Chapter 18: Attack on the corn
Deep in the forest a stocky teen and a little girl half his size were arguing.
Some might think that the boy held an overwhelming advantage over the girl. On closer inspection nothing could be further from the truth. The girl was surrounded by her cronies like a Triad boss.
Worse yet, all of them were wolves nearing the size of a young calf. With such a peculiar backing she was confronting the boy in a haughty manner.
To a visitor who frequented the Great Forest for a living, seeing two bickering brats was not the cause for their jaws to drop. It was the location these dummies chose to quarrel.
'This place is the Great Western Forest damit! Why the heck are two spoilt kids doing so far inside this dangerous place?'
"I want the head, heart and part of the backbone."
"Hell no, I need the bone for Sue to make soup. Take the liver instead."
Came the curt reply.
The girl placed her hands on her hips and pouted.
"No deal, Chu already promised me the liver. The 'pine' must be included."
The thugs at the side nodded their furry heads in agreement like they understood their boss.
"Its 'SIPIANE' not pine. Little girls like you should not try to use such big talk if you cannot even pronounce the words."
The teen smiled with a smug look as he got one over the girl.
Their shady dealings soon came to an abrupt end.
Slap!
"What the hell are you trying to negotiate when there is work to be done. Get your sorry ass over here and help us with the ropes."
Chu turned to look at Dyna who was already running away. Her henchmen had long scattered and slunk away in the forest.
"You better do your job right before you even think of getting any of this meat."
"AND it's 'spine' you idiot! SPINE!"
There was nobody in front of him, but his words reached the ears of the ones they were meant for.
After the kill, Lucy was sent out of the forest to guide Clod into the forest with the two horses and some tools. Dyna and her wolves followed them as an added escort. Her wolves had long blended in with the horses as typical farm animals.
Within a few months, it could be seen how this bunch were nearly desensitized to the dangers existing within the forest. For many villagers living near the forest, even speaking about it brought a feeling of menacing pressure.
This group however treated it like their own backyard. With the plethora of detection and scouting skills they did earn the right to do so.
Clod was currently reinforcing the wagon to carry this heavy load. He constructed a small ladder type bed to rest the boar. After that they just had to stack wood blocks to raise the four ends until it was higher than the wagon.
The wagon was rolled under it and the blocks slowly removed one by one to transfer the load. This method eliminated the risk of the wagon toppling over.
It took them nearly all afternoon to accomplish this task. Clod then had the task of guiding the horses while Chu and Ming pushed or used small logs to help the wagon move over this uneven terrain. Mr Thomas and Lucy assumed the role of acting as guards.
The wolf pack acted as scouts, while Dyna moved in the front to help Clod in picking the best path between the trees.
Like this they very slowly made their way out of the forest.
***
"This is the third one. I think they are following our scent and the little blood splatter from the boar, Elder."
Thomas looked at the girl dragging a large fox in her hand. She came up to the wagon and tossed the dog sized fox onto it. It joined two others of its kind adding more load to the strained wagon.
"Damit Lucy, how much work are you going to give me! Chu I want meat for a week when this is over!"
Both boys were drenching in sweat. They were lucky that Dyna had brought water pouches for them. In the forest they would not know when they passed out from dehydration.
Besides clearing the wheel tracks, Chu and Ming had to help push and brace on inclines and use makeshift levers to help guide it over tree roots. Like most virgin forest the undergrowth was sparse but it was still hard work to navigate in between the trees.
A little while later Dyna appeared.
"It's not to far again to the edge of the forest. My wolves have run around howling making their presence felt. The smaller predators have now been scared off."
Chu drank some water and turned to Lucy.
"I don't 'see' any strange scents in front of us. I think we should be okay in this direction. If we get out before nightfall we should avoid the larger predators as they begin to roam."
She replied to his look.
"Thank the heavens the boar was not bleeding like crazy. Otherwise we could never get it out from so deep in the forest."
He answered.
It was also the reason they did not act like idiots and butcher the animal in the forest. Doing something like that would be like walking around an archery range with a bullseye target strapped to their backs. A blood trail in the forest opened them up to danger.
It was early in the night when the party made their way out of the forest. Under Dyna's guidance those curves and twisted paths led them just south of the gentle hill the barn was on.
Under this added incentive where they were nearly home, everyone gave it their all to push, pull and even coax the weary horses. Dyna was holding a makeshift torch that provided them with light.
Soon a couple of torches came bobbing down the hill.
Amanda was on watch and saw the torch. Finding they were moving slow she notified the others. They decided to take the risk and join them. Five extra hands soon boosted the morale of the tired hunters.
This was more than just a gathering of people. This was a family.
It was late at night when the group finally made it into the stockade. The wolf pack was the last to emerge from the forest. They loitered around before joining the others in the farm.
Clod was drenched but still tended to the horses before resting. The others had long collapsed around the farm. With Lucy using her skills intermittently and the wolf pack wandering around, there was no need to worry about an ambush.
In the hot summer night torches were lit around the stockade near the bottom of the hill. Mr Thomas was busy butchering the boar into large portions of meat to hang into the smokehouse.
All the cured meats were emptied and placed into the cellar. It took the combined efforts of most of them to carry the large pieces into the smokehouse.
A few pieces were taken by Sue and Mrs Thomas to dry and make jerky. Some were taken by Sakura and Amanda to make sausages to be cured. The others were porters simply moving the meat when needed.
"Hey I did the most work during this hunt. All claims are supposed to be handled by me."
"The head and heart are mine for scouting. I still want a piece of spine."
The arguement that began in the forest had restarted.
"Hmm...give me ten coppers of your spending money next time we go into the village."
"No, I have been saving up my money for a new pair of boots."
"Then no deal, my bead is more important than some petty shoe you know."
Slap!
"Dyna get your minions, Mr Thomas will light a fire to help you clean the pieces you want. Use the heart and liver tonight in your feeding recipes while they are fresh. The head and part of the spine will be placed in the smokehouse for you to use later. You did good today, I'm proud of you."
"Yay!..Thanks Chu."
The little girl skipped outside to call her wolves.
"Ming dig a hole to bury the parts Dyna doesn't want. I want it dug down the hill so it does not affect our well water."
"Ok Chu but like I said I was the one who worked the hardest so I deserve some extra incentive."
Chu could only shrug in helplessness. This guy would nag him all night if he chose to ignore him.
"Fine, fine I will get you that damn bead when we next make the trip into the village."
"Hehehe...I knew you would see it my way Chu."
Ming scampered off while Chu returned to help carry the meat.
It was morning when they finished this task. Lack of refrigeration had them working against time to get the meat into the smokehouse. Chu sorely missed a good old fashioned freezer.
He had Dyna get her wolves to prowl around and keep watch. Everyone got hot water from the kitchen for a bath, and lumbered into the barn. After a hot meal of bread and stewed boar, they found a bed and crashed to sleep.
In the evening the watch was manned and the wolves went for a hard-earned rest.
The worry that the faint blood trail attracting trouble proved unfounded. Fortunately the next few days passed by uneventfully.
He believed himself very lucky when they ended up having a summer shower that lasted for two days.
With meat not being a problem anymore, Chu focused their efforts on construction and training.
He checked the site and instructed Clod to build a small but stout shack outside the palisade. This was to be the new butchering station for the farm.
If predators made their way out of the forest, it was better to have them curious about that place on the outside rather than inside the fence.
Clod agreed and suggested than they build a small shack to process the pelts. He added that they should plant a small plot of the scent removing herbs near the area. Adequate cleaning with those herbs and some limestone would reduce any bloody scent.
The next thing they looked at was their smokehouse. Chu wanted a solid independent stockade placed around it. Although the cellar was full, securing all their food sources was first priority.
The conversion of the old farmhouse to a stable for the horses was completed. With the stone walls and thick logs, it was impenetrable when securely bolted. Thick round logs were placed around the walls of the barn about six feet high and four inches apart turning it into a veritable wooden fortress.
Unless it was a strong destructive predator like a Snow bear, they were more than secure. Clod cut small windows on the lower level of the barn complete with wooden bars. When shut they were safe like a turtle in a shell.
Except if the enemy used fire. Then like the turtle he was royally screwed.
If a predator like a Jaga happened to scale the outer perimeter, it could only sniff and slink around in frustration.
Of course its time would be short, the watch tower and small windows offered a full circle view. Unlucky predators had to eat a volley of crossbolts.
The main work remaining was the completion of the outer fence. The headway was slow because of the hard work.
Chu finally decided to give it a priority. He decided to finish it by building a weaker but quicker fence. Once completed they would then accumulate the logs and strengthen it later.
Before continuing the project he gave Sakura and Amanda a task to complete.
The rest of the week saw them busy in the forest. In the mornings they would manage the farm and then head out to the forest. Instead of this being one of the most dangerous work for humans like the villagers just north of them, this was now a low risk venture for them.
With a pack of wolves already marking this as their territory and Lucy practicing her scouting and ambush skills, they had little to be scared of. Without having to constantly scan for danger, work progressed very efficiently.
***
One night the wolves woke up and started scratching and growling at the door.
Dyna quickly found Chu who was on watch in the tower.
"There is something outside."
Chu looked at her thoughtfully.
"Wake up Ming and let him meet me up in the tower. Wake up Mr Thomas and Lucy."
Soon Ming joined him in the lookout as they searched around in the moonlight. He left Ming and climbed down.
"I don't smell anything close to the barn. I'm going up to see if I can spot anything."
Lucy spoke and climbed up.
"The wolves are not scared but excited. I think whatever it is to them is more like food."
Dyna chimed in.
'Have you really noticed the size of your little monsters? What is not food to them.'
Chu turned to Mr Thomas who was holding his sheathed sword.
The old man had a thoughtful expression before he responded to the look.
"I think there is no reason to doubt the wolves. They are much better than guard dogs in knowing what is what. The stables are secure so let's wait on what Lucy has to say."
They stood around waiting until Lucy finally came down. She had a confused look on her face.
"Nothing near the barn. It's okay but..."
Chu looked at her. Her expression was like a student muddling over an exam question.
"The only strange smell came from the direction of the fields. I saw like something was moving in it. I can't get a good view on it from the tower. The smell is kind of familiar...Maybe like a pheasant?"
Since both Lucy and Dyna played down the threat, Chu relaxed from the tense mood. He did take note that completing the wall was a priority. He would feel better with that added security.
They went back to rest, but he still doubled the watch. It was a really, really long time that they encountered some excitement near the barn.
'Maybe they were beginning to get complacent?'
In the morning Dyna had her wolves scout the area before they went out.
After breakfast they drove the wagon as usual down to the fields at the back of the barn.
What greeted them was a sight of wanton destruction.
The damage to the corn fields began in a corner and spread like a cracking mirror across the plantation. The perpetrators made a clean sweep hunting down and destroying mature produce.
The vegetable farm was in a mess with some of the ripe melons and other large crops half eaten. As a result, they were beyond salvaging.
Trails and prints criss crossed the fields as if a huge herd descended on the place.
"What the Hell?!"
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