Skies and Stories of Gold

"I am sure he will be able to do as he likes though, even if he doesn't get fully better. He is a very kind and happy so I am sure that he will be able to spread it around to anyone he meets, even in his own home he has the town with him from what I have heard so far." River said and smiled at him some, watching him now since he seemed to move a lot as he spoke.

"I've never actually been in one, I guess I never expected something to be inside either." She said and laughed a bit quietly after having walked inside with him, looking around before just watching the thing spinning in the middle. "This is pretty interesting though, to see how this works."

Varek smiled more as he listened to River's answers.  She sounded so positive about everything they've talked about so far, and it was certainly welcome.  He wondered how she would fare with the other villagers in town...

"I'm thankful for your interest.  This is where we'd grind all the salt, sugar, coffee, cocoa and curry.  The waterwheel down by the river is where we grind our wheat, corn and buckwheat into flour and cornmeal.  It works the same way, but with running water instead of wind," he explained, pointing to the grinders and the gears turning about.  "Since summer is coming up, we'll probably be grinding sugar and corn.  We can help you with that when that time comes!"

He then made way for the exit, holding the door open for her again and leaning in the direction of the animal pen.

"Have you ever seen a cow and a chicken close up, before?"

River listened to him and nodded every once in a while as she did, hearing about all that they did there or down by the water. That also interested her, how all of the grinding worked since he said he would also help with that. Maybe it was just a process that took a while or a lot of effort, maybe just a lot of people made it go smoother.

"A cow or chicken? I haven't really, not like able to touch close." She mumbled before smiling at him hesitantly. If he was asking she wasn't sure how this might turn out, at least he would be taking care of them more then her. When he held the door open for her she walked outside and waited to follow him to the next area.

Varek then started to explain as they headed towards the animals in the barn/coop combination pen.

"That's fine!  It's really easy to befriend them, they'll like you plenty if you warm up to them with some food.  Harvey only has one chicken and one cow as of now, so he put them in the same area so they wouldn't get lonely."

They quickly arrived within another minute, as the building was close to the windmill.  It was a larger place, slightly bigger than Harvey's house, but this was to fit rows and rows of space for all the animals.  Varek showed her inside and immediately the stench of animal filled their noses.  Old hay was strewn about the floor and wood seemed to be the primary means of "decoration."  It was certainly very farm-like now.

The cow suddenly peered its head from behind its stall and mooed loudly.  The chicken, who was running around freely, had clucked its way up to the two visitors, cocked its head at them and then proceeded to strut in the other direction.  Varek chuckled at their actions.

"They're quite sassy once you get to know them!" he told River.  "The cow's name is Sheila and the chicken is called Cluckette.  I think Harvey let Reggie's youngest daughter name them!"

River nodded as she listened to him speaking about the animals as they walked, tilting her head as she looked around the area. Seeing the hay as well as smelling it and the animals she sneezed quietly, not used to the smell. Though she got used to it pretty quickly, looking at the chicken that was making it's way over quickly and the cow nearby too she smiled some.

"Those are pretty cute names though. I guess for a smaller girl to name them they are pretty good." she said and giggled a bit. She just stayed next to Varek at that point though since she didn't want something bad to happen.

"Yeah, Misty is quite the namer!  You'll probably meet her someday soon, since she likes coming by to check on these guys whenever her dad's animals bore her," he laughed as he waved to the animals.  "I'll be back later, you guys!"

With a final "moo" and a few clicks from the residents of the barn, the two humans left the building. They could easily see a young girl with a long black ponytail running up the driveway with some bags in her hand.  She didn't seem to notice them.

"I think that's the delivery girl now.  Do you want to head up there and meet her?"

River nodded and smiled when hearing there where more people to meet, even if it was only a little girl. There where already names and faces in her head she would have to remember first but she would get used to it. She waved to the two animals as they left and followed him out of the barn when seeing the girl as well.

"Oh? I would love to, especially if we get to eat now. I am getting rather hungry." She said in response to his question, smiling though as she did. Another person to remember but she could start now with trying.

Varek was glad to hear her admit to being hungry, as he was starting to feel tired from not eating much all day.  Hopefully, the girl would stick around a little longer for the two of them to catch up to her.

When they got back up to the driveway, Harvey, who was holding the food on the front porch, waved to River and Varek to come inside for food.  It was then that the girl ran down the driveway, skidding to a halt when she saw River and Varek.  She accidentally kicked up a lot of dusty from the gravelly ground, but once the dust cleared, she appeared to be a tan-skinned teenager dressed in a red tank top and dark blue shorts.  Her dirty sneakers looked old, but her expression was quite cheerful.

"Hi!  I've never seen your face around here before," she spoke to River, excitement in every almost syllable of her speech.  "What's your name?"

River followed after Varek closely as her head tilted some, watchig the girl some as she did. When they where close enough to be noticed she waved back to Harvey and smiled some at the energetic new girl. She did look like a rather happy person and someone who could keep going for a while.

"It is nice to meet you, I am River. I am Harvey's step sister coming to help out." She said in her calm but happy way.

"That's a nice name!  My name is Francis!  I'm really glad you're here to help out Harvey.  Usually he doesn't ask us for deliveries so when he started calling us about them, we were getting worried," the girl enthusiastically explained.  It seemed like she had a lot of pep when she talked, even if it was late in the afternoon and getting close to evening.  "I hope you'll like it here, River!  You can come by the Inn anytime you want - though, if you do, my mom might appear a little overzealous with... everything."

She giggled before turning to Varek who was scratching his head nervously.  "Varek, you should definitely bring her into town tomorrow!  Everyone will love her!"

"Yeah, but I don't want her to be so overwhelmed.  We have a lot of work to do on the farm, too," he admitted, not wanting to imply a lot of pressure on the situation, even thought it may have come out that way.  Francis swung her hips to the side and shrugged.

"Whatever you do is fine.  No pressure!  I'd love to see you again, though!  Call us if you need anything!" she finished, getting ready to run off again.

River seemed a bit dazed as she listened and watched Francis, she hadn't really spent much time talking to someone so... high energy. Harvey was probably the closest she had gotten to that, she wasn't sure how much she liked having someone so hyper. She didn't say anything though and just gave a small smile and wave to the other girl as she took off back down the way she came. After that she looked back at Varek and laughed a bit quietly.

"I guess she is rather high energy... though what ever you may decide is a good idea for tomorrow is fine with me. If we go down to the town though let me know ahead of time, I would prefer to be ready to interact with more people like her." She said hesitantly and shook her head. It wasn't like she wanted to seem high above people with energy like that, or hated them she just didn't have much energy herself to deal with those people.

"What did we get to eat by the way Harvey?" She asked and went over to him as she smiled, interested in the food now.

Varek nodded and chuckled lightly as River told him what she thought of the delivery girl.  He understood her worries completely.

"It's fine.  In fact, Francis and her mom Salma are the only two majorly hyper residents we have in town.  Otherwise, everyone has a generally calm demeanor with the occasional competitive side or two showing during festivals and contests... aside from that, I'll make sure to ask you before we go into town," he told her with a smile.  He didn't want to scare her away, but she wouldn't be forced to interact with them with Harvey's farm being this big and in need of assistance.

Harvey held open the door for the two of them to follow him inside, as he repeated what he ordered for everyone.

"If I remember correctly, River, I got you some fruit crepes because I thought you liked sweet things!  For Varek, I got some grilled fish kabobs with vegetables, and for myself, curry bread with herb salad!  The doctor says spicy food will help my sinuses!" he laughed as he lured them into the kitchen.  He had already prepared the table, so they would just have to take their food and put them onto their plates.

River was pretty glad to hear about there being very few hyper people, sighing some as she smiled and walked inside happily. She nodded some as she listened to Varek though since she was happy to listen about the people of the town. "I would be happy to see more of the people then, especially if there is some sort of contest going on." She said and let out a little giggle.

When she heard what she had gotten to eat though her face lit up, her eyes seeming to sparkle as she walked inside quickly to get her food. "I love fruit crepes~ I haven't had one in forever too!" she said excitedly, wanting to sit down with them and eat quickly.

"The Inn, Bakery and Restaurant always have terrific food, but since my farm started drying up, they haven't been able to use my fruits and vegetables since a few months ago.  Reggie's farm is right by the water, so it's always quite fertile.  Though since he's one of the main suppliers of fruit, vegetables and grain in town, all of his daughters have had to come home and help him and his wife," Harvey replied, sitting down with his dinner and blowing on his forkful, as it was still warm.

Varek then took his seat with his food, munching away before commenting on the situation.  "That's why you need us, right?  Not just to help take care of you, but to take the pressure of the rest of the town so Reggie's crops don't erode into unusable dirt, huh?"

Harvey nodded in between bites of his spicy bread, wiping his nose with a handkerchief because the spices were already kicking in.  "See, this land here is special because not only do we get the honor of supplying an entire community of people with food and nutrition, but it's also close to the mainland and cities like where our parents live and we have city folk come down and help our economy," he stated, pausing for a moment and smiling again.  "That, and it's actually pretty magical..."

Varek stopped chewing, and looked at River and Harvey unsure of what he meant by that.  Did she know anything about this "magic?"

River hummed a bit happily as she sat down with the town them and ate, she enjoyed the food a lot and was happy with how sweet it was. She made sure to listen to Harvey and Varek as she did though, wanting to be attentive and helpful with this farm. When she heard Harvey say something about magic as well, looking back at Varek with a confused look.

"What do you mean magical Harvey? I don't really understand." She said and tilted her head slightly. She went back to eating though as she waited for the answer.

As Harvey chugged down some water he poured into a glass from a shared pitcher, he chuckled and began to elaborate on what he meant.

"When I first arrived here, the original owner of the land was said to have been very prosperous.  His crops would always grow big and healthy, and his animals would be in such a cheerful mood.  He lived his life fairly well, had a family and was very respectful towards the land around him.  Unfortunately, he was too old to maintain this farm anymore and left with his family.  That's when I came in," Harvey told them pointing to a photograph on the wall of himself, six years ago.  He was standing next to a fence, clean cut and smiley for the camera.

"There was a reason why he was so prosperous, though, and I found this out the very year I came to Soule.  One afternoon, when I was surveying my land for my new irrigation system, I heard little voices coming from Rustler's Forest beyond the stream.  I followed them in, only to find the most beautiful sanctuary I'd ever seen.  A majestic waterfall, great green trees and shrubs, and a hole in the canopy so the light of the day and night could shine through.  I watched as the little voices - little fairy creatures wearing tiny colored hats - danced around the pond, chanting something happy.  When their chant was over, a gorgeous lady with glowing blue and purple hair came down from the skies and spoke to the little creatures in the sweetest and most gentle voice I'd ever heard," he said, his voice hushing and rising for story-telling effect, taking off his glasses as he tried to imitate her voice. "She said, 'Ah, so we have a new friend to take care of our land!  Let's treat him with kindness and hope that he does an even better job than the last friend we had!'  And that was the last thing I remembered that night.  Ever since, I've always tried to be humble and caring to everyone I meet, even when things got rough during the cold winter or dead heat of summer."

"So why tell us this?" Varek asked, still a little confused about the whole story.  Would River believe her brother?

River stopped eating and just watched Harvey as he told his story, her head slowly tilting to the side as she did. Hearing something like this was a bit odd, she wanted to believe her brother but at the same time it didn't make a lot of sense. She would do her best to be kind to everyone and care for the land even if he hadn't told that story so she wasn't sure what to think.

"Are you just trying to tell us a story or something? I am sort of having a hard time believing you... not like I don't want to it's just kind of weird to me." She said hesitantly after Varek had spoken as well.

As he placed his glasses back on his nose and finished eating, Harvey shrugged.  "I understand.  It is pretty far fetched, but it's the truth.  I went down by the schoolhouse to look through some old books and found this particular story about the legend of the Harvest Goddess and her Harvest Sprites.  It was about a magical lady who took care of the land before the humans arrived, but once they did, she had to make a deal with them in order to maintain the balance of nature.  In order for them to live in the place she inhabited, they had to treat the land and each other with great care.  They are said to love farmers, as they give back to the land they take from the most, and don't normally like city folk because they come from nasty and polluted environments."

He stopped and took his dish into the kitchen sink, turning around to face them as he leaned on the counter.  "The reason I told you both this, is because I think my sickness is connected somehow to the Harvest Goddess.  I don't have any photographic evidence, and I can't exactly prove this, but I think something terrible happened to them a few months ago when I started to feel this way."

"You're not joking, are you?" Varek said, shaking his head in disbelief.  This was getting a bit crazy.  Was Harvey always hiding this from him or was he finally going insane?!

"Not really.  This is what I strongly believe.  While you two are working here, make sure to stop by the forest at least once and try to find that secret grove I was talking about.  If you go around the same time I did when I first saw them - about 7 o'clock - maybe you'll see them again.  If you do, it would give me the most peace of mind I've had in a long time."

It was growing darker out now.  They could have a chance to go tonight, but they could also stay in the house and try to get some rest.

River listened to Harvey and leaned back in her chair some as she did, looking at the ceiling as she thought. It all sounded very odd to her as well but if he believed so much in them maybe it would be worth a check. Especially with how he was saying maybe his sickness was coming from it possibly. She did want him to get better as soon as possible and if this would only give him peace of mind that would still help so she was willing to look.

"Varek? Why don't we go and see if we can check at some point? Even if it's just to give him peace of mind? Not that I don't believe in them it's just I would prefer to check either way." she said as she gave him a small smile. She thought maybe he might know the area that Harvey was talking about at least so she would need him to come to check.

Varek still didn't believe him all the way, much like River.  He raised an eyebrow when she suggested to go, especially for Harvey's sake.  He sighed before speaking up, a light grumble in his voice.

"I guess we can go.  I mean, I know some parts of the forest, but I've never seen this sanctuary with my own eyes.  Though Harvey doesn't normally tell lies, as you probably know, so it might actually be worth checking out," he said, crossing his arms and pouting lightly.  "Did you want to go immediately, or maybe tomorrow?  It doesn't matter to me, I just need to know what we're going to do next."

"I'll set get some flashlights and a small sack of supplies for you, and leave them on the counter here," Harvey said with a smile, happy that they were considering going. He slowly shuffled out of the kitchen and around the living room, packing things up in a brown tie-up bag he had lying around.

River stayed where she was with leaning back in her chair and looking at the ceiling as she thought. It was hard for her to think of wanting to go now or to just wait until later to explore more. After a little bit she sighed and got up, looking at Varek as she smiled some.

"How about we just go now? I know it's sudden but today seems to be a touring day, along with the farm I would like to see more outside too. If you don't mind taking me that is." She told him and walked over to watch Harvey some. Even if he was just getting a few things she worried about his health with walking around so much.

As Varek nodded and got up from his seat, Harvey turned around with a full sack of things and handed it to River.

"Don't worry about me for tonight.  I'll be going right up to bed in just a moment.  In the bag are the keys to the house, so you can lock the door behind you and open it back up, even though I don't think you'll need to do anything of the sort," he said with jest in his tone.  "Though, would you mind helping me up the stairs again?  I'm really quite full and don't think I can get there by myself..."

Varek grabbed the other flashlight that was available to him and flicked it on and off once to make sure it was working.  He then nodded to River again, signaling her that he'd be waiting by the front door for her when she was done.

River looked at the sack that Harvey handed her and wondered how long he expected them to be out there. It must be a bit further then she thought at least, so she would be sure to hang onto it and keep it close as she listened to Harvey and nodded. After he asked her to help him up the stairs she smiled and went to help him to his room.

"I am sure that we will be able to ease your mind at least, so I do hope you can sleep well. It would make us both feel better if you could get better soon." She told him as she helped him up stairs, though she wanted to get going a bit quickly so they wouldn't be out super long.

As they reached the top, Harvey smiled one more time before saying, "Thank you so much for helping me, River.  I'm sure we're going to have a great time saving the farm together.  Oh, one more thing; if you do see the Harvest Sprites, please tell them that they can come by here, anytime!"

He then turned the corner and went off to bed, leaving River to head out the door with Varek.  He held open the door again, turning on his flashlight.

"I'm all set.  Are you nervous at all what we'll actually find?" he asked her, curious if she was scared or excited at all.

River nodded and said good night to Harvey before she went down the stairs to go outside. When Varek turned his flash light on as she passed by she remembered to use her own and turned it on.

"I don't know what I would be scared about really. I guess going into a forest when it is dark is a little bit scary. Though if it is just some sort of faries I do not think there is much to be very scared of." She said and smiled a bit.