Casual far Ming

by Taylor and Laura

Farmer

7. Book 7

Chapter One: The First Day of Summer

[The alarm went off; it was 6 AM. Jason and Tess were ready to get to work around the farm. They had 41 starting actions.]

[Obadiah's Almanac: 1st day of Summer! 90 days until the Summer Festival! Let's see here... It's looking like it's going to be a hot one today, folks! Starting off strong, I suppose, but I don't think it will be a trend. It looks to me like there will be some cooler air coming up from the south in the next week or so, but we'll have to see!]

Jason felt a smile flicker across his face as he slowly rose from bed and stretched. Behind him, Tess stirred a bit, then rose as well. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and gave him a squeeze, and he sighed deeply. "Good morning," she whispered softly. "I love you so much."

"Good morning." He turned around and gave her a kiss, then smiled as well. "I love you, too."

"Luv you!"

The voice came from the doorway, and both of them spun to find their toddler, Fern, peeking in the doorway. She had a wide grin on her face, and

Jason knelt down and held out his arms. She rushed up and sprang into his grasp, and he stood up and sighed deeply.

"We need to get you a bigger bed, don't we?" He nuzzled her face with his nose, and she giggled. "Don't we? You've been able to escape that crib for almost a year now, and you're turning two years old in just a few months!" "I've heard it said that two years old is when you should transfer them." Tess nodded. "I'll see about buying a new bed from Paulina— I mean... Cecilia."

Jason nodded. "Well, for the time being, why don't you get the escape artist changed into some more appropriate farm clothes, and I'll go get the chores done. Meet for breakfast?"

"Work daddy!" Fern exclaimed as Tess started to carry her away. "Want work daddy!"

"You have to get changed first, silly girl!" Tess laughed. "Don't worry, Jason, we won't be long!"

Jason smiled after them, then trotted down the stairs. Chance, their hound, was curled up on the living room floor before an empty fireplace, and he jumped to his feet as Jason approached. Jason scratched the dog behind the ears, then opened the door and let him race out into the yard. Jason then left the door open while he pulled on his boots, and he sighed deeply.

Six years ago, he had first come to Summer Shandy. Six... This was the start of his seventh year. When he had arrived, there had been an old, rotten picket fence out front (which he had quickly torn down), the house had been filled with dust and falling apart, the farmstead had been an utter mess, and it hadn't looked like anything other than monsters had grown there in the better part of a decade. Now?

Now, a pristine picket fence surrounded the whole thing, keeping at bay a swarm of monsters that rather desperately wanted to eat his crops. From the tiny (but painful) crabgrasses to the more sinister, snake-like histles, all they wanted to do was overrun his fields and eat his crops. That, though, was no longer possible. Inside the fence, he had a stable for his four different horses, a lean-to for his assorted machines, and an eighty-acre field that, at that moment, was bursting with potential.

"Alright, let's get you planted." Jason grinned as he walked down into the farmyard.

It took him a moment to turn his horses loose into their corral, allowing them to frisk about while he worked. He poured them some oats, then went around to the side, where Alice, the pony, was kept. She was Fern's workhorse, of that there could be no doubt, and he rubbed her nuzzle affectionately before just turning her loose to run in the yard with Chance. All that done, he spent a few moments looking over his planter, then rose and went back up into the house, where Tess would certainly have breakfast on the table.

As it turned out, not only did she have breakfast on the table, but she had prepared a massive spread of food. There were popovers and pancakes, waffles and chicken, and a large platter of sausage that could have fed an army. Jason's eyes went wide as he watched her carrying them into the dining room.

"Ahh... Do we have company I'm not expecting?"

"Oh! If you're not expecting someone, then yes." Tess nodded and flashed an apologetic smile. "Daniel and Viola are coming over on their way out of town. They won't be here for another half hour or so, but Daniel eats so fast that he likes his food to have a chance to cool down before he tucks in."

Jason just chuckled and shook his head. "He's a character, your brother is. Well, if it's okay by you, I'll just grab a bite and get out to work."

He reached over and snagged several sausages, then wrapped them in a burrito as he started to leave. When he reached the kitchen door, though, he paused.

"Speaking of your family, last night, at the festival, did you see your dad?" Tess frowned in thought. "No, I don't think so. That's... Actually, that's really odd now that I think about it. I think that might be the first one he's ever missed since he came here." After a moment, though, she shrugged. "I'll take Fern and ride down his way this afternoon, just to check on him." "Sounds like a plan." Jason flashed a smile at her, then turned and made his way out into the farmstead once more, munching on the sausage as he went. It was an excellent, if somewhat unhealthy, breakfast, and it filled him with hope for the day.

Angus looked up from his corral and nickered as Jason approached, sensing that his workday had just begun. Jason smiled and led him out, and soon had him hitched up to the planter.

"Yeah, you're a good boy." Jason patted Angus on the neck. "A real good boy. Here..." He pulled an apple out of his inventory and let the mighty beast crunch it up. "A treat for the start of the day, eh?"

Angus snorted and tossed his mane, and as he finished eating, he lumbered forward toward the field. Jason kept his hand on the main lever, then as they entered the fertile land, he gave it a tug.

With that, the machine lowered itself into the ground, and ten rows of seed disks bit into the soft soil. Angus didn't even break a sweat as they rumbled forward, planting a long line along the length of the field. Jason could hear the seeds rattling down from the seed box and into the ground. It was a

refreshing noise, the noise of life, the noise of things that were working perfectly.

The seed he was planting that day had been purchased from Milligan, the spokesman for the Illumitir Genetics Corp. It was a hybrid of wheat and corn, designed to emulate the general structure of wheat and the flour it could produce, while creating the sheer volume of grain that corn could generate. It was an ambitious plan, but according to Milligan, the seed had been in the works for almost a decade, and was now finally ready for field testing.

When Jason reached the end of the field and turned back, he saw something pulling into the driveway. It looked rather like a wagon being pulled by a small, misshapen horse, and he chuckled softly. That would be Daniel and Viola, right on schedule. He could hear Daniel bellowing something or another off in the distance, but he couldn't tell exactly what it was. In any event, they were both long inside the house by the time he made the pass back. He sighed a bit, disappointed to have missed them, but happy enough that Tess was getting to have some time.

The wagon stayed parked in front of the house for the remainder of the morning, then vanished around the time that Jason called it quits for lunch. He put Angus back into the corral and strode up onto the porch, where he found Tess rocking a sleepy Fern in their rocking chair. She looked over at him and smiled, and he dropped into his own chair nearby.

"How'd it go?" Jason asked softly. "She looks exhausted."

Tess chuckled. "She was up late last night for the festival, remember, and then she wore herself out playing with Charlotte. I'm sorry you didn't get a chance to see them, but apparently, Daniel has a meeting with a guildmaster out east somewhere."

"A meeting?" Jason raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah." A grin split Tess's face. "He's become so well-known in warrior communities that, now that he has a family, people are starting to look to him to become a guildmaster. He doesn't have much interest in the job, except for the fact that he wants to be stable for Charlotte and... Well, they don't know the gender yet, but whoever their next baby turns out to be." Jason nodded. "He's come a long way since I first met him. If you had told me that he would get married, have multiple children, and actually be responsible enough to take care of them, I'd never have believed you." "You and me both," Tess sighed deeply, then shrugged and started to rise. "Well, I'm going to go get this little one down for her nap. There's food on the table if you want it, but I... Daniel just sorta kept eating the whole time, so we all did too without really realizing it, and I'm not hungry in the slightest."

"Then I'll see you at dinner." Jason nodded and stood up as well. As they entered the house, Tess paused, looked down at Fern, then glanced up at Jason.

"Does it bother you that my brother is having another kid before we are?" "Nah." Jason shrugged. "Fern is an absolute joy. I'd love to have another, sure, but I won't begrudge Daniel his own joy, you know?" After a moment, though, he leaned over and gave Tess a kiss. "Now, that said, I sure wouldn't mind evening up the score."

Tess kissed him back, and a smile played across her face. "Neither would I.

Chapter Two: Guildmaster Business

[The alarm went off; it was 6 AM. Jason and Tess were ready to get to work around the farm. They had 41 starting actions.]

[Obadiah's Almanac: 10th day of Summer! 81 days until the Summer Festival! Alright, folks, it looks like that cooler weather is here. If it had come in the middle of winter, we'd have thought it was a heat wave, but as is, you'll probably want to bundle up before going outside. Fun fact, though: The cold front was actually generated by a bunch of frost dragons that were spawned in down in the south, believe it or not! No one knows how they got there, and they've all been subsequently dispatched, but they actually created such a large disturbance that we're feeling it all the way up here!]

"Now that is interesting," Jason murmured as he rolled out of bed. "Did you know that, Tess?"

"Yeah! Everyone in the guildmaster business knows that. At least, they should." Tess shrugged and sat up. "There was an infamous incident around... I think it must have been somewhere around fifty years ago or so, where a whole bunch of village kids decided to collect all the fire flies they

could get their hands on. Well, fire flies are basically just small dragons, and after a few months of collecting and feeding them, they let them all loose at one central location. There was so much fire that a..." Tess paused and licked her lips. "It's hard to explain, but the hot air rose up into the atmosphere and drew up a bunch of moisture with it, which then cooled and turned into one of the nastiest storms this region has ever seen." She chuckled softly. "From what I heard, based on the threats given by some of the parents, some of those kids would probably still be grounded today." Jason laughed softly. "Wow. Well, I'll make a note to never do something stupid like that."

"We both know that, if Jeremiah was involved, you two would do pretty much anything in a heartbeat," Tess snorted, then waved him along. "Now get going. You've got work to do, if I remember correctly."

Jason frowned, then nodded. He had a meeting with Milligan that morning to discuss a wide assortment of matters. He quickly dressed in a set of overalls and a short-sleeved shirt, then jogged down the stairs and out into the farmyard.

He did chores quickly, then came back inside to eat breakfast with his family. He was just finishing when he heard the crunch of wagon wheels in the drive, and excused himself to walk out to meet with his business partner. Milligan was a tall man who always dressed in a spectacularly pressed business suit and tie. He wore a top hat, from under which a few wispy strands of white hair drifted down around a gray and mildly wrinkled face. His hands were covered in white gloves, which, as always, came away stained slightly brown as he shook Jason's hand.

"Good morning, my dear chap!" Milligan beamed. "I trust you've had an excellent summer season thus far?"

Jason nodded and smiled. "It's been good so far. Just planting and building and all sorts of other odd things."

"Excellent! Would you mind if I see the corn-wheat you planted?" Milligan asked. "I believe... Zulu-184, if I remember my charts correctly."

Jason nodded and held out his hand, and they walked over to the field. There, large heads that looked rather like tiny, husked ears of corn were indeed poking their way up from the ground. A few of them had slender stems beneath, and looked to almost be swaying dangerously.

"Wonderful! The hybrid takes exactly twenty-seven days to mature, if I remember properly." Milligan wiped his brow. "We do apologize for the increased length of time. I know it's a good bit longer than you're used to, but these hybrids are a tricky sort of business, you know."

Jason waved away the concern. "Stop apologizing for everything. I knew what I was getting into when I bought the seed. It's totally fine—I don't anticipate any issues whatsoever."

"Wonderful, dear boy!" Milligan smiled. "Now, on to more imminent business. The patch of ground you just bought? Is there any way I could see it?"

A few minutes later, Jason and Milligan rode off in Jason's carriage, off down the gravel road that he had been painstakingly building over the prairie. Fern and Tess came out and waved to him as he left, and both he and Milligan heartily waved back. As they went along, Milligan's eyes were wide.

"I do say, you've done a marvelous job building a road here! Why, I hardly feel the carriage rocking at all! It's smoother than cobbles!"

"Just wait." Jason grimaced as they topped the first rise.

The gravel went down the slope of a small ravine until it met with a bridge that led across a small washout at the bottom. They rumbled across it with ease, with the wheels of the carriage making a rather lovely thunking noise as they traveled. Soon they were up and over the next rise, and across a similar bridge.

That, though, was where things changed. The rest of the path was still just that: a path, a few small wagon ruts that wound their way through the grasses of the prairie. At that point, and especially when they rumbled through the washouts at the bottom, Milligan was forced to hold onto his hat to keep it from simply flying off his head.

"I'm working on getting the whole road done," Jason explained. "It's just taking me a hot minute."

"Don't you worry about a thing!" Milligan called out as he rattled around. "I completely understand!"

When they came over the final rise, Jason drew to a stop, and both he and Milligan let out long sighs. Jason, though, sighed because he was taking in the scenery... Milligan, on the other hand, seemed to be sighing in relief.

In any event, they had reached their destination. The prairie spread out before them, on their left (the south) coming up against a large forest that wrapped around a small river that traveled up to the north-west. The forest held loads of hidden secrets, but Jason's mind at that moment was turned to the fields.

The field closest to the trees, the Far Eighty, sported a small cabin, a lean-to for some of his older equipment, and a corral to hold the horses. Just to the north of that, separated by a distance of perhaps ten feet, was a second field, though it was still uncultivated. The prairie grasses in that area were a good

bit shorter, clearly marking the boundaries of the land, while a handful of monsters scurried back and forth seeking food.

"I've decided to call this stretch of land the New Eighty." Jason nodded at it. "And it's all yours to do with as you... well, as the company... wishes." "Provided we can hammer out the details of the lease." Milligan produced a large manilla envelope. "Now, let's see... For starters, is this land paid in full, or are you making payments?"

"Paid in full," Jason answered.

"Excellent! That makes my life much easier." Milligan nodded. "Now, how would you like to handle any permanent structures placed on the land. We can do it two ways: either you can pay for the structures, such as fence and shelters and such, and then you'll own them if we ever part ways, or we can build them ourselves. However, in the event that our agreement runs up, you would be required to pay in full the price of anything that we could not remove."

"I'll just pay for it." Jason shrugged. "Sounds like I'd be doing it anyway, and I'd rather do it now than get caught." After a moment, he nodded down at the house. "If you're interested, you all are more than welcome to stay in that cabin. It was originally built to be a retreat house of sorts for Tess and me, but we've hardly used it since then."

"Perfect! And let's see... Equipment will be ours... Horses will be ours... Check here... I do believe that's everything," Milligan finished with a flourish. "Based on my calculations, there are two options. First, we can pay a simple flat rate for the renting of this field. We can pay seasonally, monthly, weekly... I'd prefer not to do daily, but it's really whatever you want! The second option, which I would not recommend but I am

contractually obligated to mention, would be a percentage cut of the profits of whatever we produce."

Jason laughed. "You're developing experimental crops! The seed you sell to me has undergone quite a bit of testing already; you just want to see how it'll do in large quantities. The seed you guys will be making here? Pfft, there's no guarantee in that at all!"

"My thoughts exactly." Milligan nodded. "Now, my calculations tell me that I should offer... 10,000 Shandys per month for the use of this field. That is extrapolated over winter, just for the record, when we won't be able to actually grow anything."

Jason frowned and stroked his chin. "That's 120,000 Shandys per year... Yeah, I'll go for that."

Milligan blinked. "Off the record, I'm authorized to negotiate up to 20,000."

Jason waved his hand. "I'm already making loads of money off you guys. I'll be fine—you need it more than I do." He snorted softly. "I don't know how you make any money, with the amount of concessions you make the moment you think there might be a problem."

At that, Milligan grimaced. He didn't say anything as he signed a few documents, and then passed the folder over for Jason to sign. Once it was all done and squared away, Milligan placed all the paperwork back in his inventory and sighed deeply.

"This is off the record, and I mean, so far off the record that I don't want you telling a single other soul." Milligan sighed. "Illumitir Genetics Corp likely won't survive another year."

Jason blinked in surprise. "What? I was joking when I said— I mean, you've been around for years from what I can tell!"

Milligan laughed and shook his head. "The research has been around for decades. Close to a century now, if we're being honest, but... Individual genetic companies don't last long. Input costs are high, and profit is only measured in potential. We aren't legally allowed to sell you grain at full price, which is why you can get it so cheap. The only way we're able to function is through investors. Essentially... Well, the history is long, but in the distant past, you had a guy who did some research for a rich guy, and then the rich guy sold some of the research to another rich guy, who paid a different scientist to do some more research, and on it's gone down through the line. At present, Illumitir Genetics Corp is being funded by grants that come from Illumitir itself, but... Have you heard about the situation in Illumitir right now?"

"The famine?" Jason grimaced. "I've heard of it."

"Exactly." Milligan nodded. "Grants are being withdrawn left and right as the city just tries to provide food for its citizens. I don't blame them one bit, but when that happens and we suddenly have no funding, our board will probably just sell all our data to the highest bidder, and life will go on." Jason sighed, then lifted his head and shrugged. "Well, if that is what happens, we'll deal with it when the time comes."

"That's the type of optimism I like to see!" Milligan beamed and held out his hand. "To the future!"

Jason shook Milligan's increasingly dirt-stained hand firmly. "And to our new business partnership.

Chapter Three: Cozy Thoughts

[The alarm went off; it was 6 AM. Jason and Tess were ready to get to work around the farm. They had 41 starting actions.]

[Obadiah's Almanac: 27th day of Summer! 64 days until the Summer Festival! It's looking like wind today, folks! Not a ton, mind you, but you'll see a few whirlwinds springing up here and there.]

As Jason rose, he took a deep breath and slowly walked over to the window. The wind was already beating against the house, though perhaps not quite as fiercely as he had heard it blow in the past. It was a cool wind, that was for certain, and as he got dressed, he pulled on a long-sleeve shirt instead of his usual shorter attire. Tess rolled out of bed behind him, and slowly snuck up to give him a hug.

"Got you!" She grinned, then gave him a kiss on the cheek before turning to change into a fall dress. "I know the colors on this aren't quite right, but... It's cold today."

Jason could only nod. "Well, while I'm out harvesting, the thought of you will keep me warm and cozy!"

"Stop it," Tess snorted and whacked him lightly upside the head. "You're no poet."

"Maybe not, but..." Jason shrugged as he followed Tess out into the hall. "I can still try to be sweet!"

"Sweet and over-sappy are two different things." Tess pushed the door open into Fern's room, revealing their little toddler in a pink, castle-shaped bed. Of course, there were also several foam swords that hung in a little rack on the castle wall, and a great dragon sneaking up to ambush said castle... "Not that I actually mind, but in my old line of work, sap was always something you got stuck in."

"Fair enough," Jason laughed. "Well, I'll catch you at breakfast!"

He trotted down the stairs and out into the farmyard, where he began performing his usual chores. As he worked, there was a rumble of wheels, and he looked up as a team of horses drove past the farm, just outside the fence. Milligan was nowhere to be seen, but the black wagon could only belong to the genetics company. One of the drivers waved a bit hesitantly at Jason, and Jason waved back before continuing with his work.

The arrangement between the company and himself, thus far, seemed to be working well enough. Some of the workers for the company seemed a bit nervous about the idea of working on someone else's land, but all told, things were going fairly well. One or two of them complained about the road not being finished all the way back, but as Jason continued to work on it whenever he had time, they didn't say too much.

Jason soon had the horses turned loose and fed, and he walked back up to the house as Tess poked her head out the front door to call for breakfast. The wind whipped up around him, cutting through his clothes, and he saw Tess shiver.

"Wow! That feels like fall, not summer."

"I know." Jason's teeth chattered for a moment, even though it couldn't have actually been lower than sixty degrees outside. "Just the way things are today, I suppose! How's Fern doing today?"

"Luv you, daddy!" Fern called out from the kitchen. "Work daddy day?" "Probably not today, but we'll see." Jason came walking up and into the small room, and took a seat to look down at a meal of omelets. "Yum! This looks good!"

"Yucky!" Fern declared as Tess handed her an omelet consisting of egg and cheese.

"No, yummy!" Jason shook his head and leaned closer to her.

"Yucky!" Fern laughed as she pushed the food away from her.

Tess shrugged and picked up the plate. "Alright, then, but if you don't eat this, you don't get any snacks before lunch."

"Snacks?"

"Nope." Tess shook her head. "No crackers, no peanut butter, nothing! Until lunch."

Fern pouted for a moment, then pointed at the tray of her high chair. Tess put it back in place, and she grabbed a bite and stuffed it into her mouth. "Yummy," she muttered, though she glared at Tess the whole time.

Jason just snorted. "Looks like her two-year birthday came early. We've got ourselves a stubborn one on our hands, don't we?"

Fern nodded as she angrily took another bite. Jason simply laughed, then finished up his meal and rose.

"Alright, my love." He leaned over and gave Tess a kiss, then did the same for Fern. "Off to work, and all that. Slave away under the hot sun so that my family can afford a few scraps of food."

"I'll break out the whip!" Tess cackled as Jason started to walk away.

They both shared a laugh as Jason walked back out into the yard. By that point, Angus had finished eating and was looking over the edge of the fence, and Jason took him out and soon had him hitched up to the harvester. He looked around, made extra sure that Fern was nowhere to be seen, and then snapped the reins to rumble forward.

The blades whirred to life as they entered the field, and Jason glazed down in delight at the corn-wheat hybrid. He had tried to come up with a better name for it, but there wasn't a single way of mashing the two names together than was satisfactory in his mind. The stalks had risen to a height of about one foot, and were... somewhere around the thickness of sorghum. A single ear of corn topped the plant, though peeling back the outer husk revealed enormous grains of wheat instead of kernels of corn. It was really quite spectacular to behold.

In any event, the grain flowed into the harvester rapidly, and Jason checked his yield periodically. He was accumulating about as many net grains as if he were to harvest corn, but the weight was simply extraordinary. Without doing the calculations, he estimated that he was raking in about twice as many bushels as a normal field of wheat, and maybe half again as much as when he harvested corn.

The only downside to the hybrid, sadly, was the fact that it didn't have any cool effects upon being harvested. There was no smell of fresh butter, nor sparkling sunbeams. There was no smell of maple sugar, nothing that would tell him that he was harvesting anything other than plain, simple grain. Now, that said, simply looking at the field as he lumbered along through it was enough to make him satisfied. It was just such an odd assortment of

spikes and ears that he couldn't help but marvel at it, so he supposed that it all worked out in the end.

On and on, he went. The grain cut very easily, allowing him to move a bit faster than he might have ordinarily done. As such, he had finished almost three-quarters of the field by the time Tess called him in for lunch. Angus was breathing heavily, but seemed happy to have been able to stretch his legs, and Jason put him back in the corral while he walked up and into the home.

"How's it going?" Tess asked as he sat down at the table. She placed a roast beef sandwich in front of him, and he nodded.

"It's going really well. It harvests really easily, and I think we're going to be looking at another bumper crop." Jason flashed a small smile. "Can't complain about that, really."

"Not at all." Tess poured him some tea, then sat down across from him. Fern was grinning and eating some ham. "Oh! You seemed pretty focused at the time, but Milligan stopped by. Did you know he actually moved up into that cabin with the other hired hands? That place isn't large, but they must have ten people packed inside!"

Jason shook his head. "They're camping for the time being. Milligan and a few of the others get to sleep inside, but most of them have pitched tents down by the forest. Sorry, meant to mention it yesterday, I wound up running over to the Far Eighty and saw their setup." After a moment, he nodded to her. "What did he want?"

"Oh! Sorry, almost forgot." Tess shrugged. "He was just wanting to know how the yield was, how it was cutting, all that stuff. Nothing too exciting." "I'll run the report over to him tonight, if he doesn't catch me first." Jason stood up and stretched. "That meal was wonderful."

"Munderful!" Fern grinned around a mouthful of potatoes.

"Well, I thank you both." Tess bowed her head slightly. "You heading back out?"

"Yeah, I think so." Jason waved to them as he turned around. "Catch you later!"

When he got back out to the machine, he found Angus waiting once more, eager to get to work. He laughed and brought the horse out, then got him hitched up.

"You're just the best horse ever." Jason grinned as he fed Angus an apple. "Well, tied with Lady, of course, but you do love your farm work. Gives you a workout, I guess."

Angus tossed his mane, then started into the field, and Jason grinned as they rushed forward.

Blades whirled as they carved through the remainder of the field in what seemed like record time. It was, simply put, one of the smoothest harvests Jason had ever experienced. There were no problems, no pitfalls, and with the new crop, he was done by right around 3 PM. It was certainly a record when you took out the days where he was frantically scrambling to beat a storm!

As he finished up and put Angus away, he sighed deeply, then turned to look at the empty field. Farms were strange, in a way. The greatest joy of farming (excluding his family, of course) was the process of tearing out what you'd worked so hard to grow in the first place! It made sense when you thought about it, but it was kinda funny at a glance. Jason chuckled a bit to himself, then turned and walked up into the house.

He was done early, which meant that he could spend a bit of time playing with Fern before he had to sit down and write up his report for Milligan.

The next morning, he would find out how much the grain sold for, and that would really seal the deal, as far as he was concerned.

And for that... he would just have to wait.

Chapter Four: A Light Ran

[The alarm went off; it was 6 AM. Jason and Tess were ready to get to work around the farm. They had 41 starting actions.]

[Obadiah's Almanac: 28th day of Summer! 63 days until the Summer Festival! Looks like it's a dreary one today, folks, but still ought to be nice and warm! That cold front brought some light showers along with it, so if you do have to go out, do your best to stay dry! Just be careful, roads will likely be deceptively muddy today, and I'd rather not have to go help pull someone free!]

Jason smiled as he rolled of bed and walked up to the window. A light rain was pattering against the windows. It wasn't quite a drizzle, it was a bit heavier than that, but it was still lighter than something that would actually cause him any concern. He did sigh, though, as he looked out at the field. He had hoped to get seed in the ground straightaway, but now it would likely take a few more days before he could plant again. Light rains like this soaked into the ground, and the moisture stayed for a long time, whereas heavier rains often just came so fast that they ran off, and things subsequently dried up a whole lot quicker.

"What's the plan for today?" Tess asked as she walked up behind him and gave him a quick hug. "You going to stick around the house?"

Jason thought for a moment, then shook his head. "I've got too much to do. I think I'll head out and work on putting gravel on the road, honestly."

Tess raised an eyebrow. "Really? In the rain?"

Jason shrugged. "I've been needing to get it done, and the corporation men are getting kinda antsy about it."

"I knew buying a plot of ground out there was going to be a bad idea." Tess shook her head as she turned away.

"Then why didn't you say so?" Jason countered, then shrugged. "I also don't really think it's working out poorly, we're just still learning how to work with each other."

"For now," Tess chuckled. "Alright, get to work, then! I'll have breakfast on the table by the time you—"

"What?!"

Jason's exclamation seemed to startle Tess and she stepped backward in confusion. Jason shook his head and apologized. "Sorry. I... I just got a notification for how much the gain sold for. 20,000,000 Shandys."

"Twenty million?" Tess blinked a few times. "Did they add an extra zero? Your maple sugar beets sold for that much, and they were a high-end specialty crop."

"No..." Jason frowned. He opened the farm's inventory, then pulled out a letter. It seemed to be system-generated, which was why it hadn't just gone to their mailbox. "Let's see here... It looks like... Hey!" He shook his head. "I've got to sort this out with Milligan."

"Is there a problem?" Tess asked.

"Sorta." Jason nodded. "So... Yesterday, I harvested about as many grains of wheat as I would have harvested kernels of corn, right?"

"I think you said yesterday that it was higher, but—"

Jason waved the protest away. "I'm rounding. Anyway, so lower number of kernels, but a higher weight. Typically, when crops are sold, they sell either by the kernel count or by the weight, whichever is higher, depending on a handful of factors. When this was sold, they paid me based off the kernel count instead of the weight!"

"And it was still that high?" Tess didn't seem nearly as concerned as Jason. "Well... Yeah." Jason frowned. "The note here says that because of an... Well, it's because of the drought up in Illumitir. Looks like prices have gone up by about ten, more or less."

"Then let's not be greedy and be satisfied with the fact that the crops are going to someone who can obviously use them," Tess soothed him. "Talk to Milligan about it, but let's just let it go this time. If they paid full price, sure, we might have gotten a bit more—"

"Probably closer to sixty million," Jason grumbled.

"—but someone else wouldn't have gotten to eat dinner tonight," Tess concluded. "Now get your spoiled hindquarters out into the rain and build some road."

Jason sighed, but nodded. A few moments later, he had made it downstairs, and slowly moved out into the rain.

It wasn't a hard rain, but that slow drizzle was uncomfortable. Sometimes, soft rains were refreshing. That one certainly was not. When he opened up the door for the horses to run out into the corral, all three turned back, so he shoveled out their stalls and kept them inside. Alice, similarly, didn't seem particularly interested in setting foot outside her little stable. Chance

seemed to be loving it, though, as the rain increased the volume of monsters clambering around the edge of the fence.

When he finished with chores, he made his way back up into the house, where he ate a quick meal consisting of some eggs, a few pancakes, and some sausage.

"Daddy wet!" Fern declared, and Jason had to agree.

He gave her a big, wet hug (then did the same for Tess), and then, reluctantly, went back out into the farmyard.

"Alright, Ang-" Jason sighed as he realized that Angus wasn't going to want to leave the stable to go work with him out on the road. He couldn't blame the horse, and though he knew that the loyal animal would certainly come if he called him, he also didn't want to make the noble creature do something like that.

On foot, he struck off across the land, marching down the gravel road with a purpose. Here and there, he could see some of the company men moving around the New Eighty, but none of them seemed to take much notice of him. Eventually, he marched up to the last ravine (which, of course, was the steepest), and took stock of the situation.

This one was somewhere around twenty feet deep and... fifty wide? No, it was probably closer to eighty. The wash at the bottom was particularly rocky, and would likely need a bridge with at least three sets of supports as opposed to the more ordinary one or two. Jason crossed his arms as he thought about it, then nodded and set forward.

He had to start with the bridge, since that was easily the worst part of the drive. As he came to the bottom, he took out a pickaxe and his other supplies, then started marking out the different locations. He soon

determined that it would need a whopping four sets of pylons supporting it, which was going to take a lot of time (and, more importantly, actions).

"Pull yourself together, Jason!" Jason smiled and started to kick aside some of the larger rocks. "You're a farmer, and you're a man. You're going to get this done, and that's that!"

When he had cleared enough of the land, he raised the pickaxe and began to strike. Action after action was used, and stone was blasted up into the air. Rather than digging and setting each individual post one at a time, he moved from location to location, chipping out all eight necessary holes, using a total of 16 actions. When he finished, his arms were burning, and he sat down on a rock and wiped his brow. His clothes felt heavy under the moisture, and his arms were starting to turn into jelly.

[Condition: You are tired. Your actions will be less effective until you allow yourself to rest.]

"It's been six years, going on seven, and this is the first time I've seen that pop up?" Jason raised an eyebrow.

[Using [Intense] actions over and over will result in the [Tired] condition. This is the first time you have used so many in a row.]

"Ahh." Jason frowned. He supposed that chipping holes in stone was a fairly heavy-duty action, which... all things considered, the more he thought about it, it was actually a fairly lenient system. He took a deep breath and forced himself to sit there on the rock, not moving, for the next several minutes. His arms began to feel a bit better, and while the [Tired] condition didn't go away, he knew he had to get back to work.

"Alright, Jason, let's do this!" Jason stood up and opened the farm's inventory once again, taking out the large support beams. He only had three

remaining, but given that each one was twenty feet long, and he only needed them to be about three feet long, he would make it work.

Moving slowly, he took the first post and dropped it into the closest hole. Once he had it standing upright, he measured out the proper length, then cut it off. The top fell over with a resounding crash, and he slowly picked up the remaining seventeen feet and dropped it into the next hole.

He had just sawed off the third pylon when he heard a cough behind him, and he turned to see a small handful of the company men standing on the hill. They were drenched, just like him, and as he straightened up, one of them flashed a small smile.

"We... We saw you working, and given how much we've been complaining about the road, we just thought..."

"If we couldn't be in the field pleasing the boss, we might as well come make our own lives a bit easier!" another chimed in.

"I'm sure not going to turn you away!" Jason grinned and took a step back. "You've seen what I've done with the other bridges. Hop in as you feel you can!"

[Companion: Your new companions have each been given 10 bonus actions for the day, and you have been granted 5 per companion. Total actions for the day: 52]

Jason blinked in surprise as he suddenly found himself reinvigorated. He stood up and began to direct people back and forth, and in incredibly short order, the bridge began to take shape. It took a mere combined 30 actions to finish putting the bridge together; at which point, they went back up the hill, where Jason dumped out another load of gravel. Working together for the rest of the morning, they managed to fill in the road leading down to the new bridge, and then made it a good distance up the far side as well.

Finally, though, as lunchtime came around, they started to drift away. Jason's condition moved from [Tired] to [Exhausted, and he felt himself growing sluggish as he turned back toward home.

"I'll give you a ride," one of the men offered. "You just wait right there. Lets me be the first person to drive on this stretch of road!"

Jason laughed at that, and nodded wearily as the man ran off. A few minutes later, after Jason finished sticking everything back into the farm's inventory, the man came back with a small wagon. Jason climbed up into the back, and they rumbled off toward the farmstead.

"Thanks," Jason sighed in relief. "I appreciate it."

"You're more than welcome," the man chuckled. "Far as I'm concerned, you've earned our help with just about anything you need."

Jason snorted softly at that. "Doesn't feel like it. Most of your coworkers seem more annoyed by me than anything."

"Ahh, they're just getting used to this." The man shrugged. "And I think a lot of them are anxious for what's going on up north. Most of us have families up in Illumitir. We're sending them everything we earn, but it's still not enough these days. They'll take it out on anything they can, so don't take it too personal. I get my fair share of targets painted on me, on account of the fact that I don't really have much of a family."

Jason grimaced. "I'm sorry to hear that. Is there any way I can help?" "You're already charging us a ridiculously low rent. That's giving the boss more money to pass along to us." The man shook his head. "You just keep doing what you're doing. We'll take care of the rest."

As they came up to the farmhouse, and the warm glow of lights from inside drifted out through the window, the man sighed. "I'll say this. You're a mighty lucky man, and you'd do well to never take it for granted."

As Jason climbed down and the man drove away, Jason could only nod in agreement. He was lucky, and he was never going to let go of the family that gave him that distinction.

Chapter Five: How About Those Apples

[The alarm went off; it was 6 AM. Jason and Tess were ready to get to work around the farm. They had 41 starting actions.]

[Obadiah's Almanac: 42nd day of Summer! 28 days until the Summer Festival! Today's going to be one of the nicest days this summer, folks, so make sure to get outside and enjoy it! Ahh... Yeah, that's really all I've got] "Short, sweet, and to the point." Jason rolled out of bed and stretched, then glanced back at Tess. "Just like you!"

"I'll show you short," Tess muttered. "Stuff you into a barrel and roll you around the farm a few times, and that'll show you."

Jason laughed a bit. "What's got you tied up in knots?"

"Nothing. Sorry." Tess rubbed her eyes and shook her head. "I guess I'm not totally awake. Thought it would be funny."

"Well, you're very cute, if that counts for anything." Jason leaned over and gave her a kiss, then ran out of the room as quickly as he could.

A pillow slammed into the door just behind him, and he laughed. He would pay for it later, that much he was certain of, but... he would deal with that when the time came.

He slowly made his way downstairs, then out into the yard. Chance leapt about eagerly. For what seemed like the first time that summer, it was actually nice and warm, with a brilliant ball of orange light spilling lovely rays all over the landscape. Jason basked for a moment in the morning light, then slowly turned his horses loose. It was the sort of day that summer scenes were drawn from: warm, but not so warm that you could fry an egg on your harvester. He took a deep breath, then slowly turned toward his field.

The second batch of corn-wheat hybrid was rising up quickly from the ground. It was still going to be another week or so before it was ready, but Tess had convinced him to go ahead and replant it even at the possibility of a slightly lower payment. Illumitir needed it desperately; there was simply no doubt about that.

As Jason let Alice loose in the yard, he heard a clatter of hooves, and looked up to see a large transport wagon rumbling past. It was packed with people, most of whom looked just as dusty as the road they were on. He waved, and a few of them waved back, but most just stared at him with sad eyes. A few had hungry sorts of looks, and those he worried a bit about, but the transport didn't stop, and soon enough had rumbled on south.

"I wish there was something we could do for all those people," Jason sighed as he walked back into the house. "There have to be five of those wagons going past our house per day."

Tess frowned in thought as she started to eat her breakfast. "If you put a bin out by the road, I can fill it with bread or something. Refill it a few times per day. It might help the people along their journey."

"Do that." Jason nodded. "I'll get it out here in just a few minutes." He turned and smiled at Fern. "What should mommy make?"

"Apa!" Fern held up a slice of pear that Fern had cut up for her.

"No, that's not an apple..." Jason froze, then turned to Tess. "Apples. That's actually not a half-bad idea."

"We don't have any apple trees." Tess raised an eyebrow. "Bread, I can do. We have loads of grain that I can grind up into flour, and once you harvest this next crop, we can just keep a dozen bushels back or something. I can do vegetables that we grow in our garden, but I can't really do apples."

"But we could plant them," Jason countered. "We had some apple trees, remember? Two of them!"

"Yeah, and then they died and we forgot about them." Tess shrugged. "Was it the Juun bugs?"

"I honestly can't remember at this point." Jason bit his lip as he thought back over it. "Well, the point is I can plant more of them. We won't get any fruit immediately, but they mature in a single season, which means we would start getting apples next fall."

"Is that soon enough to make a difference?"

Jason shrugged. "If it is, then that means that the drought is getting even worse, and it's desperately needed. If not, hey! We have some fruit trees." Tess chuckled and shrugged. "Alright, then! Do we need fruit seeds?" "Nope!" Jason reached over and plucked a pear seed off the table from the fruit that Tess had been cutting from. "I'm sure we can scrape together enough to do something. Fern, do you want to help?"

"Help daddy! Plant apa!" Fern grinned. "My apa!"

"Your apples?" Jason laughed as he picked Fern out of her high chair. "We'll see!"

"Oh, let it be Fern's orchard." Tess waved her hand dismissively. "She'll love it."

"Alright, then." Jason held out his hand, which Fern quickly took. "Let's go!"

They ran quickly out into the yard. Alice came running over as soon as she saw her little master, and Fern gave her some pets before running after Jason.

Jason, meanwhile, walked up to the fence by the front of the road. All told, the front of the property was somewhere around two hundred feet in length, give or take a little bit. Slowly, he knelt down in the spot where he wanted the first tree, then pulled a spade out of the farm's inventory and placed it against the ground.

"Alright, Fern!" He grinned. "Come help me!"

Fern raced over and grabbed hold of the wooden handle and pushed, and Jason tapped the ground. With a flash, a small hole was dug, and Jason handed a single apple seed to his daughter. She dropped the seed into the hole, and then Jason took the spade again and let Fern help him tap the pile of dirt. With another flicker, the hole was filled back, and Jason started pacing off the next section.

He put the trees ten feet apart, alternating between apple and pear trees. When he reached the far end, he gave the ground a pat, and Fern crouched down and began patting the soil as well.

"Dood dirt." Fern nodded solemnly, then stood up. "Help daddy! Daddy work!"

"Daddy work, indeed." Jason stroked his chin. "Well, next time we're in town, can you help me remember to buy some fertilizer for these trees? So they grow faster and bigger and better?"

"Yes!" Fern beamed and clapped her hands.

"Good." Jason nodded. "Now, until then, we need... We need a washtub, or something very nearly washtub-sized."

He sat down on the ground and opened up his farm's inventory, and Fern sat down on his lap as he started to scroll through everything.

"You know, sometimes, I wish that everything wasn't stored in my inventory like this." Jason rubbed Fern's head. "If there was just a giant shed that we had where we stored everything, I could just walk inside and looked around, and see if there was anything that would work. As is, I have to scroll through this endless list, and read through every single entry... Ball bearings, box springs... barnacle... What?" Jason blinked. "Why do I have a barnacle?"

He tapped the entry, and a rather dried barnacle, like you might find stuck to the bottom of a ship, dropped into his lap. He sighed and threw it back into his inventory, then kept looking.

It took him the better part of half an hour of searching before he came up with anything. During that time, he arranged the list alphabetically, by classification, by size, by cost, and using a host of other filters. In the end, though, he finally found something called 'Rusty Tub', which he had overlooked as it had always, no matter the filter, been classified in the midst of rusty nails, rusty tools, and plain old rust.

When he pulled out the tub, it came clattering down in front of him, and Fern screwed up her nose.

"Dirty!"

"Yeah, it kinda is." Jason stroked his chin for a moment, then took out some soap and a rag. "Want to help me?"

"Work daddy!"

Jason and Fern dove into the mess, and while Fern managed mostly to just squirt soap all over herself instead of the tub, they managed to get it scraped down well enough. There were a few holes in it, but... Well, it would work for the time being until they managed to get into town and buy a better one. Jason then pulled a few other items out of his inventory and dragged it all up to the front gate.

"Alright, Fern, you're going to have to stand back for this one." Jason pulled out a much larger shovel and dug a hole by the edge of the road, then dropped in a post and hammered it into the ground. That done, he stuck the rusty tub on top of it and nailed it in place. When that was finished, he walked to the north side of the tub (since most travelers were coming from that direction), and took out a can of paint.

"Take What You Need." Jason painted the words on the side in letters that were as legible as he could make them, then plunged his right hand into the black paint and slapped a handprint right next to the first word. Fern giggled and stuck in her own hand, then added her own print. They were still laughing and giggling when they heard the scuff of a wagon on the road, and turned to the north as another wagon came rumbling down. The driver, who looked just as weary of the road as his passengers, slowed as he spotted the two of them.

"I don't mean to sound rude." The man's voice was grizzled, even though he only looked a little older than Jason himself. "But... I see your sign, and we could sure use something. We don't have any money, so we aren't stopping in towns on account of them thinking we might steal from them. Most towns aren't letting us stop, anyhow, and I can't say that I blame them."

"I'm coming!" Tess burst from the front of the house. She had a pitcher of water in one hand, and a large basket brimming with bread hanging from the other. "Sorry! Just slow!"

She passed up the basket of bread, and it was emptied in a split second. After Jason checked to make sure that everyone had food and got a good drink, he stepped back, and the wagon driver slowly began to lumber onward.

"Where are you all headed?" Jason called out as they left. "I see so many of you!"

The driver turned and shrugged. "South, until we find a place that will keep us."

With that, he was gone, and Tess turned back to the house. "I'll go make more bread."

"Good." Jason flashed a small smile, then nodded at Fern. "We'll help as many people along as we can."

"Can!" Fern grinned, and Jason slowly turned away.

Times were hard everywhere else, but here in Summer Shandy, everything still seemed more or less all right. In his mind, that meant that they had a responsibility... And it wasn't one that he was planning on shirking.

Chapter Six: Blistering Heat

[The alarm went off, it was 6 AM. Jason and Tess were ready to get to work around the farm. They had 41 starting actions]

[Obadiah's Almanac: 46th day of Summer! 45 days until the Summer Festival! It's going to be hot today, with a capital H! I could explain exactly why that is, but I don't think many people would appreciate it, so feel free to stop by my office if you'd like a details breakdown!]

Jason chuckled as he rolled out of bed. "Obadiah loves telling everyone exactly why things are happening, way more than you did, I feel like."

Tess shrugged. "I'm more of a to-the-point sort of a person. You've met Jeremiah, right? Obadiah comes by it honestly."

"Fair, fair," Jason chuckled, then sighed as he started to get dressed. "If it's all right by you, I'm going to get moving pretty quickly this morning." "Let's see... You're harvesting the Far Eighty, if I remember right?" Tess asked.

"Yup." Jason nodded. "That's the plan, anyhow. Since the house is being rented right now, though, I'm not going to have you and Fern hanging around to meet me for lunch, so I'd like to just get rolling."

"I'll pack you something." Tess gave him a kiss as Fern started to cry from her room. "Get on with it!"

Jason grinned, then trotted down the stairs. It didn't take him long to make it out into the farmyard, where he turned the horses loose and started looking over his harvester.

The Far Eighty had been planted to a simpler, more reliable crop: sunflowers. He knew they were starting to get old in some ways, but... they were like sugar beets in the spring. They were just so much fun, he couldn't bear to part with them! Maybe the next year he would think about changing something, but for the time being, he was going to stick to what he knew.

It didn't take him long to finish scraping the rust and dirt off the bottom of the harvester. He had to grease a few of the bearings, and several of the bolts had started to come loose, but... By and large, it was ready to go, and he stood up as Tess came walking out onto the porch.

At that, a wide grin split his face. Tess and Fern were wearing matching blue dresses. In one hand, Tess had a picnic basket that likely contained everything for Jason's lunch and breakfast. In the other hand, she had an even larger basket filled with bread and an assortment of vegetables that could be eaten raw: carrots, peppers, some snap beans, and more. Fern, meanwhile, carried a single loaf of bread in a bag, and she huffed and puffed as she tried to tug it along.

"Perfect." Jason took the picnic basket and tucked it into his inventory, then took the basket of food from Tess and started walking toward the road. When he got there, he gazed down into the rusty tub with a feeling of sadness.

They had lined the tub with a blanket to keep the food from actually touching the rust. The night before, they had filled it full to heaping with as

much as they could fit. That morning, there was nothing but crumbs, and the scarecrow mounted right next to it was still registering as active, which meant that it hadn't been taken by monsters or animals.

"Do you think there was one wagon or two?" Tess asked softly. "That was a lot of food there."

"I don't know." Jason sighed and dumped in the assortment of food, then took Fern's bread as well and added it. He then turned and looked up the road, where he could see a small plume of dust coming down from Summer Shandy. "Hard to tell. I just wish there was more we could do."

"So do I." Tess pursed her lips. "For what it's worth, I wrote to Paulina the other day. She told me that Obadiah and Jeremiah are working on making something for the town, but that they're running into obstacles, both legal and practical. She did say that a few others in the area are starting to do similar things as us, which is nice, and should help."

"Good." Jason puffed out his cheeks, then gave Tess and Fern hugs. "Well, I've got to get off. Keep the house together, and make sure to keep that thing full."

Tess nodded, and Jason quickly walked over to the corral to get out Angus. The great horse snorted and pawed at the ground, and Jason quickly had him hooked up to the harvester. As soon as he was ready, he climbed up and snapped the reins, and Angus lumbered off.

Since he had completed the road between the two halves of his property, he had suddenly found it possible to take his far nicer machinery from the homestead to the back half. It was slower than just riding there, of course, but his newer machines just worked so much better. The wheels made a satisfying crunching noise on the gravel, and a matching rattle on the

wooden bridges. When he came over that final rise, a smile broke across his face, and he sighed deeply.

The twin fields sat right next to each other, gleaming in the light. The one field of sunflowers was a mass of yellow and green, with the heads turned toward the sky in Jason's general direction. The second field, though, was actually more interesting, in Jason's opinion.

A small, temporary laboratory had been set up near the center, while paths radiated out from that location. Throughout the rest of the area, hundreds of small plots filled the expanse, marked off by stakes strung up with ribbon. Workers moved here and there, trimming off flowers and measuring growth. A few of them looked up as Jason approached, and he waved, but only a few waved back. Oh, well.

In any event, a smile broke across his face as he entered the field. The blades whirled through the flowers, knocking them flat, and the familiar smell of butter filled the air. Sunbursts and glimmering rainbows erupted from the plants as they were cut and streamed out behind the harvester. Jason took a deep breath and smiled at it all, watching the progress of it all. He started along the side of the field closest to the New Eighty, passing only about twenty feet from the edge of the first plots. He had paid to install a new section of metal fencing around the whole thing, making for two barricades between himself and the company workers. His eyes turned almost continuously toward the different crops that he saw growing there. There were strange things shaped like enormous mushrooms, stems of wheat that had glimmering orange and red balls on the ends, and so much more. To his surprise, he actually saw something that looked remarkably like a stable wheat-barley cross, though it was hard to tell for certain.

As he finished the first pass and turned around, he directed a bit more of his attention to the field at hand, and continued to do so as he moved further and further away from the New Eighty. He had gotten almost exactly half of it done when his stomach started to rumble, and he brought the machine to a halt near the corral. Angus eagerly raced into the overgrown location and started to munch on grass, while Jason sat down against the fence and took out his lunch.

"Hey!" a sharp voice cut through the air. "You're the owner here?"

Jason slowly put down his sandwich and stood up. A man was stalking closer, with an annoyed sort of look on his face. He had a goatee that matched his sneer, and Jason frowned in confusion.

"Yeah, that's me." Jason nodded slowly. "What can I do for you?"

"What can you do for us?" the man snapped. "You could try not planting sunflowers again!"

Jason blinked. "Why?"

"All the butter flies." The man's hands balled into fists. "We're paying you good money to be here, and then... Do you have any idea how hard it is to grow sensitive crops with all those things flying around trying to eat them? We've had to spend a fortune on repellant!"

Jason shook his head. "I'm so sorry! I didn't know. I'll plant the field to... Hmm." He thought for a moment. "Barley?"

The man's mouth twitched. "We're working on barley crosses! If you plant some there, you'll only cross-pollinate with us and ruin our results."

"So I assume that wheat would be the same..." Jason stroked his chin. "What about peanuts? I keep seeing peanuts available for sale, but I've yet to actually buy any. Would that be okay?"

At that, the man's face softened. "Ahh... Yeah! Yeah, peanuts would be fine."

"Great!" Jason held out his hand, and the man slowly shook it. "You know, if I'm ever doing something that's bothering you, you can come talk to me about it. You know exactly where I live, and if you come at a mealtime, we'll feed you."

The foreman, by this point, had lost all traces of anger. "You mean it?"

"I'm pretty easy to work with." Jason nodded. "I mean... I wouldn't have gotten here if others hadn't bent around a bit for me. Seems to be the least I can do for you guys, you know?"

The foreman let out a long breath, then nodded slowly. "I... That sounds good to me. Thank you."

"For sure!" Jason grinned. He bent down and fished around in his lunch, then pulled out a small jar of pickled eggs. "Would you guys eat these? Tess keeps packing them, but I really don't like them all that much. Just give me back the jar when you're done."

The jar was quickly whisked away, and Jason smiled as he turned back to his own food. As he saw down, Milligan appeared from the shadows and came walking up to lean against the fence.

"Keep up that sort of thing, and you'll have my job from me."

Jason laughed. "I'm just trying to be nice."

"And that's why you'll have it." Milligan sighed and turned away. "You're a good man, Jason. Don't ever let anyone tell you anything different."

As he walked away, Jason shook his head. He wasn't a good man, he was just lucky enough to have landed in a place that had that sort of effect on people. And, hopefully, it would start to have the same effect on all the company men, and the people passing through, as well.

Chapter Seven: Pruning & Other Tasks

[The alarm went off; it was 6 AM. Jason and Tess were ready to get to work around the farm. They had 41 starting actions.]

[Obadiah's Almanac: 50th day of Summer! 41 days until the Summer Festival! Today's going to be nice, but we've got a whopper of a storm blowing up tomorrow! Sorry for the slow warning on it, but it just appeared out of nowhere over the western plains, and it's gaining strength quickly. Get things done quickly today and then bunker down, because once the sun sets, you're not going to want to venture out munch]

"Bummer," Jason scowled as he read the message. "I was hoping to get into town tomorrow."

"Why not just go today?" Tess asked. She sat up as well, then leaned over and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

Jason shrugged and stood up. "Because I was really hoping to prune the fruit trees today. You get the best effects if you fertilize them exactly two days after pruning, so if I did that today, and then bought fertilizer tomorrow instead of vice versa..."

"That's fair." Tess nodded. They started to get dressed, and she shrugged. "Still, though, it might be best if we head in—"

"I know, I know." Jason puffed out his cheeks. "It's not actually a problem, it's just not what I had planned. Catch you at breakfast?"

Tess nodded, and Jason quickly slipped downstairs and out onto the farmstead. A few minutes later, they were all sitting down to the table. Outside, a wind was starting to pick up, which in Jason's mind didn't really fit the description of nice, but he supposed it was still better than a raging storm.

"Odd question." Tess frowned as she fed Fern a bite of pancake. Fern gobbled it down, then stuck her hand in syrup and smeared the sticky substance all through her hair. "Your family is in Illumitir, right?"

Jason nodded as he took a bite of sausage. "Yup."

"How are they doing with everything?"

Jason shrugged. "I wrote my mom a letter... last week, I think it was? She said that my dad's position at his company is high enough up the chain of command that they're holding on for the time being. The government is giving out grain allotments to certain people, trying to keep people in the city, and they've been able to get on that list."

"That's good to hear." Tess flashed a small smile. "If they ever needed to come down, they'd be welcome."

"And I let her know that." Jason nodded. "We'll just have to see, I suppose." He wiped off his mouth as he finished eating, then rose and turned toward the door. "I'll go get things ready outside. You get Fern ready and come meet me?"

"Work daddy!" Fern declared, then grabbed her plate and chucked it on the floor. While Tess bent over to pick it up, Fern grabbed her orange juice and

dumped it over her head. Tess sighed deeply without sitting back up, and Fern threw the cup across the room.

"Me dirty! Need bath!"

"Yeah, probably," Tess groaned. "Jason?"

"I've got animals to deal with," Jason laughed and made himself scarce. He soon had the carriage hitched up to Lady, and Fern's little carriage hitched up to Alice, and then sat by the porch and waited for Tess to appear.

It took longer than he might have hoped, but soon enough, Tess and Fern came swishing out onto the porch. They both had new clothes on, and Tess seemed relieved that Fern would be riding by herself. Fern, for her part, grinned and clapped her hands as Tess stuck her into the tiny carriage.

"Yes, mommy! Yes!"

While Alice started trotting toward the road, Tess refilled the food container, then shook her head as she climbed up next to Jason. Down below, Alice trotted out the gate and down the road, and they followed slowly behind.

"She's getting to be a handful, that one."

"At least she's not a boy," Jason pointed out. "Once she learns that couches and beds are bouncy, we'll never have a moment of peace again."

"True," Tess laughed and shook her head. "True."

They took quite a while getting up to Summer Shandy, due in part to the number of wagons they met heading south. It was more than usual, and Jason knew that the rusty tub would be empty long before they got home. Still, though, there wasn't much else he could do about it. He did his best to smile at the refugees, and a few of them seemed to be cheered by it.

When they reached the town, to Jason's eyes, it seemed a bit dustier than usual. Jeremiah was at the town well, directing traffic as half a dozen

wagons and horses bumbled through the area, trying to stop and refresh themselves at different stores. He smiled and waved at Jason, but seemed far too busy for casual conversation. Jason waved back, then threaded his way through the gridlock to the town stables. There, several of Obadiah's page boys helped get them settled, and with that, Jason and Tess slipped back around and into the town.

They held Fern tightly as they weaved between the wagons and horses, and soon entered Paulina's store. Inside, it was packed with farmers and refugees alike, and Jason smiled as he started to look around. It had been reorganized somewhat, which was going to take him a minute to get used to.

Zap!

He jumped slightly as a bolt of electricity hit him in the leg, and he looked down to find a jet-black cat standing there, purring loudly. A bit of lightning flickered through its fur, and he frowned.

"Is that..."

"Lucky!" An elderly woman raced out of the shelves and scooped up the feline. "Are you okay? You didn't zap anyone, did you?"

Jason chuckled. "It's not the first time he's done it."

The woman frowned, then beamed. "Are you the one who changed Lucky from being a giant, city-eating monster into this cute little bundle of joy?" The cat yawned in her arms, and when it did so, a long, low call echoed from its gullet. The building shook slightly.

"Ahh... Yes. That would be me." Jason shuddered. "I didn't know anyone had adopted him."

"Oh, yes! When Obie brought this cute little fellow back into town in a cage, I just had to rescue him." She held out her hand. "I've seen you

around, but I don't think we've been properly introduced. I'm Lily, the proprietor of Lily's Inn."

"Ahh! You took over for Viola." Jason nodded and smiled. "Yeah! I'd heard you had come into town, but I haven't run into you yet."

"And I'm afraid I have to run. I have a meeting with some other women to play cards. Catch you later!"

She flashed out through the door, vanishing into the crowded town square. Jason chuckled as he watched her leaving, and Tess sighed.

"She seems nice."

"Her cat seems like it wants to eat people," Tess scowled. "You just had to turn it into a cat instead of killing it."

"The thing was about to eat the house!" Jason protested. "How was I supposed to do that?"

Tess gave him no answer, and he rolled his eyes as he struck off into the store. With Paulina, he usually just went up to the counter, but with a new owner, he figured it would be best if he actually picked out the items himself. He soon found the fertilizer he needed for the trees, while Tess picked out some baking ingredients and spices. He also grabbed some construction equipment, and an assortment of other things that he needed for house repairs and farm upgrades.

When he had finished, he came walking up to the counter with Tess. Cecilia stood behind the counter, her long, red hair looking rather frazzled.

"Have you found everything you need today?" she asked softly.

"I think so." Jason set it all out. He frowned. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, just overwhelmed." Cecilia nodded. "Paulina had this all down to a science, and I don't even know everyone's names. I assume you were one of her regulars?"

Tess smiled and held out her hand. "We met at the last festival. I'm one of Paulina's friends."

"Oh!" Cecilia shook Tess's hand. "Right! Livia! How could I have forgotten?"

Her eyes were wild, and they all knew that the name had been a wild guess. Tess, politely, didn't counteract her, and Jason saw relief flash across Cecilia's face a moment later. She quickly rang up all the items, then nodded at Jason.

"That'll be 1,500 Shandys."

At that, Jason frowned. "What? Altogether, that shouldn't have been more than 400!"

Cecilia's eyes went wide again, and she launched into something that must have been pre-scripted. "I'm terribly sorry, but as prices rise across the land, it's harder and harder for me to get ahold of anything at a reasonable cost. This is as low as I can sell any of it and still afford to buy food for—"

"It's okay." Jason quickly held up a hand, and she froze. "I'm sorry. I truly am. I should have thought about it more before I asked." Cecilia relaxed a bit, and Jason nodded. "1,500 Shandys? Done."

There was a loud ding, and the money was transferred out of his account. Cecilia smiled as they gathered up their items, then made their way back out into the chaos of the town square.

Somehow, things had actually become a bit more wild since they had entered the store. Several wagons were backed up coming from the north, while four wagons seemed to have gotten themselves locked into a tight grid around the town well. Jeremiah was desperately trying to keep the peace, and Jason saw Gob dancing around the wagons trying to distract

people. Nothing was working, but Jason didn't think there was really anything he could do about that fact.

He and Tess stayed around town for a bit longer. They found Paulina out by the Guild Hall, playing with John in the shade of the building, and spent a little bit of time talking with her before making their way back toward home. Jason knew a way through the prairie, slipping around the gridlock of the town square, and they soon rumbled back down toward their distant farmstead.

"Seems like we picked a bad day to come through town," Tess chuckled softly as they made their way along. "Do you think it'll stay this bad for long?"

"Nah." Jason shook his head. "Like I said this morning, there are a lot of people up north who are able to stay. Everyone who has to leave will have done so pretty soon, and then they'll all be south, and things will settle out." He didn't say it out loud, but in his thoughts, he added the words I hope. There was no way of telling with a thing like this... All they could do was ride it out, and see where it landed them in the end.

Chapter Eight: Barn Horizon

[The alarm went off; it was 6 AM. Jason and Tess were ready to get to work around the farm. They had 41 starting actions.]

[Obadiah's Almanac: 51st day of Summer! 40 days until the Summer Festival! Remember that storm I mentioned? Well, it came through last night, and... Let's all be glad that we slept through it, because that would not have been fun to experience!]

"Speak for yourself," Jason muttered as he rolled out of bed and slowly climbed to his feet. "I can't imagine sleeping through that, but... each to his own, I guess."

Tess chuckled as she stood up behind him. "You were a wreck last night. Every flash of lightning made you jump like you'd seen a ghost."

"In fairness, they were particularly aggressive strikes of lightning," Jason pointed out. He slowly walked up to the window and looked out across the landscape, and his jaw dropped suddenly.

The sky was clear, showing only a hint of the clouds that had swept over the landscape the previous night. It didn't look like much rain had fallen, but... well... there had certainly been a lot of wind.

The stable was in shambles, as the roof lay scattered across the ground in bits and pieces. The horses were all still inside, thankfully, and he found that all three of them could look straight up at him, despite the fact that such a thing had previously been impossible ever since he had enlarged the stable several years earlier. The corral lay in shambles, and a good portion of the while picket fence had blown down as well.

"Oh no," Jason whispered. "All the workers up around the New Eighty!" "You go check on them," Tess ordered. "I'll get breakfast ready, and I'll make a bit extra in case they or anyone else needs some. Then you get to work on things, and I'll bring you out some food?"

Jason nodded, and he hurried down the stairs as quickly as he could. When he reached the stable, he kicked aside the debris from around the door, then carefully led Lady out and into the yard. Angus and Alfred both kicked at their stall doors and begged to be let out, but he simply sighed and shook his head.

"Not today, I'm afraid." He flashed an apologetic smile. "I'll be back!" Neither horse answered him, but he suspected that he wouldn't want to hear their answers anyway. Mounting up, he rode off to the west, up and over the familiar rises.

When he came up and into view of the fields, he found the scientists wandering around in a daze. Their tents were scattered across the prairie, but thankfully, none of them seemed to be hurt. Milligan stood near the entrance to the cabin, and waved as Jason rode up.

"We're all right here, my boy! A bit shaken up, you don't get winds like that up near Illumitir, but we were able to pack ourselves into the cabin and weather the night. The crops all came through it well, so I don't think you have anything to worry about!"

"Good." Jason let out a sigh of relief. "That's good." He started to turn Lady around, but Milligan called him back.

"I can only assume that you came rushing out here because you witnesses some sort of damage on your farm." Milligan frowned. "Is everything okay there?"

Jason shrugged. "We had some damage, pretty bad damage if I'm being honest."

"Is it anything you need help with?" Milligan puffed out his cheeks. "I doubt we can spare many men, but you'd be welcome to whoever isn't needed out here. The foreman has been looking for a way to pay you back for your generosity." He lowered his voice. "We usually have quite a few problems with the tight requirements we need the farmers around us to adhere to, so your cooperation has won you quite a few favors from him. The pie that Tess sent over yesterday also helped."

Jason flashed a small smile. "Well, I'm happy to help, and I certainly could use it today. Don't impose on anyone, but please do send them my way if they're willing."

He waved at the foreman, who was just emerging from the cabin, then turned and rode away. Lady's hooves flashed across the prairie, and she soon came running back up to the homestead. There, she paused at the gate to the broken corral, and looked down at the ground as Jason put her in the stable instead.

"Not your fault, girl." He patted her nuzzle. "Just the way it has to be for the moment."

With that, he walked over to the corral, then stroked his chin. Alice came trotting up to him, having apparently slipped through a small hole in her own stable, but didn't particularly seem inclined to run away. He flashed a

smile at her, then slowly began to work on repairing the corral fence. The damage wasn't as bad as it had initially seemed; he estimated that he would be able to get it repaired by lunchtime.

"Daddy!" Fern scampered down from the porch and came racing over to him. "Mommy got food!"

"Oh, really?" He hammered a nail into one of the crossbeams, holding it in place, and stood up as Tess came walking over with an egg burrito. "Thanks, Tess, I appreciate it."

"Just tell me how I can help." Tess smiled and turned back. "Once I get food ready, I'll bring it out and see where I can join in. I do know my way around a hammer, you know."

As she vanished, leaving Fern out in the yard, his daughter let out a scream. "Daddy! Tree!"

Jason sighed as he hammered in another nail, then turned and walked over to the fence next to the road. There, his heart sank. The small trees, which had risen to a height of around three feet, had suffered from the storm as well. Many of their branches had been broken off, but none of their trunks had been snapped, which was good.

"My tree hurt." Fern let her head fall and began to cry. "Tree hurt! Daddy fix!"

Jason chuckled and bent down next to her, then wrapped his arms around her shoulders.

"It's okay," he whispered and nodded at the trees. "They're not actually hurt that bad."

"Yes are." Fern declared.

"No."

"Yes."

Jason sighed. "They'll be okay, I promise. They're not hurt."

"Yes!" Fern screamed. She sat down and crossed her arms, and Jason slowly stood back up.

"Would you like to put a band-aid on them?"

With that, Fern beamed. A few minutes later, as Jason went back to hammering the beams back into place around the corral, Fern walked proudly from tree to tree, slapping band-aids across the trunks. Tess watched from the porch, laughing quietly. She came down and joined Jason next to the corral, and they simply watched their daughter for a long while. "You know, it's moments like this that just make farming." Jason puffed out his cheeks. "Such joy, even in the midst of everything."

"It also makes me wonder how many times we worry about things that will just fix themselves in time." Tess flashed a small smile. "How many times we're like that, putting band-aids on things that don't need them."

Jason shrugged. "That's too much thinking for me." He went back to hammering, then added, "You know, I've started using metal fence instead of wood just about everywhere else on this farm. It might not hurt to replace this fence with metal once we get our feet back underneath of us." "Honestly, it might not hurt to replace the stable, too." Tess grimaced. "It wasn't exactly the best thing when you built it, and you've only been able to add onto it piecemeal since then. It's six years old at this point, which... Honestly, it's kinda surprising it's lasted this long."

Jason puffed out his cheeks. "Do you have any idea how much a full building will cost at this point in time, with inflation the way it is?"

"What if we cut the wood from the forest?" Tess offered. "Ooh! Better idea. We can offer the refugees a job for a short time putting up the structure. Food and shelter for a week or two while construction is underway."

"That sounds like profiting off cheap labor." Jason frowned.

"It's not! I'm genuinely trying to think of ways we can help people." Tess shrugged. "Any father who has a family to feed would love to earn a living, as opposed to taking handouts along the way."

"That's true." Jason considered it for a moment, then shrugged. "Now, I don't know that a stable would really take all that long to build, you know? It's not really all that big. Me and two others could have it up in a day and a half, maybe two or three if we had to cut all the wood ourselves."

"True..." Tess paused. "But if we put up a barn, like an actual bona fide barn, we could do it!"

Jason snorted. "And then we'd have an empty barn with four animals in it." "Which we could then fill up!"

Jason rolled his eyes.

"And it would help people!"

Jason puffed out his cheeks, then nodded. "Fine. Fine, we'll build ourselves a barn."

"Yes!" Tess pumped her fist in the air as she walked back up toward the house. Jason rolled his eyes once again, then got back to work.

Over the hill, he caught a glimpse of some of the company men coming down to assist, and he waved grandly before hammering in yet another nail. He didn't love the idea of having more animals, but... Well, in all reality, it would only increase their output, and Fern would quickly become old enough to help with them. A smile slowly began to break across his face, and he nodded.

Yeah, that did sound like a good idea. Off in the distance, Fern stuck one final band-aid on the last tree, then ran back toward him, and he knelt down.

Everything would turn out all right, one way or another. He had family, he had friends, and now, it seemed, he would soon have animals. He only hoped that this experience with the creatures would turn out better than his previous endeavors.

Chapter Nine: Anniversary Thoughts

[The alarm went off; it was 6 AM. Jason and Tess were ready to get to work around the farm. They had 41 starting actions.]

[Obadiah's Almanac: 62nd day of Summer! 29 days until the Summer Festival! We're officially down to less than a month left before the end of the season, folks! I'd say that you should expect it to stay nice and warm for the next little while, but... Well, we know how my predictions have been doing recently! Enjoy the warmth while we've got it, because we might have a sudden freeze coming through tomorrow!]

[Obadiah's Almanac: Update: The system prevents the temperature from dropping below freezing, at least in this part of the world during the summer. I was joking]

"Sometimes, I wish I could have a front seat for all the flack Obadiah seemed to get from his almanac entries," Jason laughed as he rolled out of bed. "You used the update feature every once in a blue moon, but he's always using it."

Tess laughed. "Yeah... Admittedly, that was because I didn't care as much as he does, but... you know." She sighed, then frowned. "You know what

just hit me?"

"What's that?" Jason asked as he started to change clothes.

"At the beginning of summer, it was our three-year anniversary." Tess started to change into a lovely green dress. "That means that you've been married for more than half the time you've lived here in Summer Shandy." "Huh!" Jason blinked in surprise. "What do you know? Time flies, eh?"

He was just pulling the straps of his overalls over his shoulders when he heard a voice from below.

"Hey, Jason! I think I found what you were looking for!"

Jason flashed a smile at Tess. "I'll go take care of that, you get food on the table?"

Tess nodded, and Jason bolted down the stairs. He pulled on his boots as quickly as he could, then walked out into the yard. Standing there was a grizzled sort of man, a true lumberjack who likely weighed fully twice as much as Jason himself. A massive beard fell down the front of his checkered shirt, and he nodded up toward the trees.

"I think I've got all the wood found for you."

"Were you working last night?" Jason raised an eyebrow.

"Nah! Just got up early this morning." The man stretched his arms over his head, then rolled his head from left to right. "Caught us a few opossums for breakfast, and the tree I caught the fellers in was exactly what you needed." "Perfect!" Jason grinned. "Let me get the horses ready, and—"

"Already done," the man rumbled. "Your daughter's pony has been chasing your dog for the last half hour, too."

"Huh," Jason chuckled. "Well, come on up, then! Good work, Johan!" Johan nodded and followed Jason into the house. Around a week earlier, as Jason had started drawing up the plans for the barn, he had encountered

Johan and his family on the road. They had been on foot, with Johan pulling a small oxcart filled with all their supplies. He asked Jason for permission to camp on their ground, and after a bit of conversation that revealed that Johan had been a logger up in the northern woods, Jason had readily agreed to let them stay in exchange for help working on the barn.

As they walked into the house, Jason sat down at his drawing desk, which was littered with all sorts of different iterations of the barn schematics. He swept off all the old versions, then looked down at the neatly sketched final plans. It was a massive building, there was no doubt about that, but Johan was sure it would work.

"And there we go." Johan pointed at a crossbeam up near the top of the structure. "That's what we're looking for. Mark it as A-37-B. I'll know what it means."

Jason nodded and scratched it down. All the different parts of the structure were labeled with notations telling Johan which trees would be used for which portions of the building.

"And you're satisfied with this?" Jason glanced over at him.

"Oh, certainly." Johan nodded firmly. "This thing will hold 300 animals for you, easy! I've got a section for pigs, for sheep, for goats, for cattle, for horses, and a few sections that can be modified for whatever you want. There are feed bins up here that you can control with these here pulleys, and the lean-to on the side can hold all your equipment and more."

"That wasn't exactly what I meant." Jason shook his head. "From my end, this is staggering, more than I could ever have hoped for. From your end, you think you can get this built?"

"Have you ever been up to Illumitir?"

Jason nodded. "I grew up there."

"Do you remember the monkey house at the zoo?" Johan grinned. "I built that! Sixty feet tall, made of pure Northland Oak. That was the best time I've ever had putting something together, and this is only going to be better. Honestly, I'd make it even larger for you, but your property's only so large."

"Well, you've got my clearance to start work." Jason nodded. "I'll be out there helping every day that I'm not in the field."

"You just take it easy, and let old Johan work." Johan beamed. "This'll be a joy, I tell you, and the fact that it keeps my family safe is just icing on the cake."

"How many people will we need?" Jason frowned.

"Twenty, bare minimum." Johan crossed his arms in thought. "That's how many it'll take to raise those walls, once we get 'em together, but I'd do better with thirty. Give me sixty, and I'll have this up inside of a week!" Jason laughed and shook his head. "Based on space and food, Tess and I estimate that we can feed about thirty workers, assuming five members per family on average."

"I've already built three cabins out in your woods in my free time." Johan gestured with his thumb. "If they're willing to eat off the land, I can feed half that many."

Jason laughed, but inwardly, he rather cringed. He had tried Johan's raccoon pie, but... Well... Given that the volume of food that he had vomited up that evening had vastly outpaced the volume of food that he had eaten, he wasn't in a hurry to try it again. Johan and his family had stomachs of steel, that much he was certain of.

As he started to fold things up, Fern came scampering over and climbed up onto his lap. Jason absently took out a piece of paper and some crayons, and

she started scribbling over the page.

"Fern work too!"

Johan chuckled deeply as he started to turn toward the door. "You've got a good one there, boss. You just keep raising her properly the way you're doing, and you'll be a happy man."

Jason just smiled and rubbed Fern's head. Johan had four children himself, aged between three and ten, all of which were just as wild as their daddy. Before Johan could slip out the door, though, Tess appeared and came trotting up with a number of egg burritos.

"I've got food!" She smiled at Johan. "I know I've been making these a lot, but they're also so easy to eat on the go."

Johan flashed a smile. Jason knew that he had already eaten, but Johan was too polite to ever turn down a woman's request. "I'd be happy to take one, Missus Hunter. I don't suppose you'd mind if I put a smidge of sauce on it?"

Tess shook her head as she handed him one of the wraps. "Not at all!" Johan quickly pulled a small bottle out of his pocket, uncorked it, and poured a dark hot sauce onto the burrito. The fumes alone made Jason's mouth burn as Johan gulped down the second meal, and he flashed a thankful smile.

"Well, I'll be getting back to the woods to start chopping! You just start sending me workers when you can get them, and I'll get them put to work!" Johan soon vanished out through the door, and Jason chuckled and stood, eating his very non-spicy burrito.

"Well, Fern, do you want to see if we can wrangle ourselves some help?" "Help daddy!" Fern sprang up into his arms, and he let out a muffled grunt as he turned toward the door.

"You're getting heavy. Do you have rocks in your pockets?"

Fern laughed and shook her head. "No, daddy!"

Tess smiled and gave Jason a kiss on the way out the door. "Have fun! Just let me know if you need anything."

Jason nodded in return, then strode out onto the porch. Fern giggled, and he walked down to the road. The rusty bin had already emptied, at least mostly, with only a few small loaves of bread and a handful of carrots left. He called back to Tess to refill it, then set Fern down and took out a handful of materials.

He started with a stake, which he hammered into the ground a few feet away from the food bin. While that was done, he left a larger piece of plywood laying on the ground nearby. As soon as the stake was in, he took out some nails and hammered the plywood to the support, giving him a crude sign.

"And there we go!" Jason next took out a can of paint. "Help Wanted, speak to Jason."

Fern nodded and grinned. "Pretty!"

"I don't know about that." Jason chuckled and stood up. "Now, let's see if it works."

He didn't have long to wait, as a wagon came rumbling slowly down the road from Summer Shandy. Tess came out and refilled the bin, and he stood there as they slowly pulled up next to him. The driver regarded him oddly, while the passengers all peered over the edge of the wagon.

"We've got food if you want it!" Jason gestured to the bin. "And I'm building a barn if you'd like in on the action. I can't pay much, but you'll have a place to camp, three meals a day, and solid work for the next month or so. Families are welcome."

Murmurs ran around the back of the wagon. A few men started to stand up, but were pulled back down by their wives. In the end, the food from the bin was all taken, and a single family climbed down to stay. The man was tall and robust, and had a crooked sort of smile on his face. His wife looked exhausted, while his two children both cowered behind their parents.

"My family and I lived up on a farm near Gobsburrow." The man nodded to the north. "The crops all died and creditors came knocking. I'd be mighty obliged for this opportunity, even if it only holds us here a month."

"You'll find Johan out by the woods." Jason pointed across the prairie. "He's my foreman, and he'll get you going."

The man smiled, and soon he and his family were marching off over the hills. Jason had offered them a ride, but they had refused, stating that they wanted to stretch their legs a bit. Tess came out to watch them, and they slowly walked back away from the road.

"What comes next, now?" Tess asked softly.

Jason shrugged. "Well, I need to get back to harvesting. The final crop of wheat-corn hybrid is about to come off, and the Far Eighty is bursting." At that, a smile came across his face. "Did you know that peanuts grow underground? Also, fun fact, Illumitir Genetics has a strand that will grow during the fall!"

Tess just laughed and shook her head. "Back to work it is, then."

"Indeed." Jason rubbed his palms together in excitement. "Until the job gets

Chapter Ten: Last Day of Summer

[The alarm went off; it was 6 AM. Jason and Tess were ready to get to work around the farm. They had 41 starting actions.]

[Obadiah's Almanac: 91st day of Summer! It's the day of the Summer Festival! Alright, folks, this one is gonna be a little different. Not in a bad way, certainly, but we've got a lot of guests coming into town, and I'd like to make them all feel welcome. As long as people are coming through, let's make sure to show them the best side of Summer Shandy possible!]

Jason yawned and rolled out of bed. Outside, the sound of hammers rattled steadily on the rapidly rising barn, and he looked around to find Tess missing. He stretched a bit, then jogged over to the wardrobe and changed as quickly as he could.

As he walked out into the hall, he heard Fern sniffling from her room, and he strode down to pull the door open. He found her inside, sitting up in bed, grinning from ear to ear.

"Daddy get me?"

"Yup." Jason bent down and picked her up, then gave her a small toss up into the air. "Now, let's get you changed! Let's see... What's a good festival

dress?"

"Wed!"

"Red, eh?" Jason raised an eyebrow, then walked over to the changing table and laid her down. It didn't take long to get her ready, and together, the two of them slowly descended the stairs.

As they did so, the hustle and bustle from the kitchen began to clatter upward. A smile came across his face, and he stepped down into an utter torrent of chaos. Tess, along with about a dozen other women, rushed back and forth through the room baking an enormous amount of food. Tess caught Jason's eye and smiled at him, then tossed him a plate of waffles. He caught it nimbly, and carried Fern out onto the porch to eat. She giggled and tucked in, and Jason turned to look at the massive barn.

When Johan had taken command of the project, he certainly hadn't skimped. The existing stable had been cut from the ground and moved back near the field. Then Johan and his workers had dug a massive pit in the ground, a hundred feet long and fifty wide, down to a depth of at least fifteen feet. He had then sunk support beams even deeper into the ground at the four corners, as well as along the walls and at key locations throughout the middle. The walls had then been shorn up using immense logs hauled out of the forest, and the real construction had begun.

At that point, a couple weeks after they had started working full tilt, the lower level had been filled with tightly packed pens, which looked to Jason to be mostly for smaller animals. Two sloped ramps had been dredged into the earth, one on the end of the barn facing the road and one facing away, leading down into the structure.

They were now in the process of raising walls to a height of around five feet above the height of the ground, where Johan planned to build the ceiling of

the lower level and the floor of the second level. Jason hadn't quite figured out yet how they would get to the second level, given that it was five feet off the ground, but he supposed that he could cross that bridge at a later date. Johan, certain, had it figured out.

"Jason!" Johan boomed as he came walking over from the construction site. "Good morning!"

"Good morning!" Jason smiled. "You know, I did tell you guys that you could have the day off for the festival."

"A day not spent working is a day spent in waste!" Johan chuckled deeply. "We'll stop around noon, but by that time, I want to have the lower floor covered over!"

"You're having way too much fun with this." Jason shook his head in amazement.

"No such thing, no such thing." Johan shook his head, making his massive beard flail around. "Well, I'll get back to it, just wanted to come wish you a good morning! Oh! Tell the missus that her popovers this morning were fantastic."

Jason nodded. "I will!" As Johan started to walk away, Jason called after him. "You mind if I get in on the action?"

"But of course!" Johan waved him over. "Bring Fern, too! My own little lads and lasses are helping out. I know just how she could be of use!"

Jason grinned as he scampered down from the porch. Johan led him through the workers, which were streaming back and forth across the landscape, over to the western end of the great barn. There, all of Johan's children were busily painting the wooden rails of the lower pens a brilliant white color. The second youngest, a girl with bright-red ponytails, knelt down as Jason set Fern on the ground.

"Do you know how to paint, little one?"

"Fern work like daddy!"

The girl handed Fern a small paintbrush, and Fern quickly strode over, puffed out her chest, and began to slap white paint across a number of the boards. Paint splattered here and there, and Johan grinned.

"There we have it! Now, come over here, boss! You can be a nailer!"

Jason frowned, but nodded. On the eastern end of the barn, the workers were carrying massive slabs of wood that they had cut themselves from the forest, and were laying them out across crossbeams that had been raised some time earlier. Others, the less muscle-filled ones, were then moving along, hammering the boards into place. Jason was amazed how fast it was moving, and he quickly grabbed a bucket of nails and a hammer.

"Try to keep up!" Johan winked. "I might just fire you if you're too slow." Jason laughed, and climbed up onto the finished portion of the barn floor with the other workers. One of them showed him where to stand, and a moment later, immense workers threw a large plank into place. The moment it came cracking down, half a dozen workers knelt down and began to pound it down, and Jason followed suit.

That, of course, was when he realized just how fast they were truly moving. They were able to pick up nails, hold them into place, and whack them into the boards in the blink of an eye. Jason wasn't exactly slow, but compared to them, he might as well have been a snail. The boards began to fall into place ahead of him, and while the other workers more than kept up with the flow, he soon found himself falling behind the line. After a free worker moved in and took his place, Jason laughed and finished up the few nails he was working on, then stood up and shook his head.

"You guys are good. Better than me." Jason shook his head as he hopped down from the barn. "Makes me feel pretty pathetic."

"Ahh, don't beat yourself up." Johan shook his head. "Every man here is a construction worker. Used to be that buildings up in Illumitir fell down just as fast as we could put them up, so there was always a need. Only one or two of 'em, and that doesn't include me, would have a clue what to do with this here barn once it gets built."

"I'm not sure I do, either." Jason laughed softly. "I just... I feel like I'm taking advantage of you, you know?"

"No, my friend, the reverse is true." Johan clapped him on the shoulder. "For the three months prior to arriving here, I didn't know where my next meal was coming from. I didn't know how I would feed my wife or my kids. Here, that's all covered. I'll have you know, we'd build you your own town if it would let us stick around a bit longer. Let me have my way, and you'll have the grandest barn in the whole province of Illumitir, and it'll all be because I'm a selfish wretch who only wants to mooch off your kitchen." He kept a straight face for a moment longer, then burst out laughing and clapped Jason on the shoulder. Jason staggered a bit under the blow, and Johan sighed. "In truth, I don't know what I'll do after this is over, but I suppose I'll cross that bridge when I come to it."

"If there's anything I can do to help, I gladly will."

Johan flashed a sad sort of smile. "I know you will, believe me." He paused, then cupped his hands around his mouth. "Alright, people! Let's keep this moving!"

Jason smiled and walked back up to the house. The work continued all through the morning, all the way up until Tess rang the noon bell. With that, a massive spread of food was brought out for the workers and their families,

and a feast almost as good as the one up in Summer Shandy itself commenced. Fern sat with all of Johan's kids, and displayed her fork- wielding prowess with remarkable agility. Jason and Tess sat with Johan and his wife, discussing all manners of things, from the construction of the barn to the weather.

When the feast came to an end, work on the barn ceased, and the group split in two. About a quarter of the workers simply retired to the camp to rest, while the rest of them (and their families, of course) began marching down the road toward Summer Shandy. Jason and Tess went along with the latter group, ready to see what the folks up in town had devised.

When they arrived, Jason was amazed (though not particularly surprised) to find that the whole town had turned out for something that was... Well... It was unique and wonderful all at the same time. The tables had all been brought out as usual, piled high with food and drinks, but instead of being spread throughout the town square, they had been placed along the edges of the square. As wagons and refugees came striding through, they were directed to the immense banquet, and then invited to stay a bit longer. Music was playing, dances were breaking out, it could only be called a joyful occasion.

"Jason!" Jeremiah beamed as he came striding through the crowd. "What do you think?"

"I think this is incredible." Jason nodded as his crowd of workers began to join in the festivities.

Across the way, he saw a number of Obadiah's warriors setting up an obstacle course for the kids, then put on painted monster masks and chased the youngsters through the course while the kids whacked them with wooden swords to 'defeat' them.

"You've really gotten something together, you know that?"

Jeremiah only shrugged. "You're the one who inspired it. You're getting a reputation, like it or not."

Jason shrugged. "I'm indifferent, so long as it helps folks."

Jeremiah sighed and nodded. "Folks certainly need a bit of help these days, but that's the beauty of this place!" He clapped Jason on the back. "Now, so long as you're here, I reckon you're in a bit of a need of some fun. It's been a good, long while since I've let off any cannons, so I had Richard bring up a full contingent of them from the ranch. I'm going to organize a proper salute for this evening, if you'd like to help me set them off."

"I'd love to!"

Jason beamed as Jeremiah led him north, over toward the dungeon. Yeah, times were hard, but there was always a light to be found, if only you were willing to spend a bit of time looking for it.

Chapter Eleven: The First Day of Fall

[The alarm went off; it was 6 AM. Jason and Tess were ready to get to work around the farm. They had 41 starting actions.]

[Obadiah's Almanac: 1st day of Fall! 90 days until the Fall Festival! Great showing last night, folks! The name of Summer Shandy will long be remembered in the annuals of Illumitir, I do believe! We had over a thousand people pass through, and not a one of them went hungry! I'd say that's a good showing. Now, let's see... The weather! It's going to stay warm for another week or so, but we'll see temperatures starting to drop shortly after that]

[Obadiah's Almanac: Update: Not weather-related, but I've gotten word that the government of Illumitir, in order to limit people traveling during the colder parts of the year, is widening their grain allotments for everyone still in their province. Expect prices to spike even higher because of it, but in turn, expect there to be fewer people on the road over the coming few seasons]

"Huh." Jason frowned as he rolled out of bed and stood up. "That's actually not a half-bad idea. I wonder what Jeremiah thinks of it."

"I imagine he'll be okay with it, at least in the long run." Tess shrugged as she sat up. "I don't like the idea of more inflation, but I'd also rather not see people walking down the road in the middle of winter because they're starving, you know?"

"Yeah." Jason sighed and stroked his chin for a moment. In any event, he couldn't come up with a better solution to the problem, and soon changed into overalls and walked up to the window. Looking down at his farm, he smiled softly and shook his head.

Johan was as busy as a bee that morning, rushing back and forth around the foundation of the barn. He seemed to be planning to start raising the walls for the second story of the structure, and was blocking out what seemed to be ramps to actually get up into it. That said, he was the only person out there, as everyone else was sleeping in after partying late into the night. Jason couldn't blame them one bit, and he wasn't concerned in the slightest. Jason soon made his way downstairs as Tess got Fern ready. There wasn't any need to get the horses ready, he could see that Johan had already done so, and he fixed a quick breakfast for himself before slipping into the living room. He was just in time, as a handful of women came bursting inside to start preparing the morning breakfast for the hundred or so people living on the property. A few of them smiled and waved, but most of them just interacted with Tess as she appeared with Fern. Jason gave his wife and daughter a quick kiss, then slipped out into the farmyard.

He wanted to say hello to Johan, but found that the man had left with a handful of workers to head up to the forest to get wood. He waved at a few of his other workers, then went to the lean-to, which had been pushed up against the fence of the field along with the stable. Angus snorted in excitement as Jason came close, and he fed the horse an apple.

"There you go, boy." He patted the beast's great neck. "Shall we get going today?"

Angus whinnied, and Jason quickly took him out of the corral and hitched him up to the planter. Barn or no barn, Jason had work to do, and that was the simple reality. As he prepared to get going, he saw a flash of movement, and looked up as Milligan appeared on a black horse.

"Jason, my boy! It's been some time!"

"Indeed it has." Jason flashed a small smile and drew himself up. "What's going on?"

"Not much, all things considered." Milligan frowned. "That said, I do have a bit of a proposal for you. Which seed are you planning to plant today?" "My original plan was Alpha-13, the next step in the production of the sorghum I planted last year." Jason frowned. "Is that okay?"

"Certainly, certainly, and if that's what you want to do, we have no issues whatsoever!" Milligan boomed, then paused. "That said, if you could do us a favor, an immense one, we'd be indebted to you even more than we are right now."

Jason chuckled. "And what's that favor?"

"We need to do a quick field test for some wheat seed," Milligan apologized. "It's a drought-resistant variety that we've been working on for a few years now, but we've received a commission from the Illumitir Government to have it ready now. Unfortunately, we don't have seed in nearly the quantity that they're requesting. You'd be helping us, and a whole lot of others, if you could plant it today."

"I'll run it all this season, if it would help." Jason grinned, then paused. "And if it grows. If it doesn't grow, not much I can do."

"That's fair, my boy!" Milligan beamed. "Here, sign this!"

Jason signed the paperwork, and a few moments later, Milligan trotted away once again. Jason took a deep breath, then picked up the reins and directed Angus into the field.

The seed disks bit into the ground as he rumbled along the fertile ground, and he smiled as he heard the seed rattling through the tubes and into the ground. Wheat was a simple sort of crop, but it was still satisfying. Behind him, dozens of long, straight rows stretched out across the ground, a testament to what they now contained. Soon, it would all come sprouting up.

At that thought, a smile came across his face. While it was the most satisfying to see the field at full yield, when the grain was full to bursting, there was also something rather satisfying about those first few days when it was just peaking up from the ground. To see a whole field covered in fresh shoots of grass, like a carefully tended yard up in the fancier districts of Illumitir... It was a nice sort of feeling, and one that Jason more than appreciated.

Down and back, he rumbled, all the while watching the progress on the barn, or the people racing back and forth between the barn and the forest, or just the general hubbub. Great wagons rumbled along the gravel road, laden with massive logs being held down by muscular workers. It was incredible; there was simply no other word for it.

Angus in particular seemed to be energized by the commotion, and the planter never slowed until lunchtime came around. Jason led the horse out of the field and turned him back into the small corral, then went up to join the throngs of workers as they pulled food from a long stretch of tables. Tess served him a large helping of pulled pork, and Jason flashed a smile at her.

"Where's Fern?" He slipped around behind the line and gave her a kiss. "She's over there, with the other kids." Tess nodded toward the road, where Jason noticed a small picnic set up beneath the apple trees, which now stood about fifteen feet tall, and were covered in blossoms.

Fern was giggling and smiling at the larger children, all of whom seemed to have taken the toddler under their wings. All told, there were close to four dozen children who had come along with the workers, who had all formed a group that explored the area together. Fern looked over and grinned at him, then went back to feeding both herself and a small doll that one of the other girls had brought along.

"Good." Jason smiled and started to eat as he stood next to Tess. "I'm glad she gets to have so many other kids around. It's good for her, I think."

Tess nodded. "Until we have more kids of our own, she's just not going to have that opportunity around here, except for festival days and such."

Jason nodded, then continued to eat. He was just finishing when he felt tiny arms wrap around his legs, and he looked down to see Fern grinning up at him.

"Work with daddy!"

"I don't know that you can today." Jason bent down and picked her up. "We let you go out on the equipment with me once, but you're a lot bigger now. I don't know that you can fit into the harness anymore, but you're not big enough to just ride along."

Fern sniffed, then looked down at the ground. "Want work with daddy." Jason sighed deeply, but Tess tapped him on the shoulder.

"I've got an idea."

A few minutes later, Jason rumbled back into the field. Dust billowed up behind him as the planter roared along, and the satisfying click of seed

running into the ground echoed once more. Beside him, though, Fern trotted along on Alice, carefully strapped into her saddle so that she couldn't fall off. As he went along, a crowd of the children raced along the fence, keeping pace with him, laughing and pointing. Fern grinned and waved back, and Jason just smiled and waved while doing his best to stay focused. Fern rode with him for the better part of half an hour. When she finally got bored, Tess switched her out for one of the other toddlers (after getting permission from the parents, of course), and Jason settled in for an afternoon of having loads of small children helping him plant the field. Alice kept pace with him the whole time, perfectly matching Angus's movements. When they finally finished the field and came rumbling back up to the gate, Jason smiled and climbed down, and Alice raced back out into the yard.

The children all laughed and took her to the front of the house to give them rides, and Jason laughed as they began to play 'farmer' there. He put the planter back into the stable and made a few minor repairs that he had noticed while out on field, then put Angus away. By that time, the sun was starting to set, and work was winding down on the barn.

Jason was tired from the day, and all around him, the workers seemed utterly exhausted from their own hard day. Still, that didn't stop a single one of them from joining their families as an enormous meal was brought out, and they all sat down in the shadow of the half-built barn to take a rest for the evening. Jason and Tess sat down on the porch, while Fern fell fast asleep in her plate of mashed potatoes. The other children, at least the younger ones, looked to be nodding off as well.

It was a wonderful evening, a close to a solid day of work. Jason knew that the marvelous chaos would come to an end sooner or later... But until then,

he was going to enjoy every bit of it that he could.

Chapter Twelve: Coming Together

[The alarm went off; it was 6 AM. Jason and Tess were ready to get to work around the farm. They had 41 starting actions.]

[Obadiah's Almanac: 15th day of Fall! 76 days until the Fall Festival! Let's see, folks! It's going to be a bit on the chilly side, that's for sure. Soft winds, but nothing terrible. Honestly, if this came in the middle of winter, we'd be talking about a heat wave, but this fall has just been so nice so far that we haven't gotten used to the cold yet!]

Jason's eyes flickered open, and he read the notice quickly and without a lot of emotion. His heart churned, and he slowly sat up and let out a long breath. Tess was gone, and he could hear noise from the kitchen downstairs. He bit his lip, then rose and dressed in a long flannel and overalls. When he was done, he made his way down, where he found one last breakfast being prepared.

It was no less chaotic than any other time, but the work was done in near silence. Tess saw him and flashed a small smile, and he waved back before making his way out onto the porch. There, Johan was already standing, munching on an omelet smothered in hot sauce.

"How does it feel, boss, to have a finished barn?"

Jason puffed out his cheeks, then slowly looked up at the enormous structure. "How does it feel to have made a finished barn?"

Johan didn't answer for a long time, and then he nodded. "It feels good." Jason let out a long breath, and slowly nodded in agreement. "I think so, too."

The last bits of the barn had come together the day before, and now... Now, it was all over. The workers would be leaving, moving on south before winter came, and Jason would be left with his brand-new barn. He slowly stepped down onto the yard, looking around at the frantic packing of tents and the tearful goodbyes, and he choked a bit.

"Come on!" Johan boomed. "Now's not a time for crying. Come on, let's inspect your new barn!"

Jason nodded, then smiled. Johan had truly sculpted a masterpiece, and Jason needed to appreciate it. Slowly, he allowed himself to be led forward, through the enormous structure that, without exaggeration, was a great deal larger than his own house.

The lower floor had been finished out, filled with an immense and intricate series of interlocking pens that could be filled with all sorts of animals. There were multiple stairwells that could be used to get from the lower level straight to the second floor, as well as the twin ramps carved into the ground on either end.

Johan took him through that floor, and Jason could only smile and nod. It was technically mostly underground, but with the twenty-foot-high ceiling, the vaulted rafters, and the easy flow of air from one end to the other, you'd hardly know it. As they passed through the far end, Johan led him around to the side, where they entered the second floor.

While the lower level had sunken entrances on the east and the west, the second floor had raised entrances on the north and the south. An immense pile of dirt had been mounded up and packed down to form a natural slope, which made the barn look as though it had been built into the side of a hill. Massive rolling doors hung open as Jason walked inside, and as always, his breath was taken away by the sheer scope of it.

Overhead, the high rafters of the barn rose to a height of what must have been nearly seventy feet. Immense beams that consisted of entire tree trunks held the thing aloft, carefully slotted in place and mortared solidly down. On the floor, there were pens for cattle, a handful of stables for hoses, smaller pens for goats and sheep, and even a chicken coop. And yet... That wasn't the end of it.

Over the eastern end of the barn, which faced the road, a massive loft had been built about thirty feet above the ground. It was accessible via a wide, spiral staircase, and held what seemed to be half a dozen storage rooms, as well as a large, open area to put hay. There was also a ladder that led upward into the rafters, all the way to the peaked cupola at the very top, so that Jason could get up there if it was ever needed.

The final feature came in the form of a dozen different bins, spread out over the western end of the barn, that could be accessed via a series of catwalks. The bins had an intricate series of troughs and chutes coming down from them, allowing Jason to send feed to pretty much wherever he wanted, simply with the pull of some ropes. It was more than he could ever have asked for, and more.

"This thing will last you a good, long while if you take care of it." Johan thumped a massive support beam. "It'll survive winds up to five hundred

miles per hour, guaranteed, and if anything ever does happen to it, you just let me know, and I'll come and fix it."

"How will I find you?" Jason turned and took a deep breath. It was a question he hadn't been wanting to ask, but one that he knew he must. "Since... I assume you're moving on."

Johan bit his lip, then looked down at the ground. "Well, I sure wouldn't feel right to keep living on your land without working to pay for it," he rumbled. "I also don't think I could live without building something. It's just in my blood, you know? You ever need me, you write to the Construction Guild just about anywhere, and ask for me. That's where I'll be working, 'less I come across another poor sop like you who wants a barn built for cheap."

Jason chuckled softly. "I'm going to miss you."

"And I you." Johan held out his hand, which Jason shook firmly. "You've helped me more than you could know. I've had almost two months where my family didn't have to worry, and for that, I thank you. That said... Winter's coming fast, and I need to find work and shelter again before the days turn bitter."

"I wish you all the best." Jason nodded. "And if you ever do need anything, if you can't find work or just need help, you know how to find me."

"Aye, I do!" Johan boomed. After a moment, he slapped his forehead in an exaggerated manner. "I almost forgot! This barn isn't finished yet!"

Jason frowned. "It's not?"

"Nope!" Johan pulled out a hammer and a nail, which he handed to Jason. "There's one nail left, and we all figured that you'd be the best person to drive it in." He slowly walked to the middle of the barn, then tapped on a board. "Right here."

Jason frowned as he followed Johan over there. Right in the middle of the floor, there was a single board that, indeed, had an empty space where there should have been something.

"It's actually one that you missed when you were helping the other day," Johan chuckled, and from behind him, there came a torrent of laughter. Jason turned to find a small crowd watching him, and he turned more than a little red.

"We were going to leave one for you anyway, and when we noticed you'd slipped up, we thought it was perfect!"

"It is," Jason laughed along with the crowd, then knelt down. "Only one problem. Since I'm obviously not any good at this, I need some help! Is there anyone who could help me?"

From the back of the crowd came an excited voice. "Help daddy!"

A few minutes later, to much fanfare, Fern gripped the hammer just below Jason's hands, and together, they whacked in the final nail. Workers clapped and cheered, and as Jason stood up, they all turned and started to dissipate. Fern stretched out her hands toward them, particularly her friends, and started to cry as Tess held her tightly.

It didn't take long for the crowd to hit the road. The closest town was Darkwater, and it was going to take a full day's march to get there before sundown. Johan was one of the last to leave, and clapped Jason on the shoulder as he prepared to set out.

"You've been a good friend," Johan sighed. "Farewell."

"Farewell," Jason murmured. "Isn't there anything more I can do for you?" Johan paused, then grinned. "If you ever hear of someone who needs something incredible built for them, you just let me know!"

Jason smiled, and a few moments later, Johan and his family trudged off down the road. Jason took a deep breath and wrapped his arm around Tess, and they turned back to the farmstead.

"What now?" Tess asked softly.

Jason could only shrug. "Well, our grocery bill drops significantly for starters." They shared a chuckle, and he held up his hands. "I'd say the next thing to do is buy some animals.

Chapter Thirteen: Naming Rules

[The alarm went off; it was 6 AM. Jason and Tess were ready to get to work around the farm. They had 41 starting actions.]

[Obadiah's Almanac: 16th day of Fall! 75 days until the Fall Festival! Today's going to be even colder than yesterday, folks! Actually, expect it to keep getting cooler for the next week or so, but then we'll see another batch of warmer weather again. Also, in the realm of good news, I have received word that one of the nations overseas, New Munis, has put together a grain package that should keep Illumitir fed at least until spring! Hopefully by then, this drought will break, but I suppose that only time will tell]

"That's good ne—" Jason began, but was interrupted by Tess as she bounded out of bed.

"We're buying animals today!"

"Yay." Jason flopped back on the bed, but still had to smile as his wife whirled about the room, dressing in what seemed like a split second. She flashed out the hall to go get Fern, and Jason groaned and rolled slowly out of bed. He dressed slowly and purposefully, and by the time he made his way downstairs, breakfast was already on the table.

"Hurry!" Tess grinned as she started to eat a meal that largely just consisted of eggs and some sausage. "Come on!"

"I'm coming, I'm coming," Jason chuckled around a mouthful of sausage. "Hurwy!" Fern declared. She threw a sausage at Jason, which Chance snapped up after it bounced off Jason's face. "Amimals!"

Jason laughed and shook his head. "I'm hurrying, I'm hurrying." He finished eating, then rose as Tess frantically did the dishes. "We still have to wait until grandpa gets here anyway."

"He'll be here," Tess promised. "You just get outside and do the chores!" Jason nodded, then rose and pulled on his boots. Chance followed him as he made his way out into the yard and walked toward the enormous, high- rising barn.

His footsteps echoed through the structure as he stepped inside, and he whistled softly as he found the horses nestled in their comfy stalls. They nickered eagerly to see him, and he quickly turned them loose into the corral, which now stretched over a rather large portion of the yard to the west, between the barn and the field. As they galloped around, he poured them some oats, then turned as he heard footsteps on the barn floor behind him.

"Howdy, neighbor!"

Richard stood tall and strong in the middle of the barn, gazing at all of it in awe. He whistled in amazement, then nodded at Jason.

"You know, I've been watching this thing go up from over at the ranch. I knew it would be impressive, but this is beyond anything I could have imagined. I bet you can see the top of that thing from ten miles around."

"I wouldn't doubt it." Jason nodded with a soft laugh. He walked over and held out his hand, which Richard shook firmly. "How have you been? Feels

like ages since I last saw you."

"It's been a while," Richard acknowledged. "In answer, I've been good! I... I actually..." He paused for a moment. "I don't know how much you've picked up or not, but... I'm actually the full owner of the Lazy-H Ranch, now."

Jason blinked. "What happened to Weatherhand? I knew you guys were considering going partners on the deal, but..."

Richard shrugged. "He had to leave to go help some family members in Illumitir. When he first left, he thought he would be back, so we were constantly writing letters back and forth to one another. I'd give him the run-down for the day, and he'd tell me what to do. Ate up a massive portion of my time. As time went on, though, we realized that it just wasn't feasible, and he realized that he wasn't going to be getting away from there anytime soon, so he sold his share of the farm."

Jason just whistled and shook his head. "How's it been?"

"A bit terrifying, but good, I think." Richard nodded. "Jeremiah seems happy enough with the turn of events, which is good. I'd hate to have him thinking that I—"

"Gwampa!"

Fern raced into the barn, pounding across the floor. Richard spun and scooped her up, then gave her a toss in the air. She giggled all the way up and down, and Richard set her on the floor with a flourish as Tess came walking inside as well.

"My dearest daughter!" Richard beamed and wrapped Tess in a hug.

"I'm your only daughter," Tess laughed as she pushed Richard away.

"Fair, fair." Richard sighed, then clapped his hands. "Now, you all want animals, is that correct?"

"Yes!" Tess squealed. "Yes, please!"

"You're acting like Fern." Richard raised an eyebrow. Tess, for her part, didn't seem to mind the comparison, and Fern started jumping up and down as best she could. "Well, then! Let's get this sorted out before Tess here has a heart attack. What sort of animals do you want?"

"All of them." Tess spread her arms. "We have the space!"

"You have enough space here to contain my whole operation and then some," Richard snorted. "I mean, not really, but you guys don't have any hired help. Think carefully about how much you can realistically take on. Animals are a whole different ballgame compared to crops."

"I know, I know." Tess waved her hand in annoyance, then paused. "Let's see... What about cattle? Can we get some cattle?"

"You could, but if you were going to do bovines, I'd say you'd be best to get a milk cow or two," Richard answered. "You have to breed them to get milk anyway, and you can raise the calves for meat from that point. I know a guy down south who has some good milkers, he'd be willing to sell you a couple."

"Great!" Tess nodded. "And goats?"

"I've got some goats I can send your way." Richard nodded. "You'll probably want to start with ten or fifteen, just to get your feet wet. I've heard it said that if water can get through a fence, a goat can as well, and from the few goats I have out there on the ranch, I can readily attest to that statement."

"Perfect." Tess nodded. "And... sheep?"

"I'll sell you ten."

"Pigs?"

Richard's face was starting to twitch more and more. "Jason, do you honestly think you can take care of all these animals?"

"Jason has his crops to take care of," Tess responded. "Fern and I will manage the animals, so you cruel, heartless men who only think of them as walking things to eat aren't bothered by them."

Jason leaned over and whispered in Tess's ear, "We will have to sell them to make money, you know."

"I know."

"Which means you can't name them."

"I know!"

Richard laughed and clapped his hands. "Alright, alright, no fighting. Yes, I'll sell you some pigs, too, just..." He paused. "Pigs can be really nasty. Don't let Fern anywhere near them. I mean, make sure she's watched super closely with all the animals, but especially don't let her near the pigs without supervision."

Tess grinned, then immediately began trying to barter with her father to get everything from chickens to rabbits to llamas to alpacas to domestic yaks. He refused on all accounts except the chickens, though; since they didn't have any down at the Lazy-H, he couldn't sell any to her anyhow. When all the bartering was done, Jason drew up some papers at his writing desk, money was transferred, and Richard rode back out for the Lazy-H.

Tess and Fern stayed home, largely because the day was so chilly, while Jason mounted up on Lady and rode out with Richard. The wind whipped around him as he rode, chilling him to the bone even through his flannel. Idly, his thoughts turned to Johan and the other refugees, and he hoped that they were able to stay warm.

When he came riding up to the ranch, he found that it had changed quite a lot. For starters, the land on both sides of the roads was now developed, though the western side was, admittedly, a good deal more crude than the main side. The main ranch was largely the same, filled with enormous pens of snorting cattle and a torrent of hired men rushing back and forth doing this and that. The other side, though, consisted of smaller pens built through the forest that grew there, allowing herds of goats and pigs and other such animals to scavenge the forest floor.

Richard waved to a few of his workers, and they quickly got together three large wagons with high, slotted sides. Ramps were placed against the backs of the wagons, and workers quickly went out into the pens with the goats and sheep. Jason came along, not to help, but just to watch what the hired men did. He could see how they moved, how the different animals responded, which helped teach him how they would behave back on his own farm.

The goats, by and large, seemed to be the fastest. They were small, but their little legs could move. That said, when they got going in the right direction, they were pretty easy to control, as long as you didn't let them get distracted. The sheep were similar, but a bit slower and a bit less easily distracted. They also tended to stick together better. Where the goats would scatter like drops of mercury if they saw a stump they thought was scary, the sheep would turn and run as a group, making them a tad easier to get under control.

The pigs, though... Jason soon saw why Richard had warned about them. For starters, while being shorter, they were all a good deal larger than either the goats or the sheep. They were nearly as fast as the goats, they had no particular inclination to move as a herd, and they were aggressive. Jason

watched in amazement as one of the larger hogs simply turned and charged at one of the hired men, snorting and squealing, until the man backed off and the pig was allowed to run away, free, through the forest.

In the end, though, the animals were soon loaded onto the wagons, and they set off for Jason's barn. Noses and snouts stuck out between the slats in the wagon sides, and the noise of animals snorting and bleating filled the air. When they came rumbling into the yard, Tess shrieked and clapped her hands, and Fern did the same.

Unloading the animals, thankfully, was easy. They simply drove the wagons up the slope and into the main floor of the barn, then closed off the main doors and swung open the assortment of gates that they needed. The animals raced down and pounded around in surprise and confusion until they found their pens; at which point, they settled down in the soft bedding that Tess had provided while Jason was away. The gates were then shut, the doors opened, and the next wagon rolled in.

When the last of the animals were unloaded, Richard sent the wagons rumbling back up the road, then shook Jason's hand firmly.

"Best of luck with all of this!" He grinned softly. "If you run into any issues, you know just where to find me."

"I do at that." Jason nodded. "Hopefully I don't, but... I suppose you never know."

"Indeed." Richard waved, then mounted up and rode off. With that, the family was left alone in a barn that now felt full and alive.

Well... At least it felt alive. The rafters echoed with the noise of the animals, from the squealing of pigs to the bleating of sheep to the braying of the goats. That said, there were still dozens of pens that didn't contain

anything. Jason suspected, though, that such a thing would change soon enough.

"It looks incredible." Tess sighed. "We're really turning our farm into something."

Jason took a deep breath as Fern ran over to try and kiss the goats. A few of them stuck out their nuzzles and flicked their lips at her, and she drew back in surprise.

"Yeah, we are." He wrapped his arms around Tess and drew her close. "We really are.

Chapter Fourteen: Fall Crisp

[The alarm went off; it was 6 AM. Jason and Tess were ready to get to work around the farm. They had 42 starting actions.]

[Obadiah's Almanac: 25th day of Fall! 66 days until the Fall Festival! It's a chilly one today, folks! Chilly and crisp, the classic fall weather we all know and love! No real bad weather expected this way for a while, so get outside and get things done!]

Jason yawned as he rolled out of bed, and he stretched several times before walking up to the window. Looking out across the landscape was now a far different experience, and a smile came across his face.

The field was brimming with the drought-resistant wheat, which seemed to be filling in quite nicely. He had already harvested one crop (which he'd sold back to the genetics company), while a second crop was well on its way. The tiny green shoots, about six inches tall now, stood out in stark contrast to the slowly-browning world around them. Meanwhile, the barn rose tall and massive, looking down upon all around.

"Good morning!" Tess beamed as she rolled out of bed.

"Morning." Jason slid open the window slightly, allowing the noise of the animals to roll up through the air. They were all clambering for their morning breakfast, bleating and baaing and snorting loudly. He shut it again after a moment. "You seem to be in a good mood."

"Just one of those days." Tess smiled coyly, then walked over to the wardrobe to start changing.

Jason's eyes narrowed. He was quite certain that there was more to her story than that, but he didn't have time to investigate as she swept out the door to go get Fern. Jason shrugged after a moment, though, and soon got dressed in overalls and a warm flannel shirt, then made his way down into the farmyard.

The noise of the animals only grew louder as he strode up and into the barn. Dozens of heads turned to look at him, and he laughed and grinned. First, he turned Alice loose with Chance, and the tiny horse dashed out into the yard, chasing the puppy. That done, he took the horses and turned them loose into the corral, where they began to prance about. Angus seemed to sense that there was work to be done, and kept himself near the feeder while Lady and Alfred played. Jason poured him some oats, then patted him on the nose and went back into the barn.

That done, he started work on feeding the goats, pigs, and sheep. He hadn't yet figured out how to use the intricate system of pulleys that Johan had devised, and even though he was certain that the design was utterly genius, the specifics utterly eluded him. As such, all the feed was, at that moment, being stored in bags in the loft, and he quickly made his way upstairs. He poured some pellets into a bucket for the sheep, carried them down and poured them into the trough, then repeated the action, bringing down a ground corn mixture for the pigs, and a grassy sort of mixture for the goats.

When that was done, the animals all quieted down quite a lot, and Jason made his way back inside the house.

"You're late for breakfast," Tess commented with a small smile as he dropped into his chair. Fern was already halfway through her waffle, and she grinned up at him.

"In due fairness, I now have a lot more chores to handle now," he chuckled softly. Tess handed him a waffle with a large chunk of fried chicken on top, and he hungrily tucked in. "What's your plan for the day?"

Tess shrugged. "I figured I'd head out and work with the animals. The sheep are getting close to needing sheared, and I think some of the pigs are starting to get sick. It shouldn't take me long to get through everything; I just want to make sure I cover all our bases." She puffed out her cheeks. "Animals are a lot of work!"

"Hence why there are more people who only put crops in the ground," Jason chuckled softly. He sighed and finished up his waffle, then wiped his mouth and started to rise. "Would you mind packing me a lunch? I'm heading up to harvest the Far Eighty today."

"Right! You had told me that." Tess nodded and turned toward the cookbook. "What do you want?"

A few minutes later, Jason left the house with a picnic basket full of goodies. He tucked it away in his inventory, then made his way over to the new lean-to, which was built onto the north side of the barn. Angus was waiting for him, and Jason quickly let him out and got the massive horse hooked up to the harvester. All that done, Jason climbed up and took the reins, and they were off.

Angus trotted along with a spring in his step as they made their way down the winding road across the prairie. The blades hummed gently underneath

the machine, but without any grass in the way, the paved surface made for easy travel. Soon, they came up and over the final rise, and Jason smiled softly.

While the front half of the farm had been planted to the drought-resistant wheat, he had planted the entire back half to Alpha-13 sorghum. It had worked out better for the company, certainly, since all of their plots that covered the New Eighty were planted entirely to different strands of wheat, which meant that there was no chance of cross-pollinating between the two fields. Jason waved at a few of them as he came rumbling up, and he soon entered the field with a rumble.

Sorghum was pleasant to harvest, that much had always been the case, but the Alpha strain of sorghum developed by Illumitir Genetics Corp was simply wonderful. A cross between white and red sorghum, it was a lovely pinkish color that rippled and swayed across the whole expanse. As the blades hacked through the stalks, a pink dust billowed out behind the harvester, filling the air with the smell of dry, crisp grain.

Jason went along the side of the field furthest from the New Eighty first, giving him a wonderful view of the forest. He hadn't paid it much attention since Johan and the other workers had gone through it, but now... He had to chuckle slightly. Dozens, if not over a hundred enormous trees had been carved out, leaving large gaps in the immense woods. In addition (and he suspected that this could be credited simply to Johan having fun in his free time) all the fallen logs from the dragon attack had been cleaned up, making the forest far more accessible again. Little log cabins stood here and there, now abandoned, giving the place an almost haunted sort of feel.

When Jason reached the end of the field, he turned, and instead of coming straight back, he cut along the far western edge until he reached the side of

the field closest to the New Eighty. When he reached that point, he turned and cut back down toward the front end, moving along the side bordering the genetics company.

The reason for such a move was simple: it had given them time to get out of the way of the dust. That had been another complaint that had come through. When Jason showed up, it was sudden and out of the blue, and then the workers all got showered in dust. Now, they had been given plenty of warning, and Jason saw them all cowering inside their tents. He soon passed them by, and as he moved further away, the dust simply didn't drift as far. The workers all came back out to their plots, and he simply focused on the harvest.

When he paused for lunch, he turned Angus into the corral, then sat down against one of the fences. As he ate his meal of pickled eggs and roast beef, Milligan came up and leaned against the fence, and Jason flashed a smile at him.

"How goes things?" Jason asked around a mouthful of his food. "Everything good?"

Milligan simply shrugged and didn't really answer. After a moment, Jason frowned and stood up.

"Things are what they are, my boy," Milligan sighed after a moment. "We've been hearing your animals. Seems like you've really brought about a lovely operation, there."

Jason chuckled softly. "Tess and Fern are loving them, that's for sure." "Indeed. Indeed." Milligan puffed out his cheeks.

"How has the drought-resistant wheat been doing?" Jason asked. "You had said that—"

Milligan groaned softly, then laughed and pulled himself upright. "It's been... It's been." He laughed softly. "We sold it all to Illumitir, but there was a mix-up in the paperwork when it arrived, and instead of being sent to the farmers, it was sent to a flour mill. We now know that it makes excellent bread, but we're no closer to actually getting it into the hands of the farmers up there who need it."

Jason laughed softly. "That's awful. I'm not laughing because it's funny, I just..."

"No, I understand. It's all you can do sometimes." Milligan shrugged and clapped his hands. "That said, you've got a second crop coming along nicely, and a few of our other farmers in other areas have crops as well. We'll make it through; that much, I'm confident of!"

"Then I won't worry, either." Jason stood up and finished off his meal. "If you ever want to come by the house, feel free. We'll always feed you, and the goats are pretty cute."

"I'm afraid I'm a plant person, not an animal one," Milligan apologized. "That said, I'm glad you enjoy them!"

Milligan chuckled and strode up the path toward the New Eighty, and Jason frowned. The interaction had been strange... Not necessarily forced, but there was something strange happening. After a moment, though, he shrugged it off and got back to work.

Angus was happy enough to be brought back into the field, and the blades whirred to life as he tugged them back into the patch of sorghum. Once more, pink dust exploded up into the air, and he set his sights on the finish line.

It took him about four more hours to finish up, and then another ten minutes to wind his way home. Tess was just putting the horses back into the stalls

as he came rumbling up, and she helped him unhitch the harvester and get the extraordinary workhorse back into the barn. All the other animals were settling down for the night, and Tess sighed.

"Where's Fern?" Jason asked after a moment.

"Right over there." Tess pointed at a pile of hay in the corner. There, Fern lay passed out, arms sprawled wide open, mouth hanging slightly askew. Alice and Chance both lay on the hay as well, though Chance wasn't actually asleep, as his big, brown eyes turned upward to look at Jason and Tess.

"Looks like she had a big day," Jason chuckled, keeping his voice low.

"She did. She was a big helper, that's for sure." Tess smiled and walked over to their daughter, picked her up and draped her over her shoulder, then turned toward the house. "Let's get inside for some dinner. I'm starving."

"I am too." Jason smiled as he followed his wife out of the barn, and slowly slid one of the immense doors closed behind him. "It's been a big day, but it's been a good one. Now we just need to get ready for the next one.

Chapter Fifteen: The Best Part Of The Day

[The alarm went off; it was 6 AM. Jason and Tess were ready to get to work around the farm. They had 42 starting actions.]

[Obadiah's Almanac: 42nd day of Fall! 49 days until the Fall Festival! The weather today should actually be on the nicer side, believe it or not! Temperatures almost all the way up to what they were in summer, might even be good short-sleeve weather if you're going to be doing some heavy lifting!]

Jason smiled as he rolled out of bed and stretched. "Now that's the kind of weather I appreciate."

"Mmm-hmm," Tess groaned softly behind him, and he frowned as she slowly rolled out of bed.

"Are you okay?" Jason frowned. "You look sick."

"I've felt better." Tess pulled herself upright and shook her head.

"Did you eat something bad yesterday?" Jason walked up to his wife, but she waved him off.

"No, I don't think that's it." She grimaced and put a hand over her mouth, then let out a long breath. "Sorry."

"Do you need to go into Theresa's healing den?" Jason offered. "I can watch Fern out here by myself, if I need to." After a moment, he brightened. "Hey! I think it's time to pick the apples on the trees, anyway! That'll be fun!"

"Then yeah. Yeah, let's do that." Tess started toward the door, then turned and walked back to the bed to sit down. She let out another long breath as she seemed to fight to keep from vomiting. Jason frowned in pity at his wife, then turned and walked out the door.

It didn't take him long to get Fern dressed and ready, and while he was fairly certain that Tess wouldn't approve of the color scheme he put together, he was also fairly certain that she wouldn't care all that much. Fern grinned as he walked down the stairs toward the kitchen.

"Daddy make bweakfass!"

"I will, but not right now." Jason shook his head. "We have to go do chores first."

At that, Fern threw herself backward, nearly ripping herself from his arms. He gasped and caught her, and she screamed.

"Food first!"

"We are getting food first," Jason explained. "We're just getting food for the animals, not us."

"Amimals?"

"Yup." Jason smiled. "Food for the pigs! And the goats!"

"Yay!"

Now pacified, Fern allowed him to walk her to the front door, where he pulled on both his own boots and her little pink booties. Properly dressed, they strode out into the front yard, where things seemed to teem with life.

Chance raced around, barking at a handful of chickens that they had picked up from Summer Shandy. The avians clucked and raced away from the dog, and Jason laughed and called him back. He walked up to the barn while Fern chased after them instead, and began on the chores.

The horses were easy, and he soon had them turned out into the corral. Alice raced out to find Fern, and he heard his daughter laughing at the pony. All seemed to be in order, and he hauled down buckets of feed for all the individual animals.

"Alright, Fern!"

His voice echoed across the farmstead, and Fern soon came racing up into the barn. Her little feet pattered across the floor, and Jason knelt down and took out a little pail. It was technically designed for playing in sand, but it worked well enough for feeding the animals.

"Here, can you go feed the chickens?" He scooped up a bit of grain. "Go throw it in the yard!"

Fern grinned, then took the pail and ran away. Jason walked up to the barn door and watched as Fern took out a handful of cracked corn and tossed it onto the ground. Instantly, the chickens raced over to her, surrounding the little girl as they pecked eagerly at the food. She beamed, then dumped the rest of the bucket and ran away laughing. The chickens all swarmed to that one spot, and Jason laughed as she ran back up to him.

"That'll work well enough, I suppose." He shook his head and walked back to the remaining buckets. "Alright, Fern, come here!"

He hefted her up on his left hip, then picked up the first bucket, the sheep feed, in his right. She laughed and giggled at the sheep as they too swarmed up to get at their food, and continued to do so as they fed the remaining

animals. All that done, they slowly walked back down into the yard as Tess appeared, slowly walking down into the yard.

"You okay?" Jason frowned. Tess had a shawl wrapped around the upper part of her body, while she wore a bright-red dress beneath. Her face had a rather greenish look about it, as if she was about to puke.

"Yeah. Just... Need to get moving." She grimaced and paused near the barn doors. "Would you mind hitching up Lady to the carriage?"

"Sure." Jason nodded. "You're sure you want Lady?"

"Yeah. She's... slower. Less bouncy."

A few minutes later, Tess was up in the carriage and riding off toward town. Jason watched her go, sighing. He didn't know what was wrong with her, but he also wasn't shocked. The day earlier, she had been looking a bit sickly, too, though it was against Tess's character to bother going to a doctor. Oh, well. As long as she wasn't contagious, she could spend some time hanging out with her friends, which she would enjoy.

"Alright, Fern!" Jason started walking back up toward the house. "Are you hungry?"

"Yes!" Fern squealed.

"Would you like to eat an apple for breakfast?"

Fern clapped her hands. "Appa, appa!"

"Great!" Jason turned slowly toward the apple trees by the road. "Should we go pick some?"

A few minutes later, Jason had taken a large wicker basket out of the farm's inventory, and the two of them walked up to the front of the yard. There were ten trees total, five apple and five pear, though the pear trees hadn't yet fully matured. The apple trees, though, were filled with enormous fruits that bent the branches under their weight. Jason smiled, then set down the

basket and began to pick them. Fern raced around underneath the trees, grabbing the ones that were low enough for her to reach. Jason helped her out, lifting her up high enough to snag the apples that grew further up the trees.

It took them almost half an hour to finish the first tree, and even then, there were still quite a few left over. Fern laughed and raced over to the next one, where she reached up and grabbed hold of a particularly large one.

"That apple's almost the size of your head!" Jason laughed as Fern pulled it free.

Off-balance, she toppled over and landed on her hindquarters, which she thought was quite funny. Rising up, she toddled with the apple over to the basket, where she tossed it inside.

"What do you think we should do with all these apples?"

"Pie!" Fern squeaked. "Juice!"

Jason laughed, then paused. Neither of those ideas were bad ones, though he wasn't sure that he had anything with which to crush the apples for juice. "I bet Jeremiah would have something, though," he murmured. "I mean... Delilah would have something that Jeremiah would let us borrow. Hang on a minute."

He left Fern out in the yard while he dashed back up into the house. There, he scratched out a quick note to Jeremiah, placed a stamp on it, and threw it in the mailbox. It vanished with a pop, and he stepped back outside to find Fern still underneath the trees, yanking down any apples she could find. "Here!" she called out, walking toward the road. "Have one!"

Jason smiled and walked down from the porch, catching the barest glimpse of a wagon behind the tree. As he came into view, he found a large family, there must have been seven children in all, peering out from a flat-bottom

wagon. It was being pulled by two oxen, both of whom looked rather skinny and pale. The father, sitting on the wagon bench, looked dusty and had a wide-brimmed hat, while the mother was standing about halfway between the wagon and the fence, smiling down at Fern.

"You have a very generous daughter." The mother smiled at Jason. "She's already given us seven, I'm afraid."

Jason laughed and waved his hands. "We planted them for anyone who needs them. Hop down and take as many as you need!"

The mother's eyes lit up. "You mean it?"

A few moments later, all the boys and girls scrambled down from the wagon and proceeded to strip several dozen apples from the branches that hung over the road. Jason went up and checked the rusty bin, which had started to go emptier as the tide of refugees turned into a mere trickle. "Give me half a second, and I can get you some bread and vegetables, too." "No, no." The mother shook her head. "Everyone's been more than kind to us, we actually just got some bread from town. That said, these apples will go wonderfully with it. They'll get us down to Portswain, or nothing will." Jason smiled, then paused. "How are things up in Illumitir, if you don't mind me asking?"

The father simply shrugged. "Dry. We hung on for a while, and probably could have kept hangin' for a while longer, but there's a time that comes when you've just got to face reality. I don't know if we could have made the winter, so... Here we are, and here we go."

All in all, the family seemed far less despondent than some of the earlier refugees. Jason bade them farewell, then went back to harvesting the apples with Fern. They soon had the basket full to overflowing, and the trees hardly looked like they'd even had a dent taken out of them. Jason put up a

sign informing people that they were welcome to anything growing on the trees, and then took Fern back inside for lunch, and to wait for Tess.

It was encouraging, in a strange way, to see the family. They were traveling based on hope, not on fear. Even though things were hard, they were already changing for the better, which Jason deeply appreciated. Hopefully, Tess would be home soon, and she would get to feeling better as well.

Chapter Sixteen: News

[The alarm went off; it was 6 AM. Jason and Tess were ready to get to work around the farm. They had 42 starting actions.]

[Obadiah's Almanac: 48th day of Fall! 43 days until the Fall Festival! Today's a chilly one, folks! Looks like it's going to be raining for the better part of the day, though we should see a break in the rain later this evening. Tomorrow, expect a freeze! Looks like someone up north spawned in a swarm of ice moths, and that created a low-pressure zone that's dragging colder temperatures in here a lot sooner than we'd expected!]

Jason was interrupted halfway through reading the notice as Tess lurched across him, racing frantically for the bathroom. She crashed through the door and threw up, retching and gasping for air as Jason tried to recover from having received an elbow and two knees in the gut.

"I... Whew!" Jason groaned as he rolled out of bed and landed on the floor with a dull thunk. "You okay?"

There was another round of vomiting, and Tess weakly poked her head out through the door. "Does it sound like I'm okay?"

"Quite frankly, it sounds like you're pretending to be one of the monsters that you used to spend all your time killing," Jason chuckled softly. "Like you're a giant wyrm or something, and just got stabbed through the gut by —"

"Not. Helping."

"Right." Jason sighed and walked into the bathroom, where he rubbed Tess's back. That seemed to ease the pain somewhat, and she sighed. "What's going on? You looked better the other day when you got back from Theresa's, but you seem like you've continued to go downhill ever since then."

Tess sighed, then slowly stood up and grimaced. "Sorry. Don't mean to be spoiling the mood."

"You're not!" Jason flashed a smile as she stumbled past him toward the wardrobe. "I'm just concerned, and you're not talking to me about it." He paused and chuckled. "Honestly, with the amount you've been sick, it reminds me quite a bit about when you were pregnant with Fern!" He laughed, only for him to see a slight, sly smile flicker across Tess's face. "Wait."

Tess turned and lifted an eyebrow, and his heart leapt through the roof. "You're pregnant again?"

"Yes!" Tess squealed and put her hand over her mouth.

Jason rushed forward and threw his arms around her, and they embraced for several long seconds. As they pulled apart, he found Tess grinning from ear to ear. Suddenly, though, she reached out and smacked him upside the head. "And it took you long enough to realize it, too! Do you have any idea how much I've been dying to tell you ever since Theresa confirmed it?"

Jason winced and rubbed the back of his head. "Don't put this on me!"

"You're my husband! You should have known!" Tess badgered him good- naturedly as she got dressed. Jason pulled on his overalls as well, and shook his head.

"Alright, but I've kinda been programmed not to assume." Jason held up a finger. "Let's say that you're not pregnant, and I ask if you are. What's the first thing that would go through your head?"

Tess blinked. "I look fat?"

"Exactly! And that would have gotten me kicked over the moon."

Tess sighed and rolled her eyes. "That's a fair point, I suppose. Still, though, it's been agony not being able to tell you that..." She squealed again. "Jason, we're going to have a second baby!"

They both began to dance across the floor together. It wasn't a very good dance, and it was soon interrupted by the cries of their two-year-old, but they enjoyed it.

"Whew! You're going to make me throw up again." Tess retched once and doubled over, then straightened up and made her way to the door. "Catch you at breakfast!"

Jason had a grin on his face for the entire time he was outside, scattering feed for the chickens, pouring feed for the other animals, turning the horses loose, and more. When he finished and came back inside, his smile was lessened only by the fact that, just like the almanac had noted, it was pouring outside.

The rain was coming down in proper sheets, a certified deluge the likes of which Jason hadn't seen in quite some time. Water ran in small rivers across the ground; though to his surprise, it didn't flow down into the bottom of the barn, due to small ridges that Johan had constructed around the tops of the ramps. Sure, a little water dripped down inside, but only water that actually

landed on the slopes, and it was subsequently directed into several deep troughs that sort of served as a reservoir. It looked to Jason like the water, should it get deep enough, was even accessible by the animals as an extra source to drink from.

In any event, as he came walking back up inside the house, he was soaking, and had to wring the water out of his clothing before he could sit down at the table with his family. Fern was laughing and giggling right along with Tess and Jason, simply reacting to their own emotions. She was concerned for Tess when she thew up after eating a few bites of waffles, but when Tess simply smiled through it and gave her a kiss, she brightened back up. "What's the plan for today?" Tess asked after a few minutes.

Jason simply shrugged as he finished up his own breakfast. "I'm not sure. I had been hoping to get the homestead field planted again, since I just harvested it a few days ago, but it's not really looking like I'm going to have the ability to do so for a few days now."

Tess nodded and flashed a small smile. "You could help me shear the sheep."

"Seep!" Fern grinned. "Sear seep!"

Jason laughed slightly, then shrugged. "Sure, I can do that! Have you done it before?"

"Nope!" Tess laughed. "This will be the first shearing. It's actually the only one I'll be able to do this year, I'll have to give them time to re-grow it before winter sets in."

"You are loving having these animals around," Jason chuckled. "Alright, lead the way."

They rose from the table (and Tess threw up again), and the three of them soon made their way out into the cold. Jason did his best to shield Fern

under his body as he held her close and raced across the muddy farmyard. As he pounded up into the barn, he took a deep breath and sighed, and slowly set Fern down.

The enormous structure was watertight to a level of perfection that Jason couldn't even begin to fathom. Not a drop got down through the roof or the rafters, and while the smell of moisture did float in through the barn doors, that was the only real indication that there was a storm in progress. Tess turned a crank to open up several windows high above, letting light stream through thick glass, then slid the doors shut. With that, there was hardly even the sound of rain, though Jason could still hear it as a distant sound rather like wagon wheels rumbling over a road in the distance.

"Let's get to this!" Tess grinned. She nodded up at the loft. "Would you go running up to the second storage room? All the supplies are in there."

Jason nodded and wound his way up the spiral staircase to find what she was talking about. There, as he pulled the door open, he found an assortment of items that Tess must have bought from Cecilia. There was a foldable sheep holder, a large set of shears, and a set of burlap bags. He carried it all down, taking two trips, and soon had it all laid out. Tess set up the sheep stand, which consisted of a slightly elevated platform, a ramp leading up to it, and a padded bracket to hold the sheep's head.

"Alright, how do we do this?" Jason crossed his arms and frowned at the assembly. "This looks... complicated."

"It's really not." Tess smiled softly. "Here, just turn the sheep loose. The doors are all shut, and that'll make it easier."

Jason didn't really see loose sheep making life easier, but he obliged and swung the gate open. Instantly, the herd of sheep came racing out, where they bleated loudly and charged back and forth. Fern laughed and clapped

her hands. The goats stood up and peeked over the top of their pens, while the pigs simply squealed in the mayhem and rattled themselves back and forth.

After watching for a moment, Jason caught hold of the first sheep that came close to him. It fought his grasp, but after only a moment, he was able to lead it up the ramp and onto the platform. Tess had been working with the sheep well, and while they weren't yet tame, they weren't wild, either. He placed the jaw of the sheep into the padded bracket, then pulled some leather straps around it to hold it still. The sheep quickly calmed down and stood there, quietly, as Tess picked up the enormous shears.

"You're sure this will work?" Jason frowned. "This looks..."

"I mean, just look at this cute little guy." Tess scratched him behind the ears. "He's loving this. Yeah, you like the attention, don't you." She scratched him a bit more, then held up the shears. "And trust me, he's going to like this. If sheep get left for too long without being shorn, they get too much wool. It's like wearing too many clothes. You've got to take off some layers sometimes, and... Here we go!"

She tapped the shears against the back of the sheep. There was a flash of light, and a large pile of wool appeared on the ground next to it. Jason blinked in surprise, and Fern screamed.

"Mommy hurt it!"

"Mommy didn't hurt anything," Tess laughed and undid the straps. The sheep daintily backed off the platform, then turned and ran across the barn floor. "See! He's right as rain."

Jason chuckled as he stuffed the wool into the sack. "Who'd have thought?" They quickly settled into the day at that point, with Jason catching the sheep and getting them up onto the stand, and Tess shearing them. Jason

had to admit that he was amazed; the sheep were quite a bit friskier and happier once their coats were a bit thinner. Soon, all the sacks were full to bursting; he estimated that they must have harvested three hundred pounds or more.

"What are you going to do with all of this?" he asked Tess as she started to shoo the sheep back into the pen. Now that all of them were shorn, the pen actually seemed to be a good bit emptier, which he thought was funny. "Well, mister farmer, since we're married and the goal is to support us, I'm going to sell it." Tess rolled her eyes. "I might save back a little bit for myself to experiment with, but only a little. This could be used for making clothes for people still stuck up in Illumitir, and I've heard that there's a clothing shortage along with everything else, since wool and cotton are both scarce up in those parts."

"I assumed you were going to sell it." Jason rolled his eyes. "I was asking what you have to do in order to sell it. Just haul it up to Summer Shandy, or something else?"

"Yeah." Tess shrugged. "I can just place it in the collection bin, like your crops. I mean, I could do more to the wool to get a higher price, but at least for the time being, I'm not going to risk it. I'll give some of those processing tricks a few tests on the bit I save back."

"Gotcha." Jason smiled as they started to pack up the materials. "I can't believe we actually have sheep now. This is crazy."

"Just wait," Tess chuckled softly. "Right now, the animals are just a fun hobby, essentially. Once our kids get old enough to help out on the farm... We're going to have the biggest farm in all of

Chapter Seventeen: Blue Dreams

[The alarm went off; it was 6 AM. Jason and Tess were ready to get to work around the farm. They had 42 starting actions.]

[Obadiah's Almanac: 57th day of Fall! 34 days until the Fall Festival! Today's looking like the best weather we'll have for the rest of the season, folks! Bright and sunny, with a stiff south breeze! No monster attacks are likely either, though admittedly, that could change anytime.]

"That sounds like he's expecting a monster attack." Jason frowned as he rolled out of bed and slowly walked over to the wardrobe to start changing. Tess laughed as she swung out of bed as well. "He probably is. Let's see... It's been a few years now, but I think that drought conditions have a high chance of raising the spawn rates of certain monsters. There's probably something that has a thirty percent chance of spawning today or something, so he's keeping an eye out for it, but also doesn't want to alarm anyone." "That makes sense." Jason flashed a small smile as Tess stood up.

Her belly was just starting to show the first hints of actually being pregnant. She was near the beginning of her second month (at least if he was calculating things properly), as she had apparently first realized that she

might be pregnant somewhere around the 25th day of fall. Soon, she would really start to take on size quickly, which he was looking forward to. Other than Theresa, no one else yet knew, and he had to admit that he was eager to tell them.

"What's your plan for today?" Tess asked as she slowly got dressed. Showing or not, she was moving a good bit slower than normal, though she wasn't yet asking for help. "Planting, right?"

Jason nodded slowly. "That's the goal, at least." He sighed. "I'm meeting with Milligan here in an hour or so."

"Then let's head downstairs and get breakfast going!"

Jason smiled, and he soon had himself dressed. Tess was just bringing Fern out into the hall as he started down the stairs, and he waved at her before making his way out and into the farmyard.

It didn't take him long to do chores; though in his opinion, Obadiah's assessment of the day was a tad off. It was cold, there was no doubt about that, and he soon had to pull on gloves as he poured feed and scattered feed. Alice, after he turned her loose, simply went back into the barn to huddle out of the breeze, which indeed was coming up quite rapidly out of the south. It wasn't strong enough to knock a person over, or really even strong enough to provide anything more than a mild inconvenience while working, but it was mighty unpleasant. It had a way of biting straight through his clothing, and that was something that he didn't appreciate.

In any event, he soon had the chores done, and he made his way back up into the house. Tess had breakfast on the table, and they all tucked into a wonderful meal of eggs and sausage. While they ate, he nodded in Tess's direction.

"So what are you doing for the day?"

Tess shrugged. "I'm heading up into town. I have an appointment with Theresa today, just to make sure that the little one is growing well, and I'm going to check with Cecilia on the next available animal sale date. Our goats and pigs are both ready to sell, and I'd like to get them out before we start losing money on them."

Jason nodded and took a bite of the food. "Sounds like a plan." He paused as a thought struck him. "Do we have a name for the next little Hunter?" Tess shook her head. "Not really. In mean, in the past we've discussed a few names, but nothing concrete."

"We should hash that out." Jason nodded. "Right now."

Tess raised an eyebrow. "Right now?"

"Okay, maybe not right now, but it wouldn't hurt to throw out some possibilities." Jason bit his lip. "If it's a boy, I'm thinking of naming him Jason Junior."

"No," Tess snorted. "If we're naming our child after a relative, it's not going to be me or you."

"Fine." Jason sighed. "Then... if it's a boy... Steven?"

"What makes you think the baby is a boy?" Tess raised an eyebrow. "What if we have another girl?"

"Girl!"

Jason chuckled. "If we have another girl... Susan?"

"No." Tess shook her head. "I knew a Susan once... We are not having a Susan."

"Ruth?"

"No."

"Mary?"

"Maybe." Tess rolled her eyes. "This isn't something you just make up at the breakfast table! It takes lots of thought. Let me go to my appointment with Fern, and you can think about it throughout the day."

Jason nodded and rose, then grinned. "What about Olive, or Ash for a boy? Since we have one girl named after a plant—"

"Jason!"

Jason rolled his eyes, then made his way outside. He hitched up Lady to the carriage for Tess and Fern, then saw them off down the road. They lumbered away up the winding path, and he slowly made his way over to the lean-to. Angus was snorting and ready to go, and he soon had him hitched up to the planter. As he finished, Milligan came riding up on a small, dappled horse, and swung down to land on the ground.

"Good morning!" Milligan boomed. "My apologies for— Well, for a great deal of things, I suppose."

Jason shook his head and shook Milligan's hands. For the first time, he noticed Milligan not wearing gloves, which was already a sign that something unusual was happening. "What's going on? You asked me about a week ago not to plant more of the wheat, but you didn't say why, and—" "Yes, my boy," Milligan sighed. "And I thank you for leaving your field barren for that time. You've been better to us than we've ever been to you. The simple fact is that I asked you not to plant more of the wheat because we've been told by the government of Illumitir to cease and desist development of that particular strand."

Jason blinked. "Why? What reason could they possibly have for something like that?" He paused for a moment, then grinned. "If you'd like, I can set Jeremiah on your case. He's pretty good with a lot of that paperwork stuff. I'm sure he could work out something."

Milligan chuckled, then shook his head. "I wish it were that easy, but in this case, I'm afraid I agree with them. We knew that the wheat was becoming more drought-resistant, but I'll also be the first to admit that none of us really understood why it was happening. Given a less chaotic situation, we would have tested for years before allowing the crop to hit the market, but given the dire need, we were told to expedite production. As such, none of us realized that the wheat had...

"Well, it's complicated, but it adapted itself to be able to utilize less water by, in turn, using a particular toxin found in most soils. Naturally, it appears in such small quantities that you would have to consume something like a cubic yard of soil in less than 24 hours to be harmed, but in the wheat, it became more condensed, and bread produced with said wheat... At least, wheat that was actually grown in Illumitir, where it's drier and the adaptation had to kick in... The short story is that a whole lot of people got sick, and in order to prevent a PR disaster, the government is formally halting all attempts to develop the strain and have slapped us with a 500,000,000 credit fine."

Jason's jaw dropped. "That's awful."

"Not really." Milligan shrugged. "They subsequently, and quietly, gave us a 500,000,000 credit grant to cover the cost of the fine. We started to hear whispers about the fallout about a week and a half ago, hence why I asked you to hold off until we knew more. As of last night... We do."

Jason grimaced. "How can I help? Is there anything else I can plant for you?"

"I'm afraid not, my boy." Milligan turned and swung back up into his horse. "We just don't have seed available in the quantities that you would need to plant, at least not seed that's been approved for commercial sale. You have

the Alpha-13 sorghum seed, which you're more than welcome to continue to plant, but beyond that, I'm afraid I just don't have much. Everything else has been sold to other farmers or ground into bread."

As Milligan turned away, Jason called after him, "What happens to the research you've done on that wheat so far?"

"Classified, and placed in storage," Milligan called back. "Along with just enough seeds to restart the line in a few years, should we be given clearance again."

With that, Milligan rode away, and Jason crossed his arms. He pondered the issue for a few long minutes, then shrugged and opened up his inventory. "Alright. We need to plant something. I have a bit more sorghum seed I can plant here... Ooh!" Jason grinned. "I can mix the sorghum seed with the Alpha-13! I've heard of other farmers mixing varieties, that could be fun!" No one answered his declaration, and he quickly opened up the seed box and added both sets of seed to the machine. Seed appeared and swirled around, a blend of pink and red, and he closed the lid and took up the reins. "And that's that! Yaw!"

Angus lumbered forward, and soon entered the field with a flourish. The planter dipped down into the ground, and he heard the telltale rattle of seed flowing down into the ground.

It was sad to see the company struggling so much, but he knew they would bounce back. Milligan had told him about similar setbacks that they had experienced in the past. It was certainly nothing new. They would come up with something else wild and crazy, and life would go on.

Even as he thought about it, a grin came across his face. They had managed to develop a wheat-corn hybrid. Maybe they could make a corn-sorghum

hybrid! Or a sorghum-wheat hybrid! The possibilities were endless, and filled him with anticipation.

All he had to do was stick to the course, and they would stick to theirs, and... Well... They would see where life took them from there.

Chapter Eighteen : Bringing Up The Cattle

[The alarm went off; it was 6 AM. Jason and Tess were ready to get to work around the farm. They had 42 starting actions.]

[Obadiah's Almanac: 59th day of Fall! 32 days until the Fall Festival! Alright, folks, it's getting cold out there! We've got more cold winds out of the south, and today, it's going to be cloudy, so make sure you bundle up if you venture outside!]

Jason smiled as he rolled out of bed, then reached back and helped Tess to stand up. She was already larger than she had been just a few days earlier, enough that people would almost certainly start to take notice. They both smiled at each other, and Jason reached out and put a hand on her belly. "It's exciting, isn't it?" Tess beamed.

"Yeah." Jason puffed out his cheeks, then leaned forward and gave her a kiss. "It really is. I love you."

"I love you, too." Tess kissed him back, then pushed him away. "Now get to work! We have a big day today."

"I know, I know." Jason chuckled as he turned to the wardrobe and started getting dressed. "You get Fern and breakfast, and I'll go down and get

things ready. We're going to want to get moving just about as quickly as we can, I reckon."

Tess nodded, and Jason quickly made his way downstairs. It was the day of the next animal sale up in Summer Shandy, which meant that they needed to get moving. As Jason pounded down the stairs and out into the yard, Chance came eagerly with him, and they soon entered the barn and started doing chores.

He threw feed to the chickens, then started pouring food for all the animals. As he was working, he heard hoofbeats on the barn floor behind him, and turned to find Richard beaming down at him.

"And here you go!" Richard hopped down from a large wagon. It had tall, slotted sides. Jason wasn't sure if it was exactly the same one that he had brought the animals to his ranch with, but it was certainly something similar. "You can keep it after the sale if you want, until you buy one of your own. I'd like it back within a season or so, but I'm more than willing to loan it out as needed."

"Much appreciated!" Jason grinned as Richard began to unhitch the horse and throw a saddle across the great beast. "Will we see you in town?" Richard nodded. "We'll be bringing up our cattle here in just a few minutes, but we actually won't be selling any of our smaller animals up there." "Really?" Jason frowned. "We're not doing anything wrong, are we?"

"Not at all!" Richard laughed and shook his head. "No, we've actually got a butcher coming directly to the ranch. He'll spend a couple days butchering all the meat himself, and then we'll just sell it straight from there."

Jason whistled. "You really are trying to cut out the middle man. You've got your own set of breeding animals, your own butcher now..."

"Nah. Not our own butcher." Richard shook his head with a grin. "That's coming, mind you, but we want to make sure we have a market for the meat before we really pull that trigger. If it works out, we'll probably start butchering our own cattle, too, but I suppose we'll just have to see." He paused. "I'd honestly offer to just buy your animals from you, I could certainly offer a higher price than the guilds will, but it's against policy of the... Pfft, it actually covers legislation from a lot of different organizations, but the point is that I can't sell any meat that wasn't grown on my own farm. Liability, disease control, all that." He shrugged and mounted up. "I've got to run, but I wish you all the best!"

With that, he rode off down the road, even as the first of the immense cattle herd began to rumble on past. Jason watched it for a moment, then finished up with the chores and jogged back into the house.

Tess already had food on the table. It looked like she and Fern had already eaten, and they nodded at each other as Jason sat down at the table to gulp a quick meal while the two women went out to start hitching things up. As soon as he was done eating, he scrambled back out the door.

Tess had just gotten Angus hitched up to the wagon, and he snorted. Fern was sitting up on the wagon box, pouting because Tess wouldn't let her ride Alice. Jason smiled up at Fern, trying to raise her spirits, then strode into the barn to help Tess get the goats loaded up.

In order to get them in, they parked the wagon in the south doorway, then slid the doors closed to box in the wagon perfectly. That done, they put down the ramp to allow the animals to go up, then went and closed the north doors. It ensured that the animals had exactly one place to go, which, hopefully, would ensure that none of them escaped.

Thankfully, Tess's extended hours spent in the barn with Fern paid off, and they soon ran the animals up onto the wagon. Jason slammed the gate shut, raised the ramps, and then opened the doors and climbed up onto the wagon box.

"Taking amimals for wide!" Fern called with glee as Tess sat her upon her lap. Jason took the reins and sent them rumbling off down toward the road, where they paused.

The immense cattle herd was still rumbling past, and would likely continue to do so for the better part of an hour. Thankfully, Jason had already discussed the matter with Richard, who had mentioned it to his hired hands. One of them caught Jason's eye as the wagon rumbled forward, and he carefully made the cattle move away from the fence. As soon as there was enough space, Jason rumbled out and into the midst of the cattle, and the hired man swung the gate back closed and took up his position once again. Jason had to grin as they moved along, right in the middle of the herd. Cattle surged by on both sides, at least until Angus realized that he was being outpaced and began to speed up. Soon they reached Summer Shandy, and Jason directed the wagon back out of the herd and through the town square while the cattle continued around the side.

Obadiah and Jeremiah both waved at him as he came through. He and Tess both waved back, and he made a mental note to make sure to say hello to all his friends before they went home for the day. In any event, as they came rumbling around to the north side of town, they found all the pens for the smaller animals, and one of the guild members in charge of the pens directed them to the right location. Workers with boards came running over to direct the goats into a holding pen as they came down from the wagon, and Tess hopped down with Fern.

"You sure you'll be okay getting the rest of them yourself?" Tess looked up at him.

Jason nodded. "Yeah, for sure! Someone needs to be here to get the animals sold, and let's be real." He lowered his voice. "A pregnant woman with a toddler is going to get a higher price than a spunky dude." Tess burst out laughing, and he shrugged. "Plus... You're pregnant, you don't need to be loading pigs."

A few minutes later, he rolled out town again, this time moving against the herd of cattle. The beasts were more or less trained for that eventuality, and paid him no mind as he made his way back down to the farm. There, he drove the wagon up to the same spot as before, pulled the doors shut, and prepared to get the pigs into the wagon the same was he had done earlier. There were only two problems.

First, Tess wasn't there to help, and she had been the one working on taming the animals. Second, instead of goats, they were pigs.

The moment he opened up the pen, the pigs exploded forward, catching the gate squarely. The door whipped around and whacked him in the stomach, sending him flying backward into the barn door. He groaned and fell to his knees, though he jumped up quickly as a pig came charging straight at him, slobber dripping from its jaws. It latched onto his hand and began to chew, and Jason gasped... Then realized that it was just looking for a treat. When it came to the decision that Jason had no such treats, it turned and bolted away, slamming into another large pig as it did so.

Jason spent the next thirty minutes trying (largely unsuccessfully) to get the pigs all onto the wagon. In the end, he had to go pick a number of apples off the trees and dump them into the front of the vehicle in order to entice the

pigs on board, and even then, there was one lone straggler that it took him another several minutes to simply grab and wrestle aboard.

When they were all on board, he slammed the gate shut and latched it firmly, then climbed up and started off down the road. The cattle were nearly gone by now, with only a few stragglers being urged on by a few tired-looking hired hands. Of course, Jason was able to give them very little attention as the pigs began pouring every ounce of their effort into escaping the small wagon.

When he had bought the pigs, they had been 100-pound beasts. Now, they were all tipping the scales at close to 250 pounds, and they knew it. The whole machine shuddered as the pigs threw themselves back and forth, battering themselves into the sides of the wagon. Several times, Jason heard something crack, and knew that he would have to make a decent number of repairs before he could ever hope to give it back to Richard.

In any event, when he made it up to Summer Shandy, none of the animals had yet broken out. He came rumbling up to the pig pen, the workers all came out and formed a line, and he gratefully flipped the latch. The animals exploded from the wagon as if they'd been shot from a rocket, and he breathed a sigh of relief.

"You okay?" Tess came walking back over to him. "You look like someone just threw you into a wyrm pit in a barrel."

"I... I've not ever heard someone use that analogy before, but I can already imagine how painful that would be." Jason rolled his shoulders around. "How did the animals sell for?"

"The goats sold for... 1,000 Shandys apiece." Tess held up a small slip of paper, which she passed to him.

"That's not bad." Jason ran some math in his head. "I think that means we turned a profit on them."

"Just barely, and probably because inflation raised the price of the goats after we bought the feed, but I'll take it." Tess laughed softly. "We'll have to see on the pigs here, but I'm honestly expecting a net loss." She paused in thought. "I need to feed them more apples and pears. They're falling in bunches from Fern's trees, and they're a whole lot more... free... than the feed."

Jason nodded in thought. Soon the price came back from the pigs, and as they had expected, they wound up netting a slight loss. Still, though, it was a learning experience, and Tess was having a lot of fun with it. Fern was having a lot of fun with it.

They spent the next several hours chatting with friends, and Obadiah treated them to a meal in the Guild Hall. When they finally got ready to go and started rumbling down the road back toward the farm, Fern frowned, then turned around and pointed back at the settlement.

"Amimals?"

"They're staying here." Jason nodded, then paused. "Well... Strictly speaking, they don't stay here long, but—"

"They have new owners now," Tess explained.

"Want amimals!"

"We'll get more." Jason leaned over and whispered in her ear, "Somehow, I have a feeling that we're going to be getting lots more animals from here on out."

"Mowe amimals?"

"More animals." Tess nodded with a smile. "'Cause your daddy is the best.

Chapter Nineteen: Third Month

[The alarm went off; it was 6 AM. Jason and Tess were ready to get to work around the farm. They had 42 starting actions.]

[Obadiah's Almanac: 79th day of Fall! 12 days until the Fall Festival! Looks like more cold weather is on the plate for today! Like... Really, really cold. Almost wintery. I cannot confirm nor deny why that might be.] Jason raised an eyebrow. "What's he talking about?"

Tess laughed as she rolled out of bed. "According to Theresa, he used the dungeon core to try to spice up his dungeon, and the results did not go according to plan."

Jason snorted. "After all the lectures I get about being more careful, he gets to go play around with a dungeon core willy-nilly?"

"He is his father's son." Tess huffed a bit as she was walking over to the wardrobe. Her belly was hanging out even further than before. She was only a hint away from entering her third month, at which point she would really look pregnant. "Can you blame him?"

"For taking away my dungeon core? Yes." Jason nodded. "Shoulda charged him for it, at least."

He sighed and walked up to the window, where a layer of frost had grown across the glass. He wiped away a bit of condensation, then gazed out at the open landscape. The ground was a transparent white color, the color of a fresh freeze, as the world prepared itself for winter's grasp. Obadiah's meddling notwithstanding, it really wasn't going to be warm for much longer.

"What's your plan for today?" Tess asked as she came up behind him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders.

"Harvest," Jason answered. "If I'm quick and can get it all off today, and I don't see any reason why I wouldn't, I can get one more crop on the Homestead Eighty before winter."

Tess nodded. "Well, you'd best get at it, then. You go get chores done, and I'll get you something to keep you warm on the way."

Jason nodded, then dressed in near-winter clothing and trotted downstairs. Chance came bounding out with him, and he set into the chores as quickly as he could.

They had bought new goats and pigs, and the sheep were rapidly growing a new coat of wool to replace what had been shorn. Additionally, after reaching maturity, the chickens had finally started to lay eggs, which was another bonus. Jason quickly fed the animals and harvested the eggs, then went back into the house where Tess had a large breakfast sausage bun waiting for him.

"Yum!" Jason grinned as he sat down.

"Yum!" Fern echoed him. She bit into a slice of apple that Tess had cut her, then looked down at the basket Jason had brought in. "Eggs!"

"Yep!" Jason handed the basket across to Tess. "What do you think mommy will do with them?"

"Eat them!"

At that, Jason chuckled, and Tess rolled her eyes. "I'm going to preserve them, silly!"

"You silly!"

"No, you're silly," Tess chuckled, then put the basket on the counter. "I'm going to put a third in lime to help preserve them, a third I'm going to pickle, and a third we'll keep to eat for breakfasts and things."

"It sounds like mommy knows exactly what she's doing, then." Jason winked at Fern.

"Yay mommy!"

Jason ate his meal quickly, then rose and wiped his mouth. "Alright, if you don't mind, I'm going to head on out, get started with things."

"Go for it!" Tess waved. "Have fun!"

Jason quickly returned to the farmyard, where he found Angus in the corral waiting for him. He took the mighty horse out of the pen, then quickly hitched him up to the harvester. Angus snorted and stamped his feet, and as Jason took the reins, he marched forth toward the field.

Milligan, after Jason had planted the field to sorghum, had come back to Jason to apologize, again, for the confusion. He had then offered Jason a few sacks of seed that they had left over from a failed experiment some time earlier. It wasn't that the seed was bad, or dangerous, or anything along those lines. In fact, it was really quite good on all fronts, there was one simple drawback: it looked terribly ugly. There weren't enough farmers in the Illumitir region willing to plant it for them to make a profit selling the stuff, and thus, they had been told to abandon the project.

All told, it was a corn-sorghum cross, such as Jason had dreamed up some time earlier. The stalk rather resembled corn, but instead of shooting out

standard ears, it erupted large heads of sorghum that were subsequently tipped with grains that rather resembled a hybrid of the two seeds. The problem was that... Well... It was a rather disgusting color, a sickly yellowish-white color, and the seeds all had a small hook on the end that resembled a talon. That said, it seemed to be a wonderful producer, and it grew fast, much quicker than any of the other crops.

As Jason rumbled into the field, the blades tore into the stalks, and he heard the grain begin to flow through the machine. Angus snorted and stamped as he moved forward, and Jason frowned. The hooks of the seeds were catching on the mighty horse, likely causing something akin to itching. He started to buck back and forth a bit, and Jason slowed the great beast to a halt.

"Let's see here." Jason frowned as he allowed Angus to back up. He climbed down and walked up to Angus's side, where he found several of the hook-like seeds lodged in between the straps and harnesses and the horse. "That's not good. Hang on, boy, I'll get those out of there."

It took him only a few minutes to clean it all out. While he was working, Tess and Fern appeared. Fern ran down on the ground, crunching over the frost, and soon raced up to Jason's side.

"Hey there, squirt," Jason murmured as he picked her up.

"Not squirt. Fern."

"Sorry, Fern," Jason chuckled slightly, then shifted her in his arms. Tess reached them a moment later and raised an eyebrow, and Jason quickly explained the issue.

"Hmm." Tess stroked her chin in thought. "That's a tough one. That sounds like we'd need something that could block the seeds, like a coat or something."

"That's what I was afraid of." Jason grimaced. "I'm just not sure what would actually do that, you know? There are so many little places where it would have to cover, I just don't see that as a good option."

Tess paused for a moment, then nodded. "Wait right here, I have an idea." "Wait daddy." Fern turned and flung her arms around Jason's neck while Tess scampered away. "Work with daddy!"

"Right now, we're waiting on mommy to do the work," Jason chuckled softly.

"Mommy work?"

"She does, and she works a lot," Jason whispered. "Did you know that?" "No!"

At that, Jason laughed, and he sat back to wait for Tess. Soon she came back with a large blanket that Jason thought he recognized. It was a quilt, red and yellow and green checkered, which, all told, looked rather like vomit when seen from a distance.

"Is that..."

"It was a wedding present." Tess shrugged. "I can't remember who gave it to us, so let's not let them see it. Can you unhitch him?"

Jason nodded and undid the straps, and the harvester soon sat alone on the ground. Tess ordered Angus to lie down, and the well-trained horse did exactly that, dropping to its knees and sitting there while Tess worked.

Her fingers flew like lightning as she cut a hole in the blanket, tossed it over Angus's head, tugged it down to the base of his neck, and went onward from there. She pulled it down around his legs, then wrapped it around and sewed it into place. That done, she ordered him upright again and sewed it up underneath of him, making the old blanket into a rather lovely horse-

coat. Angus snorted and nipped at it with his teeth, especially as Jason hitched him back up to the harvester.

"He won't like it, but that'll do the job until we can come up with a better solution." Tess nodded. "Best get back to work before he nips it off."

Jason nodded, then climbed back up onto the harvester and took the reins. With a snap of the leather, Angus lumbered forward, and soon crashed into the field yet again.

As they continued to harvest, Angus seemed much more at ease, though his impromptu coat soon began to gather the seeds like cockleburs. Soon they hung so thickly that Jason could hardly see the color of it at all. Here and there, one or two of the seeds bounced up and hit Jason in the face, and he had to admit that they were not pleasant. Still, there were worse things he had done on the farm, that was a certainty.

They rumbled through the field until noontime, at which point, Jason paused long enough to eat a quick meal that Tess brought out to the field. Angus snorted and continued to nip at the coat, so he didn't eat long, but instead simply tried to push through to finish things up.

When he finally came to the end of the field, he had firmly decided to never plant the seed ever again. He didn't begrudge the experience in the slightest, as it had turned out all right in the end, but he also knew that it didn't really matter how much it sold for. There was simply no chance he was going to put himself, or Angus, through it again. He tore off the coat and let Angus back into his stall, where the exhausted horse lay down with a thankful snort. Jason gave Angus a few apples, then walked out into the middle of the yard.

"The inventory doesn't know how to classify the grain, but it looks like it yielded well, at least!" Tess met him in the yard, where she had set up an

apple presser to crush apples down into juice. Fern was handing apples to her (taking bites out of more than a few of them as she did so), and Jason laughed and sat down. He checked the inventory as well, and laughed.

[??? - 200,874,541 kernels]

"Not bad," Jason sighed, then transferred it all into the collection bin. "Admittedly, I think that number would be doubled if I had collected everything that got stuck to Angus—" Tess burst out laughing. "—but it was a good day."

"I'm glad." Tess tossed in a few more apples. "What now? Do you think you'll try to get one more crop in there after all?"

Jason thought about it for a moment, then shook his head. "Nah. I'd hate to be rude to Milligan, and things are winding down for the fall, anyhow." He smiled and leaned forward, giving his daughter a kiss on the cheek. "We're about to settle into a long winter, and I don't want to miss a moment of it with the two... soon to be three of you.

Chapter Twenty: Last Day of Summer

[The alarm went off; it was 6 AM. Jason and Tess were ready to get to work around the farm. They had 42 starting actions.]

[Obadiah's Almanac: 91st day of Fall! It's the day of the Fall Festival! Come on out to the town square today, folks, for the party of the season! Make sure you bundle up because it's chilly. We'll be having the party in the Guild hall, of course, to help protect from the cold.]

Jason felt a grin stretch across his face as he rolled out of bed and climbed to his feet. Tess came just behind him, groaning as she struggled to move her now-enormous belly. As she forced herself upright, she swayed a bit. Her belly was now at full extension, and she looked as though she felt every inch of it.

"I don't know about you, Jason, but I really hope they have lots of chairs." Tess started waddling toward the wardrobe, and began to change into a maternity dress. "I mean, all I need is one, but no one else had better need that one chair for the duration of the festival."

Jason chuckled softly, then as he dressed in a warm tunic, walked up to the window and gazed out across the landscape. A thick layer of frost lay

across everything, glistening in the morning light. Condensation was forming on the window, and he wiped it carefully away before turning back toward Tess.

"I'm sure there will be plenty of chairs, and I'm equally certain that if they're all full when we get there, someone will give up their chair for a pregnant woman." Jason held open the door as Tess walked out, and he started down the stairs. "Catch you at breakfast!"

The air nipped at him as he stepped out into the blistering cold. His breath hung in the frosty air, visible like smoke from the nostrils of a dragon. He blew a few puffs of air here and there as he walked up to the barn, just for the fun of it, and slowly pulled open the immense door to slip inside.

They were leaving the barn doors shut now, at least most of the time, to keep the animals nice and warm. The building was well-insulated, the thick wooden walls without a single crack saw to that. As long as the doors were closed, the body heat of the animals kept it passably warm, at least as far as the animals themselves were concerned. Jason would have found it quite uncomfortable long-term... But then, he had fingers instead of hooves.

He did the chores as quickly as possible, pouring feed for the assorted creatures and gathering up the eggs. The horses were eager to get out into the corral, but the others seemed more than content to stay bedded down in their straw. Jason didn't mind allowing them that comfort, and soon made his way back into the house.

Fern was a giggling ball of energy as Jason walked back into the house. He could smell bacon sizzling in the kitchen, and his daughter raced around him in a circle, laughing and clapping.

"Daddy! Party! Daddy! Party!"

"That's right!" Jason made a few attempts at grabbing her, in which he pretended to be unable to snag her due to her immense speed, then snatched her up and gave her a big kiss on the cheek as he carried her into the kitchen.

He dropped her firmly into her high chair as Tess let out a long breath and spread out a wide assortment of eggs, pancakes, sausage, bacon, and biscuits. They all tucked in, with Fern enjoying the sausage in particular. When they finished, Tess went to start getting herself and Fern all bundled up, and Jason went outside to get the carriage ready.

About fifteen minutes later, they trundled up the road toward the city, wheels rumbling over the frozen ground. Fern and Tess were tucked under a thick, woolen blanket, while hot bricks had been placed at their feet to help keep them warm. Jason simply smiled as they huddled there, and turned his head as Richard came riding up alongside them.

"Howdy, neighbor!" Richard called out. "I was hoping I'd catch you!" "Howdy!" Jason grinned in return. "Any reason in particular."

"Nah." Richard shrugged. "Just haven't really gotten to see you guys for the last season or so, and I miss my daughter and granddaughter!"

Tess and Fern both grinned up at him, and Jason nodded in his direction. "How did your whole butchering venture go?"

"Marvelous!" Richard grinned broadly. "I was going to tell you about that, actually, but then life got crazy. Let's see... I now have a butcher who has been contracted to come my way once a month to slaughter and prepare whatever's ready. We're still only focusing on the small animals, but let me tell you, cutting out the middle man is nice. We were able to sell the meat through Cecilia's store up to Illumitir, and wound up with almost twice as much overall profit. And, on top of that, I found out that you can use loads

of the other products from the animals, too. You can dry down the bones and grind them up as an ingredient in fertilizer, so we're selling all of those to another company in Illumitir, and the intestines... Well, you might not want your appetite ruined, but there's a place to sell those, too, believe it or not!"

"Glue?" Jason raised an eyebrow.

"Nope, and I'm not telling." Richard smiled and shook his head. "No, it's been good. What about around your way?"

Jason began recounting some of that season's escapades, from the corn- sorghum hybrid to an escaped pig he had chased all the way to the Far Eighty. They had reached Summer Shandy long before he had finished, but that was okay by him.

As they came rumbling up into town, as always, they found the place teeming with excitement. People rushed back and forth carrying large platters of food, while thick smoke curled from the chimney of the Guild Hall. Obadiah was standing in the middle of the town square directing traffic, and he waved up at Jason and Tess. They both waved back, and Tess clambered down to take Fern inside. Jason took the carriage around to get Angus stabled, and then he, too, made his way inside.

The interior of the Guild Hall was as festive as ever. Shocks of corn stood tall, alongside piles of pumpkins, strings of gourds, and scarecrows. Red and orange streamers hung from the rafters, and the band in the corner began to practice several traditional harvest songs. Tess was sitting by the hearth, her enormous belly visible from across the room. She seemed to be chatting with Paulina and Theresa, while Fern and John played on the floor in the midst of them.

"Howdy, neighbor." Jeremiah came walking up from the side, an ornery sort of grin on his face. He paused next to Jason, while Gob came racing around his feet, laughing and scratching under his armpits like a gorilla. "How goes it?"

"It goes well enough." Jason flashed a smile at the man. "I'm on this side of the dirt, so I can't complain too much. What about with you?"

Jeremiah just shrugged and leaned against the wall. Gob mimicked him, and Jason chuckled.

"Oh, not much, all things considered," Jeremiah answered after a few moments. "That drought up in Illumitir takes up most of my time these days. Loads of paperwork. You wouldn't believe what sort of paperwork gets generated by a natural disaster like that, let me tell you." He chuckled, and that same ornery grin started to come to his face. "I've been trying to convince Delilah to let me load all of it into a cannon to just blast across the prairie, but she keeps telling me to actually file it instead."

Jason grinned as well. "So... What I'm hearing is that you're wanting me to give you an excuse to blow off some steam?"

"That sounds about right, yeah!" Jeremiah laughed and shook his head. He sighed after a moment, and Gob lowered his head as well. "All in all, I really don't regret leaving the ranch, but there was just something relaxing about getting to explode things that annoyed me."

Jason shrugged. "I know it's not the same, but if you'd be up for it, I think I have my blunderbuss in my inventory." He paused for a moment. "You ever wonder what one of those slugs might do to a pumpkin?"

Jeremiah's face broke into a wide grin. "Only one way to find out."

It wasn't much later that Jason and Jeremiah assembled out in the plain beyond the stable, where they set up a large number of pumpkins, gourds,

melons, and other assorted produce from Jeremiah's pantry that he was sure his wife wasn't going to need anytime soon. Both of them drew out their blunderbusses, which they then loaded carefully. When that was done, Jason raised his to his shoulder.

"Firing... Now!"

He squeezed the trigger, and smoke exploded from the end of the weapon. Flame stabbed through the midst of the smoke, and he heard something splat. When the smoke all cleared away, he found one of the pumpkins missing, though there was an orange stain on the prairie grass.

"Now that was cool!" Jeremiah grinned. "Step to the side, and let me have a go at it!"

Jason nodded and stepped off into the grass, and Jeremiah raised his gun and fired. There, Jason had a better view as one of the pumpkins simple exploded into an orange goop, which then rained down across the grasses in a spectacular manner.

They both cheered and high-fived, then reloaded and continued to shoot. They used their blunderbusses for a while, then switched to their pistols and smaller rifles. Jason didn't know how much ammunition he had burned through, but since monsters were a much lesser concern on his property than they had once been, he wasn't too concerned.

The two of them goofed off until lunchtime, at which point they turned and went back into the Guild Hall. Jason found Tess still relaxing by the hearth, and he brought her some food.

"Thanks, Jason." She smiled up at him. "Did you get to have some fun?"

"I did." He flashed a smile and sat down next to her.

Across from him, Obadiah took a seat next to Paulina, and Jason frowned. He couldn't be certain, and he dared not ask, but... It almost looked like

Paulina was starting to appear pregnant again, too.

"For the rest of the day, though, I'm yours." He sighed deeply as Fern clambered up onto his lap and began to help herself from his plate. "And I wouldn't have it any other way.

Chapter Twenty-One: First Day of Winter

[The alarm went off; it was 6 AM. Jason and Tess were ready to get to work around the farm. They had 42 starting actions.]

[Obadiah's Almanac: 1st day of Winter! 90 days until the Winter Festival! It's a chilly one today, folks! Well below freezing, and we aren't likely to see it rise above that for a long time. On the bright side, we likely will see some snow over the course of the next week, which will be nice!]

Jason shivered as he rolled out of bed and stretched. Down below, he knew that a fire was crackling in the hearth, but as always seemed to happen on the first day of winter, it seemed that they hadn't built it big enough. Still, though, he couldn't see his breath in the frosty air, so it obviously wasn't that cold.

"Good morning," Tess groaned and rolled out of bed, shivering as well. "You have no idea how awful pregnancy can be. I'm equally boiling hot and freezing cold at the same time."

"At least it's not summer," Jason pointed out as he dressed in a warm tunic. "Truth," Tess chuckled softly. She walked over to the wardrobe and began to dress, and Jason turned and walked up to the window.

Gazing out across the landscape, he found only the barren expanse of winter. There was no snow yet, only a crisp wind that made the dead grasses dance and sway. A light coating of scattered clouds danced across the sky, not quite making it dreary, though not really lightening the mood, either.

"Well, I'll catch you at breakfast." Jason squared his shoulders. "This is not going to be pleasant."

He quickly made his way downstairs, where he found Chance curled up on the ground in front of the fireplace. The fire had burned down to mere embers, and he threw on a handful of logs before pulling on his boots and making his way out into the blistering cold.

It was freezing outside, there was simply no other way to describe it. Jason didn't know for sure how cold the temperatures had dipped, but he imagined at that moment that it had to be close to a record. As he made his way out to the barn, the cold sank through his clothing, and he shivered as he pulled the barn door open and slipped inside.

Thankfully, inside the building, the temperature was another story entirely. He slid the door shut as quickly as possible to preserve it, but... it was actually rather pleasant. The animals were all bedded down, not really moving, nestled in a pleasantly moist environment that probably hung somewhere around the temperature of a cool fall day. The smell of hay filled the air, and as Jason started to pour feed for the animals, they began to snort and move around.

When Jason finished with the chores, he left the animals behind and made his way back into the house. Stumbling inside, he found a crackling fire that was rapidly warming the area, and he walked up to the flames to thaw out

his hands. Tess poked her head in from the kitchen and flashed a smile at him.

"You okay?"

"Yeah," he chuckled, then turned and made his way into the kitchen. Fern was in her high chair, munching on a pancake, and he sat down next to her. "Just chilly out there."

"Bummer." Tess frowned. "I was hoping to re-shoe the horses today." "What?" Jason raised an eyebrow.

"Re-shoe the horses." Tess frowned. "You're supposed to do it every so often, to make sure that the shoes don't wear down, or get cracked, or anything. There are professional shoers, but I think we can do it ourselves." "I'll have to take your word for that," Jason chuckled softly. He thought back for a moment over the previous years. "Now that you mention it, I think Jeremiah gave Lady a few new sets of shoes here and there, when he had her for one reason or another, but I doubt she's been checked since he moved up into town."

"Then now seems like the perfect time for it!" Tess declared, then paused. "Except it's cold."

"Pfft. We can get around that." Jason shook his head. "Trust me, it's warmer than you'd think inside that barn. We'll be fine, that much I'm sure of." Tess shrugged. "Alright, then, if you're convinced of it."

A few minutes later, the trio had arrived out in the barn. Jason ran Fern across the yard as quickly as possible to keep her from getting too cold, though as he stepped inside, she beamed and began to clap her hands.

"Yay! Amimals!"

Jason laughed and set her down, and she ran over to the goat pen. The goats were easily her favorites, and they stuck their noses out through the slats in

the fence to nibble at her pink coat. Tess made it inside a moment later, walking a good bit slower than Jason, and he pulled the door shut behind her as well.

"Alright." Jason clapped his hands. "How do we do this here horseshoe thing? The only thing I know about horseshoes is that you can throw them at stakes in the ground."

Tess just snorted. "Alright... Unfortunately, you're going to have to be the one to do most of the work."

"Me?" Jason scowled at her. "Why me?"

"Because I have a child inside of me who is currently kicking my lungs." Tess gestured at her protruding belly. "Is there a chair out here? I need to sit down."

Jason ran up the stairs and found a small chair that he had brought out to the barn for random uses, and brought it down for Tess. He then, under her orders, brought out Lady, who totted up and stopped before Tess.

"Alright." Tess nodded and took out some sugar cubes. "I'm going to be the person keeping the horses distracted. You need... Here." She pulled an oddly shaped device out of her pocket, which looked to Jason to be the combination of a chisel and a fork. "You'll use that to get the old shoes off, and then use a hammer to attach the new ones."

Jason nodded, then slowly stepped up to Lady's front-left hoof. She allowed him to pick up the foot, as she was quite distracted by Tess, and Jason frowned down at the object. Her iron shoe was, indeed, quite pathetic to look at. It was extremely rusty, and had several long cracks that indicated it wasn't far from splitting out. Jason bit his lip, then slowly tapped the object with the horseshoe wrench.

There was a flash of light, and the rusty old shoe dropped to the ground with a clang.

[Action Used: Remove horseshoe. Remaining Actions: 35]

"And there we go." Jason let the hoof back to the ground, then moved to the back leg. Even though he could tell that Lady was calm, and he knew that she had never kicked at him before in her life, he still found himself utterly terrified as he handled the massive foot. Nevertheless, she didn't make a move, and he soon had that shoe removed as well.

It took almost no time to remove the remaining shoes, and less time to attach the four new ones. That process required only that he hold the shiny, silver-steel new shoe in place, and then tap it with a hammer. It wasn't hard work by any stretch, and as time went on, he found it kind of fun.

Through it all, Fern kept herself amused by racing around the barn. She played with all the different animals, then climbed up into the loft and hid herself in the storage closets. Her tilting laugh echoed through the barn time and again as she found things that were amusing to her, and Jason simply shook his head in amazement.

"The simple innocence of a child," he laughed as he took Lady back to her stall and brought out Angus in her place. "You just never know what they're going to do."

Tess nodded in agreement, though at that moment, she seemed somewhat preoccupied with the child in her womb dancing around, finding new places to kick her. In any event, they soon had all three horses set up with fresh shoes. Alice had to wait, but that was largely because the shoes she had come with were of a substantially higher quality, and thus, hadn't worn through quite yet.

When they were done with that job, Tess took Jason over to the pens, and they began working with the animals. It was just about the first time Jason had done it, and while Tess looked on over them, he hopped into the pen and did the work that she wasn't able to do. She would point at sick animals, and he'd bring them over to get a shot of antibiotics. Sometimes, she would notice one that was limping slightly, and they would pull cockleburs or caked mud out from between their toes. It was a simple sort of job, but it was fun, and Fern (once she noticed) came over to help.

They spent the entire morning in the barn, then as they began to get hungry, turned and made their way back inside the house. There, the flames from the hearth were still crackling, and Jason seated himself on the floor in front of the fire to warm back up while Tess went and got lunch on the table. Fern sat on his lap, and for a long while, they simply stared into the open flames. It was cold outside, but it was warm in the home. No matter what would come, no matter what they would face, Jason knew that there would always be a fireplace waiting for them, for their little family, to warm them back up again.

Chapter Twenty-Two: Gravy Day

[The alarm went off; it was 6 AM. Jason and Tess were ready to get to work around the farm. They had 42 starting actions.]

[Obadiah's Almanac: 9th day of Winter! 82 days until the Winter Festival! Here comes the snow, folks! It's coming down lightly now, but it'll get a whole lot heavier throughout the day. Expect near-blizzard conditions by tonight!]

A smile flickered across Jason's face as he sat up and rose, and he slowly walked up to the window. Sure enough, a heavy flurry of snow was drifting downward, covering the ground in what appeared to be a light dusting. It wouldn't amount to much by itself, at least not for a long while, but if it did indeed pick up, the weather certainly seemed to have the potential to generate quite a lot of snowfall. In any event, the air inside the house was pleasant and warm, for the fire down below was crackling merrily. Jason stretched and wiped a bit of condensation off the window, then turned back to Tess.

Tess eagerly accepted help in standing up from the bed, though she didn't want help getting dressed. When she had finally managed to pull on the

blue maternity dress she planned to wear for that day, she let out a long breath and turned toward him.

"Good morning, Jason." She sighed deeply, then forced a smile. "Sorry about that. On the bright side..." A grin spread over her face. "Only a couple more weeks until this new little one comes!"

Jason grinned back at her. "I know! I'm so excited."

"Me, too." Tess panted as she turned toward the door. "I wish you had some sort of idea of how unpleasant this is. I'll catch you down at breakfast?" "See you there!"

Jason strode down the stairs, added another log to the fire as he walked through the living room, and was soon out in the cold. Even though it was technically even colder than on the first day of winter, it didn't feel nearly as bad. The snow just had a lovely, calming sort of effect, and it mitigated the bite of the cold.

It didn't take Jason long to do the chores, and the animals all reacted eagerly to his presence. He played with some of the goats for a few minutes, then made his way back into the house. Tess had just finished getting food on the table, and Fern raced around Jason's feet as he tried to slip into the kitchen.

"Good... Morning." He chuckled as he tugged his foot away from Fern, who had wrapped her arms firmly around his leg. "Well, the animals are all taken care of, and the barn is nice and toasty for them, and the fields are getting a nice coating of snow, so I'd say that all is well in the world."

"I'm glad to hear it." Tess set out a large platter of biscuits, along with a matching plate of gravy. "Do you have any idea what you'll be doing today?"

"I'm going to the..." He paused and leaned over to Fern. "Green—"

"House!" Fern giggled. "Yay daddy!"

Tess laughed softly at their daughter, then sat down and helped herself to several of the biscuits. "The greenhouse?"

"Yeah." Jason nodded. "I planted a little bit a few days ago, but Milligan wanted to talk to me about some of my experiments."

Tess laughed softly. "Are you going to start working for them, too?"

"In due fairness, I already work for them. Sorta. Depends on how you look at it, I suppose," Jason chuckled. "I don't know. He asked to meet with me, and I said yes, so that's what I'm going to do."

"Well, have fun with it." Tess flashed a smile. "I'm going to stay inside with Fern and work on sewing some new outfits. The baby is going to need some new onesies and things, and Fern could really use some new pajamas."

"Sounds good to me." Jason rose as he finished, then gave Fern a big kiss. "Have fun with mommy!"

"Work mommy!"

Jason lingered around the house for a few minutes longer, then made his way to the door, tugged on his boots, and headed out into the cold. The snow was already falling a bit faster by his estimation, and he crunched quickly around to his greenhouse.

Inside the greenhouse, he had planted a small assortment of wheats, sorghums, and corn. With Tess's little garden that she managed next to the house, there was no end of vegetables for the family to eat, so Jason didn't really see the need to plant any more small garden crops. Instead, he was throwing himself fully into crop genetics... At least, what little he could figure out.

He slowly walked down the length of his crops, looking at the different plants, when the door popped open and Milligan stepped inside. A small flurry of snow came with him, and Milligan momentarily took off his top hat to dust off the dry powder before extending a gloved hand for Jason to shake.

"Good morning, Jason my boy!" Milligan beamed and glanced around the small room. "You know, I've long seen this on the side of your house, but I've not ever been inside before. It's cozy."

Jason chuckled. "Honestly, I'd like to expand it. My initial plan was to start working on building it out this year, but then I built a barn instead." He paused. "Actually, my eventual plan is to expand the greenhouse and build a workshop as well, for Tess and me to use. Might start on some of that this spring, but we'll see."

"I'm sure that, whatever you do, you'll do it marvelously, my boy." Milligan rubbed his hands together, then nodded at the crops. "What do you have here, if you don't mind my asking?"

Jason flashed a small smile and gestured at the first few seed boxes, which all contained wheat. "Here, I'm trying to develop a faster-growing variety. These three are the fastest-maturing strains of wheat that I could buy; all of them will grow to maturity in exactly 7 days. I'm trying to see that, if I cross them, if I can lower it down to six."

Milligan chuckled softly. "An ambitious project, but one that could see success. Believe it or not, we've actually had success in creating wheat that matures in a mere 3 days. Now, there are a host of reasons why it's never made the market, but it's still quite fun, nonetheless."

Jason nodded, then crossed his arms. "So what's going on? Your message didn't necessarily sound urgent, but it did seem concerned." He paused after

a moment. "Also, are you guys okay? I haven't seen anyone else going back there for... must be since the start of winter."

"Ahh, yes." Milligan bowed his head. "At present, only myself and two other scientists are still out there, working in the greenhouses we have set up. I'm afraid that, without the ability to grow crops outdoors, there's simply no reason to have a full workforce, so they've been told to come back in the spring. A few of them are staying in the inn at Summer Shandy, while the others have largely gone down to Portswain, I believe."

"Gotcha." Jason raised an eyebrow. "So what's going on? You still haven't answered that question."

"Right you are, right you are," Milligan groaned and closed his eyes, then shrugged and opened them once more. "The simple fact is that things continue to grow worse for us. As you might imagine, the few people who have remained in Illumitir are, largely, the ultra-rich. They have few things to do other than gossip, and our little mishap with the toxic bread, which I still blame largely on Illumitir itself, has been the talk of the town." He paused for a moment. "Have you ever played the game Gossip?"

Jason frowned. "I don't think so. What is it?"

"It's a child's game. A group of children stand in a line, and one of them picks a phrase. They whisper it in the ear of the next child, who then whispers it in the ear of the next child, and so on. At the end, you see how far it's deviated from the original. Good for laughs, and little more." Milligan folded his hands. "Unfortunately, gossip in real life often mimics the game, and we've subsequently been accused of everything from trying to poison the remaining populace so we could stage a coup, to trying to turn humans into pigs by means of our genetic magic or something. I don't know, it gets ridiculous, but there it is!" Milligan scowled, then seemed to

realize that he was ranting, and backed off. "Anyhow, the point is that we've been struggling somewhat in the financial department, as the government sends us fewer grants and the populace buys fewer products. We've been told to start selling our data to other interested companies, any projects that aren't active."

Jason frowned. "What does that have to do with me?"

Milligan shrugged and pulled out three file folders. They were exploding with papers, and Jason suddenly felt his heart leap.

"Some of our higher-profile projects have already been bought by, as stated, larger companies. That said, I've saved back a few smaller ones that I thought you might be interested in. The first one is the wheat-corn hybrid, which you seemed to enjoy. The second is the Alpha sorghum line, and the third is a sunflower hybrid."

"Sunflower hybrid?" Jason felt his heart beat even faster.

"Yes." Milligan flipped open one of the folders and started flipping through it. "There aren't many lines of sunflower genetics, since most people haven't really bothered to cultivate them beyond simply developing lines that are heavy on seed and light on stalk, but there have been a few stabs. This particular strain of sunflower seed was known as the... Well, we hadn't really decided on a name. Moonflower was our first choice, but of course there's already a flower with that name, so... The point is, it's a sunflower that produces blue-white flowers, and they look really cool despite having absolutely no greater seed value than ordinary sunflowers, and they're all yours if you want them."

Jason felt a grin growing across his face. "I'll take all three. How much?" At that, Milligan grimaced. "1,000 Shandys apiece. It's the lowest I can go, and believe me, I haggled it down from 10,000 already."

Jason puffed out his cheeks. "I need to talk to Tess before making a purchase that large. How long do I have?"

Milligan shrugged. "I'm sincerely not trying to rush you, my boy, but... My superior will likely order me to sell them to Fort Guard Genetics this afternoon if you don't buy them now."

"Then why don't you come inside and have a cup of coffee?" Jason laughed and gestured at the house. "I'm told that it's against company policy to refuse a client's invitation."

"So it is!" Milligan laughed merrily. "So it is."

Jason spent a few more minutes in the greenhouse checking things over, then slowly slipped out into the cold. He didn't like profiting off another's hardship, but Milligan seemed, truly, to want Jason to have the data. Also, by selling the data to Jason, Milligan would ensure that, if the company ever got back on better terms with the government of Illumitir, he would be more easily able to resume his own research.

In any event, now, Jason had only one task: convince Tess that it was worth spending money on all the folders.

Chapter Twenty-Three: On The Way

[The alarm went off; it was 6 AM. Jason and Tess were ready to get to work around the farm. They had 42 starting actions.]

[Obadiah's Almanac: 25th day of Winter! 66 days until the Winter Festival! We're still looking at heavy snow, folks, with no end in sight. I wish I could tell you that it would go for another three days, or a week, or just something concrete, but with the drought over Illumitir, any cloud bank with active precipitation is just turning around as soon as it hits the barrier over the affected land, which is causing a whole series of—]

Strictly speaking, there was a good deal more to the message, but Jason was unable to focus on reading it as Tess let out a bloodcurdling scream right in his ear.

"Ahhhhh!" She grabbed his hand and squeezed it tightly, and he yelped in pain. It felt like she had cracked several bones in his wrist, though he was no expert for sure. After a moment, she relaxed, then grimaced and slowly sat up.

"What was that?" Jason asked as he rolled out of bed and stood at a safe distance.

"Just a contraction." Tess grimaced as she stood up as well. "A particularly bad one, if we're being honest. Most of the time, they don't actually start to hurt until the baby is on its way."

"Is the baby on its way?" Jason asked. They had decided to wait to find out the gender, which left them without a proper gender to title the baby with. "Do we need to head into Theresa's?"

"I was going to wait until the contractions were a little closer together." Tess shook her head as she hobbled over to the wardrobe. She started to change, and was forced to accept Jason's help as she pulled on a red maternity dress. "You're not really supposed to go in until— Ahhhhhh!" She screamed again and gestured frantically for Jason to come over to her. He ran to her side, only for her to once again grab his hand. He gasped in pain once more, and soon, the contraction had passed.

"Well. That wasn't pleasant." Tess straightened up again after a moment. She let out a long breath, then nodded. "We need to get going."

"I'll get outside and get the carriage ready." Jason bolted for the door. "Can you get Fern?"

"Hopefully!"

Jason took the stairs three at a time, and soon came crashing down into the living room. Chance looked up at him, and he smiled before pausing at the writing desk just long enough to scribble a note to Richard, asking him to look over the house and do the chores while they were gone. It was an arrangement they had worked out in advance, which Richard had happily agreed to help with.

As Jason raced out into the snowy yard, he was forced to slog through immense snowdrifts that had been piling up for days now. The snow was still coming down in thick, fat flakes, and he grimaced. In some places, the

snow was three feet thick. In other places, it was closer to five feet deep. It was going to be nigh-impossible to get a carriage all the way up to Summer Shandy, that much was for certain. As he raced into the barn, he searched frantically for possibilities. There was no way that Tess could ride a horse, that was simply out of the question, and they didn't have a sleigh...

His eyes suddenly blinked open in surprise. They didn't have a sleigh, but they did have a sled. It was small, and he could only imagine that it would be unfathomably awful to ride while pregnant, but he didn't see any other options. It took him only a few moments to locate the sled in the farm's inventory, and he pulled it out and set it down on the wooden barn floor. "Tess, I sincerely hope you forgive me someday for this," he muttered, then turned and dashed back up into the house. There, he met Tess and Fern by the door. They were all bundled up and ready to go, and Tess had a small basket full of some food she had snagged from the pantry. She looked at Jason, and her eyes narrowed.

"You have a look about you," she muttered. "What's going on?"

A few minutes later, Jason rode out down the road, with Fern strapped tightly to his chest. Angus pranced through the snow, forging through drifts that were as high as his chest. Tess, meanwhile, skated along on the small sled, hanging on for dear life. Her angry cries echoed across the prairie, most of which was directed at Jason.

When they came rumbling up into town, Jason found the area a good deal more cleared-out. Obadiah and several warriors from the guild walked around, using shovels and exploding stones to clear away the snow. They looked up and waved as Jason came riding in, but he didn't wave back as he simply swung out of the saddle and ran back to where Tess was struggling to rise and stand on the slippery cobbles.

"I hope you know that you are never living this down," she hissed through clenched teeth. "You put your pregnant wife, in labor, on a sled to get her to town."

She sounded like she was going to yell at him even more, but she went into another contraction, and Jason quickly ushered her toward the healing den. Obadiah waved one of his page boys to go over and take Angus to the stables, and Jason bade the boy thanks before taking Tess inside.

The interior of the healing den was a cozy place, of that, there could be no doubt. The rooms were small, while a large hearth crackled and blazed with intense heat that stood out in stark contrast to the wintery day outside. A cauldron of medicine bubbled and boiled over the flames. As Tess gasped and sat down, Theresa appeared out of the main hallway in her customary red dress.

"Jason! Tess! Is it time?"

"Sure feels like it," Tess muttered and grasped her belly. "I can't tell for sure, but... Ooh!"

"Quick, come here." Theresa waved at Tess to follow. Jason helped his wife to her feet, and as she started after Theresa, the healer glanced over her shoulder. "Jason, I know you want to be here with Tess, and I admire that fact a great deal, but your daughter is going to be bored out of her mind." Theresa flashed a small smile. "Plus, there are loads of sharp objects in my rooms. You can bring her in if you'd really like, but she might be more comfortable going to stay with Paulina for a few hours."

Jason sighed as Tess vanished, but he nodded. Fern looked after her mother, slowly raising her hands.

"Mommy gone?"

"She'll be back." Jason picked up Fern and grinned. "And when she does come back, she'll have our new baby!"

"New baby?"

"Yup." Jason puffed out his cheeks, then turned toward the door. "Now, let's go get you settled."

He strode out into the cold, his feet crunching across the snow, which was still falling. Obadiah was shoveling snow right in front of the item store, while Cecilia looked out through a new porthole in the window. He rose as Jason appeared, and waved a hand.

"Hey, Jason! Is it time?"

"Seems like it!" Jason grinned. "Would you happen to know if Paulina is available for a quick babysitting gig?"

"Indeed she is." Obadiah turned and gestured to the north. "You know where our house is! She'd love to take care of Fern for a little while."

Jason bowed his head, then strode north once again. As he reached the northern side of town, he was forced to slog through deeper and deeper snow. There, sitting right next to each other, were twin cabins, belonging to Obadiah and his father. Lights burned in the windows of each, and as Jason reached the closest door, he rapped on the wood sharply.

"Coming!" Paulina called out. There was a crash, and a moment later, she threw open the door. "Jason! Come inside, quickly!"

Jason stumbled through the door, where he took a deep breath and looked around. The building was simple and rustic, consisting of one main room and two doors leading into the back. An enormous, pot-bellied stove had a roaring fire to heat the place, while something sizzled in a pan on top. "What can I do for you?"

Jason quickly explained him, and Paulina nodded. "John!" she called over her shoulder. "Someone to come see you!"

There was a pause, and John appeared in the doorway of one of the back rooms. He was walking now, and lit up as he saw Fern.

"Baby John!" Fern laughed as Jason set her down. "Yes, daddy! Yes!" Jason quickly undid her little coat and let her run over to John, and the two children embraced. Jason laughed, then nodded at Paulina. "Thanks again, I appreciate it."

"Take as much time as you need." Paulina nodded. "If you need it, she's welcome to stay the night tonight. You are, too, for that matter. I know you won't want to leave Tess, but chances are good that Fern will need you." "We'll see." Jason let out a long breath. "Hopefully, it's quicker than that. I honestly don't remember from last time, but I suppose we'll see." He waved as he stepped back out into the snow, and began slogging his way back to the Healing Den just as quickly as he could.

Tess was about to have her baby, which meant that he was about to see his new son or daughter. It was a joy he simply couldn't wait for... He only hoped that Tess's labor was fast.

Chapter Twenty-Four: Not An Animal

[The alarm went off; it was 6 AM. Jason and Tess were ready to get to work around the farm. They had 42 starting actions.]

[Obadiah's Almanac: 27th day of Winter! 64 days until the Winter Festival! Let's see... More snow! Didn't see that one coming. Now, that said, we actually do have a town sleigh now, if you're ever in need of transportation! Jeremiah is currently the designated driver of said sleigh, so... Step carefully if you have to go out anywhere]

Jason groaned, then yawned as he slowly sat up. It took him a few moments to get his bearings, as he very obviously wasn't in his own bedroom. Suddenly, though, it hit him. He was in Obadiah's spare bedroom, along with Fern. She was sleeping in a pull-out bed just beneath him, and he rolled over to look down at her slumbering face.

After a few moments of trying to wake up, he rose and walked out into the living room. Paulina was already up and about, and poured him a cup of coffee, which he gladly accepted.

"How are you doing?" she asked softly.

Jason shrugged. "I don't know. As good as I can be, I suppose." He forced a small laugh. "Tess is probably doing worse, in any case."

"That's true," Paulina laughed softly. "This is what, day three?"

Jason nodded. "Last night, Theresa was pretty sure that it would be today, but I suppose we'll see." He downed the last of the coffee, then shook his head to clear away the cobwebs. "Alright, let's get to this. I'm going to go check in with Tess, and then I'll come back over here to wake Fern up so she isn't as disoriented as yesterday."

"Good." Paulina flashed an encouraging smile. "You're doing a good job. Just keep at it."

Jason let out a long breath, then nodded and strode to the front door. He pulled on his work boots and coat, then strode out into the blustery morning.

Snow continued to fall, piling up in immense drifts against the buildings. Obadiah and the guild had been working overtime to scoop it away, which had resulted in immense piles, fifteen or twenty feet high in some places, that had formed on the northern and southern side of the town. On that morning, Obadiah and Jeremiah were both out with shovels, but no one else seemed willing to show their faces.

"Morning, Jason!" Obadiah called. "I hope today's the day!"

Jason waved back in agreement, then let out a long breath, waved at Jeremiah, and strode up to the healing den. As he pulled open the door, he was hit by the blast of warmth, and staggered a bit.

"Jason?" Theresa popped her head out of the hall. "Good! I was hoping you would be coming soon."

"Is the baby almost here?" Jason asked as he followed Theresa into the room, where Tess was snoring softly on the bed.

"I think so," Theresa whispered softly. "That said, it's hard to tell for sure, and of course, Tess is asleep at the moment. You just have a seat, and I'll see what we can do."

Jason nodded and sat down next to the bed, and let out a long sigh. A moment later, Tess sat bolt upright in bed and screamed, loud and long, before sinking back into the bed to be enveloped in folds of blankets and sheets. She blinked a few times, then glanced over at Jason.

"Hey," she whispered softly. "You're here." "Yup." Jason nodded.

"Is Fern all right?"

Jason nodded once again.

"Good." She let out a long breath. "I feel so bad for her."

"She's having loads of fun." Jason flashed a small smile. "Trust me." A moment later, Tess winced and let out another cry, and Jason frowned. "Has Theresa figured out why you're in so much pain this time?"

"I have a theory." Theresa appeared in the doorway. She had a handful of tools on a cart, and shooed Jason toward the door. "I don't know it for sure, but I suspect that Tess has a pinched nerve in her spine somewhere, probably in the lower back. It's probably barely pinched, so you wouldn't notice it ordinarily, but when a contraction hits..."

"It's way worse than normal," Jason murmured.

"Exactly." Theresa nodded. "As such, and given that we're on day three of this with no real end in sight, I'm going to go ahead and induce, if you two are okay with that?"

"What does that mean?" Jason frowned.

"What it means is that these pains are so extreme, more so than in an ordinary pregnancy, that Tess's body is resisting going into full labor."

Theresa shrugged and turned toward Tess, mostly ignoring Jason. "I have a medicine here that will make the pain a bit more bearable, it's the same stuff that you drank last pregnancy. Once that's done, I'm going to see about getting that baby out of there."

Jason didn't particularly want to hear the specifics of how it would be accomplished, both out of respect for Tess's privacy and for his own discomfort at such subjects. Plus, Theresa was actively shooing him away, so he retired to the waiting room and sat down.

He stayed there for the better part of half an hour, during which Tess screamed several more times. Finally, though, Theresa appeared and flashed a smile at him.

"Things are progressing well. Why don't you go get Fern? I think she'll want to meet the little one as soon as possible."

Jason nodded and smiled, then turned and practically bolted across the square. As he burst into Paulina's house, Fern looked up from a breakfast of pancakes and sausage and beamed.

"Daddy!"

"Yep." Jason scooped up Fern, then glanced at Paulina. "Sorry I didn't make it back before she woke up."

"She and John have just been playing together." Paulina shrugged as she swept the floor. "Hasn't been a bother to me. Is it time?"

"It seems to be!" Jason grinned and looked down at Fern. "You're about to be a big sister! You might be, by now!"

With that, he turned and bolted back through the town square once again, and came racing into the waiting room of the healing den. Theresa stopped him before he reached Tess's room, though, and directed him to a set of chairs in the main area. She did give him some pastries for himself and Fern

to eat while the waited, but in Jason's opinion, while thoughtful, they really only tasted like medicine.

It felt like hours that he and Fern sat there, waiting, even though it was truthfully only about fifteen minutes. Finally, though, Theresa cracked the door open and waved the two of them inside.

"Come on in!"

Fern scrambled down from his lap and raced forward. "Mommy!"

She tore through the open door, and Jason followed. Inside, they found Tess sitting up in bed, smiling weakly at the two of them. Lying on top of her was a tiny little bundle of pink, with a scrunched-up nose and a wide-open mouth. Stuttering cries echoed through the room, and Jason gasped.

"We... We're parents again."

Fern slowly walked up to Tess, a bit more tentatively. "Baby?"

"Yes." Tess nodded with a smile. "Our baby."

Jason smiled down at the face, then glanced at the little pink cap that rested on the baby's head. "It's a girl?"

"It is," Tess sighed deeply. "Fern, Jason, meet baby Rachel."

"Ray!" Fern squealed, then started trying to climb up onto the bed. Jason helped her, and she leaned over and kissed Rachel on the forehead. This only made Rachel scream even louder, and Tess smiled and began to nurse her.

"You have a little sister." Jason sat down in a chair next to Tess's bed, then held Fern in his lap. "Is that exciting?"

"Yeah! Amimal!"

"No, not an animal." Jason shook his head. "She's your sister."

"My sister?"

"Yup." Jason nodded. "She has mommy and daddy for parents, too!"

"Oh." Fern bit her lip. "Not amimal?"

"No!" Jason laughed. "Don't worry, you'll get used to it."

Tess cradled Rachel for several long minutes while the baby finished nursing. When she was full, Tess made sure that the baby was swaddled well, and then passed her over to Jason and Fern.

Jason held Rachel for quite some time, while Fern scrambled up onto the bed to be with Tess. Jason sighed and leaned back in the chair, holding his child, and just soaked it in. He had forgotten, but now that he thought back, he could remember doing the same thing with Fern. There was just something lovely about sitting in a chair with a newborn, you could do it for hours on end and not feel like a moment had passed. After a quantity of time had gone by, though, Fern began to squirm.

"Hold Ray?"

It took several minutes to get Fern to the point where she could hold the baby. They put her in the bed, propped up next to Tess, and then lay Rachel across her little lap. She patted Rachel on the nose, then leaned over and kissed her several times. All told, she got bored with the prospect in little more than a few minutes, but it was cute to watch, nonetheless.

When Fern hopped down, Theresa poked her head in the door.

"Are you guys up for seeing some visitors?"

The first inside was Jeremiah, which didn't surprise Jason in the least. He wore a wide grin, and gazed lovingly down at Rachel.

"She'll be a lovely addition to the community." He nodded after a short time. "Truly lovely. You two did a fine job."

He offered Jason a cigar, and when he declined, muttered something about giving it to Gob instead before marching back out into the cold. Paulina and Obadiah came in next, though they left John at home with Elizabeth. They

both oohed and awed over the child for some time, and then departed as well. After that... Well... There wasn't really anyone else. Richard was still back taking care of the farm, and there weren't really any others in Summer Shandy that they were still close friends with.

"We'll have your father over for dinner as soon as possible," Jason promised. "That way, he can meet Rachel properly."

"That works for me." Tess's eyes were starting to flutter closed. "I think... I... Sleep..."

She started to snore as she slumped down into the bed, and Jason took Rachel and lay her in a basinet nearby. Quietly, he and Fern made their way out into the hall, and pulled the door shut behind them.

"I think we're going to let them sleep for a little while," Jason spoke softly, even though Theresa assured him that the doors were soundproof. "Tess sure looks like she could use it."

"Indeed." Theresa frowned. "If it's okay with you, actually, I'm going to keep her here for a few more days. Two, I think, or maybe three."

Jason bit his lip. "Why's that?"

Theresa grimaced. "That pain she was in just has me worried. Honestly, I think it'll turn out to be nothing, but I do want to check it out just to make sure. After she's recovered from the birth, I'll run some tests to make sure it won't come back to bite her later on."

Jason let out a long breath, then nodded. "What should Fern and I do?" "Stay the rest of the day, then head back home," Theresa whispered softly. "Tess will be fine without you, and that way, you can have the house nice and warm for Tess. She's going to want to come home to a nice, soft chair and a fire in the hearth. She's not going to want to wait for two hours for the

house to warm up while she stands around trying to keep a baby warm. Plus, I'm sure that Fern would love to be home as well."

Jason grimaced. "I don't like that idea."

"But you know it's best for Tess."

"Yeah," Jason whispered softly.

"It's only for a day or two." Theresa flashed him a smile. "Trust me, Jason, this is the right thing to do, and in three days' time, you won't even remember it."

"I'll take your word for it." Jason let out a long breath. He looked down at Fern, then flashed a small smile. "For now, should we head over to the Guild Hall? I'm pretty sure Obadiah has some games and things set up that will keep you busy, and then we'll come back in a few hours."

"No! See Ray!"

Jason tried several times to get her to leave, but she refused, and elected to plop down in a chair and look at some of the magazines that Theresa had on hand. Jason chuckled and joined her, and together, they waited.

Their family had just grown one member larger. How would it work out? Jason couldn't know exactly... But he was certain that it would be all right, and he couldn't wait to see his two daughters grow to become the best of friends.

Chapter Twenty-Five: The Good Life

[The alarm went off; it was 6 AM. Jason and Tess were ready to get to work around the farm. They had 42 starting actions.]

[Obadiah's Almanac: 34th day of Winter! 57 days until the Winter Festival! Looks like it's going to be on the warmer side today, folks! All that snow is going to be perfect for packing, so get out there and make some snowmen!] "Waaaaaaaaa!"

Rachel burst out crying, and Jason yawned and slowly rolled out of bed. Tess murmured something, then fell right back asleep, and Jason slowly bent down and picked up his new daughter from the bassinet. She was so tiny in his arms, so precious... It was crazy to think that Fern had once been so small. Moving quickly, so as not to wake Tess, he carried her out into the hall and closed the door behind him.

"Daddy wearing dress?"

Jason sighed and looked up to see Fern peeking out of her bedroom door. He looked down at his night robe, then chuckled. "Kinda looks that way, doesn't it." He paused. "Do you think you can change your own clothes?" "Yes!"

"Good." Jason nodded. "You do that, and I'll be downstairs with Rachel." Fern nodded and stepped back into the room, closing the door firmly. Jason chuckled softly, then swept down the stairs with the still-wailing Rachel in his arms. As he reached the kitchen, he quickly made a bottle out of some formula, then sat down in a chair to feed the hungry girl.

"There you go." Jason soothed Rachel as she slurped down the milk. "There, there. That's all better now, isn't it?"

"Daddy!" Fern called from up the stairs. "Stuck!"

"Stuck?" Jason blinked. "How could you be stuck?"

Carefully cradling Rachel in the crook of his arm, he started back up the stairs. A moment later, he strode into Fern's bedroom to find her standing in the middle of the floor, and he couldn't help laughing. She had taken off all her clothes, including her diaper, and then tried to pull a winter coat up over her legs like pants. At that moment, she did indeed seem to be quite tangled, and he sighed.

"Alright, umm..." He looked down at the still-drinking Rachel in his arms. "I can't set her down... And... Alright, Fern, can you lift your right leg?" In response, Fern fell flat on her bottom, then started to cry.

"It's okay, it's okay," Jason soothed her. "Just... I'll be there in a minute." She sniffed and quieted down, and Jason looked down at Rachel, begging her to finish soon. Thankfully, she did stop drinking after a few moments, and he burped her before carefully setting her on Fern's bed, then packed pillows and blankets around her to keep her from rolling off the bed. She waved her little arms and legs around in the air, and a contented sigh escaped her lips.

"There we go." Jason confirmed that she was safe, then scampered over to Fern.

He helped her change into a new diaper and some fresh winter clothes, then returned to Rachel before she could get tangled in anything. That done, he set Rachel down on the carpet in the middle of Fern's room, told Fern to watch Rachel closely, and then ducked back into his own bedroom to change clothes.

It was much later than usual when he finally made his way down the stairs and into the kitchen. Fern scrambled up into her new big-girl chair, while Rachel took the high chair. Jason started cooking some eggs and sausage, and was still setting the table when Tess appeared.

"Good morning." She yawned. "Sorry I slept in."

"I just hope we didn't wake you," Jason apologized. "Are you okay?" "Enough." Tess yawned once more, then looked at the kids. "Wow! You got them up and about all by yourself? No problems?"

"Nope." Jason shook his head.

"I got stuck!" Fern grinned.

Tess looked at Jason, and he shrugged as he set out the last of the plates. "Then I won't even ask," Tess chuckled as she started to eat. "Mmm, this is good!"

"Yum!" Fern voiced her agreement as she munched away on the eggs, though Jason noticed that she avoided the sausage.

"What's the plan for today?" Jason nodded at Tess. "You had wanted to work with the animals, right?"

"If that's okay, yes," Tess confirmed. "It's been a little while since we were able to do much with them, and I think it would be good to introduce them to Rachel."

"Then that's what we'll do." Jason smiled. "Anything in particular that we need to—"

A sudden smacking, slurping noise interrupted him, and he turned to see Fern shoving one of the sausage links into Rachel's mouth. Rachel, who thought it was a bottle, was eagerly sucking on it, and seemed to be enjoying the grease. Jason and Tess both yelped at the same time, and quickly pulled it back.

"Ray hungry!" Fern held up her hands. "I feed!"

"You can feed her milk." Tess sighed and let her head fall into her hands. "Wow. We're a week into this, and already, two kids are harder than one." "We'll get the hang of it." Jason smiled and rose. "Now come on! Let's get out to the barn!"

They all stood up, though Tess soon took both children back upstairs to change them into clothing more 'suited' for barn work. Jason personally thought he had done a pretty good job, but he also knew better than to argue with Tess.

A few minutes later, the four of them strode out into the snow together. It had stopped several days earlier, and Jason had shoveled a long path from the porch over to the barn doors. Fern scampered along by herself, while Tess carried Rachel. The weather was a tick or two above freezing, and all around, Jason could hear the steady drip-drip of hidden trickles of water. Up above, something began to shudder, and Jason held up a hand.

"Wait a moment."

The roof of the barn was peaked, with the ridge running the same direction as the length of the barn, east to west. The snow had been piled up along the shingles, up to a height of what seemed to be just as deep as on the ground. A series of low rumbling noises filled the air, and with a sudden whoosh, the snow on the entire southern half of the barn roof, which faced the house, came racing down in an enormous avalanche.

Now, Jason had seen snow fall off rooftops before, and it was always an impressive sight, but the sheer size of the barn made it all the more impressive. Hundreds of pounds, maybe even several tons, of snow came racing down in an immense sheet that fell down to explode against the ground in an immense shower of ice and debris. Jason laughed as it died away, though he quit laughing when he realized that there was now a twenty-foot-tall snowdrift blocking the barn door.

"We'll go in through the bottom." Tess started walking around to the lower entrance on the west. "Seems like that'll be easier."

Jason couldn't disagree, and he followed her into the underbelly of the barn, then up through one of the spiral staircases to the main level. There, the animals all looked around in apprehension, and Jason smiled.

He started in on the chores, while Tess went and took out a special sort of chair that she had made. It was similar to a high chair, but made of wood, and had a cage around the lower half of the actual seat. When Rachel was placed inside, she was leaned back slightly, allowing her to see plenty, while also still accommodating her needs as an infant. Tess tickled her nose while Jason finished pouring feed for everything, and then they started in on the real work for the day.

"Alright." Tess clapped her hands. "Today, we're mostly just looking for sick things. Let's see... There! Can you catch that goat?"

She pointed at the herd, and Jason frowned. "Could you be more specific?" "The one with the little horn."

Jason's eyes swept across the animals, but they were all moving too fast for him to really see which one had a slightly shorter horn than the others.

"The one with the cute little spots around its eye! It's over there by the fence post- Okay, now it's over by the feeder— Jason!"

Jason scowled. "If it's really that fast, is it actually sick?"

"Its eyes are a bit yellow," Tess scowled. "Probably just a slight nutrient deficiency, but that can often indicate something worse. Just... Here." She leaned over the edge of the fence and snatched at the goats, and lifted up a little, runty sort of an animal. As she set it on the ground, it scampered away, and Fern laughed and clapped her hands.

"Goat run! Look, Ray!"

"I'll go get the tools." Tess started walking toward the stairs. "You catch it." "I help!"

Jason laughed and took off across the barn, with Fern toddling close behind. They chased that goat from one end of the barn to the other, but it was always just a bit faster than they were. Finally, Jason managed to chase it up the stairs, to where Tess was still getting together her tools. Tess, rolling her eyes rather dramatically, caught it for them, to Fern's delight.

"Yay, mommy!"

"Yay, mommy, indeed," Tess chuckled as she made her way back down the stairs. "You'd think that I was the one who'd been living on a farm for the last six years."

"We've established that I know plants, not monsters," Jason muttered.

As Tess reached the ground floor, he took the goat from her, and they returned to the chair with Rachel to start working on the animal.

Tess took a number of measurements of the animal, peered in its mouth, shone a light in its eyes, and did a number of other things before confirming that it was just fine. She gave it a shot of iron, just to be on the safe side, and then had Jason replace the animal back in the pen.

"I could have told you it was fine," Jason snorted. "In fact, I did."

"Hush." Tess walked over to the pig pen. "Now, could you catch that one for me? The one in the corner with the tail that isn't quite as curly as the others."

Jason frowned as his eyes swept the pen. "Huh?"

They spent the rest of the day out in the barn, laughing and chasing animals. Eventually, after eating a picnic lunch, Fern fell asleep on some hay, and Rachel napped right there in the chair. It was a simple time, but it was a lovely one. Jason was glad they had the barn; it made his winters a bit less... lonely.

He did, though, wonder just how Tess was going to be able to handle the animals, along with the two young girls, once the season changed and Jason got back to work in the fields. He dismissed the thought, though. They would figure it out when the time came. Until then, they would just keep doing what they could.

Chapter Twenty-Six: Good Morning

[The alarm went off; it was 6 AM. Jason and Tess were ready to get to work around the farm. They had 42 starting actions.]

[Obadiah's Almanac: 50th day of Winter! 41 days until the Winter Festival! It's another chilly one, folks, with another round of snow expected late tonight! If you have to go outside, and I don't advise it, stay warm!]

Jason rolled out of bed, staying as quiet as possible, as he slunk around the edge of Rachel's bassinet. Tess followed him, and they grabbed their clothes and dressed as quietly as possible. They had just finished, and were creeping toward the door, when they heard a scuffle in the hall.

"No!" Jason whispered the command, but then realized that Fern, outside the door, would be unable to hear it. A moment later, she pushed the door open and walked inside, grinning from ear to ear.

"Good morning daddy and mommy!"

"Waaaaaa!" Rachel woke up right behind him, and Jason groaned.

Tess turned and picked Rachel up, and Jason scooped up Fern, then carried her back to her room. A few minutes later, Fern had been dressed warmly, and the four of them assembled in the kitchen to eat breakfast. Tess was in

the process of tossing pancakes onto the table, while Fern grinned widely up at them.

"I wake Ray up!"

"You did." Jason reached over and patted her on the head. "Did that make you happy?"

"Yes!"

Rachel giggled and waved her arms, then spit up. Thankfully, she was wearing a bib, and Jason quickly scooped up the mess and wiped off the infant's face. When he was done, Tess sat down, and the three older ones started eating.

"You know, I think she sleeps even less than Fern did," Tess commented around a mouthful of pancake. "She's more regular, but she sleeps less."

"I was thinking the same thing." Jason nodded in thought. "No colic, so that's a positive."

"Indeed." Tess sighed and smiled at their daughter. She had deep bags under her eyes, but still, there was nothing but love in her gaze. Jason watched the two of them for a minute, then rose as he finished eating.

"What are you working on today?" Tess asked as Jason started for the door. "I'm heading out to the greenhouse," Jason answered. "It's a pollinating day, which ought to be interesting. You?"

He started pulling on his coat while Tess shrugged. "I dunno. I'm thinking about doing some general cleaning and dusting. I haven't gotten some of that basic stuff done in a while, particularly in the dining room and the basement."

"Well, have fun with it." Jason waved as he headed out the door. "Holler if you need me!"

When he got outside, he found the ground mostly bare, as all but the snow that lay in the deepest shadow had melted away. A cold wind howled across the landscape, flattening anything that could be driven down. Jason shivered as he walked up and into the barn; though once he got inside, he found it quite pleasant.

The animals were all excited to see him, and he poured their feed in a quick and orderly fashion. That done, he did a quick check to see if there were any obvious sick ones, and then went back out into the cold once more.

The wind seemed to beat even harder as he went around the side of the house and entered the greenhouse. That said, it made the solitude of the greenhouse even better as he looked around the small room. Sorghum, wheat, and corn filled all the planters, and were rapidly rising up.

"Alright, now." Jason walked over to a small, waterproof box, which he opened to draw out the folders that he had (after begging Tess for about an hour) managed to buy from Milligan. The first one he opened was the Alpha sorghum line, and he scanned down the list of instructions for making the cross.

The data, in all the examples, was divided into two sections. First were instructions for creating something identical to their last successful specimen. Following that came hypothesized data on how to continue, and suggestions on how exactly to do that. For the Alpha sorghum, the existing steps consisted of crossing a red and white sorghum, then growing it for a few generations to sort out any lingering solid red or solid white genetics to ensure a consistent pink line. Jason had just completed that step a few weeks earlier, and now had, in one box, a sorghum identical to the Alpha-12 that he had planted the first year of working with the corporation.

The box right next to it held the next step in the line, moving from Alpha- 12 to Alpha-13. It was a yellow sorghum, something particularly rare in the Illumitir province, that they had managed to purchase from overseas. It was particularly suited to harsher desert climates, but as a result, had rather poor seed quality. A simple cross between existing lines of sorghum and the yellow sorghum had always resulted in poor drought tolerance and poor seed, and thus, the hope with the Alpha line was to create something that could be crossed with it. From what Jason had seen, Alpha-13 was stable enough, he just had to create it himself.

After double-checking a few things, Jason nodded and put the file back into the box, then went up to the two plants. He had tied plastic bags across both of them, and now, he carefully reached up and pulled the bag off the Alpha- 12 sorghum. Every day for the past three days, he had come inside and carefully clipped off the stamens of the flowers. Now, as he removed the bag, he found that there were, indeed, hundreds of flowers ready for pollination, but without a bit of pollen available.

"And now for the finale." Jason unclipped the bag from the yellow sorghum planted, tugged the stalks up from the ground, and then shook them over the Alpha-12. Bursts of pollen came drifting down, coating the flowers of the target cross. He did this with every single plant, doing his best to ensure that all of the Alpha-12 was properly fertilized with the yellow variety. According to Milligan, proper technique involved paintbrushes and a much higher degree of precision, but... For his purposes, this worked well enough.

When that was done, he replaced the bags on the Alpha-12, then dropped the yellow sorghum down into the compost hot bed below the table. There

was a momentary burst of heat as it started to decompose, followed by the sweet smell of fermenting stalks.

"And there we go." Jason let out a long breath, then slowly moved down to the wheat-corn hybrid. That one had been proving to be far more tricky since they didn't naturally cross with one another.

There were a number of different tricks involved in getting the cross to work, involving soaking the seeds in beakers of odd-colored chemicals. Jason had done it all according to the instructions, and had finally come up with something that vaguely resembled the cross, though it wasn't quite right. Large sprigs of wheat rose up before him, standing at a height of perhaps a foot or so, all of which were pushing out heads of wheat. The heads were larger than usual, but they didn't seem to have yet gotten to the size that they would need to be in a proper hybrid.

"Jason, my boy!" Milligan poked his head in through the door. "Your wife told me that I'd find you out here! I thought I'd see how you were getting along."

"See for yourself." Jason gestured at the crops. "One of these, at least, I'm having success with."

"I'm honestly surprised that you're not working on the sunflower cross yet." Milligan frowned as he looked over the assembled plants. "You were far and away more excited about it than anything else."

"I'm mostly just trying to figure out some of these techniques, particularly the more advanced ones, before I dive into the sunflowers." Jason shrugged. "I looked through its folder, and it was a complicated one."

"That's fair, my dear boy." Milligan frowned. "If you'd like, I can start working on it in my free time."

"That'd be great!" Jason grinned. "You want to just use this greenhouse here?"

"I'd have to. I can't use company property for personal projects," Milligan chuckled softly. "Well, it certainly seems like you're doing well." He gestured at the wheat-corn hybrid. "Trust me, our first attempts looked even worse than that. Take a few generations to just harvest the seed that looks best, and re-cultivate that. You'll get something that looks a lot more consistent, and then you can move forward on the next step."

"I'll do that," Jason murmured. "Thanks." He leaned over the seed box, musing at it, then glanced up at Milligan. "Do you get bored out here? Since things have started to slow down, it's seemed like you've been doing fewer and fewer runs out to other clients, especially once the winter has hit."

"You've a keen eye," Milligan chuckled and pointed a finger at Jason.

"It doesn't take much of an eye to see that there have been no fresh wagon tracks on your access road for ages," Jason commented.

"That's... fair," Milligan laughed. "In answer, though, no, I'm not bored. If I'm being completely honest, I'm not much of a people person. Give me my plants, and I'll be happy never seeing another person again."

"But you're so good at meeting with people." Jason raised an eyebrow. "That's because I treat it like a job. I know the tricks, the tips, and I just do it." Milligan shrugged. Neither of them spoke for a moment, and he coughed. "Well, that's enough personal information from me, I suppose. You're doing well, Jason. Just... Ahh... Let me know if you need anything."

With that, Milligan turned and walked out of the greenhouse. The door fell shut, and Jason blinked for a few times before shrugging and getting back

to work. He would immensely appreciate Milligan helping him working on the sunflower cross. He frowned as he thought about what would happen if the company did wind up going under. He rather liked working with Milligan, and didn't want to see the partnership end.

If it did, though, he would cross the bridge. It would give him a third field, in any event, which would be far from a bad thing. Now, actually farming the third property would be nigh-impossible with his schedule... But that, indeed, was another bridge, and one he wasn't going to worry about until doing so seemed more prudent.

Chapter Twenty-Seven: Adjustments

[The alarm went off; it was 6 AM. Jason and Tess were ready to get to work around the farm. They had 42 starting actions.]

[Obadiah's Almanac: 60th day of Winter! 31 days until the Winter Festival! Loads of snow today, folks! Like... A lot of snow. Blizzard conditions. If I need to elaborate any more, just look out your window!]

Jason let out a long breath as his eyes flickered open. Beside him, Rachel lay sprawled across her bassinet, fast asleep. Her little arms hung high above her head, and her breath came in small, delicate gasps.

"She's so cute," Jason whispered as he crawled out of bed.

"Don't talk!" Tess hissed back. "She'll hear you!"

Jason clapped his mouth shut, then slowly walked over to the window and gazed out across the farmstead.

At least... he tried to.

Just as Obadiah had mentioned, snow came howling around the house in thick torrents. He could only see the barn as a vague shadow against the white, and there was no chance of seeing the field at all. A bit of cold air filtered in through the window, and he shivered and backed away.

Tess and Jason got dressed quickly, then slipped out into the hall. Fern was sitting on the ground outside, patiently waiting for them, and she stood up as they appeared. Tess grinned and carried her into the room to change her, while Jason scampered down the stairs and started fixing up breakfast. Downstairs, the wind was a bit more audible than upstairs, as a faint moan came down the chimney and the windows rattled ever-so-slightly. The cookbook flapped its pages in excitement as Jason made up some waffles and chicken, and he sat down as Tess and Fern appeared on the stairs. "Yum!" Tess spoke softly as she set Fern down on the empty big-person chair and then sat down in her own place. "This looks incredible!"

"And you look overtired," Jason chuckled softly. "How much sleep did you get last night?"

Tess yawned and shrugged. "I don't have a clue. The last time Rachel woke up was... I don't know. An hour ago? I didn't check the time exactly, but I'm pretty sure she nursed about every two hours prior to that."

Jason nodded slowly. "Shouldn't her schedule be adjusting by now?" "Soon." Tess nodded. "It varies from kid to kid, but it ought to be getting close."

"I slept last night!" Fern grinned.

"Yes, you did." Jason patted her on the head. "How long were you out in that hallway."

"A long time."

"I bet you were." Jason sighed as he finished eating, then slowly stood up. "Well, I assume we'll be spending the day around the house. I'm going to head out and get the chores done real fast, then I'll be back inside."

"Stay safe." Tess nodded at the door. "This storm sounds dangerous."

Jason couldn't disagree with that. He tugged on his boots and stepped out onto the front porch, and almost immediately found himself lost in the swirl of thick snow. He could still just see the shadow of the barn, and he took a deep breath and started forcing his way through the storm toward it. One foot went ahead of the other—thankfully, there wasn't much accumulation yet—and he forged his way onward toward the barn.

It came up faster than he expected, and he wound up nearly running into it. As he blinked to get his bearings, he found that he was slightly to the east, and had actually missed the ramp entirely. Quickly, he backed up and then scampered up the slope, grabbed hold of the barn door, and pulled it open just enough to slip inside.

At that moment, several things struck him almost instantly. The first thing was that there was light inside the barn, despite the fact that it ought to have been quite dark. The second thing was that a large box wagon was parked in the middle of the floor. The third thing was that there was a campfire just in front of the wagon, and that a small group of cloaked figures was huddled around said fire.

"Hey!" Jason scowled. "Who are you, and what are you doing in my barn?" Almost instantly, one of the cloaks rose up. The man's back was still turned, but he was huge. With a twirl, he spun around, and a wide smile beamed down at Jason.

"Hey, little farmer! So this is your farm! We've been having a debate about that. Guess Viola wins."

Jason spluttered for a few minutes, and Daniel waved his hand. "Don't worry about the fire. It's magic, and won't burn wood or leave that little ring of rocks, and we did all your chores, too! I—"

"What in Illumitir are you doing out here?" Jason exploded. "You've got children! Get into the house, now, or Tess will have my hide!"

The second cloak rose, revealing Viola, who smiled at Jason graciously. She held two small bundles in her arms, and the two of them quickly swept past Jason and out into the cold. Jason checked on the animals (they had, indeed, all been fed, though Daniel had dumped far too much feed into each feeder), then followed the family back to the main house.

As he thumped inside, he found Daniel relaxing in Jason's easy chair, while Charlotte scampered around on the floor with Fern. They were playing with some of Fern's dolls, laughing and giggling, before the roaring fireplace. Viola and Tess were sitting on the couch next to the fire, both of them holding their own infants. Jason grinned and walked over to look down at the tiny baby, who looked to be about a month or so older than Rachel. "She's beautiful," Jason whispered, then paused. "She? He?"

"He." Viola nodded. "This is Joseph. He was born on the 79th day of Summer."

"He's going to be every inch the warrior that his father is." Tess smiled.

"So is she." Viola jerked a thumb at Charlotte. "You know, the other day, she got ahold of one of my butter knives and chased all the rats out of the house, then went out and challenged the raccoon in the garbage heap to a duel! I don't know how I'm going to handle all of this chaos."

"Like a warrior!" Daniel thumped his chest several times, imitating an ape. Viola rolled her eyes. "For what it's worth, he was the one who took the knife from her, not me."

Daniel turned somewhat red, and he shuffled his feet a bit. "She was holding it wrong. Her stance was just... terrible."

"He was worried about her," Viola whispered.

"I was not!" Daniel protested. "I was just... Sloppy training once makes it harder to re-learn anything, and— Charlotte!"

He leapt from the chair and dove across the room just as the two girls threw a doll into a lamp. Daniel caught the object long before it could hit the ground, and he carefully set it back up.

"Who'd have thought that he'd be the one preventing my house from getting damaged?" Jason laughed softly.

"He's changed a lot," Viola whispered again. "He's getting more careful—" "Am not."

"He's getting overprotective."

"Am not."

Viola flashed a small grin. "He even has a real job that doesn't involve punching monsters."

"I do not!" Daniel crossed his arms, then paused and lowered his head. "I sorta get to punch monsters."

Jason laughed and shook his head. "Well, you all look cold. Can I get you any refreshments? Breakfast? We already ate, but you'd be more than welcome to anything we have."

"Ooh! I'd love something! Lots of sausage and eggs." Daniel grinned. "And maybe some biscuits and honey, and—"

His list went on for quite some time. Jason did his best to remember it all, then went into the kitchen and made about half of it. When he finished and brought it all out, the tired and hungry family tucked into the meal. Chance cleaned up the leftovers, at which point, they all simply settled down to enjoy the day. The two older girls played around the house, Tess and Viola went upstairs to try and rock their infants to sleep, and Jason and Daniel sat

down next to the fire. Daniel took out a pipe and placed it in his mouth, much like Jeremiah, but didn't light it.

"So tell me about things," Jason chuckled and nodded at him. "You've seen my barn and my newest daughter, and that's about all that's happened around here."

Daniel chuckled softly, then shrugged and let out a long breath. "Have you ever wound up doing something, and realized that you were in way over your head, and you have no idea how to do any of it, but you also don't mind and just run headlong into it?"

Jason laughed. "I feel like you just described my entire life since I came to Summer Shandy."

Daniel snorted, then sighed. "That's how I feel, little farmer. I knew I'd love being married to Viola—don't get me wrong, we have our fights every now and again, but I assume you've had a spat or two with Tess—but I never realized just how incredible it would be. And now we have Charlotte, and Joseph, and another one on the—"

He froze, and Jason's eyebrows climbed up his forehead.

"I was not supposed to say that. There it is, though! Baby number three, arriving in about a season." Daniel shrugged. "I don't know. I just... You know, when I saw parents working the dungeons growing up, I always saw the mother taking care of the kids at home while the fathers worked, so I just assumed that that's what the two of us would do. It's nice and all, but... I don't know. I miss my wife and kids during the day."

Jason nodded slowly. "Last I heard, you were heading to take a guildmaster job?"

"I was. Not anymore." Daniel shook his head. "It was for a mega-dungeon complex. I would have been down in the dungeon, even overnight, for six

days out of the week. Turned them down flat. We adventured around a little bit more, and then I heard about a job opening up in Illumitir. That's where we're headed now."

Jason frowned. "You have heard about the distinct issues up in Illumitir right now?"

"I can farm food out of the dungeons if we need it." Daniel shrugged. "We'll be fine."

"So what sort of a job are you taking?"

An ornery sort of grin spread across Daniel's face. "Promise you won't tell Tess?"

"No."

"I'm going to be a dungeon designer for the Dungeon Guild." Daniel grinned. "Not just a worker, though, I'm jumping all the way up to chief dungeon designer."

"Daniel!"

Tess's voice echoed down the stairs, and Jason heard angry footsteps pounding down to the main level.

"Wait!" Daniel held up his hands. "It's so I can take out all the traps that the old guy was putting in! It's—"

Tess exploded out of the kitchen and threw a punch at her brother, and Daniel laughed and grabbed her wrist. Of course, that left him open to the roundhouse kick she delivered a moment later, knocking him off the couch and onto the floor.

The two siblings tumbled across the floor, laughing and striking at each other, and Jason just shook his head. It wasn't how he had expected the day to go, but it was a good enough result. He certainly loved having family around, and Daniel was dearer to Tess than anyone except Jason and their

daughters. He hoped they would stick around for a while, that was for certain.

He only hoped that his farm would survive all the festivities.

Chapter Twenty-Eight: A Plan For Perilous Days

[The alarm went off; it was 6 AM. Jason and Tess were ready to get to work around the farm. They had 42 starting actions.]

[Obadiah's Almanac: 65th day of Winter! 26 days until the Winter Festival! It looks like the snow has finally stopped! Another near-record amount of snowfall here, that's for sure! Otherwise, it'll all be bright and sunny, so get outside (if you can open your door) and enjoy it!]

As Jason's eyes flickered open, he heard a loud crash from below.

"Sorry, little farmer! I broke your plate!"

"Now that's something I haven't heard in a while," Jason groaned as he rolled out of bed.

Rachel started crying, and off in the guest bedroom, he heard Joseph crying as well.

"Daniel!" The name was called out, loudly, by both Tess and Viola. There was a muffled apology from down below, and Jason chuckled as he walked up to the window. Looking out across the landscape, there was nothing but snow, and he whistled softly.

It had been snowing for the better part of a week now, and while the morning sun was shining down on the thick layer of white... Well... It was a thick layer of white. In some places, Jason was fairly certain that it was mounded up ten or fifteen feet high. In others, it was a mere four, but there wasn't much that was going to be less than that. None of them had ventured outside since Daniel and Viola had arrived, save to do chores. They had alerted Richard to the fact that Daniel and Viola were in town, but they had only been able to communicate through letters. Jason knew that Daniel was itching to get down to the ranch, but unfortunately, Jason wasn't sure it would be possible that day.

Jason dressed quickly while Tess took Rachel and nursed her, then made his way downstairs. Daniel was in the kitchen whipping up breakfast while Charlotte and Fern raced around his feet, playing.

"Sorry to wake up the little ones," Daniel apologized. "Charlotte bumped the table and knocked off a plate, but at the same time, Fern bumped the counter and knocked off some knives, and I thought it would be better to grab the sharp things rather than—"

"You did the right thing." Jason flashed a small smile, though it paled a bit when he saw the table. Daniel could whip up a massive breakfast, that was for sure. There were sausages, biscuits, gravy, popovers, pancakes, and a great deal more. As Jason stood there, Daniel picked up several platters and carried them into the dining room, and Jason helped him.

About fifteen minutes later, they were all seated down around the table, and dug into their meal. It was excellent, there was no doubt about that, and when they finished, Jason sighed and patted his stomach.

"Wonderful!" He nodded at Daniel. "You've become quite a cook."

"I had a wonderful little farmer for inspiration," Daniel chuckled, then clapped his hands. "Alright! Now that the snow's gone, what are we gonna do? Plow the field? Build a second barn? I bet you I can build one even faster than that Johan guy." He winked at Jason. "I can hammer in five nails at a time, remember?"

"I do." Jason rolled his eyes, then shrugged. He drummed his fingers against the table and shrugged. "The problem is that nothing will grow in this weather. We do need to be getting the animals in to market, but I don't know how we'll do that, or even if the guilds will be buying right at this moment."

"Actually, they will be there," Tess spoke up. "I've been writing letters to Richard about it; we've been trying to coordinate things. They'll be buying animals over the course of the next few days in an attempt to spread it out and make it easier for them to transport the creatures."

"Then it's settled." Daniel thumped the table. "We'll head out immediately!"

Jason blinked. "There are two miles of road and countless tons of snow in between us and the town. There's no chance we can get a wagon down that road, even if you're the one pulling it."

"Maybe not." Daniel shrugged, and a glimmer came into his eyes. "I can plow a path, though. Your animals can't run away if there's nowhere to run."

Jason blinked for a few moments, then nodded slowly. "That... That could work."

"Great!" Daniel clapped his hands. "This will be fun."

"Just... Be careful." Viola sighed as Daniel stood up. "You know what the doctor said."

"That I'm as healthy as a horse," Daniel chuckled. "Now, show me to the barn!"

Daniel and Jason soon forced their way out the front door. They had, on each of the preceding days, forged a narrow path over to the barn so that they could do chores. All of that was now gone, replaced by a simple expanse of frozen, fluffy water.

"How do you plan to do—" Jason started to talk, but stopped as Daniel flexed his arms and took out two shields. They were both wedged-shaped, and he placed them against each other to form a snowplow-looking shape in front of him.

"I learned this trick up in the northern dungeons." Daniel winked at him. "I've been dying to try it out since then. You just sit tight."

With that, Daniel exploded forward, almost certainly using some sort of skill. He tore through the snow straight as an arrow, and as Jason watched, great showers of snow erupted on both sides of his wedge. It all came drifting down in a new snowstorm, and as Daniel came to a stop just before the barn door, he drew himself upright and turned around.

"And that's how you do it!"

Jason chuckled and shook his head. Behind him, Tess and Viola appeared in the doorway, worried looks on their faces.

"Will the two of you be okay doing this?" Tess asked softly.

"For sure!" Jason grinned. "We're two men! What could go wrong?" "Painted dragons. Dungeon cores." Tess ticked off numbers on her fingers. "The options are, quite literally, endless."

Jason rolled his eyes. "We'll be fine."

He started to walk toward the barn, only to draw up short as he found it open. Goats and pigs came surging out, and Daniel appeared in the door

right behind them.

"Don't let them past you, little farmer!"

Jason gulped, then spread his arms and began to dance around. The goats and pigs all drew up short, but surrounded on all sides by the thick snow, they were unable to go anywhere. Daniel slid the barn door shut, then banged his shields together, walked to the base of the ramp, and took off through the snow once more.

As the new path opened up, the animals quickly got the hint and began to run in that direction as Jason waved his hands and chased them down the path. He was shocked at how fast they were able to move as they went out onto the road, and Daniel plowed a perfect furrow through the snow.

From behind, Jason soon lost sight of Daniel, such that he could only see two streams of snow shooting up on either side of the road. The goats bleated and charged dead along, away from Jason, while the pigs moved a bit slower, snorting and sniffing at the snow as they sought for a way to escape their confinement.

No options presented themselves, though. As Jason got the herd up closer to town, he found that the path turned to the left on the side-road, and they wound behind several snowed-in homes. He could see shocked eyes peering out from shuttered windows, and waved as best he could.

When they came around the side of the town up to the location of the pens, he found Daniel talking to some of the guild members, talking up Jason's animals. Several small pens had been dredged into the snow, while sleighs pulled by teams of tamed wargs stood ready to pull the animals away. "—these are the biggest, meanest-looking hogs you ever did see!" Daniel proclaimed. "I mean, I'm telling you, you could stick these things into a dungeon, and they'd pass for E-rank monsters. Maybe even D-rank, if they

were in the right situation. You'll get a lot of good meat out of these things."

The guild members, quite naturally, didn't seem to know what to do with Daniel, though they did wave at Jason and eagerly accepted his animals. One of them started inspecting and making tally marks on a small notebook, and Daniel took a deep breath.

"Well, little farmer, if you've got it from here, I'm going to go plow my way over to Obadiah and see how the little guildmaster is working out. Might clear out the town square while I'm at it, but I might make them pay for it."

Jason snorted. "If they told you that you had to pay them 100 Shandys for the privilege, you'd do it in a heartbeat just so you could show off."

"I'm not nearly that vain," Daniel scowled. "I'd pay 10, maybe, but not 100. I'm not a show-off."

With that, he tore off through the snow, blasting a path over to the main part of town. Jason heard several people shriek in terror, and Jason simply laughed.

"Do you... know him?" One of the guild members pointed at Daniel.

"That depends on your definition of the word," Jason snorted.

"Would you be willing to sell him? We could use that sort of muscle, and he'd pass for an S-ranked monster, easy."

They both shared a laugh, and Jason was handed a check for almost 2,000 Shandys per animal. He blinked in surprise at the number, and the man shrugged.

"We wouldn't have made a single sale today if he hadn't carved out that path, but here they come."

Jason turned and frowned, then smiled in understanding as he saw more goats and sheep trickling up through the path. The smaller, town farmers were connecting their own pens to the larger funnel, and Jason knew that it wouldn't be long before it was widened and lengthened even more.

"Well, have a good one!" Jason turned away. "I appreciate it!"

As he strode away, he could hear Daniel laughing loudly off in the distance, followed by Jeremiah's familiar chortle. It was cold, but things were good... Now, all that was left to do was make it home, and spend the rest of the day around the fire with his family.

Nothing, in his opinion, could be better than that.

Chapter Twenty-Nine: Family Gatherings and Gratitude"

[The alarm went off; it was 6 AM. Jason and Tess were ready to get to work around the farm. They had 42 starting actions.]

[Obadiah's Almanac: 85th day of Winter! 6 days until the Winter Festival! We're almost to the end of winter, folks! Today, we've got another ice storm on the menu! Ahh... Yeah. You know the drill by now. Also, to answer the question I keep getting, no, I don't expect that the weather will get any less wet until the drought breaks over Illumitir. Essentially, storms are bouncing when they hit Illumitir airspace, which sends them back our way, so we're more or less getting two provinces of precipitation. Weird how the weather works, but there it is!]

Jason's eyes flickered open to the steady patter-patter of rain on the windows, and he rose and slipped around Rachel's bassinet to gaze out across the farmstead. Unfortunately, the thick layer of ice building up made it almost impossible to see a thing, and he sighed and turned back.

"Cheer up." Tess grinned as she stood up and started getting dressed. "Spring is almost here."

"I know," Jason chuckled softly. "I'm not upset, or even that wearied by it. Winters are always kinda long around here; this one, we just seem to be a bit more stuck in the house than usual. Not even any real building projects to work on, since we actually got everything done during the fall that we'd planned on getting done."

At that, Tess laughed. "Well, you'll just have to get used to spending time with us for the next week. Let's get breakfast on the table, and then we'll figure things out."

Jason nodded, then changed and slipped down the stairs. After a bit, Tess and the two girls came down as well, and they all sat down to a wonderful meal of omelets. As they ate, Jason gazed at the window and tapped his chin, and Tess leaned over and kissed him.

"You look so pent-up."

Jason laughed and shrugged. "I don't know. Things just feel... quiet, now that Daniel is gone again."

Tess puffed out her cheeks. "Now there, I can't argue with you."

Daniel and Viola had stayed for quite some time, the better part of two weeks. Daniel had plowed the road from Summer Shandy down south to Darkwater, east to Sweet Springs, west to Nighford, and he almost went and tried to plow north, but Viola convinced him to find other ways to show off his manliness. As such, he dug a dungeon through the snow, then set up himself, Obadiah, Jeremiah, Jason, and a few others as 'monsters' who threw snowballs at all the Summer Shandy children who tried to make it through. It had been a joyous time, and now that Daniel and Viola had continued upward toward Illumitir to start on Daniel's new job, everything just felt quiet again.

"I know what we should do today," Jason exclaimed after a moment. "We should make candy!"

Tess frowned. "We have candy, thanks to Daniel. Enough that I think Fern will still be on a sugar high when she turns eighteen and leaves the house." Fern giggled and clapped her hands, and Jason turned to her. "First off, when you turn eighteen, you'd better know that you'll always be welcome, and you by no means have to leave. Secondly..." He turned back to Tess. "I wasn't talking about needing the candy for the sake of candy. I was talking about doing it for the simple fun of it."

"Making candy is fun?" Tess raised an eyebrow.

"Yes!" Jason grinned and stood up. "And you're going to see it!"

He thrust his fist high above his head in an expression of victory, and Fern laughed and clapped. "Yay daddy! Candy!"

Tess rolled her eyes. "Well, tell me what you need from me."

"First, I need a cauldron, a really big one." Jason stretched his arms out wide. "Like... Really big!"

"Big, big!" Fern giggled.

"I have a stew pot. Three gallons?"

"That'll have to work." Jason held out his hands. "If you please?"

Tess chuckled and walked over to the cabinet, then took down the pot. It looked vaguely like a cauldron, which was close enough for Jason.

"Great! And now, I venture out into the cold, cruel world!"

Fern continued to giggle as he pulled on his boots and coat. With that, he trudged out into the freezing rain, and slogged his way toward the barn.

He wasn't going out because it had any particular bearing on the candy, but he did need to do the chores, and it could serve multiple purposes. He left the pot sitting on the ground just off the porch, where it received an utter

torrent of freezing rain funneled there by winds whipping around the house, then he stalked off to take care of the animals. Ice formed on his clothing as he walked, and he felt his coat and pants turning into suits of armor as he tried to get the chores done.

By the time he came stomping back into the house, he was covered in so much ice that he could hardly move. Tess had to come help him chip it all away, and he laughed as it all came crashing to the ground.

"Daddy's a snowman!" Fern declared.

"Maybe an ice man," Jason chuckled. He kicked the last of the ice out through the door, then hefted the cauldron inside. It had filled almost completely with water (most of which had frozen), and he carried it over to the blazing hearth. Carefully, he hung it over the flames, then stood back. "Now that that's done, we need to peel the beets!"

"Beets!" Fern grinned. "Help daddy!"

"Well... You can watch." Jason sat down on the floor in front of the fireplace and took a cutting board and several maple sugar beets out of the farm's inventory.

Tess sat down on a nearby couch, holding Rachel softly, and Jason tucked into the job. He took out a knife, then carefully tapped it with the blade. There was a flicker of light, and the outer, thick layer of skin peeled away. All in all, the beet was still almost as large as a dinner plate, and he carefully began to chop it into roughly inch-wide chunks. As he finished, he placed them in a large bowl.

The smell of maple sugar filled the air as he worked, and a smile came across his face. He cut up three beets in such a fashion, finished piling them in the bowl, and then went back to the pot. As he came to the flames,

though, he found that the water, while melted, didn't seem to be anywhere close to hot enough.

"That's odd." Jason dipped his finger into the water. It was warm, but not nearly as warm as it should have been. Suddenly, a thought struck him, and he turned to face his daughter. "Fern, have you been watching that pot?" Down on the floor, Fern nodded. "Yes! Watch daddy work!"

Jason smiled, then knelt down next to Fern. "Sorry, probably should have explained that. A watched pot never boils. Ever."

"Ever?" Fern blinked.

"Nope." Jason pointed at the front window. "Everyone look that way!" Tess, Jason, and Fern all turned and looked at the front of the house. Behind him, there was a resounding whoosh as the pot began to bubble, and they all let out a cheer.

"Yay, daddy!" Fern clapped her hands.

"Thank you, thank you." Jason bowed as Tess laughed, and he picked up the bowl and dumped it all into the cauldron. "Now, we just have to wait a bit longer."

He played games on the floor of the living room with Fern for the next half hour. They played dolls, and farm, and warrior, until, finally, the smell of maple sugar filled the whole of the house. Jason donned thick oven mitts and pulled the cauldron from the flames, then warning Fern back, he made his way into the kitchen. It didn't take him long to strain out the water, leaving only thick, pulpy blobs of cooked maple sugar beet.

Going back to the living room, Jason set the pot down on the ground, took out a large pole used for churning butter, and started using it to mash up the remains of the beets. Rather like mashed potatoes, the whole substance swirled together and became a single, goopy liquid composed of,

essentially, nothing but sugar. Jason grinned, then put it back onto the flames again. Now, as the sugar melted and boiled, he strained the remaining pulp off the top, giving him a pure syrup to work with.

"We're almost there." Jason walked into the kitchen and brought out a plate. "Are you ready for the fun part?"

Fern nodded eagerly. Jason quickly walked to the door and stepped outside, then stuck the plate into the freezing rain. A thick layer of ice formed across the platter, and he came back inside and set the plate down on the ground. "And here we go! Candy!"

Jason dipped a large spoon into the syrup, then took it out and drizzled a long line across the ice. It froze instantly upon landing, transforming into a long, rope-like candy. As Jason made a large swirl on the plate, it cracked and popped, breaking into easy pieces, and Fern giggled and started picking up bits of it.

"Wait!" Tess held up a hand. "You can have one of those before lunch!" Fern looked down at the candy, then opened her eyes wide. "Two?"

"Don't look at me like that, you're too cute!" Tess groaned, then sighed. "Two."

"Three?"

"Don't push it, little lady." Tess raised an eyebrow.

"Two!" Fern set down the piece that she was holding and very carefully looked over the array of candy until she found the two largest pieces possible. She picked them up and walked over to the couch, and Jason rolled his eyes.

He went back to work, making more and more candy. Belatedly, he realized that three of the enormous beets had likely been a bit much. He had to get new ice four times, before finally just pouring the rest of the melted sugar

into a container to keep as maple sugar. The candy rested in a large, glass jar that he set up on the writing desk, out of reach of prying hands. It didn't stop Fern from looking, of course, but she was obedient, and didn't try to take any more.

As Jason cleaned up from the project, he couldn't help but smile. Even when merely stepping outside was dangerous, and he was exhausted from the long winter, there were ways to make the day fun and exciting. There were still six more days left in winter, and he was going to enjoy every last one of them. After that, spring would come...

And with that would come a whole host of new jobs and challenges. He didn't know what those would all be, but he also knew that he would be more than ready to face them when the time arrived.

Chapter Thirty: Last Day of Winter

[The alarm went off; it was 6 AM. Jason and Tess were ready to get to work around the farm. They had 42 starting actions.]

[Obadiah's Almanac: 91st day of Winter! It's the day of the Winter Festival! All things considered, you couldn't ask for a better day! There's still a nice layer of snow, and the temperature is just above freezing, which will make for excellent snowmen, snowball fights, and all the trimmings of a good winter celebration!]

As Jason rolled out of bed, he yawned and slowly stood up, stretching and shaking himself a bit to wake himself up. In the bassinet just next to the bed, Rachel opened up her eyes and looked up at him, but didn't cry.

"Hey there, little one." Jason bent down and picked her up, then gave her a kiss on the nose. "Guess what? It's your first festival! Are you excited?" Rachel didn't give an answer, but she did gurgle a bit. Tess rolled out of bed behind him and stood up as well, smiling softly. She dressed in a warm, town dress, then took Rachel and left to go get the two girls changed. Jason watched them, then got changed himself and went downstairs.

As he strode out into the cold air, Chance followed, barking and leaping through the fresh layer of snow. It wasn't deep, perhaps somewhere between six inches and a foot, which proved easy enough to traverse. A few snowmen stood in the front yard, underneath the bare limbs of one of the pear trees. Jason smiled at the memory of building them with Fern, then walked up and into the barn.

The animals all perked up as he entered. They seemed a bit more alive than usual, as if they knew that it was a special day. He turned the horses out into the corral, let Alice go run off with Chance, and began feeding all the assorted creatures. The chickens in particular were especially active, racing back and forth as they clucked and snapped up all the feed.

When Jason finished scattering grain and pouring feed, he went back into the house, where Tess had food on the table and the two girls in their chairs. Jason took a seat and started in on his pancakes, and Tess smiled. "Everything good out there?" she asked softly.

"Right as rain." Jason nodded. "They're as ready for things to get rolling as we are."

"Good." Tess drummed her fingers against the wood, then shrugged. "I don't know. It's hard to explain why, but I just feel so... hopeful, this year. I'm excited to head into town to see what everyone's been up to."

"Me, too." Jason started to rise as he finished his meal. "You get the girls out front, and I'll get the carriage around."

About fifteen minutes later, they rolled out of the driveway, the four of them heading up the slowly winding road toward Summer Shandy. Fresh powder was tossed up into the air by Angus's hooves (and Fern complained a few times about not getting to ride behind Alice), and they soon made it into town without any real issues.

As they came up into the town square, Jason had to smile broadly. The town children were building snowmen across the front of Cecilia's store, dressing them up as the different townsfolk. Jeremiah's snowman even had his badge and pipe, though Jason wasn't exactly certain if Jeremiah was aware of that fact. There was also a cute little goblin-snowman right next to the constable's likeness, which Jason thought was simply adorable.

In any event, the center of the festivities seemed to be the Guild Hall, since it was rather cold for particularly the smaller children outside. People were carrying inside large platters of food, and smoke poured from the chimney. Jason quickly drove the carriage around to the stable, then helped his family down. They quickly walked along a shoveled path, and with that, entered the roaring, cozy heart of the festival.

The hearth of the Guild Hall was roaring loudly, and two hogs were roasting over the flames even so early in the day. People mingled about, warriors and townsfolk alike, setting out chairs and arranging tables. It was still a long time before the real festivities began, and so, largely, the focal point for the folks not setting things up were small hubs of conversation around the edge of the room, as well as the game tables here and there. Jason scanned the room for a moment, then found Jeremiah and Gob standing on the opposite side of the room. Gob was eyeing the hogs with a keen interest, while Jeremiah was frowning and patting himself down. "Howdy, neighbor." Jason smiled as he walked up to his older friend. "Well, howdy, anyhow."

"Howdy," Jeremiah muttered. "It's those kids. They came into my office and got me distracted with fresh doughnuts, then swiped half my desk when they left."

Jason merely chuckled. "I will neither confirm nor deny anything."

"I'll bet you won't," Jeremiah muttered, then smiled and held out his hand. "Howdy, anyhow. How have you been?"

Jason chuckled and shrugged. "Oh, you know how life on the farm is. Half the time you're stuck in the house without a thing to do, and the other half of the time you're outside without half the time you need to get everything done."

"Couldn't have said it better myself!" Jeremiah laughed. "You're really coming along, you know that, Jason? I can see that barn of yours even from up here in town. Just makes me shake my head every time I see it, but in a good way."

"I feel you there. Blows my mind, too." Jason puffed out his cheeks, then crossed his arms. "Speaking of barns and the people who made them, what do we know of the situation in Illumitir? Any change?"

"As of yet, no." Jeremiah shook his head and grimaced. "All I know is that the reserves of grain that Illumitir does have is starting to run low, and supplies from the surrounding areas aren't meeting the demand. There was a meeting of the constables up in Illumitir I went to... Must have been two months back, now. If they don't start getting rain by summertime, they expect to have to start another round of evacuations. They won't force anyone, of course, but when they have to slash rations, most folks won't have much choice."

"That's a bummer." Jason let out a long sigh. "I wish there was something we could do to help."

"Unless you know how to make it rain, I don't think there's any chance of doing more than you're already doing." Jeremiah flashed a small smile. "On a brighter note, I've also been in contact with the constable down in Portswain. They've had a few issues with some troublemakers, as you're

bound to have happen, but by and large, they've really had almost no troubles settling people down. Local farmers have been taking people on as hired hands, and overall agricultural production in the area has quintupled or something as a result. A lot of folks just want to stay down there permanently, which, of course, has ruffled Illumitir's feathers a good bit, but that's the way it goes, I suppose." He chuckled softly. "Live and let be, I suppose. In a few years' time, if the population doesn't go back, we might be living in the Portswain province."

Jason laughed at that. "Now that would be something."

"Yeah." Jeremiah nodded as Obadiah started walking over. "Hey, son! How's it going?"

"Going well enough." Obadiah snorted as he walked over. "You're doing a real good job as constable. Practically training all these ruffians around here to be better thieves when they grow up."

"I'll throw 'em all in the slammer for a few hours once I catch 'em," Jeremiah chuckled. "That'll teach them!"

Obadiah rolled his eyes, then leaned closer to Jason. "Two months ago, a bunch of the kids broke into his office, stole his handcuffs, and then handcuffed their mother to the town well. He locked them all up, just for the fun of it, and mom came in and fed them hot rolls and ice cream. Talk about positive reinforcement."

Jeremiah waved away the complaint. "They're just kids. They'll be fine, and I'm sure they won't come to any harm because of it."

"We can debate that at a later time," Obadiah chuckled, then turned to Jason. "How have you been?"

Jason caught Obadiah up to speed on the farm. When he finished, Jason shrugged and nodded in his direction. "How have you been? Tess tells me

that you've been playing around with the dungeon core?"

Obadiah turned rather red. "I did it once, and no one seems inclined to forgive me."

"You messed up once," Jeremiah corrected his son. "We all know you were using it a whole lot more than that."

"Oh... Hush," Obadiah scowled, then shrugged. "Oh, Jason, you'll be interested to know that I've been in contact with Daniel. He's been sending me letters from his new job up in Illumitir, working with designing things for the Dungeon Guild."

"Yeah!" Jason nodded. "How's that been going?"

"It seems to be going well." Obadiah lowered his voice. "He told me not to pass this information along to anyone except you, Tess, and dad, so don't repeat this anywhere, but... He actually learned why the Dungeon Guild has been so aggressive in the past."

"Really?" Jason blinked. "Why's that?"

"The Banker's Guild," Obadiah answered. "Since almost all money in the world comes from dungeon spawns, the Banker's Guild is tied closely with the Dungeon Guild. A lot of the higher-ups apparently used to belong to both guilds, which is against Illumitir laws. By making the dungeons flashy, yet super deadly, it encouraged thrill-seekers to head inside and bring out loads of cash. It also made sure that they died a lot, thus releasing all their accumulated hoarded treasure into circulation, increasing the personal wealth of the bankers. The bankers paid loads of treasure to the lawmakers to make sure that it was all either legalized or swept under the rug, and the Dungeon Guild made sure to terrorize the populace accordingly."

"Wow," Jason whispered softly. "How did all that come to light?"

"Believe it or not, Hank." Obadiah laughed. "When he went up to Illumitir, he tracked down your own father. Your father had started suspecting other organizations of being just as corrupt as his own, so Hank started doing the same work on some of them as he once did for you guys. He single- handedly tore apart the corruption behind the Dungeon Guild, the Banker's Guild, and a whole lot more. Daniel was his first pick as the new architect, since he knows he's a straight shooter."

"Wow." Jason just chuckled and shook his head. "That's incredible. I'm glad to know they're all working out well together."

"Indeed." Obadiah clapped his hands. "Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to head over to table soccer. I need to show a few of my warriors that my skills do extend beyond killing wyrms."

One of the warriors, an enormous fellow clad in red armor, commented as he walked past, "No, we said that you needed to show us that your skills extended to killing wyrms."

They all shared a hearty laugh at that, and though Obadiah turned almost as red as the warrior's armor, they seemed to be good friends by it. The two of them walked away, and Jason went to go find Tess.

The rest of that day was spent in wonder and joy, as all such festival days truly were. The music and the dancing, the feasting and the games, it all swirled together into a great kaleidoscope of excitement and warmth. When it finally came to an end, and the family struck back out for home, the two girls slept on the laps of their parents, and Jason sighed deeply.

Another season in Summer Shandy had come to an end. Now, the spring was about to begin... And he could get back to work once more.

Chapter Thirty-One: First Day of Spring

[The alarm went off; it was 6 AM. Jason and Tess were ready to get to work around the farm. They had 42 starting actions.]

[Obadiah's Almanac: 1st day of Spring! 90 days until the Spring Festival! Looks like things are nice and dry this morning, curtesy of a rather strong wind that came across from the west late last night. Expect it to be windy today, but nothing terrible, with pleasant temperatures and fertile soil!] Jason felt a smile break across his face as he rolled out of bed. Baby Rachel cooed and rolled about a bit in her sleep, and Jason smiled and gave her a kiss on the forehead. She stirred and smiled, but didn't wake up, and he slowly walked up to look out the window at the farm.

Just like always, spring was a true wonder to behold. The immense prairie was covered in short, green grasses that were so small that they could barely wave in the wind. The field was rich and brown, ready for fresh seed, while the barn seemed to glow a deep red in the morning light. The apple and pear trees, meanwhile, were all in full bloom. Pink blossoms covered their branches as they prepared themselves to burst into fruit. Jason took a deep breath, then let it all out and started getting dressed. The moment he

had all his clothes on, he jogged down the stairs while Tess went to get the girls ready.

Out in the barn, the animals were livelier than ever. He pulled both sets of doors wide open, allowing the lush spring breeze to whip through the barn, and all the animals seemed to sigh in relief. The horses eagerly raced out to their corral, while Alice kicked up her heels and scampered around the yard chasing Chance. Jason laughed at the display, then poured their feed and began to get things ready. He checked the planter, doing a quick look-over to make sure there were no major repairs that needed made, then wandered back up into the house.

When he made it into the kitchen, everyone else had sat down and started eating, and he joined them. Fern giggled as she chased an egg around the plate with her fork, then looked up at Jason.

"What plan today?"

Jason leaned over and kissed her, then straightened up. "Well, I don't know about you, but I'm ready to get outside. I've got a load of sugar beets that need planted, and two fields that need filled up."

"Yay! Help daddy!" Fern clapped her hands.

"I don't know about that," Tess sighed and patted Fern on the head. "Maybe you can watch, but I think it might be better for you to stay out of the way today."

Fern stuck out her lip in a pout, then perked up again. "Plant with Alice?" Tess started to shake her head, but Jason frowned. He had made her a little plow, almost a year ago now, and had meant to make Fern a planter to go along with it, but had just never quite gotten around to it. Still, though, he had a few ideas for how to put it together.

"Maybe." Jason pursed his lips. "I need about 30 actions to make it through the whole field, but if I can make something with 12..."

"And I can spare a few actions, too." Tess nodded. "What are you thinking?"

A few minutes later, they were out in the yard. Fern laughed and clapped her hands, seemingly not hearing Jason's assurances that they might not actually be able to get the machine to work. He had a daughter who would be crushed if he failed, and... well... he had to admit that it was a solid motivator.

As he entered the barn, he walked up the staircase to the storage area, then started sorting through all the assorted junk he had thrown up there. He was, largely, beginning to realize that it was much handier to simply have a single inventory, but didn't want to take the time to throw everything back into the inventory to sort it out. Instead, he simply slogged through the pile of accumulated junk until he found what he was looking for.

First, he grabbed an old tricycle that... Well, he didn't rightly know where they'd gotten it from, but there it was. He set it out on the floor, then took two chunks of wood, bored holes through them, and then connected the handlebars on either side to the rear axle. It locked the handlebars in place, preventing them from turning, and left him with 40 actions left. That done, he unscrewed the front wheel (which thankfully didn't take an action since he didn't have to use any tools), and began building a small yoke onto it instead.

When he was done, he was down to 35 actions, and had an odd-looking device that rather resembled a chariot. He hitched it up to Alice as a test, and Fern rode it around by standing on a small platform mounted just above the rear axle. Alice took her on a tour of the yard, then came back and

stopped before Jason once more. Jason unhitched the pony, and then got back to work.

The next step was to create the actual planting device. That was a bit harder, but he had a few ideas. First, he took a plastic funnel, then attached it to the bottom of a tin can. He bored a small hole in the bottom of the can, a small aperture for the seed to run through, and then attached a plastic tube to the bottom of the funnel. Then, with the last of his available actions, he attached the can, funnel, and tube to the tricycle in the place where the seat had once been. The tube now dangled down, running on the ground below the spot for the pedals.

"Alright, your turn." Jason nodded, stepping back. "We need to get some disks in there... Hang on."

He grabbed a few metal buckets, handing them to Tess. Tess cut out the bottom of the buckets, then fixed them to the old pedal bars. She spent a few more actions securing the bars in place, and then more solidly fixing the seed tube in place.

"There we go!" Jason hitched the planter back up to Alice, then took it out to the field. Fern laughed and came along, while Tess followed, holding Rachel in her arms. Jason set Fern up on the back of the machine, and he poured the tin can full of sugar beet seed. "Go!"

Alice snorted and started forward, trotting purposefully through the field. The two impromptu disks carved through the rich soil, forming a small trench that the seed fell down into. Fern giggled as she held onto the planter, standing tall as her hair blew in the breeze.

"Working like daddy!" she called out gleefully as she went off through the field. Jason smiled and leaned against the fence, and a moment later, he heard Fern cry. "Stop!"

Alice came to a stop, and Jason frowned and jogged out to her. As he arrived, she pointed at the now-empty tin can. "Need more seed."

Jason laughed and re-filled it, and she took off once more. When Jason got back to the fence, Tess waved him toward the barn.

"Go on, get going. You've still got a lot to do today. I can help Fern, and when we're done, we'll go get to work on the animals."

Jason bowed his head in thanks, then jogged over to the lean-to. He spent a few moments scouring off some of the rust build-up from winter, but didn't take nearly as much time as he often did. It was getting too late in the day, he just needed to get moving. He took Angus out of the corral, hitched him up, and they lumbered toward the field.

As he entered the field, a plume of dust came up behind him, and a smile broke across his face. Fern's little planter was rumbling on ahead of him, with Tess walking slowly behind. She looked over and waved at Jason, and Jason waved back. A moment later, he rumbled past her, and for that moment, as their planters came abreast of each other, Jason's heart swelled. His daughter was already following in his footsteps... What could a father possibly want more than that?

When he turned around at the far end, Tess was just taking Fern out of the field (seemingly to much distress). By the time he made it back to the main end again, he found that Tess and the girls were up in the barn, working with the animals, and he sighed in contentment.

He had only finished a third of the field by the time that lunch came around, but that was okay by him. Fern was learning and growing, and she was showing remarkable aptitude for the farm life. If it continued, there was no way of knowing what her future would look like. In his mind, that was certainly something to celebrate, even if it meant taking a little bit longer to

get started in the day. He was a farmer, sure, but he was a father first, and nothing, as far as he was concerned, would change that.

Chapter Thirty-Two: Family Matters

[The alarm went off; it was 6 AM. Jason and Tess were ready to get to work around the farm. They had 42 starting actions.]

[Obadiah's Almanac: 9th day of Spring! 82 days until the Spring Festival! Today's a windy one, folks! Thankfully, the wind is out of the south, so that's a positive. In answer to some questions I've been getting, yes, we do have reports of dust storms coming out of Illumitir now. Thankfully, the wind doesn't blow south much, so I'm not expecting us to get much of that, but it does seem to be having a negative effect on some of the northern provinces]

"That's too bad." Jason frowned. "I feel bad for... I don't know. Seems like just about everyone except us has it bad, you know?"

"Yeah." Tess murmured as she sat up and rolled out of bed. "But that's the way it is, sometimes. We just have to make sure that we're helpful as we can, and realize that the bad times could easily come for us, too."

Jason chuckled softly as he walked up to the window. "The selfish part of me hopes that we keep getting lucky, you know?"

Tess didn't answer as she started getting dressed. Jason stretched and looked down at the farm. The sugar beets were just visible as little sprouts, poking up out of the soil. They were far from grown, but it was still nice to see them progressing along. As he turned around, his eyes fell on the empty spot that had once contained Rachel's bassinet. It was empty, as they had formally moved their second daughter into the same room as Fern. The move had happened three days earlier, and so far, it seemed to be a success. "Well, you go get chores done, and I'll get the girls." Tess flashed a small smile as she walked up to the door. "I just hope they're— Ahhh!"

Her scream pierced the house, and Jason spun. Standing in the doorway was Fern, holding Rachel over her shoulder rather like a sack of potatoes. Tess bent down and scooped up their infant, while Fern started to cry.

"Shh," Jason chuckled as he picked up Fern. "It's okay."

"Ray hungry!" Fern sobbed. "Take her to mommy!"

"Yeah... Let mommy do the carrying from now on," Jason soothed her.

He cast a look over at Tess, who was busy examining Rachel from one end to the other. Rachel seemed just as happy as ever, utterly unscathed, and Tess let out a sigh of relief. She held out a free arm to cradle Fern, and Jason passed her over.

"Alright! Well... I'll let you sort this out, and I'll be outside."

Tess flashed a weary smile and nodded, and Jason scampered down the stairs and out the door. He, frankly, didn't have the faintest idea how to handle that sort of a situation. Fern wasn't being disobedient or bad, she had genuinely wanted to help... But also, some forms of help were just dangerous. Oh, well. Tess would know what to do. Mothers were good at that sort of thing.

Jason strode down into the farmyard, and he sighed deeply. The spring morning was a lovely one, with a fresh dew across the grass that was slowly drying, brilliant morning sunbeams lighting up the day, goats munching the fresh apples on the trees, birds roosting on the eves of the b—

He drew up short, then spun to look at the road. Sure enough, there was a goat standing under one of the apple trees, munching on some of the low- hanging fruit. At a second glance, there were half a dozen other goats under the other trees, though their coats blended into the shadows of the yard fence rather well. Jason blinked a few times, then slowly walked up into the barn.

He had started leaving the barn doors open at night, since it was so warm. As he walked inside, he groaned. The goat pen was wide open, and there was straw scattered across a good portion of the barn floor. Some of the chickens were inside the pen, pecking at the straw. The pigs were eagerly throwing themselves against the door in a desperate bid to escape, while the sheep just looked on in disinterest.

"Huh. That's a problem." Jason sighed, then shrugged. They had a yard fence, and while he hadn't exactly gone around to count, he didn't think that any had gotten out of the second barrier. He went around and did the chores, making sure to pour a bit of extra feed in the goat pen in the hopes that it would help draw them back, and then returned to Tess in the house. "How does everything look?" Tess asked as he walked inside.

"Your goats are frisky this morning," Jason muttered. "They're frisking all over the yard, for that matter."

"Yay!" Fern clapped. She had gotten over her earlier crying, apparently, and seemed delighted at the prospect of finding goats around the farmyard. "Goats out!"

Tess groaned and put her head in her hands while Jason started in on his pancakes. "I knew I was forgetting something last night. I left the goat pen unlocked because I was going in and out of it so much, and there was this little voice that kept telling me that I needed to fix something, but I just couldn't figure out what it was."

A goat bleated just underneath the kitchen window, and Fern clapped once again.

"If you eat my flowers, I'll butcher you myself!" Tess called out through the window.

Jason laughed and shook his head. "If they haven't eaten them yet, they won't do it in the next fifteen minutes. Get some food in your system, and then we'll go get them."

Tess nodded, and she tucked into her food as well. A few minutes later, they were done, and the family slowly walked out onto the front porch.

As they appeared in the yard, Richard came riding past with several of his hired hands. He waved to Jason, and the goats all saw him and started racing up to the fence. They paced him along the front of the yard, and he raised an eyebrow.

"You need help?"

"Nah!" Jason called out. "We've got this!"

"If those things are still out when I come back through, I'm stopping anyway!"

Jason rubbed his palms together as Tess started looking at all the different goats. "Now we have to get them all inside before he comes back."

Tess rolled her eyes, but nodded and set her jaw. "I plan to." She thought for a moment. "Let's see... Let's start by enticing them with some treats. Can you go pick some apples?"

Jason nodded, then jogged up to the apple trees. The lower level of the trees had been stripped bare, and he reached up and plucked a handful more of the luscious fruits. When he was done, he started waving them through the air and running toward the barn.

"Goats! All you little goats! Come here!"

Several of the goats caught sight of the red fruit and began to scamper after him. He soon had them back in the pen, and slammed the gate shut. Those, of course, were the easy ones.

Following that, they began to approach things more methodically. The rest of the goats, having eaten their fill from the apple trees and the small garden, weren't interested in treats. Tess and Jason spread out across the farmstead, approaching and chasing the goats as necessary. Most of them were tame enough, due to Tess's constant care and work, that they were able to mildly guide them back across the yard. A few others, Fern was able to lead away simply by petting them and then pointing them toward their pen. She had a keen hand with animals, there was no doubt about that, far more than Jason.

After an hour of work, Jason couldn't see another goat in the area. Tess stood by the gate, counting them up, and then turned as he walked into the barn.

"We've got twenty-nine in here."

"Is that all?" Jason was hopeful.

"Not quite," Tess apologized. "There should be thirty."

Jason stroked his chin slowly. "Hmm. Then..."

"Goat!" Fern giggled. "Over there!"

Jason frowned, then turned around. Rachel was sitting in the custom chair that Tess had made, watching all the commotion. At that exact moment, the

remaining goat was climbing up the side of it, peering over the railing to look at Rachel with interest. It blinked its eyes, and Rachel reached out and patted it on the nose. Jason froze, then slowly started creeping toward the two of them.

"Careful, Jason," Tess whispered. "That one's jumpy. He doesn't like people very much."

Unfortunately, whether it heard Tess's voice or Jason's footprints, the goat turned and looked dead at Jason. It gave a sharp bleat, then dropped to the ground and bolted. Jason bolted as well, racing off after the goat.

The little animal shot out of the barn as if it were being launched from a cannon. Jason was right on its heels, though the creature remained just out of reach. They shot down the ramp and onto the open ground of the farmyard, and then the creature turned sharply to the left and bolted toward the road. Jason stumbled as he tried to turn, and he found himself significantly behind the creature as it came up against the fence and the apple trees.

"Go slowly, Jason!" Tess called out. "It's faster than you are!"

Jason scowled. "It has legs that are a foot long! How is it faster? I've got this."

Tess called out something from behind him, but he didn't listen as he bolted forward once more. This time, the goat cut in the opposite direction; however, anticipating the move, Jason was quick to follow. A moment later, he was only a few feet behind the thing, and the two of them rushed past the barn once again.

This time, they went around the north side, away from the house. The goat zigged and zagged, but had nowhere to go. Instead, it was forced to go

around the far side of the barn, where it made tracks for the house. Jason put on an extra burst of speed, and, gasping, threw himself at the monster. He caught nothing but dust as he slammed into the ground, though the goat's rear hooves did kick him in the face. He groaned as he slid to a stop, then climbed upright as the goat flashed around the far side of the house. He saw Tess running around the opposite direction, and he groaned and forced himself back up.

He was just getting moving again when the goat came flashing back into view. It was heading straight for him, and seemed just as surprised to see him as he was to see it. He dropped to his knees on instinct, holding out his arms, and the goat collided firmly with him. They both went down in a heap, with its little hooves kicking frantically at Jason's grasp. He gasped in pain as it struck him on the chin, the belly, and several other rather painful locations. Finally, though, he felt it pulled away as Tess caught up with them, and a minute later, it had been dropped down into the pen with the other goats.

"Daddy red." Fern pointed up at Jason.

Jason frowned, then reached up to his face. He had gotten a little cut on his lip, and he smiled.

"It's called a battle scar!" He flexed his muscles and made gorilla noises. Fern laughed and clapped, and Tess just shook her head.

"My husband, the goat wrangler," she laughed and sighed as she walked up to the pen. "Well, that was fun."

"It was something," Jason grumbled, though he had to laugh as well. It hadn't been his plan for the day, but it had been entertaining, there was no doubt about that. When there was work to be done, there were rarely dull

days out on the farm... And even if it resulted in him chasing goats around the property, he could hardly complain about it.

Chapter Thirty-Three: Happy To Help

[The alarm went off; it was 6 AM. Jason and Tess were ready to get to work around the farm. They had 42 starting actions.]

[Obadiah's Almanac: 25th day of Spring! 66 days until the Spring Festival! Let's see... It looks like we've got some sprinkles today, but nothing that should keep anyone out of the fields! Get outside and get to work, and... Yeah, that's really all I've got.]

Jason rolled out of bed and slowly stood up, stretching as he looked about. Tess was already gone, but he didn't find that fact to be terribly surprising. Moving quickly, he dressed himself in his overalls, then strode down the stairs to find the three women of the house in the kitchen, with a small cake on the table. It had been iced with pink frosting, and Fern giggled and clapped her hands as Jason approached.

"Daddy's here!"

"I take it that she wasn't allowed to eat it until I came?" Jason chuckled as he sat down and folded his hands. "And what's the occasion?"

"Little Rachel here turned one season old today." Tess patted Rachel's head. "She's still too young for cake, but I figured that it was as good enough a

reason as any to have a celebration."

"That works for me!" Jason leaned over and murmured to Fern. "And it's not too often you get cake for breakfast, eh?"

"Nope!" Fern grinned and shook her head. "Cake for breakfast!"

They all tucked in. It was a lovely velvet cake, while the frosting seemed made from cream cheese. It was lovely in every sense of the word, and Jason savored every bite. As he finished, he stretched, then rubbed Rachel on the head.

"Well, that was a lovely way to start the day." He slowly stood up and started helping Tess with the dishes. "What's the plan for today, then?"

Tess shrugged and wiped a bit of frosting off Fern's mouth. "I think the girls and I are going to take a load of animals in to town to sell them. Richard's going to come help me, so it should be viable while you're in the field."

Jason nodded slowly. "Right. I forgot that was today." He glanced out the window. "I'd be more than willing to help, but the beets need harvested." "Go get at it." Tess waved her hand. "We'll be fine! We realized the conflict a week ago, it's all set up and good to go."

Jason nodded, then walked to the front of the house. He tugged on his boots, then took Chance out into the yard and started on chores. The animals were all eager to see him, and he poured out their feed, turned the horses loose, and other such things. When he finished, he began looking the digger over, scraping off rust, and otherwise preparing to get things ready. He had only one complaint about the digger, and that was the fact that its condition went downhill a lot faster than some of the other pieces of equipment on the farm. Of course, that was because it had to actually dig into the soil, which wore off the protective paint and exposed it to a whole

lot more contaminants, but it also meant that he had to spend quite a bit longer than usual scraping away rust and tightening bolts. When he was done, he walked over to the corral just as Richard came riding into the yard on his horse.

"Howdy, neighbor!" Richard called out. "How goes it?"

"It goes well!" Jason called back. Richard rode up next to him, and Jason swung open the corral gate and took Angus out. "Thanks for doing this for Tess, we really appreciate it."

"Ahh, not a problem." Richard waved his hand dismissively. "Happy to help, I really am. Things are going well on the farm, better than I could have imagined, so I've got plenty of time on my hands."

"Really?" Jason raised an eyebrow. "How so?"

Richard's eye twinkled. "The Lazy-H Ranch is officially transforming into the Lazy-H Corporation. We've got our own butcher on staff now, and while we still are limited to slaughtering our own animals, we'll be processing all the animals in-house, and then selling straight to Illumitir, or to wherever needs it, straightaway."

Jason whistled and shook his head. "How does Jeremiah feel about the fact that you're changing everything he built up?"

Richard laughed. "He loves it, really. Thinks we're funny, near as I can tell. But no, things are good." After a moment, he paused. "Oh, and one more thing! Weatherhand might actually be coming back!"

"Really?" Jason grinned. "That's great news! I hope?"

"Yeah." Richard nodded. "It sounds like things are getting squared away up in Illumitir. He doesn't know for sure if he'll be able to return, but when he does, all he wants is his old job back. Says he didn't really like being in charge, and I seem to be enjoying it, so he's content to let it go that way."

Jason grinned and held out his hand, which Richard shook firmly. "Well, that's great! I'm happy for you."

"I appreciate that." Richard turned as footsteps echoed on the drive, and he smiled at Tess. "Well, that's my daughter and grandkids, so I'm back to it! Have fun harvesting!"

Jason nodded and waved as he walked away, then went back to getting Angus hitched up. When he got him ready, he climbed up onto the platform of the digger, took the reins, and urged him forward.

The digger was an odd device, with a series of churning scoops that actually dug down into the ground to fling the beets up into the collection device. Dirt was then shaken away from the beets, and the vegetables were then dumped into the farm's inventory. As Jason entered the field, he pulled a lever to drop the contraption down into the dirt, and with that, they rumbled forward.

Angus's muscles strained as the machine went to work. It was a lot harder for the noble beast to pull the massive object than some of the other machines, but he still did a solid job of it. They rumbled along through the field, and Jason heard the satisfying thunks of the beets clattering through the mechanisms of the machine. Dust exploded up from behind them, and Jason took a deep breath.

Overhead, the morning light began to dim somewhat as clouds raced across the sky, fulfilling the forecast that Obadiah had given. As Jason finished up his third pass, he felt the drizzle starting. Angus's skin twitched as it landed, but he seemed almost to be enjoying the mist. It was cool, not unpleasant, and likely helped ease the burden of pulling the machine. Jason smiled as rivers of liquid trickled down his face and dripped off his chin. If he

imagined that the water was sweat instead of rain, it made him feel like he was working a lot harder than he actually was.

In any event, Angus did a mighty fine job, and the ground stayed dry enough that they were still kicking up dust when they reached the midpoint of the field. Without the sun as a point of reference, Jason couldn't really tell if it was actually noontime, but he assumed that it was likely close enough. He raised the digger, then put Angus back into the corral and went inside for a bit of lunch.

As Tess and the kids were still gone, the meal was a quiet affair. He made himself a sandwich with some sourdough bread that Tess had whipped up, then sat on the front porch and gazed out at the road as he ate. Chance sat at his feet, barking here and there at small monsters that skittered past. There were no riders out, and he didn't see any particular sign of Tess or Richard, which likely meant that they were eating in town at the inn.

When Jason finished eating, he rose, put his dishes away, and then went back to work. Angus seemed to have recovered, and the great horse entered the field with gusto. The scoops pulled up more and more of the beets, and Jason sighed deeply in contentment.

Around the time he was three-quarters of the way done with the field, he saw Richard's wagon rumbling back into the farm. It was coming from the south, and seemed to have a number of animals inside it. Jason frowned, then realized that Tess had likely gone ahead and bought more animals to replace the ones they had just sold. He saw them rumble up and into the barn, then depart once more.

He didn't see them again, but that was likely because he was always heading the wrong direction, away from the road, when they made their appearances. In any event, when he finally came to the end of the field, the

mist was beginning to pick up in intensity. The light was fading, the air was growing cooler, and while it still wasn't cold, per se, it was growing a good bit more uncomfortable. Jason put the digger back into the lean-to, and finding that Lady and Alfred were already in their stables, he took Angus up and put him away as well.

Something seemed off about the barn as he walked through it, but he didn't quite realize what was off until after he tucked Angus away in the stable. The three pens of animals he was used to seeing were full, that much was the same. Pigs and goats replaced the ones they had just sold, all of which were a good deal smaller than they would be in a few weeks. That said, there was also a fourth pen that was full now. It held a strange sort of animal which was covered in thick, curly hair, and had a long neck that rather reminded him of a giraffe.

"What are you?" Jason frowned as he walked up to the pen.

There were only three of the creatures, which made him rather wonder why they needed to have bought them. In any event, the closest creature answered by firing a spitball into Jason's chest. There was a loud smack as it hit, and Jason staggered backward several feet.

[Warning: Llama considers you a threat]

"Oh, it does?" Jason growled. "I'll show it a threat. Why did Tess buy this thing, anyhow?"

It spat at him again, but Jason managed to narrowly dodge out of the way. With that, he ran for the safety of the yard, and soon ducked into the house. They now had animals that would spit at him. That was new... But he supposed he could grow to live with it. Tess obviously wanted the llama around, and he supposed that that would be good enough for him. He would grow to love it... He would make himself.

Chapter Thirty-Four: On The Road

[The alarm went off; it was 6 AM. Jason and Tess were ready to get to work around the farm. They had 42 starting actions.]

[Obadiah's Almanac: 30th day of Spring! 61 days until the Spring Festival! The weather is clear and free, though I think we'll see the first big storm of the season tomorrow. Hard to tell for sure, things are still a little iffy on the weather front, but that's what I would expect, so prepare to bunker down!] Jason yawned and rolled out of bed, shaking the cobwebs out of his head as he did so. He had been up for a good portion of the night with Rachel, who had gotten rather sick and had spent the night coughing and crying. Tess stood up next to him and rubbed his back.

"I really could have taken her, you know."

"I know, but I figured I'd give you a break." Jason flashed a small smile, then slowly walked up to the window and looked down across the farmstead. The new sugar beet sprouts were just starting to pop out of the ground, giving the whole field a nice green look. "You seem like you're doing well at the least!"

"I am, yes." Tess smiled and stretched. "Best night of sleep I've gotten in ages as a matter of fact." She wrapped her arms around his shoulders. "What's your plan for the day?"

Jason frowned. "I think I'm heading up to the Far Eighty. Milligan sent me a letter yesterday about some fence that needs repairing, so I need to go check on that. You three would be more than welcome to come help me." Tess bit her lip, then nodded. "Yeah! Let's do that. I'll go do the chores, then. I can check all the animals for sickness and things while I'm at it." "Just watch out for that llama," Jason cautioned as Tess put on a lovely, blue work dress. "He's mean. Got me between the eyes yesterday evening." At that, Tess laughed. "If it wasn't for the red welt on your forehead, I wouldn't believe you. He's so nice around me!"

Jason rolled his eyes. "I still don't know why you like him."

"Llama wool sells really well." Tess shrugged as she started out the door.

"I bet I could get a pretty nice price for him, too!" Jason called out. "And it would save us a lot of trouble!"

Tess only laughed, and Jason snapped his fingers in mock disappointment. He soon dressed himself, then went down to the girls' room. Fern was awake and sitting up in bed, but Rachel was still fast asleep. Jason got Fern dressed as quietly as he could, then slipped downstairs and started making breakfast.

The morning was a slow one as they ate and got themselves ready. Jason let Fern have a piece of candy out of the jar on his writing desk, which she enjoyed, and Tess got Rachel dressed and ready once the infant woke up. Once they were all ready, Jason went outside, and (avoiding the part of the barn where the llamas could see him) got Angus hitched up to the carriage.

They soon rumbled down the long road that wound across the prairie. All around them, the fresh new grasses waved and twisted in the wind, providing a lovely sort of background to the rumble of the wheels and the crunch of gravel beneath Angus's hooves. Finally, they came over the final rise, and Jason took a deep breath in satisfaction.

The Far Eighty was covered in a rich carpet of green as a wheat-rye cross slowly rose up. It was a new line of crops from the genetics company, one that they were hoping would take the province by storm (barring, of course, that their name was still sullied by the chaos from the previous year). As Jason turned his attention toward the New Eighty, though, he frowned in confusion.

The fence did, indeed, need repair, as it seemed to have been taken down in several places. The greenhouses were gone, and the individual plots lay in ruins. A few crops still sprouted here and there, and Jason made mental notes to harvest them before they spoiled. The only thing that still gave any sign of life was a thin trail of smoke that emerged from the chimney of the cabin.

"What's going on?" Tess whispered. "Should we be worried?"

"I don't know." Jason bit his lip. "Come on."

They rumbled down to the cabin, and Jason climbed down, then helped his family down as well. As they started to get their bearings, the door opened, and Milligan came walking slowly out.

He no longer had the bearing he once did, that was for certain. His suit was gone, replaced by simple working clothes. He wore a flat cap instead of a top hat, and his bushy mustache and whiskers seemed a bit less bushy. He also wore no gloves. Jason frowned and crossed his arms, and Milligan flashed a sad sort of smile.

"I'm sorry to trouble you, my boy. I'm afraid I don't have good news for you."

Jason bit his lip. "The company went under?"

Milligan shrugged. "We all knew it was coming, but I was really hoping it would be later rather than sooner. As of two days ago, the company was formally dissolved by the board of directors. They came and took away all the company property, and I'm afraid they damaged your fences. I tried to stop it, and I'll fix it myself before I leave, but... I thought that this would be the easiest way to tell you."

Jason sighed and nodded. "I appreciate the honesty, and I truly am sorry for you."

"You poor man." Tess reached out and took his arm. "What will you do?" Fern raced up and hugged his leg, and Milligan chuckled. "Truth be told, I don't know. I've been with Illumitir Genetics ever since it was founded, which makes my resumé somewhat lacking. My plan at the moment is to head down to Portswain. I've heard of a few companies there that are hiring; hopefully, I'll be able to snag work somewhere."

Jason bit his lip. "What happened to all your research?"

"That, my dear boy, I managed to snag for myself!" Milligan beamed, momentarily cheered. "At least, I snagged all the projects that I personally worked on or oversaw. It took my entire life's savings, but since this was a lifetime of work, I figure it was a good trade. Speaking of which..." He opened his inventory and pulled out several packets of seeds. "Since I'm no longer with the company, this is my own personal property, and since the company no longer exists, none of my contracts are binding any longer. Here." He held out the packets. "Maple sugar beet seeds, and... Beta- Sunflowers, proper name pending." He chuckled. "I figured you'd want

them. No charge. Take the lines and make them famous, and that will be enough for me."

Jason took the seeds gratefully. "I'm indebted to you."

"My boy, we both know that it's the other way around." Milligan clapped his hands. "Now, if you wouldn't mind, I did manage to save all the metal from the damaged fence. Show me where to swing a hammer, and I'll have this put back together quicker than you can blink. As soon as that's done, I'll be on my way, and... Hopefully, I'll see you again sometime. I already have all my things packed up, so I won't be long in getting out of your hair."

Jason glanced at Tess, and she gave a small nod. Jason coughed, then folded his arms.

"Actually, I don't think that's a good idea."

Milligan frowned, glancing back and forth between the two. "Whatever do you mean?"

"What I mean is that I don't want you to start with the fence." Jason nodded at the ground. "First, you need to go unpack. Don't put everything back where it goes, that'll take you hours, but make yourself comfortable. When that's done, we need to head out into the New Eighty and knock down everything that wasn't destroyed already. I assume it's illegal to keep any of the seed, except for maybe the seed belonging to the projects that you bought, so we'll just make sure to destroy it all. Then, once that's all cleared up, we'll start working on the fence. If any monsters get inside for the time being, it might actually help us with our task."

Milligan's face twitched. "I don't really understand what you're saying." Jason shrugged. "You told me once that you don't have any living family."

Milligan shrugged. "I have a brother who lives on the coast, and a sister out west, but... No wife or kids or parents or anything." His eyebrows drew downward. "Are you—"

"If you'd like to stick around, having three fields is going to be way more than I can handle." Jason shrugged. "Especially with that monster Tess keeps in the barn now."

"He's sweet!"

"If you put a bullet in his mouth, he could spit it with enough force to take down a moose!" Jason crossed his arms, then turned back to Milligan. "Anyhow, point is, I could use a hired man on the farm. If you're interested, you're welcome to stay. If you're not, then by all means, we'll load your inventory down with as much food as you can carry and send you on your way with all our blessings. If you'd like to stay, you've already got a cabin you're familiar with, and I'll give you as much leeway to continue your experiments as you'd like. Grow me all sorts of wild and crazy things to put in the field; if you say it's worth planting, I'll give it a shot." He paused. "Not the corn-sorghum cross, though. That stuff is awful, and I hardly got 1 Shandy for 100 kernels."

Milligan's face continued to twitch, and he looked down at the ground. Fern hugged his leg even tighter, and he started to sniffle.

"Jason?" Milligan slowly lifted his head. Tears trickled down his mustache, and he held out a hand. For the first time, as they shook hands, it was flesh to flesh. "There aren't many folks in this world like you, I hope you know that. You've got yourself a deal! I'll... Why, I'll farm for you better than anyone's ever farmed before, and I'll whip you up the craziest and wildest plant crosses you ever did see!"

"That's great to hear!" Jason grinned. "Let's get this field taken care of, and then in the next few days, we'll sit down in my office and hash out a proper contract."

"Deal, my boy! Deal!"

With that, the five of them made their way into the immense, ruined field. Jason drew out a sickle, Tess pulled out one of her swords, Fern simply pulled out the plants by the roots (or chased crabgrasses into the crops as they skittered around blindly), and Milligan took out a large rake. Together, they all attacked the field.

Jason's heart swelled within him as they worked. Milligan was a good man, and it was going to be nice to have him around in a capacity that didn't include the company. What would they accomplish together? Well... Truly, only time would tell.

Chapter Thirty-Five: A Day In The Field

[The alarm went off; it was 6 AM. Jason and Tess were ready to get to work around the farm. They had 42 starting actions.]

[Obadiah's Almanac: 37th day of Spring! 54 days until the Spring Festival! It's looking like a bright and clear today, folks, so get out there and enjoy it! Last year, the flower festival was a resounding success, and I'm here to announce that Paulina will be bringing it back once again this year! Details in Cecilia's store]

"We should enter the Lonesome Roses this year," Jason murmured as he rolled out of bed and stood up. "I can't remember what happened, but we couldn't go last year, and I think it'd be fun."

"I'll see what I can find out." Tess smiled at him, then wrapped her arms around his shoulders as she, too, stood up. "I have a doctor's appointment with Theresa today, both for myself and for Rachel, so I can check on things while I'm in there."

"Sounds like a plan." Jason gave her a kiss. "Well, I'll head out and get chores done, and meet you guys for breakfast?"

"See you then!"

Jason dressed quickly, then strode down the stairs and out into the yard. Chance followed eagerly, and the two of them made their way toward the barn. When they drew up to the doors, though, Jason bent down and picked up a trash can lid that he had stashed in the weeds there.

He took a deep breath, steeled himself, and then walked inside, making his way directly for the horse stalls. As he did so, he heard a low hock... Pew! He whipped the lid up next to his head like a shield, and with a loud bang, the spitball launched by the llama cracked against his flimsy protection. "Ha!" He lowered the shield and stared out at the creature. He had learned that, of the three llamas, two were female. The only one that attacked him was the male, and it was fierce. "You missed!"

The llama stared across at him, then spat a second time. Jason only narrowly brought his shield up in time, and was driven backward under the force of the blast. An instant later, a spitball hit his unprotected boots, and he yelped and scampered toward the horses until he was out of range. "Lousy llama," he muttered. "Ought to cook you for dinner. That'll teach you."

The llama spat another spitball at him, but it fell short. Then, apparently deciding that terrorizing Jason was growing boring, it retired to the far corner of the pen and lay down on some straw. Jason watched it warily for a time, then let the horses out into the corral and started feeding the different animals. He was just finishing up when Milligan strode up and into the barn, a wide smile across his face.

"Jason, my— boss! My boss." Milligan chuckled and shook his head. "Sorry I'm a bit later today. One of my soybean crosses decided to pick up its roots and escape the greenhouse, and it took me a little bit to track down."

Jason raised an eyebrow, but he didn't comment. When the crop was ready, Milligan would tell him about it. "Not a worry! I'm about to head inside for breakfast, would you want to join? Don't forget, it's considered rude to refuse the request of your boss."

Milligan laughed and clapped his hand over his heart. "How could I refuse?"

A few minutes later, they were all settled down around the dining room table. Milligan was rapidly becoming part of the family, there was no doubt about that. Tess set out a massive platter of biscuits and an equally large bowl of gravy, and the group of them tucked in. As they ate, Tess nodded at the two men.

"What's your plans for the day? Anything terribly interesting?"

Jason shrugged as he carved a biscuit in half and poured a thick helping of gravy over the top. "We're going to harvest the beets in the Homestead Eighty."

"Both of you?" Tess raised an eyebrow.

"Not exactly." Jason shook his head. "I'm going to go first, with the digger, to get out all the sugar beets. Then, Milligan will come behind with the planter. We'll be able to process the whole field in a single day, or at least that's the plan."

"It's how the larger farms do it." Milligan nodded. "Some of them have fields that cover entire townships. Those fields are never uniform, they have a constant stream of harvesters going through the ripe parts, and planters going behind them. It's marvelous to see."

"And what exactly are you planting?" Tess raised an eyebrow. "More sugar beets?"

Jason nodded. "In a sense. We have enough Maple Sugar Beet seed to cover about half the field, but that's it. We also... Well... Milligan has been working on something special."

Milligan nodded. "Brown Sugar Beets! Similar to the Maple Sugar Beets, but without the distinct maple flavoring. It'll still be thicker sugar than produced by ordinary sugar beets, though." He paused. "I'm working on a powdered sugar variety, but that one's going to take me a little longer."

"In any event, we only have a few packets of the Brown Sugar Beet seed," Jason commented. "Thus, we'll plant all that we have, just so we can get more seed back to use down the line. We'll probably work on cultivating it all spring. We'll save back most of the Maple Sugar Beet seed, too, which should give us enough for next season. The rest of the field will be planted to ordinary sugar beets."

Tess laughed and shrugged. "Well, you two seem to have it all locked down. I'll leave you to it."

A few minutes later, they had all finished eating, and Jason and Milligan went back outside while Tess helped the girls get cleaned up. Jason went out to the corral and took out Lady and began hitching her up to the carriage. When he had that done, he took her over next to the house and tied her to the railing of the porch, so she'd be ready when Tess came out. Then, with that, they started in.

First, Jason hitched Angus up to the digger, and brought it up to the start of the field. Angus snorted and pawed at the ground, more than ready to go, and Jason smiled and patted his neck. He then helped Milligan get his own horse (named Dusty) hitched up to the planter. It took them a bit longer for Jason to show Milligan how to load the seed boxes and such, but when it was done, Milligan nodded confidently.

"I think I'm ready to go!"

Jason flashed a smile, then climbed up onto the digger and took the reins. With a sharp snap, Angus lumbered forward and into the field, and Jason pulled the lever to lower the contraption into the ground.

The whirling scoops carved through the soft dirt, pulling the beets up and into the contraption. Just like always, Jason could hear the enormous beets rattling around as the dirt was shaken off of them, and they were dumped straight into the farm's inventory. He was about halfway down the field when he glanced over his shoulder to find Milligan just entering the field, a smile on his face.

When Jason got to the end, he spun Angus around and started on back. Milligan was keeping a good pace, not catching up with Jason, and they passed each other right at the midpoint. In that moment, they were subsequently coated in each other's dust, and Jason frowned. That would have to change, most likely. That said, he could see the neat rows planted nicely over the churned-up ground left by the digger. It was perfect, there was simply no other word for it.

After they passed each other a second time and were again showered in dust, Jason switched tactics. When he reached the far end of the field once again, he turned and harvested along the backside, then swung down the opposite side of the field. From there, he started simply making loops around the patch of beets, ensuring that Milligan and his dust were always on the opposite side. Milligan immediately caught onto the arrangement, and followed perfectly in Jason's tracks.

They worked until the sun had just crested around midday, then made their way back to the barn. Jason unhitched Angus and let him go lay down,

while Milligan allowed Dusty to do the same. As Jason started up toward the house, he nodded at Milligan.

"Want something? I'm sure we have—"

Milligan grimaced, and he held up a hand. "Please, boss, don't misunderstand me. I love this job, I truly do, and I'll be at breakfast every morning, but... Like I mentioned to you earlier, I'm not actually a people person. I just know what to do," he chuckled softly. "If you wouldn't mind, I'd love to go eat in the barn, where it's nice and quiet."

"Have at it!" Jason waved. "See you in an hour!"

Jason walked up and into the empty house, then fixed himself a sandwich. He took it out onto the front porch and sat down in his chair, gazing out at the ripened apple trees and the prairie beyond. A bit of dust rose on the road in the distance, likely a warrior on his or her way, and he sighed. It was nice to just be in the quiet, there was no doubt about that.

He and Milligan both took their time with their rest. When around an hour had passed, they both returned, hooked up their horses, and were off once more.

As they rumbled through the field, Jason couldn't keep a smile off his face. Milligan around was going to prove invaluable, there was no doubt about that. He could process his fields faster, and he now had three fields to play around with! It was better than he ever could have hoped... And he suggested that things would only go upward from there.

Chapter Thirty-Six: Something Special

[The alarm went off; it was 6 AM. Jason and Tess were ready to get to work around the farm. They had 42 starting actions.]

[Obadiah's Almanac: 50th day of Spring! 41 days until the Spring Festival! It's a lovely day outside today, folks, and... It's the day of the Flower Festival!!! I know, I know, it's not nearly as exciting as the actual Spring Festival, but it's still something, so if you're free, come out and have some fun!]

Jason felt a smile break across his face, and he slowly rolled out of bed. Obadiah had started hyping up the 'festival' for a few weeks now, and from what Tess had told him, everyone in town was excited about it. As he walked up to the window and gazed out across the farmstead, he sighed in contentment.

Tess, in the spirit of the contest, had started planting flowers all over the place. There were beds of flowers up against the barn now, and the garden against the house had almost as many flowers as it had vegetables. Jason smiled warmly, then turned back to Tess as she rose up from bed.

"Are you ready for today?" He grinned. "Ready to win?"

"I'm ready to not be embarrassed by the two of you," Tess muttered as she started getting dressed. "I know you've been cooking up something in that greenhouse of yours, and Milligan has something up his sleeve."

"Ahh, don't worry about a thing!" Jason grinned. "It'll all be okay!"

Tess rolled her eyes, but largely just laughed. She soon got dressed, made her way to the door, and pulled it open. There, Fern was already standing and waiting, a wide grin across her face.

"Flowers?"

"Yep! That's today!" Jason scooped her up. He gave her a big kiss. "But none of those flowers will be as beautiful as you!"

Fern giggled and gave him a sloppy kiss on the nose, and Tess took her and walked toward the bedrooms. Jason scampered down the stairs, and soon made his way out into the farmyard.

Milligan was just arriving on Dusty, and the two of them quickly went and did the chores. Jason had to dodge several more spitball attacks from the llama, which only made him all the more annoyed when it allowed Milligan to come up and scratch its neck.

"This guy is just adorable!" Milligan grinned and patted him on the nose. "And this wool! Tess is going to make a fortune off of this. Jason, have you felt this wool?"

"No," Jason snorted as he led the horses out to the corral. "He won't let me near him. He's a monster!"

"No, he's not."

Jason raised an eyebrow, especially when the llama simply leaned its head past Milligan and spat at Jason yet again.

"Counterpoint, he is," Jason chuckled as they finished with the chores. With that, they started up toward the house. "Does everything look good over on

the prairie this morning?"

Milligan nodded. "The Far Eighty is right on schedule, and should be ready to harvest right about a day after the Homestead Eighty. The New Eighty is just shooting heads, we'll have to see how it goes."

Jason stroked his chin. The Far Eighty had been planted to sugar beets, just like the Homestead Eighty, but they had put the wheat-rye cross onto the New Eighty. It was a heartier plant, and would do better in the much less- used field. "Sounds good. Just keep me updated."

"Will do, Jason! Boss!"

They soon walked inside, where Tess had set out a pancake breakfast with all the trimmings. There were plain pancakes, blueberry pancakes, strawberry pancakes, and even a few banana pancakes. For toppings, there was butter, syrup, maple syrup, and a handful of jams that Tess had made up. Fern was already gobbling up a blueberry pancake, and had the blue fruit smeared all over her cheeks.

"Daddy! I messy!"

"Indeed." Jason reached out and wiped off a particularly large blob, then glanced over at Rachel. She was eagerly eyeing the pancakes, and opened and closed her mouth several times. Carefully, Jason reached over and wiped a bit of the blueberry gunk onto Rachel's mouth. Rachel's eyes went wide, and she smacked her lips.

"Jason!" Tess scolded him. "Don't do that! She's only a season old!"

"She's almost six months old!" Jason argued. "She'll be ready for solid food in no time!"

"She'll be six months old in about three months." Tess leaned forward. "No!"

Milligan laughed and shook his head. "I never married, myself, but I have several nieces and nephews. Once, my brother did that same thing, except he mixed a bit of sugar into the baby's formula to celebrate a birthday or something. Ooh, his wife might as well have been a volcano."

"I can understand why," Tess growled at Jason, though she had a twinkle in her eye.

"I won't do it again." Jason held up his hands, then shrugged. "At least for a while."

"Feed Ray!" Fern, who seemed to have missed the entire conversation as she watched Rachel eagerly smacking on the blueberry, lifted up a chunk of her pancake, which happened to be smothered in a peach jam. She threw it at Rachel's face, where it smacked against her cheek and stuck. Rachel laughed as a bit of jam dripped into her mouth, then waved around her hands and succeeded in batting the chunk of pancake to the floor.

"And this is why I'm able to spend all day cleaning and still never get the gunk out of the house." Tess reached out and wiped away the jam, then bent down and scooped up the pancake. "Still, though, I suppose I'm never bored."

"No, indeed." Jason laughed, then went back to working on his own food. When he finished, he and Milligan rose. "We'll go get things ready, and you guys can come on out when... Well... This looks like a mess."

Tess blinked up at him. "Why yes. Yes, it is a mess!"

Fern giggled, but grabbed a napkin and started trying to wipe off the table. Jason and Milligan, meanwhile, made their way out into the yard.

There, Jason walked over to one of the rosebushes near the house. It seemed ages ago that he had pulled the Lonesome Rose seeds out of the dungeon, but there they were. Pink and cream, the blossoms burst with beauty.

Carefully, Jason took a large pot out of the farm's inventory and placed a shovel at the base of the plant. With a flash of light and a loud pop, the bush was teleported into the pot, and he bent down to pick it up.

"Ooh!" He groaned as he tried to heft it up into the air. "This is... Milligan, would you mind giving me a hand?"

"Not at all!"

Together, the two men were able to lug the oversized flowerpot over to the porch. Jason sat it there, confirmed that it wasn't going to fall over, and then stepped back to admire the plant. There were a dozen flowers in bloom, and two dozen more buds that would soon be breaking out. It was lovely, there was simply no doubt about it.

"And there we go." Jason clapped his hands. "What's your entry? You've been talking it up—I'd like to see what my competition will be."

Milligan laughed and shook his head. "Why don't you show me what you're working on first? It seems right since you're the boss."

"I don't really see how those two things correlate, but..." Jason chuckled and started around the side of the house. "Come on!"

They soon entered the greenhouse, where Jason had planted several of the Nightflowers, as he had dubbed the modified sunflowers. If he was being honest, he had planted them primarily to get seed ready for summer, but... They were quite pretty, and he hoped they would do well at the festival. "My boy!" Milligan whispered as he stepped inside. "These are... incredible! Even better than the ones we grew while testing them!"

Jason could only smile. The Nightflowers were a good bit shorter than ordinary sunflowers, only rising to a height of a few feet. They had one main flower on top, with a standard sunflower seed disk ringed by light blue petals that certainly brought to mind the appearance of a soft moon.

Moreover than that, in the slightly dimmer light of the greenhouse, a glimmer of light proceeded from the petals, creating a halo around the flower that simply added to the effect. To top it off, down the stem were half a dozen other flowers, all of which were a good bit smaller. These were ringed by petals of a soft white, all of which emitted a similar, though even softer, light that twinkled and flickered as they stood there. The moon and the stars, all in one plant.

"Marvelous." Milligan finally nodded firmly. "Simply marvelous. You've... You've done good."

Jason grinned, then slowly and carefully potted one of the largest Nightflowers. It fit perfectly, and he carried it out slowly and purposefully. As he set it down on the ground next to the Lonesome Rose, Milligan flashed a small grin and rubbed his hands together, and Jason rolled his eyes.

"Alright, Milligan. Show me what you have?'

"You're going to love it." Milligan opened up his inventory and scrolled for a bit, then nodded and selected something. "I've been dying to create something like this for a few years now, but they keep telling me at the company that it's too dangerous, and—"

His voice was drowned out as a small cage appeared on the ground. The plant inside the cage snarled and threw itself at them, bashing its roots and leaves against the bars. Pinchers snapped at the metal, trying desperately to saw through, while the loveliest tulip Jason had ever seen sat upon a delicate, slender stem. The flower was red, with yellow, variegated streaks. Of course, said tulip whipped around to point at Jason, revealing a rather large number of teeth, and he recoiled.

"Do you like it?" Milligan grinned. "I crossed an ordinary garden tulip... Okay, not an ordinary tulip. It's a Rembrandt variety, which I then crossed with a crabgrass, and then with a monstertrap. Isn't it beautiful?"

"In the strictest sense of the word, it does have a rather beautiful flower." Jason bit his lip. "You... You didn't create more than one seed, did you?" "Of course!" Milligan laughed, waving his hand. "I made up a hundred of them! Do you want one?"

"No... I wouldn't want to take any away from you." Jason bit his lip. Off in the prairie, he saw a blue tulip head darting around just above the waving grasses, answering his questions about whether or not Milligan had been able to properly secure them. "Well, I'd say that that's enough chitchat! Let's get on with things!"

"Right you are, my boy!"

Tess, Jason, and Rachel soon climbed up into their carriage, while Fern sat in Alice's little carriage. Milligan rode on Dusty, and with the cage slung over the horse's haunches, he started off down the road at a trot. Alice and Fern went next, with Jason and Tess keeping pace close behind.

"I just hope that thing doesn't eat all the other flowers," Jason muttered.

"I just hope Jeremiah doesn't see it and try to keep it as a pet, too," Tess muttered back. "We already have a goblin deputy, we do not need a tulip deputy as well."

Jason burst out laughing. "That's fair."

He sighed deeply as they went along, and a sense of warmth came over him. It wasn't a terribly productive day, but it was a fun one, and sometimes, that was all that was needed.

Chapter Thirty-Seven: Plans For The Future

[The alarm went off; it was 6 AM. Jason and Tess were ready to get to work around the farm. They had 42 starting actions.]

[Obadiah's Almanac: 55th day of Spring! 36 days until the Spring Festival! Today's going to be a wet one, folks. Loads of spring rain, but hey, it'll make those flowers perk up!]

[Obadiah's Almanac: Side note: Milligan doesn't get these things yet, does he? If anyone sees any more of those tulip-things running around up here, please don't hesitate to stomp them.]

Jason laughed as he rolled out of bed. Upon returning from the flower show, Milligan had discovered that all one hundred of his monster-tulips had chewed their way out of confinement, eaten half of his greenhouse supplies, and then escaped into the countryside. He hadn't been too torn-up, though, claiming that he had brightened the landscape. Jason wasn't sure about that, but it was sort of humorous to watch Obadiah trying to track them all down. As he shrugged on some overalls, he walked up to the window and looked out across the landscape. His sugar beets were coming along well, nearing the next harvest, but still needed a few more days. Meanwhile, rain beat

down steadily against the windows, and several waterfalls ran off the roof of the immense barn. Rivulets ran steadily across the yard and out into the road ditch. It was a calming sort of a rain, just heavy enough to be worth something, but not so heavy as to be oppressive.

"Morning, Jason." Tess rose and wrapped her arms around him from behind. She gave him a kiss on the neck, then sighed. "What are you thinking?"

Jason shrugged. "Just trying to decide what to do for the day. I had originally been planning to get out to start drawing up the plans for an outbuilding for the barn."

Tess raised an eyebrow. "An outbuilding?"

"Yeah." Jason turned around. "You had said that you could really use something to run the sheep through to help you shear them better."

"Awe! You were listening!" Tess gave him a kiss on the cheek. "That's so sweet." She crossed her arms and frowned after a moment. "That actually reminds me, I really do need to be getting the sheep sheared again. Their wool's getting pretty thick, and it'll start to degrade if I leave it much longer. Today would be a good day for it."

"Then what's the problem?"

Tess shrugged and started getting dressed. "Mostly the kids. They'll be all cooped up in the barn. I could let Fern go play outside with Alice if it was nicer, but if we're stuck inside... I don't know. She's really started getting into mischief out there."

Jason bit his lip. "I need to go into town to buy some supplies for the farm anyhow. I could take Fern along with me, and you could watch Rachel easy enough out here."

Tess nodded and smiled. "I think that sounds like a great idea! I'll do the chores when I head out that way, you can stay inside and stay dry until you're ready to leave."

"Sounds like a plan." Jason started down the stairs. "I'll write to Milligan and let him know that he has the day off."

Jason soon sat down at his writing desk, and penned a quick letter to Milligan. Fern came toddling over as he worked, and he absently opened up the candy jar and let her have a piece. She grinned and walked away again, and he finished up the letter. As soon as it was done, hoping to catch Milligan before he left the cabin, he dropped the letter into the mailbox and sent it off.

Tess was just coming down the stairs as he re-entered the kitchen, cradling Rachel in her arms. She set the baby down in the high chair, and Fern scrambled up onto the chair just next to her.

"What mommy making?" Fern grinned, then glanced at the window. "It's waining!"

"It is." Jason grinned and sat down as Tess started setting out some waffles. "Why?"

Jason shrugged. "Well, the clouds got too heavy, so water started coming down."

"Why?"

"Ahh..." Jason bit his lip. "It's hard to explain, but as water on the ground dries up, it goes up into the sky, until it gets heavy and falls back down again."

"Why?"

"Things just dry up sometimes," Jason scowled at her.

"Why?"

"Because!"

Fern blinked. "Ooh! Okay. Syrup?"

Tess laughed and put out a jar of syrup on the table, and they all (sans Rachel) tucked into their meal. Tess kept a very close eye on Rachel, and made extra certain that Fern didn't throw any food anywhere close to the baby. When the meal was done, Tess rose and started clearing things away, and Jason got the last of his things ready to go.

It was a full twenty minutes later before Jason and Fern rumbled out on the carriage, heading for town. There was no sign of Milligan, which Jason hoped meant that the letter had been received. Jason and Fern sat close together, hunched under a single, wide umbrella. They also wore raincoats, and Fern had a blanket wrapped around her to boot. As rain thundered down around them, Fern shivered and leaned into Jason.

"It's cold."

"We'll be inside soon enough," Jason promised her. "And then you'll get to help me buy things!"

"Buy things?" Fern perked up. "Buy candy?"

"No," Jason laughed. "We need to buy some more seed for the garden, and then we need to buy some tools and other farm things."

"Oh," Fern huffed. "Peas candy?"

Jason sighed. "Maybe."

"Yay!"

They continued to rumble down the road, which soon began to swell with water. As they rumbled up off the mud and onto the cobbles, they found a mostly empty town square. Obadiah was standing under an awning on the Guild Hall, and he smiled and waved as he strode out into the downpour.

"Here, I'll take that for you!" Obadiah held up a hand, and Jason slowed to a stop. "You get your little girl inside, alright?"

"Much obliged." Jason clambered down with Fern, and Obadiah mounted up and started taking the carriage around to the stable. With that, Jason stumbled toward the door, and soon pushed his way inside of Cecilia's item shop.

As it happened, Paulina was inside the store as well, standing next to the counter talking to Cecilia. John was standing right next to his mother, and he lit up as Fern came toddling in.

"Fewn!"

"No, it's Fern," Fern corrected.

"Fwen?"

"No, Fern!"

Fern and John began arguing over the correct pronunciation of her name, the way young children will, and Jason laughed softly as he walked up to the counter. As Paulina turned his way, he blinked in surprise at the small bundle held in her arms.

"Ahh! No way!" He beamed. "I'd forgotten you were pregnant! Tess is going to be so mad at me."

"Meet little Michael." Paulina smiled and bounced the sleeping baby softly in her arms. "He was born four days ago. Spring 51."

"Adorable," Jason whispered softly. "He looks just like Obadiah."

"Yeah, he does," Paulina agreed. "We'll have to see how his personality works out, but John here is Obadiah all the way. Yesterday, he took one of my steak knives and stuck it in his diaper like a sword. Can't believe he didn't hurt himself. I just about fainted when I saw it!"

Cecilia burst out laughing. "I'd have fainted, for sure!" She laughed a bit more, then turned to Jason. "What can I do for you?"

Jason took out a small piece of paper, on which he had sketched out a list of items. His wrench had broken, so he needed a new one, and he wanted a bucket of rivets to help patch up some of the fence that was starting to go. He also bought a can of oil to help keep the digger from deteriorating so fast. It had been an expensive purchase, and he was in no hurry to have to buy a new one anytime soon. When everything had been collected and paid for, he started to turn to leave, but Paulina caught his arm.

"Oh! Before you go, I think Obadiah had wanted to talk to you. He's been mulling something over for a few days now, if you want to head over to the Guild Hall." She nodded with her head. "If you want, just leave Fern here. She's playing well with John; I think they'd both enjoy the extra time." Jason shrugged. He looked down at Fern, who was busy playing tag with John as they raced up and down the aisles. He laughed at their antics, then nodded and turned away.

"Alright! I'll be back in a bit!"

The rain was coming down a bit harder as he strode out into the town square, and he put up his umbrella as he made his way to the Guild Hall. Obadiah met him in the entrance, and grinned as they stepped back inside. "I'm glad Paulina sent you my way. I was working on getting to you, but distractions kept popping up."

Jason nodded, then frowned as he caught sight of a young warrior hanging by his feet from the antlers of a large, mounted head on the wall.

"Some distraction," Jason laughed.

"These young warriors." Obadiah shook his head. "They think they're invincible. It's a wonder any of them survive to become old warriors.

Anyhow—" He took on a more businesslike tone. "Have you had any contact with Daniel recently?"

Jason shook his head. "Not so you'd know. Why?"

"He sent me a letter about a week ago, now." Obadiah shrugged. "The folks up in Illumitir are working on something interesting. You know how monsters can change the weather?"

Jason laughed. "We found that out personally, here."

"Oh... Hush," Obadiah sighed. "Anyway, they're hiring warriors to capture water monsters from the dungeons up around Illumitir and drag them out into the open land. It's proving problematic since most dungeon monsters are prohibited by the system from actually leaving their dungeons, but they've had some small successes."

Jason stroked his chin. "They're getting close to breaking the drought?" "Not on a large scale." Obadiah shook his head. "They've created a few isolated showers, only producing enough rain to settle the dust, really, but it's sparking some hope that they could actually succeed in forcing an end to the drought. Where you come in is... There are monsters outside the dungeons that wouldn't need to be dragged out. Rain-deer come to mind, and I think there are a handful of others. I was hoping you might have some ideas on how to do that? Which crops might entice them in, make it easier to capture them, that sort of thing."

Jason chuckled. "Oh, I don't know. The Lazy-H seemed to get affected by rain-deer a lot more than I do, and—" He paused. "Why not just spawn them in manually?"

Obadiah's brow knit together. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, use that fancy dungeon core that you stole from me." Jason crossed his arms. "Just ride up to Illumitir, spawn in a bunch of the target

monsters, and then see what happens. Way easier than trying to capture a whole bunch of creatures."

"That... That could actually work." Obadiah chuckled softly. "It's crazy, but it just might work."

"Just think." Jason elbowed Obadiah in the side, though doing so rather hurt his elbow. "Once, you got in trouble for spawning in a painted dragon. Now, we'll save the world by doing basically the same thing!"

"My dad is going to love this." Obadiah clapped his hands. "You want to come along?"

A wide grin crossed Jason's face. "I wouldn't miss it for the world.

Chapter Thirty-Eight: Laughter

[The alarm went off; it was 6 AM. Jason and Tess were ready to get to work around the farm. They had 42 starting actions.]

[Obadiah's Almanac: 57th day of Spring! 34 days until the Spring Festival! Let's see... Today's going to be pretty dry for the time being, but I'd say there's at least a half-decent chance that you start seeing rain later on this afternoon! Don't ask me why]

Jason was out of bed and halfway dressed before thirty seconds had passed. Tess laughed from behind him and shook her head as she stood up as well. "You're way too excited for this."

"You can't deny that you're excited, too," Jason scowled.

"And I won't try to," Tess snickered. After a moment, she sighed. "I cannot believe I'm letting you guys do this. Have fun, because this will not happen again. Ever."

"Don't worry, I will." Jason smiled as he pulled on the last of his clothing. "Come on! Let's get moving. Obadiah said we need to be in the town square by 8 AM if we don't want to get left behind."

He bolted out the door, scampered down the stairs, and raced out into the farmyard. Milligan was just appearing, and had a broad smile across his face. He hopped down off of Dusty, and the two of them slipped quickly into the barn and started working on chores. Jason dodged the llama's spitballs faster than he had ever done before, and soon all the animals were fed and taken care of. With that, Jason strode back out into the morning light, and he and Milligan got to work once more.

First, they took Angus out of the corral and hitched him up to the carriage. He snorted, seeming to sense that something was the matter, but didn't react. Once Angus was ready, they went to the lean-to, and there dug out Jason's cannon. It had been a wedding present from Jeremiah, and since that time, he'd had precious little reason to use it. Obadiah, though, had requested everyone with a cannon to bring one, just to be on the safe side. They hitched the cannon behind Dusty, and Jason checked to make sure that it was cleaned and ready. A few moments later, Tess appeared on the front porch, a sleepy-looking girl on either hip. They all clambered up into the carriage, Milligan mounted up on Dusty, and with that, they were off.

As it happened, they came out of the drive and onto the road right as Richard and his posse of men came by. Weatherhand rode tall, just behind Richard, a wide and ornery sort of grin on his face. There were two dozen of them in all, and each horse had a cannon coming along behind.

"Howdy, neighbor!" Richard smiled as he slowed to keep pace with the carriage. "Obadiah conned you into this, too?"

Jason shrugged. "Something like that."

Richard laughed and shook his head. "I've never seen anything like this, you know that? I've spent my whole life killing monsters. It was enough of a change starting to raise livestock, but now I'm actually voluntarily

spawning in monsters? If you'd have told me that this is where my life in Summer Shandy would lead, I'd have laughed in your face."

"Well, here we are!" Jason laughed. "Onward!"

They charged on forward, sweeping up toward the town. As the group of them thundered into the town square, they found the place packed. Obadiah sat on an enormous, red horse, while Daniel stood nearby in full plate armor. He smiled and waved, but wasn't able to come over. A few other farmers stood by with their cannons, while more than a few families were mounted up their carriages.

"Alright!" Obadiah clapped his hands and raised his voice. "Thank you all for coming! This... This is absolutely insane, but it just might work. If it does, it'll be helping out tens of thousands, maybe even millions of people. That said, there will be risks." He paused. "First and foremost, we'll be riding up to the edge of the drought. All families and non-combatants will pause at the top of a cliff that overlooks the land. All cannons and most of the warriors will go down the cliff and set up at the bottom so that they can defend Summer Shandy if necessary. Myself, Daniel, and a handful of other high-ranked warriors will proceed and perform the... I don't know what to call this. We'll do the necessary job. I cannot stress how dangerous this will be, so do not step out of line."

"And make sure to have fun!" Daniel cupped his hands around his mouth. "Alright, let's go!"

"I second that!" Jeremiah let out a whoop, and with that, the convoy was off.

Daniel went first, eschewing the use of a horse, as usual. Obadiah came next, and... Well... After that, there was mostly just a mad scramble as everyone fought to come along.

Jason saw an enormous number of people in the crowd. Truly, it looked like almost all of Summer Shandy was coming. Jeremiah rode with Gob sitting on the saddle right in front of him. Paulina, Cecilia, and the two children came along in a carriage of their own, and of course, there were Richard and all his hired men. He even caught sight of Viola and her three children riding in a carriage with the elderly Lily. Theresa came along near the rear, though she seemed to be more concerned about providing for actual medical emergencies as opposed to just watching.

The convoy rode along for hours, riding north through the wilderness. Eventually, they came to a cliff that Jason knew well. The very first year he had arrived in Summer Shandy, he had taken... He had... Well, he had taken one of the four girls in town on a date there. It overlooked a vast plain, dotted with more trees than were usual around Summer Shandy, and marked here and there with a handful of houses. A single road stretched across the expanse, winding ever northward toward the distant Illumitir.

As they came up to the top of that cliff, and Jason looked out across the landscape, he gasped in surprise. About a mile away, perhaps, a sharp line drew itself across the prairie. On the southern half of the line, grasses blew in the soft wind. Trees were filled with leaves, and he saw multiple plots of ground where crops were growing lush and full. On the northern half, though, there was nothing but baked, dry ground. Bare dirt stretched as far as he could see, only broken by dead trees and sharp outcroppings of stone. "Wow," he whispered softly. "That's... Wow."

"No wonder people had to move." Tess pointed. "Look."

Jason followed her finger. Sitting there were two homesteads, one on the northern side, one on the southern. One seemed active, with children racing

about and animals playing here and there. On the far side... It was simply dead. Broken windows and a rusty windmill were all that was left.

"It's going to be okay, though." Jason nodded. "That's why we're here." The civilians soon spread out along the top of the cliff, where they sat back to wait. Another hour passed while the cannons slowly wound their way down the face of the cliff and took up their positions, and Obadiah and his fellow warriors walked out to stand in the dust. They moved until they were little more than specks. Jason held Tess's hand as the little party came to a halt.

A great silence seemed to come across the land. No one spoke, even Fern and Rachel were quiet as they simply... watched. Suddenly, down below, there was a flash of light next to the group of warriors.

"It's a water strider!" someone gasped. "Just look at the thing!"

Jason frowned, and a page came racing by, tossing up spyglasses. Jason pressed it to his eye, giving him a much better view. Standing next to the group of warriors was a tall and slender creature, rather resembling an upright frog. It seemed to start spewing water out of its immense mouth at the warriors, and some of them began chasing it away.

With another flash of light, several rain-deer spawned in. They were as large as moose, with a thick coat of water instead of hair. Precious raindrops came pouring down onto the ground, and they turned and raced away, leaving a long trail of mud after them. Obadiah seemed to look down at the dungeon core, and then thrust it skyward.

There was a flash of light that nearly blinded Jason, and a blast of blue lightning erupted upward from the dungeon core. It spread out like the branches of a tree, a tree thousands of feet high, where monsters took form like leaves and fruit. Swooping down from the tree came great birds that

trailed dark clouds behind them, and rain started to fall as they formed a vortex over the warriors. More monsters began to plummet from the tree as well, misshapen, Lovecraftian frogs and turtles and all sorts of other things. There were octopi that slithered across the ground, fish that had legs, and even something that rather resembled the giant monster that Jason had turned into a cat.

A flicker ran through the sky, and all the clouds over the barren land vanished. Jason sighed in disappointment. It hadn't worked. The lightning- tree slowly began to diminish in size, and a moment later, it had withdrawn all the way down to Obadiah. The monsters all looked around, confused... And then things erupted once more.

A column of cloud exploded upward from the group of warriors as if something had exploded, and the monsters all let out shrieks of excitement, audible even so far away, as a torrent of rain came down all over the dead and dry land. Clouds surged through the sky, dumping untold gallons of water over the province.

The crowd let out a cheer that rose to the skies, and Jason sighed and leaned back in his seat.

They had done it. Even as he watched, and the thick rain clouds spread over the whole of Illumitir, plants began to sprout from the ground. The drought had broken.

Now... Now life could return.

Chapter Thirty-Nine: Wildflowers

[The alarm went off; it was 6 AM. Jason and Tess were ready to get to work around the farm. They had 42 starting actions.]

[Obadiah's Almanac: 85th day of Spring! 6 days until the Spring Festival! If you put out a survey and created the most perfect spring day possible, this would be it! Bright sun, a soft wind... You name it, it's here. Get outside and enjoy it!]

Jason smiled as he rose and walked up to the window. As he gazed out across the landscape, all he saw was life. More wildflowers than ever before seemed to spring up before his eyes, and the green just seemed a bit more green. As Tess came up behind him and gave him a hug, he sighed deeply, then turned and gave her a kiss.

"Good morning." He flashed a grin at her.

"Good morning to you, too." She raised an eyebrow. "What's the occasion?"

"I don't know." Jason shrugged. "It's all just... alive."

He looked out the window for a long moment more. On the road, travelers were steadily streaming north, back up through Summer Shandy toward

their once-abandoned homes in Illumitir. He saw more than a few pointing at the great barn, while others helped themselves to the fruits in Fern's orchard. They were, of course, directed to do so by a sign that Jason had painted himself. Down below, he saw Milligan striding onto the property, and he smiled and turned toward the wardrobe.

It didn't take him long to get dressed, and as he strode down the stairs, he found Tess in the kitchen already, whipping up a large platter of eggs and sausage. Rachel was in her chair, grinning from ear to ear, while Fern raced around their feet in a long, red dress. As Jason came into the room, the front door clicked open, and Milligan came striding in.

"Hey, boss." Milligan doffed his cap as he nodded to Tess. "Just wanted to let you know that the New Eighty is rearing to go. The test plot of lilies I put in is coming on strong. It just put on flowers this morning, which is two days ahead of the test plot from last month. It looks like the wheat-rye we put in there did its job, and it should be ready for planting come summer." "Perfect!" Jason grinned, then nodded at the food. "And you're just in time for breakfast!"

Milligan took a sniff, then nodded. "I wouldn't miss it!"

They were soon seated around the dining room table, and they all tucked into their meal. As they ate, Jason glanced at Milligan.

"I think today we're going to get the last of the beets off the Far Eighty." Milligan nodded and frowned. "Do you want me coming along behind, then? Six days doesn't leave us a whole lot of time available for putting in another crop. Maybe a fast-growing wheat, but that would be about it." "Very true," Jason agreed. "That's why I have no particular plans to put anything else in. We'll let it sit until summer. That said..." A twinkle came to his eye. "I figured I'd give you the next six days to play around with all

your fancy hybrids. Knock yourself out with as many crazy things you want, just make sure they're either harvested by summer, or can be plowed under."

Milligan's smile broke across his whole face. "You won't regret this, my boy! Boss. Person."

"Work daddy?" Fern spoke up. "Peas?"

"Work with daddy." Jason stroked his chin. "Hmm. You'd like to come work with me?"

"She can help me, actually!" Milligan spoke up. "I still don't have large volumes of the seed I'll be planting out there; she can help on her little pony-planter."

Jason glanced at Tess, who nodded and shrugged. "That works fine by me. I'll be shearing Alpha and the other llamas, then processing the wool. I can keep an eye on Rachel; you're both more than welcome to take Fern." "Then it's settled." Jason slapped his thighs and stood up. "Let's get to it!" A few moments later, they all headed out into the yard. Fern raced along behind Jason, and helped him do all the chores (particularly those involving Alice). Jason made sure to keep her between himself and Alpha, not because he wanted to use her as a shield, but because the llama was considerate enough to avoid spitting at him if there was a chance of hitting the little girl. That said, if and when he stepped out of line... Well... The creature showed no mercy.

The chores didn't take long to do. Tess started setting up her wool- processing as Jason started hitching the digger up to Angus, and Milligan helped Fern hitch her little planter onto Alice. As soon as that was all done, they set off for the Far Eighty, an odd sort of caravan, but a good one.

When they came rumbling over that final rise, Jason could only sigh deeply in contentment. There it was... Two fields, tucked away from the world, and both were his. Milligan trotted on ahead and opened up the gates for him, and he rumbled up to the entrance. Before getting started, though, he climbed down and knelt down next to Fern.

"Alright, Fern." He raised an eyebrow. "You know the rules?" "Yes, daddy!"

"You're going to listen to Milligan?"

"Yes, daddy!"

"If he tells you to stop doing something, you'll stop?" "Yes!"

"And you're not going to ask him why?"

"Nope!"

Jason gave her a kiss on the forehead, then slowly stood and nodded at Milligan. "Keep her safe. If you have any seed that's potentially... aggressive, I wouldn't mind if you waited until she was gone."

Milligan waved his hand. "Aggressive? Seed isn't aggressive." He paused. "It can be pointy, and sometimes dangerous in its own right, but I wouldn't call it—"

"Then we'll say dangerous," Jason chuckled. "Just be careful."

"I'll treat her as my own!"

Jason accepted that as a good enough word, and he climbed back up and took hold of the reins. Angus snapped to attention, and Jason snapped the reins firmly. With that, Angus lumbered forward and into the field, and Jason pulled the lever to lower the contraption into the ground.

For one last time that season, the great whirling scoops of the digger tore through the soil. The beets in the ground were a mixture of ordinary sugar

beets, maple sugar beets, and brown sugar beets. Thus far, Milligan still hadn't succeeded in creating a powdered sugar beet, but Jason did hope that it would come at some point. It sounded exciting at the very least, ripe with possibilities.

As he rumbled down, he checked his inventory here and there, and found the assortment of beats neatly sorting themselves out into their own separate categories. Perfect. He made a mental note to save back a few beets of each variety so that he could make more homemade sugar and candies of each type. He could set some of it out for the returning refugees, he could only assume that they would appreciate it, and Fern certainly wouldn't turn it down.

The beets rattled themselves around, and Jason sighed deeply. All around was nothing but open prairie. Off to his right, the New Eighty was full to bursting, so full of potential. Of course, Milligan's greenhouse stood at the exact center of the thing, but that had been where the old structure had stood, and it made it easier for the scientist to work on his experiments. It also meant that there was a good, solid fence around the building in case things escaped. Even as Jason watched, he saw several mobile vines that looked like histle crosses slithering through the crops, looking for a way out. That would make life interesting, but... Wasn't that a good thing, really?

When he reached the end and turned around, he saw Milligan and Fern coming along in his path. Fern was beaming from ear to ear, while Milligan was dropping handfuls of seed into the tin can every ten feet or so. Alice had her head held high, apparently enjoying being a good work horse. It was wonderful to see, there was no doubt about that.

As he started coming back, he cast his eyes to the north, where thick clouds churned and roiled. Good. The parched land could certainly use more rain. Apparently, not only had the drought broken, but Illumitir was receiving record levels of rainfall. The ground was so dry that it was just drinking it all up, and thus, the flooding that usually came with massive amounts of rain simply wasn't surfacing. It was a good situation... At least in general. "Fern!" Jason slowed as he pulled up next to her. "Stop for a moment!" Something had caught his eye on the horizon, and he hopped off the digger and ran over next to the planter. Milligan paused, and Alice drew to a stop as well. "Look at that!"

Fern turned her eyes skyward, and her jaw slowly dropped. "Whoa!" Overhead, moving from the northern horizon, a great creature rose on the winds. It looked like a stingray, an enormous one that must have spanned a thousand feet from wingtip to wingtip. Rain drizzled down from it as it passed overhead, but it paid them no mind, and soon moved on to the south, slowly flapping its fins through the sky. The long tail flickered with lightning, and a soft thunder rolled as it slowly vanished.

"It would seem that you unleashed more than rain." Milligan patted Jason on the shoulder as he moved back to the digger. "That's the fourth such creature I've seen in two days. Just this morning, there was... Well, truth be told, it looked rather like a catfish, but it was just swimming along over the ground. Strangest thing I've ever seen."

Jason chuckled. "Thankfully, everything seems to be harmless. Who knows? Maybe Tess will catch some of them and figure out how to tame them or milk them or turn their spit into bullets, or... I don't know." He laughed. "Honestly, I just don't know."

With that, he took up the reins again, and they took off through the field once more. Fern and Milligan got back to planting, and he sighed deeply. Yes, things were strange, but he could hardly complain about that. Odd creatures—provided that they didn't spit at him—were hardly an issue. As long as he could keep farming, he wasn't going to complain one bit, and it certainly looked like farming was going to come to him in spades. Anything on top of that was simply a bonus.

Chapter Forty: Last Day of Spring

[The alarm went off; it was 6 AM. Jason and Tess were ready to get to work around the farm. They had 42 starting actions.]

[Obadiah's Almanac: 91st day of Spring! It's the day of the Spring Festival! I can say, honestly, that I've never been more excited for a festival as I am today. We've got loads of people coming up through town, people who I'm certain will want to celebrate with us just as much as we want to celebrate with them! Come out and give them a big Summer Shandy welcome, and... Oh, the weather should be fine today]

Jason smiled as he rolled out of bed and slowly climbed to his feet. He stretched a few times, then slowly walked over to the window to look out across the landscape. It was just as green and luscious as ever, with the vibrance of things not seeming to diminish as time moved on. He was certain that, when summer came, it would all start to look more normal, but for now... Now, it was simply all so beautiful that he couldn't bear for it to change.

Down below, passersby were still streaming along, making their way up the road from Portswain. The tide had stemmed somewhat from the earlier

week, but there were still loads of people. Everyone who had been in exile was more than ready to come home and get back to work, and from what Jason had heard, there was certainly more than enough work to be done. "Morning." Tess smiled as she sat up and stretched. "How are you feeling today?"

Jason frowned and bit his lip, then turned and shrugged. "Hopeful."

Tess flashed a small smile, then stood up and nodded. "Me too." She walked over and started to get dressed, pulling a green dress on that was covered in embroidered flowers. "I'll get the girls, you get the chores?" "Works well for me." Jason grinned, then got dressed as well.

He pulled on a standard town tunic, then trotted down the stairs. As he made his way out and into the yard, Chance followed him, only to race up to the fence to look out at the travelers. A few of them leaned over and scratched him behind the ears, and he licked their hands eagerly.

"Some guard dog you are," Jason muttered; though in reality, he didn't mind in the slightest. As he walked up toward the barn, Milligan came trotting into the yard on Dusty and waved.

"Jason, my friend!" the voice boomed across the yard. "Good morning!" Jason spun as an enormous man with a great, red beard that fell down to his belly came striding through the gate, followed by a family that Jason knew well.

"Johan!" Jason grinned as he walked over. He held out his hand, which Johan shook firmly. "Long time, no see! How was Portswain?"

"Better than I ever could have imagined," Johan chuckled. "I'll tell you the story, I promise I will, but... Have you been out to the road recently?" Jason shook his head. "I don't think I've been into town in the better part of a week, and I wouldn't ordinarily go up to the road unless it was for

something like that. Why?"

"Something I think you'll want to see." Johan nodded and pointed him toward the fence. "You never took down that old rusty bin of yours and... Well..."

Jason frowned. He and Johan came walking up to the fence just next to the bin, and he gazed inside. As he did, his eyes widened somewhat, and he climbed over the fence to reach inside.

Nestled in the old collection bin were dozens of letters, envelopes sealed with wax and marked with dozens of different names. Jason frowned as he climbed back over to stand next to Johan, and he slit one open.

"Dear Farmer, I just wanted to let you know how much your food meant to us. We were close to despair, we hadn't been given a bite to eat since we'd left Illumitir, and... It gave us hope, and we thought you ought to know how things turned out for us. We made it all the way down to Portswain, and my husband got a job working on a river barge. There, he was able to make connections that secured him a job working in a trade center once we get back up. If you hadn't put out those loaves of bread, we were considering just setting up a tent in the wood somewhere. You made a huge difference in our lives, and while I know we can never repay you properly, we did want to at least pay you for the bread."

At the bottom of the note, a single silver coin had been folded into the paper. Jason plucked it up.

[1 Port Scrit]

Jason felt a lump grow in his throat, and he slit open the next letter. It was similar in nature, and he shook his head.

"I... I don't know what to say."

"Then don't say anything!" Johan laughed. "Just let us mooch another breakfast off of you, and we'll have a proper festival day!" He lowered his voice. "Truth be told, we've been camping in Darkwater for the last three days so that we'd make sure to be here on the day of the festival."

Jason laughed. "Head up and inside, and I'll be in as soon as I get the chores done."

Johan nodded and strode off, and Jason made his way up and into the barn. Milligan had seemingly been drawn inside the house as well, leaving all the chores to him. Not that he minded in the least; in fact, he thought it was rather charming. He let the horses out into the corral, then started pouring feed for the different animals.

As he went along, he noticed that Alpha was staring at him, and... actually... not spitting at him at all. A smile broke across his face, and as he finished pouring feed for the sheep, he walked up slowly to the llama. "You're not so bad, you know that!" He smiled, and Alpha walked up to the fence and looked down at him. Jason reached out and stroked the creature's neck, and his eyes opened wide. "Wow! You really are soft! No wonder Tess —"

His voice was cut off as Alpha spat a blast of rock-hard spit directly into his face, point-blank range. He yelped and stumbled backward, falling in a heap, and Alpha smacked his lips at if laughing. Jason snorted, then laughed as well as he climbed to his feet, finished up, and made his way back inside. Inside the house, he found one of the largest breakfast spreads he had ever seen placed across the dining room table. The whole of them, except for Jason himself, were already seated and waiting. Well, mostly waiting. Fern had her fork in a pancake, though she hadn't yet actually pulled said

pancake off the serving platter. There was a single remaining seat at the head of the table, and Jason slowly sat down.

"Let's dig in!" Jason clapped his hands. "Have at it!"

Fern whipped the pancake off the dish and bit into it. Rachel opened her mouth and began leaning toward her sister, and Jason watched as Fern wiped up a bit of maple syrup and fed it to her sister. Meanwhile, Johan grinned and nodded at Jason.

"You seem to be putting the barn to good use!"

"We're working on it." Jason nodded. "We still haven't gotten the lower level filled, but that'll come in time."

"You'll get there, you'll get there." Johan grinned. "And you have a new hired man? That's a story I've got to hear."

"It's a long one," Milligan chuckled and shook his head. "I'll give you the notes later."

Jason patted Milligan's arm. "First, I'd like to hear what you've been up to!"

"Ahh! Yes. Portswain was marvelous." Johan grinned. "First off, it's so far south that they don't get snow in winter, which is always a bonus as far as I'm concerned. When I got there, I found that word of the barn had spread. As soon as it was discovered that I was connected with it, I was hired by the Portswain government to help build... Pfft, just about everything. Nothing as large or grand as your barn, I'm afraid, but we did put up several thousand homes for the people coming in, we built granaries and mills and bridges and just about everything you could possibly dream up that has to do with a large group of people entering an area."

"That's great!" Jason beamed. "Congratulations! What are you up to now?"

"Ahh, that's the best part of it." Johan leaned in. "When I was building, I happened upon a bit of corruption in some of the construction guilds. Nothing much, mind you, but I mentioned it to some higher-ups, and they brought in a guy who's apparently the top investigator in the known world these days."

Jason blinked. "You're joking. Hank?"

"The one and only," Johan laughed. "I wish I could have known him when he was still your constable. What a character. Anyway, I could detail all the conversations we had, but one thing led to another, and I'm heading up to work with Tess's brother on dungeon construction. He'd been asking Hank to find someone who could shoot straight, and apparently, I fit that bill. All because you tried to get me to build you a cheap barn!"

Jason felt his cheeks turn red. "I didn't mean to—"

Johan burst out laughing, and he himself started to turn red, though not from embarrassment. "I'm kidding, I'm kidding! It's great, and just like most everything these days, it's all you." He lowered his voice. "Is it true that you were the one with the idea to break the drought? Wouldn't surprise me, and you don't have to say yes or no, but the rumor on the street is that it was a farmer that dreamed up the idea."

Jason just flashed a small smile. "What I will say is that the dungeon core used to do the job used to belong to me. If you ever happen across another one, I'd appreciate a new one!" He laughed, hoping to convey that he wasn't actually serious.

"Then if Daniel has a drawer full of them, I'll make sure to slip you one!" Johan laughed. "Oh, this is a good time. It truly is."

They continued to laugh and talk with one another for several hours. The children all excused themselves after a time and went into the living room,

and eventually, the adults all moved that way as well. Finally, lunchtime came around, but as none of them were really hungry yet, the lot of them rose and made their way out into the yard, mounted up on their respective beasts (or simply started walking), and they all set out for Summer Shandy. When they came plodding up the road and into the town square, they found it a greater hubbub of activity than it had ever been before. Long tables lined the edges of the square, which were set high with food. A band was playing, and displays of flowers stood out everywhere. Unlike the previous festival that had included all the travelers, though... The food wasn't coming from Summer Shandy.

Sure, there were still a few people rushing about cooking turkeys and preparing vast platters of food, but by and large, the refugees were the ones depositing it on the tables. Jason saw enormous watermelons, plates upon plates of oranges, stacks of pineapple, bowls of coconuts, and platters of roasted game birds that certainly didn't live up near Summer Shandy.

All around, the message seemed to be clear: "Thank you for taking care of us when we were heading south. Let us take care of you now that we're heading home."

All told, it was a festival unlike any that Jason had ever experienced. The town stable was full to overflowing, leaving Jason to turn Angus out into one of the temporary corrals used by the livestock guilds. When he returned, the music played loudly, and all of them together, refugee and resident, struck up a rapid dance.

Unlike some of the other festivals, there was no formal program. The music and the dancing came and went. When the Summer Shandy musicians stepped down, others came up, playing music from both Illumitir and

Portswain. Everyone tucked into the food as the sun started to set, and when the feasting came to an end, it seemed like hardly a dent had been made. Jason talked with men from all parts of the province, compared notes about which crops could grow in which climates, told stories about escaped animals, and debated about which of them had the best kids. Fern, meanwhile, joined an immense crowd of youngsters that tore around the town, playing in the alleys and the stores and homes just as if it were one big playground. And, for that day... it basically was.

Jason and Tess didn't leave until long after sunset. They bade farewell to all their friends, new and old, and Jason told Milligan to sleep in the next morning. Then, with their two girls falling fast asleep on their laps, they struck out for home.

Another year had come and gone in Summer Shandy. As seemed the usual, it had been even better than the one before... And Jason couldn't wait to see if the trend continued.