BOO! AN UPDATE OUT OF THE BLUE! This was weird...right? THis chapter took so long because there was a lot I had put in it and it seemed really...rushed for the amount of time. SO I edited this thing like crazy, thought of where to put the other things that I wanted to put and...viola! The next chap I promise is going to be up within the next few days. And all my DB fans, hold on just a little longer kay? I love you guys!
Anyway, thanks for reviewing!:
hendrixthenicecow: I'm glad you don't mind the few months wait. Unfortunately, editing wasn't the only thing keeping me preoccupied. School was a bitch and I just now got my chance to fanfic a bit again yayz! So we're seeing a little plot development and, well, of course you called it xD. I couldn't have a Molly who didn't work on the farm, that's like...not even Harvest Moon anymore. I like how I worked in the farming so I'm glad you totally called it. Thanks for waiting!
dolphinz411: Ah, I can't tell you how much that means to me x3, making the reactions similar to real life reactions is like the ultimate goal, and that I've even touched it is like "OMFG I'M THAT GREAT? TT_TT THANK YOU!" so thank you so much for sharing that with me ^_^! I hope the wait wasn't too long to make you not care about this anymore, so thanks for reviewing and thanks for reading!
Worth the Wait: I'm glad it was! Your indirect compliment of me writing perfection made me smile like a...like a monkey? Yes, a monkey. I was cheesing so hard XD! I'm not all that great, but I'm slowly improving with these fanfics so I'm glad you enjoy them so much! The next chap will be out much sooner than usual so please await it too :).
Narwhale1: Coming from you that means a bunch :). I'm trying my absolute hardest to keep the plot going where it needs to go in the right sort of flow and such. I'm hoping to pick things up more after this chapter (which I guarantee it'll pick up, we've been in the neutral stage for far too long now ^^"). Anyway, thanks a bunch for the review and I'm glad you got the time to read the last chap! Hope you're still following the story :).
lerainbowchibi: First off, cute name ^w^! Second of all, I think this is the first time anyone has ever mentioned that I've provoked THE FEELS! QAQ Oh goddess them feels xD! I take your words to heart, the praise is very much appreciated and just completely makes me all...all Feely inside x3. Thanks so much for the review and I hope that you're still following this slow updater and her slowness of slowocity Q_Q.
Madame Joker: XD I just love your reviews (and fics, sorry had to throw that out there teehee xD). I'm glad that I've exceeded the expectations once again (though I'd like to find out my own secret as to how x3). In the last chap, it was that Luke had said it and that Owen, after Chloe told him about it, told Chloe the same thing Molly did which was "Don't repeat those words". Though, I believe Owen has his dark side somewhere, we've just not seen it yet...this must be fixed! Ha, anyway, thanks for your review! I hope you're still following this :)
Fantasy is now Non-Fiction: I'm glad the characters are coming along well (I recommend playing the game cuz it's pretty relaxing :D). I really like taking the characters to a deeper level than the game. In game Owen is actually a little more go-lucky than the Owen you're reading about here, but he always had this undertone of being shouldered with responsibility along with his big-brother demeanor and I really wanted to bring that out in this fic. I'm glad you're enjoying it so much and I'll try to update a little more often. Thanks for your time and I hope you're still reading along :)!
ENJOY THE CHAPTER!
I sat quietly with my hands folded on the desk in front of me, my eyes not leaving Gill's and his not leaving mine. I had never talked to the guy, only having seen him around the island ever so often. Still, he looked at me as if he knew every move I was going to make...so of course I returned the favor.
"That's too high." I stated.
"It's an appropriate price." Gill countered.
"They don't even have an upstairs."
"They are built efficiently and sturdily."
We had been at it since I came in this morning...arguing over prices for the houses. I didn't understand why they were all either 100,000G or 200,000G. It was just crazy! Luckily it was a Thursday and I didn't have any work to get done.
"I'm willing to reduce the Mountain House by 20,000G since there's the risk of a landslide."
I rolled my eyes at him.
"I already told you that that house was out of the question." I sighed. The Mountain House was only right above the Blacksmith Shop. I needed to be at least a smidge more apart from the shop than a staircase away.
"I know." he seemed to get a kick out of this because a faint smirk was starting to appear on his lips.
"You think this is funny?"
"I think this is ridiculous. Molly, you already stay at the Blacksmith's where your job is. What could be more convenient than that?" Gill pried.
"The convenience of privacy is a little more appealing than the convenience of being at my place of work before work-hours," I grumbled at him. Though, I will say being on-time every hour on the hour was really a big deal for me. Being punctual was a pretty big thing.
"Anyway. You have to have something that isn't as expensive, right?"
Gill leaned back in his chair, seeming to think really hard on this as he fiddled with a pen.
"Well...there's the old farm house." he stated.
I thought about that old, run-down farm. It looked like rain could seep in through the cracks, and that didn't make for very good living conditions...
Well...depending on the price that is.
"How much would that be?"
"70,000G."
"You're killing me...why so much for such a disaster!" I was getting irritated.
"The house doesn't come by itself; it's a package deal. If you buy the house then you get the acres of land, the barn, the coop, the hot spring at the back-"
"Hot spring? What?"
"It was helpful when the old farmer needed to unwind. It's quite a luxurious piece of property when you think about it. The aesthetics, the wide open fields. I'm giving you a bargain for it."
"Gill, I barely have the money to afford that and I'm still going to need to buy things like food and get certain appliances, not to mention furniture-"
"There's furniture there that the old farmer had used." Gill chimed.
"...Okay, furniture like a bed that an old guy didn't die on."
"Molly, don't be absurd. We cleaned the sheets before we put the ads out for a farmer,"
That sounded like a joke, but Gill didn't seem like the joking type.
"Plus, he didn't die in the bed. He died on the floor."
. . .
"There has to be some other way. I really, really need to move out of the Blacksmith's shop. It's the best option for work production. If production fails, profit decreases. I'm sure someone like yourself should know that."
Gill gave a sigh and rubbed at his temples. I felt bad for trying to haggle him, but what other choice did I have, besides staying at the shop that is.
"Look, Molly. You're a determined, strong, hard-working woman; so, I'm sure that whatever problem there is at the Blacksmith's can be solved through-"
Gill stopped, his eyes widening slowly. He slowly sat up in his chair, placing the pen on his desk and propping his elbows on the desk with folded hands as he leaned forward. His icy-blue hues went from being stoic to rather serious.
"Actually, I think I do have a proposition for you. It'll lower the cost of the farmland."
"By how much, exactly?"
"All the way to 5000G."
My eyes widened and I sat up a bit straighter.
"What exactly are you proposing then?"
Gill laid a file on the desk. It was aged and yellowed -dusty as if it hadn't been touched for a while.
"Ms. Cameron," he started.
"I'm about to offer you a life-changing experience."
X
X
X
Empty.
Finally, I had emptied the whole dresser. I didn't think I brought that many clothes since I didn't really have much...but then again I guess Maya did cause me to expand my wardrobe in the one season that I was here.
. . .
It really has already been a whole full season. It's weird how things can change so quickly; nothing ever really stays the same for too long. In a matter of a few months I had decided to leave a place I had been for four years. In a few more months (a whole season actually) I was suddenly moving out of the place I had just moved to.
Now here I was, staring at the suitcases that were once again chock-full of my things.
"I take it you found a place?" I heard the distinct voice of Ramsey call from the door.
I turned to see him, giving a half-smile.
"Yeah. You'll never guess what I'm having to do though."
Ramsey looked at me with much interest before stepping into the room.
"What do you mean?"
I've never seen Ramsey shown so much interest in one thing, he was slowly starting to give me that concerned-with-what-you're-doing-with-your-life vibe with each conversation we had.
"Well, the only place that I could afford, with Gill's proposition, is the farm." I said.
Ramsey put a hand to his forehead, massaging it for a moment.
"Child...what kind of proposition is it that he gave you?" his voice sounded wary as if he already knew the answer.
I fiddled with the handle of one of my suitcases, looking at him with a smile because I knew he knew what it was without even having to ask.
"I'm gonna be a farmer."
"WHAT!" A voice shouted in shock from the room door.
Both Ramsey and I turned to see Chloe, mouth hanging open and staring with wide-eyes at me.
Her bright-blue hues found their way to my bags that were sitting at my feet before wandering over to the vanity that had suddenly been cleared of my things.
Oh frig...
"Molly! Where's all your stuff!" She shouted in surprise, running around the room and looking for something of mine -as if looking for a shred of my presence.
"Chloe-"
"Is it all in the dresser?" she questioned, cutting me off as she opened a drawer to find nothing inside.
"Chloe." I stooped down to her level, her eyes wide. At first I wasn't sure if she had really heard what I said about being a farmer or having found a place, but then I could see the tears start to accumulate in her wide, doe-like eyes filled with shock.
"Wh-where are you going?" she stuttered.
I looked to Ramsey and he only gave me a nod of encouragement to tell her what was going on.
"Chloe, it's okay-"
"No! No it's not okay! Y-you're leaving! Why are you leaving! Where are you going! Did I do something wrong?" each sentence broke my heart.
"What? Kiddo, no. Heck no! Of course you didn't do anything wrong!" I was on my knees now, trying to comfort her.
"B-but you're leaving! You don't want to live here anymore and when you leave I won't see you again and I don't know why-" her voice cracked halfway, getting high-pitched and upset before she broke off because her voice was getting too high to understand and she knew it. Her hands flew to her face as she bent her head down and tried to wipe at the furiously flowing tears.
"Oh Goddess, Chloe! Where in the world did you get that idea?" I said and pulled her into a hug, getting misty eyed myself. It was almost as if I was leaving my little sister again, she didn't have the same look as Chloe, but I was definitely feeling the same way as I did back then. Did my poor baby sister cry like this when she couldn't see me anymore?
"Taylor left today!" she shouted into my shirt and I stared at her in surprise as she cried.
"Pa-Paolo told me tha-that that was why they fought the other time and told me I would-wouldn't understand. And the Summer Festival, they spent time with me because Taylor didn't want to leave it like that," her voice sounded so broken.
"I-I tried not to cry when Taylor told me before he got o-on the boat because you don't cry and I didn't want to cry! And so I came here and now you're leaving too!"
"Why'd he leave?" I asked.
"Cuz' Marimba Farm is running out of seeds and the ground is really dry now, so he left to go find some help -his sister Anissa left a year ago too..." Chloe sniffled as she explained and I gave Ramsey a worried glance. If what Chloe said was true, then I was in trouble if I was going to try this whole farming thing out.
"Okay, okay. Calm down. I'm not actually leaving, Chloe." I soothed her, patting her back as she let out little strained sobs.
"Y-you're no-not?" her breath hitched a few times as she looked at me.
"Well, I'm leaving the shop but not the island. I'm moving to a different place here. You heard me say I was gonna be a farmer, right?"
Chloe nodded and used her arms to wipe at her eyes for a moment.
"Well, I'm gonna farm at the old place right down the mountain side, across the bridge. The one with the huge Cherry trees!"
"Really?"
"Yeah! It's gonna be hard, but I'm going to get all sorts of plants and flowers and we can have fresh fruit and veggies and homemade snacks-"
"Will you have animals?" Chloe asked hopefully.
"Oh yeah! A whole bunch of them! They'll want to see you too! You can play with them everyday, and you can come by as often as you want!" I was speaking to her in a voice of wonder, getting kind of excited about it too.
"I can?"
"You better! You'll be my little farmer apprentice on the side." I said and pinched her nose as she gave a relieved giggle, shooing my hand away.
The mood in the room brightened, and I could see Ramsey's tension leave him. Eventually, we migrated downstairs after I made sure they weren't going to help with my bags. It was inconvenient for them to try and go out when it was beginning to get late. It was already 7:00 PM. As I trekked down the stairs, Chloe kept going on and on about how she was going to have to do what I did so the shop would run smoothly in the mornings, like making breakfast and making sure that Ramsey would go out to get food and other necessities that they would need.
"You can't touch the stove by yourself," I looked to Ramsey.
"Can she?"
"I suppose helping her cook is one of my duties as her Grandfather. Though if you come to help in the mornings I would have no complaints."
I stifled a laugh at that. Ramsey knew he wasn't very well versed in this area.
"What about how my hair is supposed to be treated? And the soap that you said is better for my skin? And how you said you were gonna measure me so I could go get more clothes since I'm growing some more?"
Ramsey sent me a pointed look. I wasn't really concerned with things like beauty, but I knew that there was some things that a girl just shouldn't pass up and I taught it to Chloe...so sue me.
"I'll write down a list of things for Boss to follow. Right now, though, you should still have enough to last you for a month or two more," I told her. I looked at my suitcases and saw how it was getting darker by the minute outside.
"Okay, well. I'm gonna get going now. I haven't seen the inside of the new place yet and I'm pretty sure it's going to need a lot of work before I'm actually able to go to sleep tonight."
"Best of luck. Don't forget you still have work tomorrow." Ramsey said as he headed back upstairs.
"See you tomorrow?" Chloe questioned.
"Definitely, Kiddo." I said and pinched her cheek.
The air was a mid-summer warm, a cool breeze swept through the air ever so often. The rustling of the trees from the nearby forest path created a very soothing sound.
Today in general had been pretty soothing, besides having to haggle Gill. I hadn't seen Owen all day actually. I left the shop way early before he even woke up, was in Gill's office all day, and now I was on my way to my new house and I didn't have to go anywhere near the bar.
And, thankfully, I was able to get to the farm without jinxing myself into running into him.
Upon my arrival, I was hit with the familiar smell of the cherries that I'd often see when coming past the farmland -usually I would respect the past owner by not picking them.
But that was no longer the case...
Setting down my bags on the porch, I made my way over to the great five trees, looking up at all of the cherries that had ripened since they weren't picked since the beginning of the season. Some cherries had already fallen off the tree, lying on the ground in mushed piles, probably due to some wild animal causing mischief.
"I'm way too short to reach those." I finally admitted.
"The stool is on the right side of the barn."
"Oh, thanks. That should help." I said, looking toward the barn. I was very appreciative to-
I spun around, suddenly realizing that I wasn't alone.
"Okay, you have got to stop sneaking up on people." I rolled my eyes at Wizard who shrugged his shoulders in a non-caring way.
"What are you doing here?" I asked.
"I could be asking you the same..." he stated.
I let a proud smile come to my face as I put a hand to my hip.
"As of today, you're looking at the new farmer." I spoke confidently.
"You must be joking..." he sighed and my smile dropped.
"...You have a very odd tendency...going for jobs meant for men." Wizard commented.
"Hey, any job can be meant for either gender. There's female doctors and male secretaries in this day and age, you know."
I gave Wizard a stern look then turned to go locate the stool next beside the barn before the light of the day was all gone.
"Hopefully...you can live up to Franklin's legacy..." Wizard muttered as I started collecting cherries from the tree tops.
I glanced over my shoulder at him.
"You knew him?"
"He was a...very good friend." Wizard spoke solemnly.
My eyebrow arched at his sentence.
"How old are you?"
"Did you tell Owen...?" he asked, completely dodging my question.
"Uh, no. Why would I even need to? It's not like he would care." I grumbled, irritating myself with that sentence. Would Owen care? Would he have gotten angry and told me that I should just stay at the Blacksmith's?
"Was that to...convince yourself?" Wizard asked knowingly, and it really irked me.
"Don't you need to be somewhere? Like at the bar, making sure that guy isn't getting too drunk or something?" I fumed before going to the shipping bin to deposit the cherries and walking back to work on my third tree.
"You're upset...I just wanted to help." he responded nonchalantly.
"I'm fine so go away."
"Owen saw that scar on your chest...and you moved from the Blacksmith's...and you're unsure about the person...who has been calling for you."
"Dammit, Owen." I muttered spitefully. That prick went and told Wizard about the scar, though Wizard somehow already knew anyway...wait.
"I didn't tell you I was moving from the Blacksmith's shop."
Wizard stared at me for a moment, blinking stoically before a smirk traveled to his lips as if he had a secret that he wasn't going to share.
"I know more than you think I do." his voice was not a haze anymore, but rather more confident and, well, smartass-like.
I could almost feel myself jump out of my skin at his scary persona change.
"Moving on...," he went back to his stoic-self.
"I just came to tell you...that you shouldn't be so hard on my friend. He cares." and with that, Wizard was on his way back down the hill.
I watched him go, giving him a suspicious look. What exactly was this guy playing at?
What was I supposed to do with what he said anyway? "He cares" was probably the most impacting sentence in everything he said. Owen cares? Okay, well it's not a completely unbelievable thing...in fact I think he did say something to that effect not too long ago when I had almost fell through the floor in the mines looking for iron. He had looked at me with those sea water blue eyes and-
Hell no! I was not going to think about this right now!
After I finished picking the rest of the cherries and shipping them, I finally made my way back over to the entrance of the farm house. I fished in my pocket for the key that Gill had given me and put it into the lock. A crisp click resounded when I turned the key and I twisted the door knob, opening the entrance to the old house. Surprisingly, the door didn't squeak.
"Okay, so where's the switch?" I muttered, feeling my way on the wall next to the door. I found a little flicker and flipped it up, the house illuminating.
My breath was taken away. The place actually looked pretty decent. There was a dining table with four chairs in the middle of the room and a small kitchen to the far left corner. A hallway lead down to two doors which I assumed would be the bedroom and bathroom. A big toolbox sat near the table. A bookcase filled with ancient looking hard-backs was propped against the wall near the kitchen area.
Hastily, I took my bags into the house, closing the door behind me. The lighting was pretty dim, but what else could you expect from a house that hadn't been used in 10 years? I was more surprised that the lights still worked.
"I wonder what the room looks like." and with that statement I made my way down the small hallway that was to the right of the house. The first door I opened was actually the bathroom which was big enough for me. It was almost like the one back at the shop. There was a separate room for the toilet and then there was a shower/bath. Maybe later I could get it renovated to have a big bath like Ramsey had?
After inspecting that part, I made my way to the bedroom (it had to be the bedroom since I didn't see the bed anywhere else).
It was a pretty modest looking room. There was a small dresser for clothes and a twin bed to the far right corner and a floor lamp on the left of the bed. A stand was on the right of the bed and a diary was left on the table-side. Curiously, I went to check it.
"Write everything about your new life down in here, and happy farming.
~Mayor Hamilton"
Yes, that is what it read on the very first page. Hamilton had really wanted the new farmer to feel well accommodated.
"Well, if I ever feel the need then I don't see why not," I chuckled lightly.
Nothing in the house seemed to be covered in dust, so maybe they kept up with the place regularly. Looking up at the ceiling, I didn't see a hole in sight, unlike the outside which proved different.
"Ugly on the outside, pretty great on the inside."
Maybe the house was trying to reflect its new owner now. I just walked in and it magically knew what to do.
Owner...
I was the owner of this farmhouse...my house.
The sound of that was really odd. I didn't have a place to truly call home, but suddenly I do. A bit of pride found its way into me. Maybe this was my real new start. Blacksmithing was the door opener to this place where I can finally have something to call my own. It was mine, and mine alone. I was, for the first time, living truly by myself.
. . .
So why was I so scared?
Every creak I heard was making me a bit jumpy. I guess it's not too hard for me to believe since I never really liked being alone in the first place.
"It was going to happen sooner or later anyway." I mumbled and turned on the floor lamp, the dim light lit the room with a soft glow.
I started unpacking my clothes, putting them in the small dresser and trying to fit them all in there.
After that, I went and checked for a place to put my hammer and tool belt. The tool box was incredibly spacious and I used that for my hammer. At the same time, I found a lot of tools that the old farmer must have used and started messing around with them. They were in pretty good shape and very much still usable.
I wasn't sure exactly what to do with them but, thankfully, the bookcase had all my answers. On top of that, there were blank books for different things like recipes, crops, fish, etc. that I was supposed to fill in. It was obvious that the bookcase and everything in it was courtesy of the Mayor and he wanted the new farmer to record everything down. Maybe it was so if a farmer without any family died on the job like the last guy, they'd have a more efficient way of picking the work back up.
"There really must be a lot riding on the success of this farm." I mumbled in realization as I skimmed over a book about caring for animals. I was going to have to get livestock. Raising cows, and sheep, and horses and the like.
Before, I only had Owen riding me about work, now I'm going to have the whole island watching me.
"I can do this." I said in confidence. Suddenly, I realized that I had a new mission, a new goal. I was going to help this island, especially the Blacksmith's. I was going to somehow get to the top of the agricultural listings. If I balanced my time correctly, I could work on the farm and still follow through with my apprenticeship.
During break tomorrow, I'd go pick up things for the farm, like tools for animals and seeds. If possible, I'd buy some livestock.
I was going to make this work.
X
X
X
I had fallen asleep after unpacking. The sound of silence filled the air. There was no-one snoring and no-one moving around to get to the bathroom. Just silence.
I went to sleep to that too and ended up having a nightmare about my foster family. Goddess, I hadn't thought about them in a while. Not directly at least.
Stretching, I sat up and watched as the pillows of my comforter pooled around me in a messy heap. The clock on the wall to the right of me read 6 AM.
"Might as well get used to an early schedule." I muttered.
I got up and got dressed, walking over to the dresser to put on some work clothes. The heat was pretty unbearable in the house so I knew that it was already feeling pretty hot outside. My usual jeans for the mines just wasn't going to be the right thing to wear.
"I think I remember Maya making me buy some short things..." I muttered and shifted through the bottom dresser.
My eyes widened as I realized what I was holding.
"I thought these were shorts!" I exclaimed at the bottoms I held. I had a few different colors of skirts that had a denim feel to them. Yes, I've worn skirts and dresses before. It wasn't like I was completely against the idea, but I needed to work.
I noticed the sturdy material of the skirts as I pulled at it in worry. It was pretty durable and reminded me of Phoebe's cargo outfits.
Maya's words suddenly popped into my head: "Functional yet fashionable" she said. Maybe she was right...but still...in a skirt?
The solution to my problem lay at the bottom of the drawer. Crop leggings...and yes, I know what those are.
With a shrug, I started dressing, wearing a t-shirt/cami combo and the red-orange skirt with the leggings underneath. It was surprisingly comfortable to move around in.
Now does it look okay?
I headed to the bathroom and took a look...
Okay, so I liked it! It was kind of girly...but not too much because of the leggings. It was kind of like a new me. Which is what my new house needed.
. . .
The words "my new house" resonated in my head. Finally...I finally after so long had something to call "mine" again. The feeling was too surreal. Maybe this was destiny...this whole Blacksmith Apprentice thing. By following a path my Dad had wanted to set out for me, I found something to take me in a new direction. Things happen for a reason right?
Even though some of those things were far too depressing for words, the latest happening being Owen thinking negatively of me. In hindsight, I should've just explained the situation to him...but that would've sent me into a whole bunch of hysterics which I wasn't really willing to let the Mini-Hulk see anyway.
I walked out of the house, only to nearly run into the short stubby man I had talked to once or twice. His face was open in a surprised "O" shape as he gazed up at me. It quickly turned into a smile as he cleared his throat.
"Good morning, Molly!" Hamilton shouted gleefully to the point I couldn't help but give a tiny half-smile.
"Morning. What's going on, Mayor?" I asked politely.
Hamilton beamed up at me.
"Well, for one, I wanted to make sure that you were up and ready to work, but it seems that you're already on the job," he chuckled heartily.
"I also wanted to give you your first earnings since being on the farm. You see, I usually put it in the mailbox, but it's been so long I just felt the need to hand it to you personally. I was rather surprised when Gill told me you were going to take on the farm, a little upset at first albeit. But when I came to check your shipping box, just out of curiosity, I was surprised to see you having shipped 30 cherries already and-"
The mayor continued to go on, not really explaining why he would be upset about me taking on the farm. Admittedly, it irked me that he had something to be upset about. He's been trying to get a farmer here for the past 10 years and he has the gall to be upset about someone actually agreeing to care for this sorry excuse for land? Still, I guess newcomers have to show their worth everywhere. I'm not exactly a pro at farming or anything of the like so it only seemed fair for him to feel a bit uneasy about this set-up.
Hamilton continued to go on about things that concerned farming and he pointed out the materials I needed being in the toolbox and information would be given from the bookshelf (which I already found those two things out, but it was nice of him to clue me in anyway). He also told me to stop by Marimba Farm and Horn Ranch to talk to them about certain things. I figured it would help me out anyway so I promised him I would.
"Before I go, I'd like to also stress the use of the diary on the bedside table," Hamilton started, trying to make a serious face but it actually looked quite humorous.
"I guess I could use it...I just wouldn't know what for." I muttered softly.
"Just write down what you do, ship, and other things like that. It's really to relieve stress since farming is a big job. I figure you'll be doubly as stressed since you're working two jobs now." Hamilton explained.
"Oh, thanks then. I hope it works." I said.
"It will." Hamilton stated before waving and walking off.
Well. He was very sure of himself.
It was only a few minutes past six, giving me time to work on the farm before work started at 8. I cringed when I looked at the field in front of me. Before, I didn't think much about the weeds and rocks plaguing the soil, but now that I owned it and had to grow crops...it was going to be a real pain.
It wasn't going to clear itself, that's for sure. I went to the toolbox and geared up, slipping on some gloves I had found in the box that, though kind of big, would have to do for now. I took the sickle and my hammer and started going to work.
At first, the sickle made me a little uneasy since it looked like something from a horror movie, but I eventually got the hang of it as I was happily cutting weeds from the roots. It was tiring work I had to admit. Next was clearing the rocks from the field. It had taken a good hour to get rid of the weeds, and I was getting pretty tired so I decided to come back to the rocks later.
"Okay, that was worse than I thought." I sighed heavily as I looked at my near clear field. The rocks still made it look raggedy, but I was making progress. The only thing I dreaded was having to seed the soil and care for the crops. There was only a few things that I would really have to do, but it was the quality of the land that was worrying me, not the work. Hopefully, things would get better.
I looked to the sky as a breeze passed by, taking in its delicious generosity. One look at the sun told me that it was almost time for me to make my way to the Blacksmith's. Not really looking forward to that part of my day...
I tried not to think much about it, but I knew I was going to have to eventually bump into that guy. I wonder if he knew I moved out yet. Knowing Chloe, it was probably one of the first things she told him when she saw him next.
Maybe I could've dealt with this differently. Maybe if I had just cried and told him my problems, everything would be fine. But on the other hand, Owen would start thinking I was some weak girl again. I mean, it took way too long for him to start treating me like an equal in the Blacksmith field...breaking down in front of him would be harming my dignity.
At least, that's what I want to say. Truth is, I'm probably just being stubborn. He's a nice guy...but then he's suddenly not nice. Well, people can't be nice all the time, they're only human after all.
Shit...
I'm not making any sense to myself right now.
During my thoughts, I hadn't noticed that I had went ahead and hammered out the rocks after all. My heart was pounding heavily and I could feel my head throbbing as beads of sweat accumulated.
"Whoa, this is way different from just mining the whole day. Clearing the field takes a lot out of you..." I sighed tiredly.
"No way," someone said in a very tiny whisper, though I could only hear it because it was quiet in the country-side. I turned to see Renee, the girl from Horn Ranch, staring at me with eyes as big as dinner plates.
"It's really true..." she muttered, a light brimming in her eyes. I tilted my head to the side and gave her a concerned look.
"Uh...you okay? Do you need some water or something?" I asked, feeling a bit uneasy underneath her gaze.
"C-come with me!" Renee suddenly blurted out and started pulling me by my arm, causing me to drop my hammer.
"Wha-hey, hey! What's going on?" I asked, surprised by this sudden turn in events.
"This is just too unbelievable! Do you even know what you're doing right now?" Renee called over her shoulder, a huge smile on her face.
No...actually yes I do. I'm being pulled away from both my jobs by a girl who just flipped out on me as if she'd never met someone like me before. Lovely.
Before long, we started nearing the hill that blocked Horn Ranch from my view. I remember when Phoebe gave me a tour of the island but we didn't bother to actually check out the places, so she just pointed things out to me from the bridge and we left it at that. I mean, how was Phoebe or I supposed to know that these places were going to become important for me later on?
As we sprinted up the steep hill (which tired me out even more) I could see luscious fields filled with hay rolls coming into view from the far-off distance. There were many animals grazing out on the field, but not nearly as much as I would expect from livestock dealers. Still, the beautiful, open field with the huge windmill to tie it all together was just breath-taking.
"Whoa." I muttered as Renee finally let go of me at the top of the hill. She looked over her shoulder and gave a laugh before motioning for me to follow her, and I complied.
"So, you're really the new farmer?" she asked as we made our way down the hill.
"Yep, I decided to take it over." I responded.
"That's amazing! Ma, Pa and I heard from the Mayor that there was a new farmer, but it was just so unbelievable...well, until I saw you working in the fields. I was really surprised-"
"Now, now Renee. Don't talk the girl's ear off." A booming voice came from behind me. I jumped and turned to see a burly man who looked about as big as Owen. A hearty laugh came from him as he held his hands to his hips.
"Oh Pa, I was just explaining to her about how surprised we were." Renee giggled.
The man ruffled her hair and kissed her forehead lovingly. Why did I always run into the girls who had a nice family? Even Maya and Phoebe. Really, as much as I liked them, seeing them interact with their families always got to me.
The man turned to me, taking his doting gaze off his daughter and turning toward me with a business like smile.
"My name's Cain Blackmon, I'm the owner of this ranch here."
"Molly Cameron." I responded and offered my hand.
He took it as we shook, his face looked pleasantly surprised.
"Well, whaddya know! You've got quite a grip for a small woman."
"Well, if there's one thing I am, it's tough." I gave a prideful gleam.
Cain gave another laugh.
"I should have expected it from a Blacksmith. My fault for being caught off-guard."
Cain gestured to the huge barn that stood proudly in front of us.
"Anyway, the reason Renee went to get you was so I could give you you're welcoming gift."
With a confused look, I watched Renee follow her father to the barn, a knowing smile adorning her face.
"C'mon." she said and I complied. I wouldn't turn down a welcoming gift..that'd be rude, right?
As we stepped inside the barn, the hot heat of the Summer died down a little, the shade cooling me instantly. It smelt like fresh hay and farm animals. It wasn't a horrible smell, it was much fresher than the smell of the mines which was filled with either thick heat and dust or overly-dampened/clogged air.
Cain stood beside three little baby cows -calves I think they're called.
"This is our way of showing you that we're ready to do business in the future," Cain said.
"Pick one." he then gestured to the small animals.
My eyes widened considerably.
"Oh, I'm not sure if I could-"
"Nonsense! This stands for future investments too, ya know? Giving you a cow makes sure that you'll come back to get her pregnant." the man laughed.
Get her pregnant? I guess that is what you're supposed to do to get another cow...
I studied the cute calves carefully as they seemed to toddle around.
"Well..." I muttered. There was a black/white regular mix, a brown one, and a black one.
Black...
I always loved that color...such a badass color.
In fact, the black one seemed to be studying me too...though it looked kind of disconnected with the rest of the world. That was fine, as long as she didn't realize I just wanted her for her milk and coat color.
"I like this one." I said and poked her snout with my gloved hand.
. . .
Strange, I thought I just saw a glint of murderous intent in the thing's eyes.
Probably nothing.
"Good choice! This one has a fire in her. I can already see the bond between you two." Cain remarked.
He then continued to talk about how it would be wise to invest in a milker and a brush as other animals were going to need the two items as well. Of course, I also had to buy hay since my fields didn't have any grass growing in them yet.
So much all at once...
Still, I managed to suck it up and get my purchases done with Renee's mother, Hannah, who also pointed out to me that if I were to ever find rock salt in the mines (which I do on a daily basis) that I was welcome to use their windmill to make salt. She recommended using it on an extremely windy day. It sounded like it would be easy profit since I find so much rock salt. Honestly, I was never sure what to do with it and Owen would often tell me to just leave it where I found it.
"I'll deliver the hay to your barn by the end of the day." Cain called to me as I left Horn Ranch. I had bought 100 bags full of the stuff so I wouldn't run out any time soon. It didn't put too much of a hole in my pocket, and I could get the money back easily if I continued to make a profit similar to the one I made just yesterday from the cherries.
"Thanks!" I called back as I lead my new calf in the direction of my farm.
"Hmm...I think I should call you...Charcoal."
I could sense the murderous intent again.
"Oh, so you were giving me a 'look' then, huh?" I questioned and noticed (no thanks to her black coat) that the little cow's eyes looked slightly squinted. That would be somewhat disturbing if she wasn't so cute.
"Okay, then how about...Midnight?"
The calf stopped walking, making us stop right in front of the beach area.
"Okay, so you don't like that either...what do you want me to name you? Snow?" I grunted as I crossed my arms and looked up at the farm.
I felt a nudge at my leg, looking down and seeing the cute little cow chomping at the hem of my skirt.
"Really? You like that? It doesn't flatter your complexion if you know what I mean." I told her...yes, because I've now become a cow whisperer.
Still, she didn't show any signs of protest and even let me pull her along.
"Mmkay, Snow it is then. It's kinda cool when you think about it. A black cow named Snow...admittedly awesome." I said, Snow seemed to agree with my statement.
When I got her to the barn and all settled in, I couldn't help but feel burnt out. Stumbling inside, I got a glass of water from the sink, taking in the small relief the house had to offer me from the killer sun-rays.
The hike to and from Flute Fields was enough work by itself without me having worked on the fields early today. Work...what time was it? Glancing into my room, I saw the clock that hung on the wall and nearly flipped. It was already 10 AM. I was two hours late.
"Shit." I cursed and set my glass in the sink, making my way out the door.
X
X
X
I had thought that I was home-free when I reached the shop and found it empty, but then I remembered that Lady Luck hated me a liked to make my life harder than necessary.
How do I know this? Owen was sitting at the shop front, he was unloading the ores he had obviously gathered (by himself) when he glanced up at me, tight look on his face.
"So, what? Just decided you weren't going to get up this morning?" he asked in a curt tone.
"I got up."
"Sorry, wrong question. You just decided you weren't going to work this morning? You didn't do anything. Didn't even say where you were going, but you left well before sunrise."
Yup, last night.
I bit my lip, feeling a tad bit guilty even though I had been up to my knees in work since 6 this morning. I didn't want him to know I had taken on the farming job just yet...he'd think I don't have my priorities straight.
"Do you not have your priorities straight?" he began to lecture and I was frozen.
See...he was just making my point.
"Owen, I told you I got up. I got work done!"
"Yeah but not the work that mattered. I mean, it's like you decided to hop up and leave and just not do anything today! Is that what we do now? We get a little upset so we have to act immature and not do anything?"
I was struck speechless by his actions and watched in increasing anger as he shook his head in his condescending way.
"Fine, okay, I'm going to the mines..." I sighed out, just completely done with bullcrap harangue.
Before I was even all the way out the door, I heard him mutter:
"I was right...really is more trouble than she's worth."
Ouch...just ouch.
"Just be back on time. We're getting busier as the year goes on so we don't have time to go anywhere. We have to stay in the Garmon Mine District just in case any additional work shows up."
I spun on my heel, looking at him with tired eyes.
He gave me a look, raising an eyebrow as if to inquire what I wanted.
How is it that we were all chummy on his B-Day, then he basically insults me and now he's the angry one?
As I stormed off to the mines, I couldn't help but think I made the right decision in moving out. His words stung me..."more trouble than she's worth"...at least he was honest about it this time.
Owen's being a bit of an ass isn't he...I don't know about you but I think it's a little different from his usual Mini-Hulk antics. Molly's just pissed as all get out. Stay tuned for the next chapter, that's when things get a little more interesting (plot is finally going to be moving along :D EXCITEMENT).
Secret: This chapter actually had about three different alternate endings to it, I had to edit like crazy and place some things somewhere else though because I needed it to end a certain way so the rest of the story would carry on as planned. It was really hectic heh!
Leave any comments or concerns and I'll get back to you after the beep! ^^