Chapter 26

On the afternoon of the second day, the group topped a hill to see Harium's farm in the distance. It was late afternoon and things started looking familiar as they neared the farmhouse. They had slowed the horses down to a fast trot letting them cool down and get their breath. Titus was riding with Ice now and he stretched to look around him to see the farm in the distance.

"Will we go into town today or in the morning?" Titus asked Ice.

"Whatever you like. Town is not that far away. And I know you are eager to get home."

"Do you think Dean would mind? Me leaving today?"

"No, he knows what it feels like to be away from family."

"Then, yes, I would like to go to town and find a ride home."

"I thought as much. After we get to the farm, you can tell them goodbye, and we will leave."

"Alright." Titus leaned back and swayed with the motion of the horse as he thought about what he would say to Dean. He was like a big brother to him, and he risked his life to come and help. He was going to be sure Dean kept his promise and stopped by on their way home to see him and his family.

"Thank goodness we're here," Sam groaned as he dismounted and walked around trying to get the feeling back in his butt and legs. He stretched and hissed as his back popped in several places.

"Right back at you," Dean grunted as he rolled his shoulders and his head.

"After a short rest, I'm going to take Titus into town," Ice announced letting Titus slide off first and then dismounted.

"Yes, I am anxious to get home," Titus added. "You are still coming by after you finish here, right?" Titus addressed Dean with a hopeful look on his face. He knew the brothers must be anxious to get home too.

"Of course, Ty; I wouldn't leave without seeing you one last time," Dean assured him grasping his shoulder and squeezing gently.

"You want to ride my horse to town?" Sam asked.

"I see you made it back with your friend," Harium greeted them.

"Yes and as promised we will help you out around the farm for a couple of days as payment for all your help," Dean told him.

"I was curious if you would return, and I'm happy you are a man of your word."

"Tomorrow we'll start, because today we need to rest."

"The missus will have some food ready for your dinner shortly and I'll bring it out to you."

"Thank you, that is kind of you," Dean nodded bowing his head slightly. He turned back to Titus and pulled him into a hug. "We'll be seeing you again soon. You take care getting home."

"I will and Tisha will have a nice meal prepared for you. She is a great cook and makes the best pies."

"I'll be looking forward to it. If you can't find reputable travelers for Titus, you just drag him back here and he can travel on another day." Dean told Ice. "Don't let him talk you into something unsafe."

"Goodbye Sam. I'll be seeing you soon," Titus spoke to Sam who was standing to the side. He could see a look of uncertainty on his face and wanted to be sure to include him.

"Goodbye, safe travels," Sam replied shaking his hand. He didn't have the connection with Titus as Dean did and didn't feel right hugging him.

Ice and Titus mounted their horses and with a final wave road toward town. Dean and Sam stood there for a moment before turning to Stone to take care of him and put him in the corral. They took all the packs into the barn and left them. They wandered around the farm checking it out, finding the garden that had crops to harvest, a woodpile that needed wood chopped, some loose boards on the corral and in the barn wall. It seemed there was plenty for them to do over the next couple of days.

Spn

Ice, Dean, and Sam were up early the next morning. Ice went with the oldest son, Darus, on a hunt for meat to put up for the winter months. Dean decided to tackle the woodpile and chopped enough wood to last a while. Sam volunteered to help with the laundry and asked if he could wash a few of their dirty clothes. He gathered socks, briefs, and shirts, deciding jeans would take too long to dry before they had to leave.

Sam pumped water into buckets and carried it behind the house to a large, black kettle sitting over a fire pit. He poured water into the kettle and then squatted to gather some wood to start the fire to heat the water. He went back for more water filling the kettle two-thirds full and then filled a wooden tub with water to rinse the clothes in.

"Hey!" Dean complained when Sam came over and began to pick up some of the wood he had chopped.

"I need it for the fire to wash clothes," Sam snipped back at him. He took the wood and dropped it by the fire and checked the water to see if it was heating.

Sesia, Harium's wife, brought out a basket of clothes and added Sam's to the pile. She nodded her approval at what he had done so far. These young men were handy with their hands and didn't mind hard work. They were a blessing for the farmer and his wife.

"The water is hot enough now," Sesia told Sam. She dropped a sliver of homemade soap into the water and handed Sam a long pole with an X of wood fixed on the bottom. "Use this to push clothes into water and stir them," she instructed giving him a demonstration of how to do it.

Sam took clothes and dropped them into the pot and used the pole to push them deeper into the water to get wet. He was careful so he wouldn't slouch water out and put out the fire. He began to stir and move the clothes around in the kettle. He chuckled to himself when he realized that he was a human agitator like the agitators in their washing machines back home.

After about fifteen minutes of agitation, Sesia had Sam remove the clothes and put them in the wooden tub to rinse. He added more dirty clothes to the kettle while Sesia rinsed the first ones. She had a hand turning roller that she ran the clothes through several times to get out as much water as possible before dropping them into the basket nearby.

Sam wiped the sweat from his face as he finished the last load of clothes and took over rinsing them. It was hard work getting them all done and ready to hang on the lines in the sun. He carried the basket to the clothesline, sitting it down. After picking up a shirt, he shook it out hard to get what wrinkles he could out before hanging it on the line. Once everything was hung to dry, Sam stopped for a moment and accepted a drink of water from Sesia. He dumped the water from the wooden tub and used a bucket to dip the hot water out of the kettle to throw away.

"Thank you kindly for your help," Sesia spoke softly to Sam as she dipped slightly, bowing to him.

"You are welcome," Sam answered with a warm smile. "Guess I better go help my brother," he continued looking at Dean swinging the ax and cutting a hunk of wood into. He walked over to his brother and began to gather wood that lay around him and took it to where wood was stacked against the back wall of the cabin.

"Need a break," Dean huffed jerking his shirt off and wiping his face.

"I can get you some water," Sam offered innocently, not looking at Dean.

"Yeah, that sounds good." Dean drew in some deep breaths and suddenly yelled out in shock and surprise when Sam threw a bucket of cold water at him dousing him.

"Hope that cools you off," Sam laughed as Dean slowly turned to look at him with revenge in his eyes.

"You're going to pay for that bro," Dean growled as he advanced toward him as Sam stepped back.

Neither saw that Sesia was watching them with interest as Sam turned to run and Dean was right on his heels. Dean snagged Sam's T-shirt and jerked him backward making Sam stumble. He drug him to the pump and pushed Sam under the spout. He began to pump the water dousing Sam's body and face.

"Stop!" Sam yelled as he tried to fight his brother off. "Uncle!"

"You should know better little brother," Dean rebuked him, letting him get up. "You never win at these things."

They both looked to the back porch when giggles caught their attention. Sesia was standing there watching them with merriment on her face. She shook her head at them acting like kids as Sam stood and wiped the water from his face.

"We're setting a bad example," Sam mumbled, smiling and waving at her.

"You started it," Dean growled, waving too. "Come on dumbass, we need to finish stacking the wood." He pushed Sam back toward the split wood and they started gathering it to stack with the other wood. When that was full, they put the rest in an open shed nearby to keep the wood out of the weather.

By the time they were finished, their clothes were mostly dry. They looked out across the field and saw Ice and Darus, coming back pulling a sled behind them. They went out to meet them and saw two large deerlike creatures that had been gutted and drained of blood.

"I see you had good luck," Dean praised them.

"We did. Thanks," Ice replied as Dean took over pulling one side of the sled while Sam took the other to give them a break.

"Hello son looks like we've been blessed on this hunt," Harium greeted the hunters. "I'll go get a fire going in the smoke house while you take care of them."

"Alright Dad. Have either of you ever skinned an animal before?" Darus asked.

"Nope, but there's a first for everything," Dean answered.

"We use the hide to make items, some we keep, some we sell or barter with in town."

"So, what do we do first?" Sam asked as they pulled the sled to a stop at the back of the house.

"We need sharp knives," Darus stated pulling one from the sheath on his belt.

"Like this?" Dean asked pulling one from his boot and holding it up for inspection.

"Yes, that will work."

"I have one in my pack," Sam said turning to jog toward the barn to retrieve it.

"I'm sure Dad will want to use one back haunch for dinner tonight," Darus surmised as he helped Ice move one of the creatures to a rack to hoist it in the air. "Part of the rest will be cut into strips to dry and the other will be salted and put in the smoke house."

"I brought drinks for everyone," Sesia announced as she stepped from the house carrying a tray of cups.

"Hello Mom," Darus cooed reaching to give her a hug.

"Stay away until you wash up," Sesia insisted pushing Darus back. "You smell."

"Which one of these will work the best?" Sam asked out of breath as he held up three knives.

Darus looked at the knives and took one testing the balance and sharpness before taking another one.

"This one will do," he determined. "Ice do you need…"

"I think I have it covered," Ice replied pulling a knife from his belt.

"Good. Now we start at the feet and slice into the skin, peeling it back slowly and cut it away from the meat." He demonstrated the technique for them and watched as Dean started on the other side. "Be careful don't cut into the meat if you can help it."

"Got ya," Dean said.

"Why don't you and Ice take hold of the hide and pull it," Darus suggested to them. "We'll cut as you pull."

"Okay," Sam agreed. He grimaced as he gripped the hide and pulled it toward him. It felt weird but he kept pulling as Darus cut. They moved down the side before going to their front feet to start peeling the hide away.

It was slow going at first until they got the hang of it and before they knew it one hide was removed.

"Now we have to stretch it and tie it to a frame to cure," Darus explained showing them the frame. They got it mounted to the frame and Dean was shown how to scrap the hide while they worked on the other creature.

After the hides were mounted to dry, they began to strip the meat off the carcass. Dean started a fire, and they placed a hind leg on a metal spike and put it over the flames to start cooking. Harium came back and began to turn the spike so the meat would cook evenly.

By the time the meat was done, Sasia had a bowl of vegetables, salad, fruit, and bread ready for dinner. The guys went to the pump and got a couple buckets of water so they could wash off the blood and goo from their arms and hands. Tables were brought out and butted together so all the food could be set on it and there would be room for everyone to sit.

Light conversation was carried on throughout the meal and stories were told. The men adjourned to the front porch for some homemade mead and then Ice, Dean, and Sam excused themselves to head to the barn to get some sleep. They knew tomorrow was going to be harvesting day.

Spn

"Are you sure about this?" Sam questioned his brother as he watched him position a plow at the beginning row of potatoes. "You know you've never done this before."

"Gee Sammy, how hard could it be. I just have to guide the plow. The mule is doing all the work," Dean snapped back at him.

"Are you ready Dean?" Harium asked. He was going to lead the mule while Dean plowed.

"Yep, let's go," Dean said.

"This may not end well," Sam mumbled to Ice who was standing by the row with a small wagon that had baskets in it to put the potatoes that were dug up.

"Have faith in your brother," Ice shrugged.

"You don't know my brother," Sam huffed a laugh and rolled his eyes.

They watched as the mule began to walk down the row and Dean started fighting the plow as he tried to keep it going straight and plowing down the middle of the row.

"Don't step on the potatoes," Sam called to him as he smirked. "Don't step on the potatoes, they don't want them mashed yet!"

"Screw you!" Dean shot back at him almost falling because he wasn't paying attention.

Okay, guess it's our turn."

Sam got on his hands and knees thinking it was easier than bending over and began to pick up the potatoes that were unearthed. Ice helped and pulled the wagon along as they filled the baskets. When they got them full, they headed to the barn to empty the baskets onto a long shelf so the potatoes could dry before being stored in baskets for the winter.

Dean had another row plowed by the time they got back and was going over the first row again to be sure he got all the potatoes plowed up. Sweat was pouring down his face from his exertion and a few choice swear words could be heard coming from him as he tried to dodge the potatoes on the ground.

When they finished the potatoes, they headed to the corn field to pull corn. It would be shucked and taken to the mill to be ground for cornmeal. The beans were picked to be strung up to dry and other vegetables were gathered to be cooked for their dinner. Minor repairs were made to the corral, the barn, and porch before they called it a day.

Everyone was exhausted by the end of the day and was looking forward to a good night's sleep. They were heading out the next morning for Titus' farm and then home.

A/N: Only a couple more chapters and this story will be done. Reviews/Comments would be great. NC