Chapter 5: Chapter 5: Act 1: Chapter 1
Fifth day, Sixth Moon, 228 AC
I wiped the sweat off my brow as I finished loading the barrels of vodka into the wagon, in preparation for tomorrow's trip. As I looked around, I felt a surge of pride for my work as I looked at my new barn. It was a work of art, at least as much as I could make it, and it was large as well since it held my cattle, draft horses, and my stills. It had been 3 years since I arrived at this abandoned farm, and winter was finally coming back. I had placed an order for a cast iron stove last year, when I had made a trip to White Harbour and finally found someone who knew what I was talking about. It was weird talking to someone who vaguely knew what I was talking about but was skeptical of its purpose since this type of iron was so weak.
A call from outside shook me from my thoughts, "'Lo?! Michael, you there?"
I called back, "Just inside the barn, hold on." I walked outside and closed the door behind me. I looked about and saw Koryn standing near my house.
"'Lo Micheal, you ready for tomorrow?"
As I walked up to him, I gave him a nod and said, "Yep, I've got the wagon loaded and my food ready. I aim to set out after day break, so hopefully I will be in Deepwood Motte and my order will be waiting for me. You got the list of what your parents want me to pick up?"
Koryn rolled his eyes and chuckled, "Yeah, I got it here. They was fighting over what they wanted, but they want, red and black dye, half a stone of that total, and they wanted a saw like you got."
Koryn handed out some coins to me, and said, "I'll be by tomorrow morning to watch after your farm." He paused for a moment, and then looked me in the eye, "Say, my ma and pa seem pretty excited about something. That wouldn't have anything to do with you now would it?"
I coughed at the unexpected questions.
"Well, now you have to keep this quiet you hear? I've gone and got your parents blessing to wed your sister. I was planning to ask her when I got back, I want to pick up a few things to make everything nice and special for her."
Koryn gave me a huge grin and pulled me in for a hug. "It's about time, goodbrother! We was waiting for you to ask for two years now!"
I gave a polite cough, and responded weakly, "I just wanted to get to know her better before we wed. 'Sides, I wanted my farm good and ready before she moved in,"
The smile had yet to leave Koryn's face. "Well, Nyra is going to be very happy." He shook his head in wonderment. "Ever since you moved in, life's been looking up. You moving here must have been the will of the gods. That threshing machine of yours is doubly blessed, and the money you threw around when you first got here was much appreciated too," he said with a wink.
I had hired some locals for manpower when I first moved here to build up the original barn and home, so that I could get out of the elements for the first time in a year and have some comfort. It allowed me to get some of my crops planted so I would have food for the year, and the time to build some real buildings. My log cabin, looked like one of those classic full log cabins, it was a beautiful thing and could only be completed when my sawmill was finished. The sawmill however, was quite frankly, awful. I had high hopes for it, since I knew roughly how to build one, and if I had all the pieces and just needed to put it together, I am sure it would have been perfectly fine. But trying to make everything from scratch myself? I'm getting frustrated thinking about it even now. It worked, and I was able to make timber fine enough, but it was basic, looked awful, and not as efficient as I had hoped for. But, it was still better than attempting it by hand.
I shook those thoughts from my head and gave Koryn a wry grin, "I find money is always well-liked. Time for a drink before you go?" He nodded his ascent, and I went inside my cabin and grabbed two cups and a small jug of vodka. As I came out, I found him sitting on a chair on the porch and I sat beside him.
As I poured the drinks I said, "Yes, life is good. I still remember the face on Lord Stark's man when he came to collect the taxes last moon. He was so confused about how much grain we have him."
Koryn laughed, "Aye! It took a few years for that new farming rotation you showed us to pay off, and when we went together for the first time two moons ago with that big load, he almost didn't have room for it!"
"Least he was smart enough to not complain!"
We gave a cheers before downing our cups. I poured another for each of us as Koryn spoke again, "Yes, know that we can make more than we need my ma really wants some of them dyes to brighten up our clothes a bit. Really do something special. I think she just wants to show off a bit, maybe try and get me 'n Zane a wife. Da is already getting ready to set up a new farm for Zane backing on ours. 'S why he wants that saw, make things a bit easier. He'll talk with you soon enough about seeing if he can use that sawmill 'o yours."
I gave a nod. Koryn was always on my back about marrying, but the truth was he had two name days on me and was still un-married.
I responded, "The dyes are smart thing then. That'll get all the girls lining up for you, eh? And tell your Da, that he can use the mill long as I can keep a portion of the scraps. Always good to mix into the fields."
Koryn nodded at that, "Thanks Michael. Well I should be off, this vodka of yours always hits me hard. I'll see you when you get back, aye?"
I waved to him, as he strode off back to his home. As I moved about, I thought of my hopefully soon-to-be wife, Nyra. She was quite beautiful, even by modern standards, with blonde hair that contrasted my black hair and ice blue eyes to my brown. She was average height, but it was her wit that made her stand out to me. In a place, where there was no education, she was a jewel. While she didn't know mathematics, or have a complex understanding of how the world worked, her mind was quick. When I had showed her my sawmill, she quickly grasped the possibilities. She was able to speak her mind clearly and was kind and considerate. Over the past three years, we had gotten to know each other, as I had helped her family on many occasions and vice versa.
I was excited to share my life with her, the life that I had carved out in this land. The North was a harsh, but beautiful place. The summer snows were very interesting. It wasn't that the temperatures dropped below freezing constantly, though it did probably drop to 41-50 degrees overnight occasionally especially closer to Autumn, it was when the wind came blowing in from the north bringing the snow and cold wind.
I was finally content with my life. My last major object was the cast iron stove, and then my home be ready for my wife. I had delayed over the years marrying Nyra because I had wanted a true home for her to move in to. There was also the fact that she was the same age as me, and even in this world if she was capable of marrying over five years ago, it felt wrong for me to marry a child, even as a child.
Later that night, in front of the firepit, I took out my guitar that I finally finished and started to play a soft song to end the night.
"Listen to the wind blow, watch the sun rise. Running in the shadows, damn your love, damn your lies…"
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