheet music in various stages of completion. Quite a few were done.

I glanced to the side of his bed and saw a guitar next to an amp and a couple picks on the bedside table.

It seemed Neil was a very reserved man with a passion for animals and music.

I put his binder away and moved to run my fingers over the strings of his electric guitar.

They felt smoothed by use with both the pick and his fingers.

I caught a slight discoloration and realized he'd played his fingers raw at one point in the life of these strings.

Raw enough to bleed.

Venting his anger through this?

I sighed as I sat on the side of his bed.

The soft comforter was black with gray stitching in a random, almost cameo pattern.

The dark hardwood of his bed looked rough and worn, like he'd had it for a couple decades.

I looked at the floor.

In just a couple weeks, he'd slowly begun to open up a bit to me.

Not enough to say we were close, but I wanted to think we could be friends.

Maybe more.

I felt my skin flush at the thought of being intimate with him.

Physically, I was very attracted to him.

I'd seen hot guys back in the city, but Neil had a roughness and genuine feel to him that I liked.

Bad boy almost.

Sure, he was an animal person, but then, I hadn't been much of a people person either.

Still wasn't.

In honesty, I'd left the city because I'd gotten a stalker.

It had been innocuous notes in my mail, flowers at the company office my family owned, and little gifts sitting on the hood of my car.

My parents had tried to work with the police, but until he physically came at me, nothing could be done.

I settled my shaking hands and stood up as the door opened.

Neil sighed as he came in the house.

He looked up as I stood at the top of the two steps leading up to his 'bedroom' area.

"Still here?" He frowned.

"I...wanted to know how it went?"

He sighed again and shrugged his jacket off.

"He's still never going to buy from me and I'm more than fine with that, but the cow should be fine in a few days as long as he follows the directions I left." He moved to wash his hands at the sink.

It was a moment of watching those long, strong fingers scrub clean halfway up his arm before he reached for the dishtowel.

"Dammit all, why can't more farmers be like you? Melina is very happy and well cared for and you seem competent enough to try to take care of her properly and smart enough to know to come to me before shit gets this bad."

I moved to step down as he turned towards his bed.

"I will definitely come to you no matter what." I said.

He sighed as he cleared both steps in one move.

I started to ease away from him as he seemed to want to be alone for a while again.

As I turned away, he grabbed my right forearm and pulled me towards him.

"Why did you really stick around? To see if I was still angry?"

I looked up into his reddish-purple eyes. An odd color for sure, but no odder than my own ice blue.

His eyes were hard, but he didn't look at me with any anger.

"You're still angry, but not at me." I looked away as I spoke.

His other hand moved to catch my chin and make me look at him.

"Why would I be angry about coming home to a beautiful woman sitting on my bed?"

I couldn't pull away from his strong grip as he slid his left hand to cup my cheek as he leaned down to gently cover my mouth with his.

My eyes closed at the fear and lust I felt from that.

The only experience I'd had with men not of my family had been my stalker.

Neil seemed to sense my unease.

"Sorry." He mumbled.

I opened my eyes to see him step back.

His shirt stretched over his chest as he took a deep breath.

I felt him let go of my wrist and he gave me space.

"Guess you didn't really want that."

I looked at the floor.

I stepped down the two steps and made for the door.

"It...it was very good. I just...I'm the scared one." I hurried out the door and made to start my usual rounds.

xXx

I hung around the outer areas longer than normal, coming back to town only when I was sure Neil wasn't going to be out wandering the streets.

I ducked into Hana's shop just before she closed up to pick up some more grass seeds. I wasn't sure when I'd need them, but I wanted to have them around in case she was closed when I did.

As she counted the bags, she looked at me.

"I heard Neil got into a fight with a customer today." She said.

I nodded. "The man claimed Neil sold him a sick cow, but he would never have done that." I felt very sure of that.

"I know. I also heard you calmed him down and reminded him to not let a poor animal suffer."

I shook my head. "I just didn't want him to feel guilty."

Hana took the money I held out and I started loading my seeds into my bag.

"He came by after you left his house. Wanted to relax a bit and asked if I knew anything about you."

I looked at her in fear as she handed me the change. "Did you..."

"I only told him the things we all need to know about each other. This is a town that should be close. Just ask anyone anything and we'll talk. Emma and I have no secrets from each other. You don't have many from me already."

I was beginning to regret that.

I'd been aware Dunhill knew why I was here. Probably why he'd come to meet me on the road. Had he told Hana?

"Rachel, you've nothing to fear from being open and honest with us. If anyone tries to hurt you here, we'll all handle it."

"And if it was one of you?" I mumbled.

"Then they wouldn't be one of us anymore. People visit, but the residents are carefully selected by Dunhill for their ability to keep secrets and protect each other." She watched me head for the door. "I told you Neil's past, don't hide yours from him."

I didn't respond as I headed out the door.

xXx

I came back to my farm to find Neil sitting on the fence by the barn.

I tensed at the sight of him.

He jumped down and held up his hands.

In the setting sun, he was harder to see, but I didn't sense any ill-will from him.

"Please, don't run away." He said.

I stood by the side of my house, gripping the strap of my backpack.

He came closer.

"Hana told me about what drove you here. I suppose Dunhill told her so that all the old folks around here would know and be able to make you feel safe."

I stepped towards my door.

"Look Rachel, I don't want to scare you. I just want you to know that I will be here. For you." He ran his left hand fingers through his hair, messing it up a bit. It was cute, in a nervous way. "I...don't like people, but you...you're different."

"So are you." I looked away from him.

He moved towards me again.

"I'm not like your stalker Rachel, and believe me, I've no intention of hurting you." He said.

"I know." I mumbled.

Neil reached for my free hand and took it gently.

"If...I can do anything to make you feel safer here, please let me know." He said. "I want you to feel safe. With me." He added.

I nodded.

I took a steadying breath before looking up at him.

The fading golden light made his blond hair streak burnished gold and his already slightly tanned skin looked wonderful. But it was the soft expression and tilted smile that made me feel safer.

No, Neil would never hurt me. Not physically and he wouldn't mean to hurt me emotionally either.

He knew how that felt.

"I...I do." I said.

He leaned down and I closed my eyes.

For a moment, all I felt was his breath, hot against my lips.

But the moment my fingers moved to twine with his, he came down on me.

His kiss was gentle, but solid.

I tightened my hold on his hand as his other moved to wrap so tenderly around the back of my neck.

My hand slipped from my bag to grip the front of his tight black crew-neck shirt.

He tilted my head slightly with his hold and I felt his tongue tease my lips for access.

His thumb brushed the back of my hand as his other hand tangled in my long hair, easing the ribbon I tied it with free.

I opened my mouth to him and he pushed me back against the siding of my house.

I felt slightly nervous as his knee braced between my legs against the wood siding behind me.

The hand holding mine moved to put it against the wall as his tongue invaded my mouth and stroked mine intimately.

I heard a groan of satisfaction and realized it was him.

He enjoyed this.

But did he enjoy me? Or would any woman do?

He broke away from my lips and put his head against the curve of my neck.

I felt him kiss the side of my neck.

"Neil?" I couldn't help the break in my voice. I gripped his shirt tighter and he eased a little, very softly running his lips over the side of my neck up to my ear. "Tell me...is this...passion for me?"

I opened my eyes to see his thick blond hair and the collar of his coat.

His position didn't allow me much else.

He nipped my ear and I jolted.

"Hell yes." He whispered in my ear.

He moved to put his body flush with mine, reaching with the hand that had been tangled in my hair to drop my bag beside me on the porch and grip my other hand.

I tensed slightly as I felt the rock hard erection against my hip through both our clothes.

I turned my face to breathe in his scent.

He had taken a shower since this morning, because now he smelled of fresh vanilla and mint.

I liked it.

He put me in such a vulnerable position, yet I didn't feel trapped or scared.

"I can't explain it Rachel. You just get under my skin and I like it. You give me such a ridiculous gift every day knowing that only I can really enjoy it, and knowing it means so much to me." He said. "Plus, I think it helps that from the moment I saw you, I've been hot for you. You are physically the kind of woman I've always been attracted to, but what kills me is that you like animals and are so damn sweet even when I've been nothing but grumpy at you."

I sighed as I breathed in more of his scent, the air not wanting to leave my lungs.

"I..." I started.

Suddenly he pulled away from me.

"I'll leave for now though. Today I'll settle for a kiss. Next time I'll let you set the limits."

I blinked at him as he put his hands in his pockets and backed away from me.

He was really leaving.

After that hot kiss, with me knowing how aroused he was.

Not that there was any other relief for him in this tiny place.

He turned to head home.

xXx

I went about my usual routine until two new people came to town.

I recognized Rebecca.

She had made up some designs for my family company once.

Her little boy had been only five then.

Tony was such a rambunctious child now.

It didn't look like she remembered me.

But she broke the lock on the old studio and while I used the power in the room and my family blood, she fixed a new lock on it.

By the time she finished with the door, I had finished with her house.

She was thoroughly impressed by my talent as I showed her the shrunken house.

She helped me place it in the town.

"So, now you'll be able to use that power of your family's bloodline and fix up this town. It'll be good." She put her hand on my shoulder. "I know why you're here and believe me Rachel, I won't let anyone hurt you. Your father sent me out here because Tony needs the clean air out here because of his breathing condition, but he also wants me to look out for you. And I will."

I nodded.

She remembered me alright.