Tamora Pierce owns the entire universe of this story, all the characters,
the world they live on and the very air they use to sustain life. Only the
vague plot and dialog I have attributed to TP's characters in this tale
belongs to me. I freely give my permission for anyone to use any or all of
the plot/story/dialog if they are so inclined.
Blame all lousy spelling and grammar on the California Education System.
Chapter 35
"Briar, what do you have planned for tomorrow?" asked the Duke.
"I was thinking about going out to the winery and check out the items stored out there. The Galows tell me that the wine has been moved to the proper storage areas and we can get to the other items stored."
"What do you think you will find in those caverns?"
"Hard to say, Your Grace, according to the book left by the last vintner the Green Acres estate has been storing stuff out there for years. They would clean out the manor storage areas whenever they got full and moved the contents to the caverns."
"Green Acres was the family estate for generations before my father was raised to be the Duke and moved the family to the Citadel." Said the Duke, "There might be some items of historical interest in the crates stored in the caves."
"We will keep ours eyes open for anything like that, your Grace"
The clocks in the manor chimed the third hour.
"That reminds me your Grace," said Daja, reaching into her belt pouch and removing a small box. "I had this made special for you."
She handed the small box to the Duke.
Opening the box the Duke removed a two inch round gold metal case about one fourth of an inch thick with a knurled knob on one side. It was engraved with the Emelan crest on one side and the Dukes family crest on the other. It had a short gold chain attached to it with a six sided medallion engraved with the Emelan crest on both sides on the other end of the chain.
"It is beautiful Daja." Said the Duke.
Leaning over Daja said, "If you push on the knob," as she gently pushed the knob down, With a faint click a lid popped up and exposed the face of a clock with the hands set at midday.
"I did not set it or wind it so you could see how it is done." Daja told the Duke, "If you will twist the knob clockwise until you meet some resistance." She watched as the Duke wound the pocket clock. "Now if you gently put the knob out till it stops you will engage the setting mechanism. Twisting in either direction will adjust the position of the clocks hands."
The Duke pulled the knob out and set the clock to match the wall clock. Pushing the knob down he examined the clock and turned to Daja, "It is a royal gift Daja, thank you."
"Uncle, you may have noticed that I have added small pockets on you vests, they are designed for the pocket clock." Sandry told the Duke.
The Duke placed the clock in the left pocket and when he started to put the chain in also Daja said, "If you let the chain and medallion hang out it makes it much easier to remove the clock from your pocked."
The Duke stood and gave Daja a hug.
Turning to Sandry he said, "I see that it is getting late, if we don't leave soon we will not get home until after dark."
Briar went to the door and asked Alfred to have the Duke's and Sandry's guards and horses brought to the front door.
As the Duke and Sandry got into their coats Tris came back down stairs, "I finally got the horde to sleep. Are you going home?"
"Yes, we want to get home before dark." The Duke told her.
Tris walked over and gave Sandry a hug, "Thank you for your support with the meeting with my father." She turned to the Duke, "And yours support was also very welcome also Your Grace."
The Duke hugged Tris, "You are family Tris, what ever I can do for you I will. I'll have the harriers keep track of you father and let you know what happens."
"Thank you Your Grace."
The group went out onto the steps of the manor, there were a few puddles around but the ground was quickly drying and the sky was a clear blue with a few small clouds floating quietly and the lowering sun lit the clouds with a golden light.
"Well, the weather changes quickly out here."
Tris went red to the ears.
The Duke laughed, "I would not have missed it for the world."
The guards arrived with the horses and the Duke and Sandry mounted.
"We'll be in touch." The Duke said, and they departed on their way to Summersea.
As they passed through the gate a UPS rider entered. He rode up to the steps and was greeted by Briar.
"Evening Cody, what are you doing coming out here this late."
"Good evening Baron, we like to come out here in the evening so we can stay over, your cooks serve some good food to your people." Cody replied as he dismounted. Taking saddlebags from behind the saddle he opened them and handed several messages to Briar.
"Make yourself at home Cody." Briar told him as he took the messages and started back into the manor as Cody walked his horse toward the stables.
"Anything interesting?" Tris asked, seeing Briar thumbing through the messages that Cody had given him.
"Here is something for you from Lightsbridge University," Briar said as he handed her a message addressed to her.
"I have a reply from Hajra."
"Hajra? Who is writing you from Hajra?" asked Tris.
As he opened the message and scanned it Briar replied absently, "I got to wondering about what had happened to the gang of street rats that I was caught with, they were all sent to either the mines or the docks as laborers."
"They are all dead, ten years of hard labor without proper food and the entire group have died before they reached the age of twenty." He looked up with tears in his eyes, "They were my only friends when I was a kid in Hajra and they are all dead."
"If Niko hadn't found me I would be dead by now also."
Tris put a hand on his shoulder, "I'm sorry Briar."
Taking a deep breath Briar shook himself and asked, "Who is writing you from Lightsbridge?"
Tris opened her message and read it, "Seems a couple of friends are coming to visit."
"Friends?"
"Yes, a brother and sister that I met while was at Lightsbridge."
"The brothers name is Hunter Kees and he was studying Provost magic, his sister is named Cassandra and she is a seer like Niko only not as powerful."
"Cassandra Kees?"
Smiling Tris handed him the message, Brian read it and said "Cassandra what? How do you pronounce a string of number?"
Tris laughed and said, "It is spelled number 1, number 2, number 4, small c, number 4 and small u. It is pronounce one to foresee for you. Her friends just called her Cassy."
"This says that they will be here in about a week," Briar handed the message back to Tris, "let Alfred know they will be coming and we will give them the royal treatment."
The walked back into the family room and Tris sat down and picked up the book she had been reading.
"I'm going out to the caves tomorrow, want to come along?" Briar asked Tris and Daja.
"I can't, I have to go to Circle Four tomorrow." Tris answered.
Daja said, "No thanks, I'm right in the middle of a project right now."
"OK, I guess it's me and my bodyguards Oe and Sun."
"I'm going to have supper in the common room and let everyone know what's on for tomorrow. I'll see you in the morning Tris, Daja" and Briar left the room.
Briar entered the common room and loudly said, "All right everyone stand up and bow down to you load and master."
He was pelted with rude noises and pieces of bread from around the room.
As he headed to the table where his bodyguards were sitting he passed Cody eating at one of the tables, "Enjoying the food?" Cody, with his mouth full, nodded and said, "mmm mmmmm mm." Briar laughed and continued on. Reaching the bodyguards Briar said, "Gij, Jak I plan on going out to the winery caves tomorrow morning, want to tag along?"
The two men grinned and Gij said, "Yes Baron, I think we will grace you with our company tomorrow. What time?"
"After breakfast, ask the cooks to make us up a lunch, just in case."
"Can do."
Briar walked over the table and picked up a tray, plate and utensils, filling his tray with the items being served he got a cup of tea and carried it all over the table where his managers were sitting. Taking a seat on a bench he asked, "How are everything going gentlemen?"
The head field manager, Mac Donald, answered, "Well, we have the harvests in and stored, Baroness Chandler has placed preservation spells on all of the storage areas. It's clever how she did it, instead of one spell over the entire area she placed smaller area spells, that way we can access the stored crops as we need them without having the entire store coming out of preservation."
"Yes Tris is a valuable member of the estate."
"We still have some hay to harvest if the Baroness's storm did not reach it to get it wet."
Briar smiled and said, "Tris got a little mad at her father. Is it going to be a problem?"
"Not really, what little is still in the fields is a drop in the bucket. The orchards are harvested and we are waiting for you to tell us that the cold weather has put the tree and vines into a dormant state so we can start pruning. The farmers are going over their fields and picking the stuff that was to small to harvest when the pickers went through."
"It is going to be a while before that happens, Tris tells me that the weather is going to be moderate for a couple of weeks. So lets take advantage of that and pass the word that now is a good time for vacations. If someone wants to go somewhere now is the time. Everyone gets two weeks, and they can take it how they want, in one clump or in small segments. Just arrange it so not everyone goes at the same time." Briar laughed, "I really don't want to wake up some morning and find that I'm the only person in the manor."
"Mac, I would like you to visit all the farmers and see if everything is going well with them. Ask if they want to have their horses kept here at the manor for the winter. If they do make arrangements to bring the animals here, that way the farmers will not have the burden of their care through the winter. We will bring them to the manor and replace the horse's shoes and have a animal doctor check them all thoroughly. Also ask if they want to have the mares put to a good stud. Moglee has obtained some very good animals for stud of plow and riding horses."
Briar pushed his plate away and placing his elbows on the table rubbed his face with both hands, "It's been along day, how was the honey harvest?"
The Estate bee keeper, Robert (Buzz) Parsec said, "Very good, all the hives are in use and the total honey harvest is exceptional. I would like to make some new hives this winter to put out next year."
"Ok, I'm done for the day, Mac later let's get together with the estate maps and talk about crop rotation, I'm for going to do some reading. I'll see you later."
Briar stood and left the common room heading for the manor.
Blame all lousy spelling and grammar on the California Education System.
Chapter 35
"Briar, what do you have planned for tomorrow?" asked the Duke.
"I was thinking about going out to the winery and check out the items stored out there. The Galows tell me that the wine has been moved to the proper storage areas and we can get to the other items stored."
"What do you think you will find in those caverns?"
"Hard to say, Your Grace, according to the book left by the last vintner the Green Acres estate has been storing stuff out there for years. They would clean out the manor storage areas whenever they got full and moved the contents to the caverns."
"Green Acres was the family estate for generations before my father was raised to be the Duke and moved the family to the Citadel." Said the Duke, "There might be some items of historical interest in the crates stored in the caves."
"We will keep ours eyes open for anything like that, your Grace"
The clocks in the manor chimed the third hour.
"That reminds me your Grace," said Daja, reaching into her belt pouch and removing a small box. "I had this made special for you."
She handed the small box to the Duke.
Opening the box the Duke removed a two inch round gold metal case about one fourth of an inch thick with a knurled knob on one side. It was engraved with the Emelan crest on one side and the Dukes family crest on the other. It had a short gold chain attached to it with a six sided medallion engraved with the Emelan crest on both sides on the other end of the chain.
"It is beautiful Daja." Said the Duke.
Leaning over Daja said, "If you push on the knob," as she gently pushed the knob down, With a faint click a lid popped up and exposed the face of a clock with the hands set at midday.
"I did not set it or wind it so you could see how it is done." Daja told the Duke, "If you will twist the knob clockwise until you meet some resistance." She watched as the Duke wound the pocket clock. "Now if you gently put the knob out till it stops you will engage the setting mechanism. Twisting in either direction will adjust the position of the clocks hands."
The Duke pulled the knob out and set the clock to match the wall clock. Pushing the knob down he examined the clock and turned to Daja, "It is a royal gift Daja, thank you."
"Uncle, you may have noticed that I have added small pockets on you vests, they are designed for the pocket clock." Sandry told the Duke.
The Duke placed the clock in the left pocket and when he started to put the chain in also Daja said, "If you let the chain and medallion hang out it makes it much easier to remove the clock from your pocked."
The Duke stood and gave Daja a hug.
Turning to Sandry he said, "I see that it is getting late, if we don't leave soon we will not get home until after dark."
Briar went to the door and asked Alfred to have the Duke's and Sandry's guards and horses brought to the front door.
As the Duke and Sandry got into their coats Tris came back down stairs, "I finally got the horde to sleep. Are you going home?"
"Yes, we want to get home before dark." The Duke told her.
Tris walked over and gave Sandry a hug, "Thank you for your support with the meeting with my father." She turned to the Duke, "And yours support was also very welcome also Your Grace."
The Duke hugged Tris, "You are family Tris, what ever I can do for you I will. I'll have the harriers keep track of you father and let you know what happens."
"Thank you Your Grace."
The group went out onto the steps of the manor, there were a few puddles around but the ground was quickly drying and the sky was a clear blue with a few small clouds floating quietly and the lowering sun lit the clouds with a golden light.
"Well, the weather changes quickly out here."
Tris went red to the ears.
The Duke laughed, "I would not have missed it for the world."
The guards arrived with the horses and the Duke and Sandry mounted.
"We'll be in touch." The Duke said, and they departed on their way to Summersea.
As they passed through the gate a UPS rider entered. He rode up to the steps and was greeted by Briar.
"Evening Cody, what are you doing coming out here this late."
"Good evening Baron, we like to come out here in the evening so we can stay over, your cooks serve some good food to your people." Cody replied as he dismounted. Taking saddlebags from behind the saddle he opened them and handed several messages to Briar.
"Make yourself at home Cody." Briar told him as he took the messages and started back into the manor as Cody walked his horse toward the stables.
"Anything interesting?" Tris asked, seeing Briar thumbing through the messages that Cody had given him.
"Here is something for you from Lightsbridge University," Briar said as he handed her a message addressed to her.
"I have a reply from Hajra."
"Hajra? Who is writing you from Hajra?" asked Tris.
As he opened the message and scanned it Briar replied absently, "I got to wondering about what had happened to the gang of street rats that I was caught with, they were all sent to either the mines or the docks as laborers."
"They are all dead, ten years of hard labor without proper food and the entire group have died before they reached the age of twenty." He looked up with tears in his eyes, "They were my only friends when I was a kid in Hajra and they are all dead."
"If Niko hadn't found me I would be dead by now also."
Tris put a hand on his shoulder, "I'm sorry Briar."
Taking a deep breath Briar shook himself and asked, "Who is writing you from Lightsbridge?"
Tris opened her message and read it, "Seems a couple of friends are coming to visit."
"Friends?"
"Yes, a brother and sister that I met while was at Lightsbridge."
"The brothers name is Hunter Kees and he was studying Provost magic, his sister is named Cassandra and she is a seer like Niko only not as powerful."
"Cassandra Kees?"
Smiling Tris handed him the message, Brian read it and said "Cassandra what? How do you pronounce a string of number?"
Tris laughed and said, "It is spelled number 1, number 2, number 4, small c, number 4 and small u. It is pronounce one to foresee for you. Her friends just called her Cassy."
"This says that they will be here in about a week," Briar handed the message back to Tris, "let Alfred know they will be coming and we will give them the royal treatment."
The walked back into the family room and Tris sat down and picked up the book she had been reading.
"I'm going out to the caves tomorrow, want to come along?" Briar asked Tris and Daja.
"I can't, I have to go to Circle Four tomorrow." Tris answered.
Daja said, "No thanks, I'm right in the middle of a project right now."
"OK, I guess it's me and my bodyguards Oe and Sun."
"I'm going to have supper in the common room and let everyone know what's on for tomorrow. I'll see you in the morning Tris, Daja" and Briar left the room.
Briar entered the common room and loudly said, "All right everyone stand up and bow down to you load and master."
He was pelted with rude noises and pieces of bread from around the room.
As he headed to the table where his bodyguards were sitting he passed Cody eating at one of the tables, "Enjoying the food?" Cody, with his mouth full, nodded and said, "mmm mmmmm mm." Briar laughed and continued on. Reaching the bodyguards Briar said, "Gij, Jak I plan on going out to the winery caves tomorrow morning, want to tag along?"
The two men grinned and Gij said, "Yes Baron, I think we will grace you with our company tomorrow. What time?"
"After breakfast, ask the cooks to make us up a lunch, just in case."
"Can do."
Briar walked over the table and picked up a tray, plate and utensils, filling his tray with the items being served he got a cup of tea and carried it all over the table where his managers were sitting. Taking a seat on a bench he asked, "How are everything going gentlemen?"
The head field manager, Mac Donald, answered, "Well, we have the harvests in and stored, Baroness Chandler has placed preservation spells on all of the storage areas. It's clever how she did it, instead of one spell over the entire area she placed smaller area spells, that way we can access the stored crops as we need them without having the entire store coming out of preservation."
"Yes Tris is a valuable member of the estate."
"We still have some hay to harvest if the Baroness's storm did not reach it to get it wet."
Briar smiled and said, "Tris got a little mad at her father. Is it going to be a problem?"
"Not really, what little is still in the fields is a drop in the bucket. The orchards are harvested and we are waiting for you to tell us that the cold weather has put the tree and vines into a dormant state so we can start pruning. The farmers are going over their fields and picking the stuff that was to small to harvest when the pickers went through."
"It is going to be a while before that happens, Tris tells me that the weather is going to be moderate for a couple of weeks. So lets take advantage of that and pass the word that now is a good time for vacations. If someone wants to go somewhere now is the time. Everyone gets two weeks, and they can take it how they want, in one clump or in small segments. Just arrange it so not everyone goes at the same time." Briar laughed, "I really don't want to wake up some morning and find that I'm the only person in the manor."
"Mac, I would like you to visit all the farmers and see if everything is going well with them. Ask if they want to have their horses kept here at the manor for the winter. If they do make arrangements to bring the animals here, that way the farmers will not have the burden of their care through the winter. We will bring them to the manor and replace the horse's shoes and have a animal doctor check them all thoroughly. Also ask if they want to have the mares put to a good stud. Moglee has obtained some very good animals for stud of plow and riding horses."
Briar pushed his plate away and placing his elbows on the table rubbed his face with both hands, "It's been along day, how was the honey harvest?"
The Estate bee keeper, Robert (Buzz) Parsec said, "Very good, all the hives are in use and the total honey harvest is exceptional. I would like to make some new hives this winter to put out next year."
"Ok, I'm done for the day, Mac later let's get together with the estate maps and talk about crop rotation, I'm for going to do some reading. I'll see you later."
Briar stood and left the common room heading for the manor.