Guardian's Farm 4

It took me half a day of power walking to realize just how much I had annoyed the scribe, and how successful I had been in my little plot. I had already realized that my little plot of land was away from the town, but I didn’t expect it to be that much. 

Even with my aggressive pace and light load, it took half a day to arrive, and even the nearest village was two hours away with that pace, with a forest in between. A forest that showed signs of a wild animal population, some of them deadly to the villagers. 

Luckily, after more than two decades as an adventurer, no wild animal that still lived anywhere near the Empire was a threat to me. Even more importantly, the forest had some beaten paths so finding my way wasn’t too hard. 

But, the stringent pace was worth it when I looked at the small patch of land that nestled under the mountain, the crisp air from the mountains carrying the smell of pine and earth invigorating. It didn’t smell perfect like the capital. 

It smelled real. 

“My sanctuary,” I muttered, unable to call it home as I moved forward, trying to see exactly which parts of the land had been bestowed upon me. I didn’t expect to have neighbors anytime soon, but it was still a better idea to build any permanent structure on the official land to avoid any potential messes in the future. 

Calm, beautiful, away from civilization and everyone I knew, this place was exactly what I needed despite the thick overgrowth that would have been impossible to clean properly if it  wasn’t for my extraordinary strength. 

However, hard work was worth it to have a place away from prying eyes and the burdens of my past, allowing me to leave the schemes disappointments, and duties behind. 

The sun was already about to set, so I picked a nice rock and used the blade I had acquired from the market to cut a few leafy branches from a nearby tree, making myself temporary bedding. 

The limited funds I possessed had been consumed by my meager purchases, an axe, a grindstone with a wheel, a shovel, a hoe, and a small plow that I could operate on my own. None of them were particularly well-made, and they had no hint of magic as a part of their structure. It wouldn’t have been enough for a proper farm, but for the small garden I planned to have for my own purposes, it was. 

As the sun set, the sky was covered with stars. “How I missed it,” I said as I looked at the dark sky, adorned with stars. It had been a common sight as an adventurer, but for the last two years, the sky had lost its luster. 

My previous assumption was that it had been disappointing, but now that I was back in the wilderness, I could see that my guess was a true understatement. The capital had been filled with bright, beautiful lights, but only now I was realizing just how much it stole the luster of the rest. 

If only I wasn’t alone. Maybe I should have asked… “No thinking of the past,” I said, doing my best to look forward. 

It was hard. 

I lay down for a while until the chill hit me hard. I stood up, gathered some broken branches, and dug a small pit, along with some leaves. The process was automatic, something I had done thousands of times. But, when it was completed, I turned to my left, expecting Seraphine to be there, ready to turn it into a roaring fire with a flick of her finger. 

She was not here. Neither was Thorne, preparing the beasts he hunted, lecturing us about eating every part of the beast to respect their ultimate sacrifice in the cycle of life… There was no Anna to share a stolen glance… 

No one was here. I didn’t even need to wonder if they were looking at the same sky. At this hour, they would have been at a dinner or a party, mingling with their ‘noble’ peers as they jockeyed around their little victories, trying to climb even higher. 

I wondered if they would be satisfied with the council, or make a bid to the empty throne. I had a feeling Elric was already making a bid, but I knew that it was likely to fail. He was under the impression that, by doing enough favors to other nobles, he would inevitably climb high enough.  

“Life was easier when the only thing to worry about was a crazy dragon possessed by a demon of darkness,” I muttered. For this, I was glad that I was alone, as it would have been enough to declare me crazy. 

Instead of pondering on what was lost, I began collecting leaves and feeding them to turn into a large fire. 

Once the fire was raging, I turned my gaze to the dark mountain, listening to the sounds of the beasts. Howling of the wolves, the roars of bears, prowling birds of prey, and many other beasts that lived in the mountains. No wonder the guard felt the need to warn me. It was no place for a solo farmer, not even a veteran. 

Well, at least, the ordinary kind. The mountain might hold its dangers, but I operated on a completely different level. Besides, there was a certain appeal to facing challenges that were straightforward. There was something primal and beautiful in a predator determined to kill to protect its domain. Far too different from the greed of a politician. 

I was content to let the world move on without me as I listened. I laid back on the grass, hands behind my head, and watched as the night sky unfurled in all its splendor as I pulled a piece of bread. A cheap, slightly stale one I had bought with my last remaining copper, and took a bite. 

Its rough texture felt unfamiliar as I chewed it, like I hadn’t ground up bread like this … or even worse, particularly during a bad winter. “You better get used to it, Magna,” I said as I took another bite, but it was difficult. Our adventures had been challenging, but we had rarely lacked good food. Traveling with some of the greatest hunters and mages in the world meant that the food we had might have been simple, but it was never bad. 

“Maybe I need to think about a plot for wheat,” I said, ready to close my eyes. But, before I could do so, a growl interrupted my thoughts. I raised my head, only to see a wolf nearby, looking ready to pounce. 

The appropriate response to any wild beast showing such a threatening pose was an aggressive one. 

But, when it took another step forward, letting me get a better glimpse of its stature, my reaction turned into a chuckle. “Feeling bored, little friend,” I said, unable to muster any kind of fear. How could I, when the wolf in question was tiny. Not exactly a pup, but not a proper adult either. 

At my lack of response, he growled even louder as it took a step forward, looking angry, his eyes looking like they were on fire. Too angry, even. I frowned, realizing that his ribs shouldn’t be that visible. 

The young wolf growled and barked, getting closer and closer, but the closer he got, the more I realized just how bad of a situation he was in. His legs were trembling badly, his fur knotted with a lack of care. 

What I did was something completely stupid. I threw my remaining bread to him. 

Feeding a wild predator that lived near my farm was a stupid thing to do, but I couldn’t help it. Looking at the eyes of the beast, I could see a wild youth who departed his farm in the middle of the night, thinking that his growth spurt meant that he was destined to win no matter what life threw his way. 

The wolf looked at me with surprise rather than getting the bread and running away, making me wonder if it was a magical breed, or if it was naturally smart. Unfortunately, my exotic animal knowledge was limited at best. 

“You scared me properly. Take that as a payment for my security,” I said with a teasing tone. To my surprise, my words had proved effective. The wolf actually nodded before his chin snapped around the bread. 

Then, he turned and darted back into the darkness, leaving me to chuckle in amusement. 

“Well, that was fun,” I said, but my desire to sleep had disappeared. Instead, I grabbed my axe, and walked around until I saw a proper branch that could be turned into a quarterstaff. 

At the time, my weaponry consisted of an axe, a blade, and my punch. The first was too final against any wild beast, the second was too short … and as for the third, even I didn’t want to get into a fistfight with a bear. 

I wouldn’t have lost, but I had no intention to aggravate the wounds that lingered on my body; a surprising amount had been received during the last two years as I dealt with challenger after challenger for my post. 

No, the staff gave a nice combination of reach and non-lethal power. Once it was complete, I ignored the temptation to continue working even more and lay down again. Tomorrow, I would begin the task of building a life from the ground up. 

For the rest of the night, I allowed myself the simple pleasure of existing at the moment, free from the chains of the past and the responsibilities of the future, listening to the gentle sounds of the wilderness as my lullaby.  

I closed my eyes, feeling that, for the first time in a long while, I would have a restful sleep.