3.

As the first weeks since Tavington's arrival in Ohio flew by, he found himself settling into farm life quite nicely. It surprised him a little at first, but he found that compared to camping out in the field he didn't mind the primitive lifestyle as much as he thought. It was hard getting used to the simple fact that he couldn't just ride into a town and buy or trade for what he wanted whenever he wanted. But rationing supplies and planning his every move weren't new concepts to Tavington. And as much as he hated to admit it, his new little Yankee friend was a big help.

Jason showed up at Tavington's place nearly every day- after his own chores at home were done of course. Tavington made sure of that by asking him nearly every day if his family knew where he was and if his chores were done. He didn't want anyone to be angry with him for taking up so much of Jason's time or worry if he went missing. And he figured a boy his age would have obligations on his family's farm. He also caught himself looking for Jason and maybe just worrying about the boy a bit on the rare days he didn't show. Still, Jason was there almost every day the weather permitted and stayed until Tavington sent him home or his cousin, who eventually made his appearance, came to call him back.

Tavington quickly understood why Jason didn't care for his cousin Timothy Mitchel. Timothy was a spotty, lanky boy of fourteen and he had a mean streak a mile wide. He was rude and obnoxious to Jason for no other reason other than it suited him. He was also very sneaky about it. Often acting polite towards Jason whenever he knew Tavington was in sight or within hearing range. And bullying the younger boy when he thought Tavington wouldn't notice.

In certain ways, Tavington sometimes recognized himself at that age in Timothy. When he had been away at school he could be mean-spirited towards younger, weaker schoolmates. Yet for some reason, he couldn't quite explain why he took exception to it with Timothy. It was then he decided he would do his best to protect Jason from Timothy.

Most of the time all he needed to do was glare at the teen and he would run off, leaving Jason alone for a while. Sometimes Tavington had to flat out order Timothy to leave, hoping that he wouldn't take it out on Jason after he went home. No, Tavington decided, he didn't like Timothy Mitchel any more than Jason did.

Jason seemed to have a limitless knowledge of gardening. He assisted a great deal in clearing out the old vegetable patch that had once been there and was left to fallow. He also gave Tavington many suggestions about where certain things should be planted and how. Tavington knew a few methods for planting, but Jason seemed to know what would work where and why. So he took the boys advice gratefully. What Tavington found refreshing was that as a child, Jason never seemed to ridicule his ignorance as another adult might. So in return, Tavington did his best not to mock Jason or tease the boy too much. Instead he treated him as if he were just another man. Jason responded very positively to it, and so far it seemed their partnership was working out quite nicely.

"That's not how my ma plants beans," Jason said one day as he watched Tavington place a bean seed in a row he had just dug.

Tavington was used to these statements by now and was less likely to take offense. So his curiosity was genuine when he asked, "How does your ma plant beans?"

"On bean poles," the boy explained. When Tavington looked at him in confusion, Jason continued. "You gotta have bean poles otherwise they spread all over the garden and kill your other plants."

"I don't have any bean poles," Tavington stated. But he remembered seeing them from time to time in farmer's gardens during his travels. So at least he wasn't totally clueless.

"That's all right, we can make em. We'll just go out there in the woods and find some whips to cut and before you know it, we'll have bean poles," Jason said, excited at the thought of showing his friend something new.

"Dare I ask what a whip is?" Tavington asked as he rose to stand.

"Uhhh…a whip is a little tree that grows from the seeds that drop on the ground from big trees," Jason explained almost scientifically and Tavington had to bite back a chuckle.

The boy really was trying to inform him, and it was best to let him continue uninterrupted. He could almost see Jason as a professor at some great learning institution, teaching botany, smacking a pointer on a blackboard and wearing a mortarboard and oversized robes that dragged the ground behind his small frame. Tavington shifted his weight on his hip and crossed his arms, relaxing, listening to Jason school him about bean poles and trees.

Jason imitated Tavington's stance and pressed on. "But they're no good cause they never really grow any branches, so it's okay if you cut em' out," Jason said and added with an amused voice and a wry grin, "Sometimes when I'm naughty my gran'pa makes me go cut a little one for a switch. But he's never whooped me with one. He just says he's gonna add it to his collection in case he needs it."

"He must have a very large collection," Tavington replied. He could not resist the urge to tease Jason just a little bit.

"Not too big," Jason said sheepishly.

Tavington discovered that Jason had a fascination with horses and as an avid equestrian, he admired that. There were so many things he could teach the boy about them and he often used it as a reward for Jason's hard work.

Jason listened carefully to everything Tavington taught him about the equine world. And he was always eager to help out with any chore Tavington asked him to do when it came to Sam and Sue.

At first he was a bit intimidated by the large drafts and Tavington understood why. The matched Shires were much larger than any horse Jason was accustomed to. Each horse stood at about eighteen hands and weighed almost two tons. Jason's family used oxen to pull their wagon and plough. Although not as fast as the thoroughbreds and war horses he had ridden, Tavington chose the Shires because he knew they had an easy temperament and could both pull and be ridden, making them a better investment for his needs.

He patiently explained to Jason that horses are nearsighted. Because they can't see well, a person needed to keep a hand on the horse at all times while working around them so that the animal always knew where the human was. Once that was done, Jason had no trouble around Sam and Sue and soon Tavington was teaching him the basics of grooming.

Tavington showed Jason the correct way to handle curry combs and dandy brushes. He explained that Jason should always make sure that he curried the animal's coats first to remove dust and grit that could cause sores. Then he made sure Jason knew to dandy the shiny, black coats with the nap because horses didn't like having their coat ruffled any more than Jason liked having his hair tussled.

Tavington taught him how to properly groom the horse's manes, tails and the white feathers at their feet. But when it came to picking the debris from their hooves, Jason had trouble holding them in place. Sam stomped in frustration and bobbed his massive head in disapproval.

Tavington moved in, running his hand from Sam's knee, down the cannon to the fetlock, signaling Sam to pick up his hoof.

Then he told him, "Instead of holding his hoof on your forearm like I do, step into his body and brace his hoof on you knee like the Ferrier does when he shoes a horse."

He demonstrated the technique and while Jason watched closely, he took the hoof pick and cleaned Sam's hoof.

"You always pick away from the hoof," he explained. "And you see this here?" Hmmm?" Tavington said gesturing to the v-shaped bulge at the base. "That's called the 'frog' and you must always be careful when cleaning around it. It needs to be very clean so stones don't bruise the hoof, but if you poke it too hard it can lame a horse and get infected."

When Tavington looked up at the boy he was hanging on every word he said.

Tavington smiled.

Before too long a correspondence of sorts began between the boy's mother and grandfather through Jason.

Jason would show up with something or other and explain that it was from his mother or grandfather. At first, Tavington felt reluctant at taking anything from the Mitchel's. He hadn't met the rest of them yet and he wondered what their reaction would be at discovering that he had once been a British officer.

But Jason always insisted that his family would be more offended if he didn't take their gifts. Then one day Jason showed up with two of the most lovely, edible hen's eggs Tavington had seen since leaving South Carolina.

Tavington took the fragile offerings from Jason. He could hardly wait to eat them being that he hadn't had eggs in such a long time.

"Your mother knows you're giving these to me?" He asked skeptically.

"Uh huh," Jason nodded. "She raises chickens so we can have eggs. She brought em all the way here from Massachusetts. Sometime she buys new peeps when we go to town."

Tavington couldn't believe what the boy was telling him. Although he already knew the Mitchel's kept oxen and that his mother kept a Jersey heifer that they bred with another neighbor's steers for calves and milk, he had no idea they kept chickens as well. But it gave him an idea.

"Jason, would you ask your mother if I could pay her for some eggs and milk on occasion?"

"Sure," the boy replied.

"Tell her I don't have much to trade with but I'd be happy to give her coin," Tavington offered.

The next day while Tavington was splitting wood, Jason returned and informed Tavington of his mother's decision.

"My ma said if you can make do with four eggs and a pint of milk each week she'll send them over if you let her pick blueberries and apples for the whole summer whenever she wants. She said she can send more if you can keep them from spoiling."

Tavington stopped working and turned to Jason with a look of surprise.

"I have blueberries?"

"Sure ya do," Jason said. "There up on the north end of your place where the tree line breaks from the creek. They're my ma and Uncle Bart's favorite but for some reason they don't grow on our side…probably on account they don't get enough sun. They should be coming in anytime now and then you'll have blueberries coming out your ears."

Everyday Tavington was surprised at what his land had to offer. And every day he was finding new reasons to love it. He was beginning to understand why the Americans rebelled in the first place.

"I've had blueberries before while I was on the East Coast. But I had no idea they grew here as well," he told Jason.

"Mr. Tavington," Jason said incredulously, "Everything grows here."

A/N: In the late 1700's as settlers moved into the Ohio Valley, livestock was scarce. Settlers had to bring their farm animals with them from wherever they came from if they wanted luxuries such as milk and eggs and hopefully find other neighbors to breed them with to keep their livelihood going. It wasn't uncommon for one neighbor to breed a heifer with another neighbors steer in return for a calf. Even dogs and cats were precious commodities on the frontier. The US was still trying to establish their own form of currency but the money was almost worthless at the time and while British money was still very valuable, on the frontier bartering was still the preferred from of trade. So someone like Tavington would have been extremely grateful to have neighbors willing to sell or trade for dairy goods.