"By the way, Diara, you said you're heading to Ves-Dinas. Where are you coming from?"
"I was transporting a statue discovered in Aquiln to Ves-Dinas."
"All the way from that distant labyrinthine city to here…"
As Diara recounted the journey to Lisia, the wagon passed by the mill at the heart of the farmstead, where the windmill's blades turned steadily. The sounds of metal being hammered and quenched echoed from the farmstead's forge as they rolled by.
Lisia explained to Gravel that thanks to a magic spell cast on the fields to restore soil fertility, there was no need to plant beans or red clover to replenish the soil or leave fields fallow, making the farmstead's work much easier. By the time she finished, the wagon came to a stop beside a large well, next to a willow tree with its drooping branches.
The willow's slender leaves and sagging branches hung so low they brushed the shoulders and heads of those riding horses, tickling them gently.
Lisia stepped down from the wagon and walked toward a large two-story building beside it.
The house had an enormous, elongated roof that resembled the upturned hull of a great ship. To support the disproportionately large roof, small wooden pillars connected the roof to the ground, lining the walls in a distinctive, orderly row.
As the group dismounted and craned their necks to take in the long house, Lisia, who had walked ahead to greet the farmstead's people waiting by the wagon, requested they prepare rooms for the long-absent guests. She then returned and explained the name and purpose of the longhouse at the center of the farmstead, guiding everyone toward the building's entrance.
"Please wait in the hall on the first floor for a bit. It's been so long since we've had visitors at the farmstead, so it might take some time."
Lisia said to the group as they approached the door leading into the longhouse.
"I'll go water the horses. You all go in first." said Kein, turning back toward the wagon and horses.
"I'll help too." said Reave, following behind.
Leaving the two behind, the group entered the building, and a spacious hall greeted them immediately. At the center of the hall, a massive hearth warmed the interior. Looking up at the high ceiling, they saw a small window where smoke escaped, and below it, fish and chunks of meat hung from the rafters, strung up to dry.
A wooden staircase leading to the second floor stood against the far wall of the hall. The walls of both the first and second floors were bare of paintings, replaced instead by small windows and shelves holding plates of dried fruit and spare dishes, haphazardly arranged.
"Have a seat, and I'll bring something to drink. And Diara, could you come with me for a moment? I need some help organizing the logs and records to send to Lord Ratak." Lisia said.
At Lisia's words, Gravel, Iris, and Nia sat at the long table surrounding the central hearth, looking around the hall curiously.
*****
Diara followed Lisia through a corridor leading deeper into the hall, entering a room behind a thick wooden door.
A large desk stood in the room, covered with thick books and curled scrolls. A bookshelf, reminiscent of a small library, lined one wall, filled with books of various covers.
"Before I forget, here are the documents I've been working on."
Lisia said, picking up a heavy book from the desk and placing it on the table in front of the chair where Diara sat.
She then pulled a few stacks of papers from the desk's drawer and retrieved a couple of small books from the bookshelf, setting them on the table before sitting across from Diara.
Lisia reached for an incense burner placed at the corner of the table. It was shaped like a horse, standing a hand's height tall with its front hooves raised. Pulling a small wooden box beside it closer, Lisia placed a piece of splintered cedarwood on her palm. With a small magic circle, she cast a fire spell, and a tiny flame sparked on the cedarwood before fading, sending a thin wisp of white smoke curling toward the ceiling.
"The log is all in that one book." Lisia began.
"Those scrolls are recent events I've written down but haven't yet transcribed into the book. If you need any additional documents, I can provide them. Just let me know if you need help, Diara."
Speaking softly to Diara, Lisia placed the smoldering cedarwood into the incense burner. White smoke began to drift from the horse-shaped burner's mouth and nose, resembling the breath of a horse in the cold winter air.
"We brought this cedarwood from Rondela Island in the south and planted it here at the farmstead. It struggles through the winters, but it's growing well. Soon, we'll be able to cultivate cedarwood reliably in Vanald too."
Lisia said, sliding the incense burner to the center of the table.
"Lord Ratak will be pleased."
Diara replied, flipping through the logbook page by page.
"If there's anything the farmstead needs for its operations, let me know. I'll report it to Lord Ratak when I submit these documents."
"There's nothing specific to request." Lisia said.
"We've successfully cultivated new crop varieties, and with more people sent by village chiefs and lords from across the territory, we actually have a surplus of labor. But…"
Lisia bit her lower lip slightly, as if hesitant to bring up a difficult topic.
"Please read these." she said, standing to retrieve a few sheets of paper from the desk behind her before sitting back down.
She unrolled the papers, checked their contents, and passed them across the oval table to Diara.
"These are…"
Diara's expression darkened as she read the words on the papers. Her brow furrowed as she continued to scan the documents.
"They're requests from lords." Lisia explained.
"Most of them want to cultivate the improved crop varieties developed at the farmstead in their own territories first."
"How do the lords know so much about the farmstead's situation?" Diara asked.
"Well, half of the workers here were sent by the lords, so… it was somewhat expected." Lisia said, smoothing her neatly trimmed nails with her palm. She let out a long sigh through her nose before continuing.
"As a result, two factions have formed at the farmstead: those who have been working here for a long time and those sent by the lords."
"That's troubling. Have there been any conflicts between the two groups?"
Diara asked, rolling the papers back up neatly.
"Yes. There's constant tension between those who want to distribute the seeds of crops that thrive in cold weather—especially high-yield barley and large potatoes—to as many people as possible before winter, and those who argue that more time is needed for research and refinement. You'll likely see it for yourself when the farmstead's workers gather in the longhouse for dinner later."
Lisia propped her chin on her hand and let out another deep sigh.
"I see. It would be best to observe the situation firsthand." Diara said.
"It's not too serious, so don't worry too much, Diara."
Lisia reassured her, raising her voice slightly to lighten the heavy atmosphere.
"We don't even have enough seeds to distribute to all those territories. The two groups only bicker when they're gathered in the longhouse; otherwise, everyone works hard."
"I'll keep that in mind." Diara replied.
"Then rest until dinner. The food made with ingredients grown here is delicious, so look forward to it." Lisia said.
Diara's expression brightened at Lisia's words. Lisia laughed and began talking about the dishes they'd eat that evening and small events at the farmstead. Feeling more at ease, Diara shared stories from her journey, and their conversation continued.
*****
Night fell over the farmstead. Far in the distance, the snow-capped peak of Latela Mountain gleamed whiter under the light of the two moons floating in the black sky.
As the sun set, torches were lit around the fields. Horses pulling plows and workers covered in dirt shook off the day's grime and began walking toward the longhouse at the farmstead's center.
People, weary from a day's labor, their throats craving ale and stomachs yearning for a hearty meal, gradually appeared, heading toward the longhouse.
With tired, shuffling steps, they opened the door, broad smiles spreading across their faces as they stepped into the massive building.
The night breeze rustled the willow's leaves, adding sound to the quiet farmstead. From the forge, a dog, waiting for its master to finish work, wagged its tail and walked alongside the blacksmith toward the longhouse, the sacred haven for those with hungry stomachs.
At the center of the longhouse's largest space, a great bonfire illuminated and warmed the interior, surrounded by a stone chimney. Small holes in the chimney's walls allowed slivers of light to spill out.
Around the bonfire, several long tables, each capable of seating ten people on one side, were arranged with matching long benches. The benches were adorned with various rugs made from the furs of small animals, decorating the rough-hewn seats.
On the wooden staircase leading to the second floor, five small tables for guests were neatly arranged, surrounded by chairs. Gravel, Iris, and Nia sat together at one of the upstairs tables, while Diara, Reave, and Kein sat at another nearby, looking down at the lively dinner scene of the farmstead's workers on the first floor.
A small wooden cart, carrying a large black cauldron, was pushed by a farmstead woman. Her ladle, filled with vegetables and chunks of meat, moved swiftly to fill the empty bowls of the workers.
From the kitchen, large platters of roasted meat cooked over a wood fire and baskets filled with golden-brown bread baked in the oven were carried out by the farmstead's dining staff.