A Helping Farmhand

As soon as Thane got his hands on the Fiorian passport, he went looking for a room to stay in. While the unexpected nap left him feeling fairly energized, he knew that the feeling would fade soon enough. His standards were set pretty low - he just needed a roof over his head and a bed. Things that would be technically considered a luxury in his youth.

Finding a place to stay with such low standards was easy. He woke up in the early evening and went out to eat, only to return back and plan his next steps. However, after a good night's sleep, he realised that the smell of fish and salt would be a damn nightmare to wash out of his gear. At least he knew where to go for quality seafood, if nothing else. But the wanderlust beckoned him to move forward. Who would he be if he denied this feeling?

The passport was safely stashed away in his hip bag, along with some of his belongings and he was off. It wasn't as early as when he first arrived in Hargeon the day before, but early enough that the sun had not completely risen. A number of merchants tried to sell Thane various trinkets and fishing equipment. While the fishing equipment looked quite appealing, Thane was ultimately swayed by the food stalls and their selection. Soon enough, the man was walking away with a strange bun that was filled with fish and veggies. It was warm and delicious, one couldn't imagine a better start to their day.

The man was leaving through the west gates of the town, with the intent of eventually heading north to see greater cities Fiore had to offer. The outskirts of Hargeon were taken by various fields, most of them empty. Harvest season had come and gone already, so it was natural that there would be little to no plants growing. The road took Thane along one of these fields. On the fence that lined the field, the man noticed a piece of paper nailed to one of the posts. It was flapping in the autumn wind and Thane pressed his hand against the pole, to keep the paper steady.

It talked about a farmer of that particular field, who was in need of some helping hands to sow some seeds for him, as he had sustained an injury and thus couldn't do it himself. Thane wasn't sure what kind of seeds the farmer wished to sow after a harvest season, but he was willing to find out. The man made his way to a wooden cabin that sat next to the field, assuming that if there was a place to find the farmer who requested help, it would be there. Or at least a good place to start.

Thane came up to the simple building and knocked on the door. And just as he had realised that the farmer probably couldn't open the door themselves, a voice filtered through the wooden logs. "Come in, come in!" The voice invited him in and Thane gentle pushed the door open. After he ducked down and entered, he was met with a really simply furnished cabin. On one of the chairs that surrounded a table in the kitchen area was seated an elderly man. "Welcome! Sorry that I couldn't properly let you in, it would take ages for me to hop over there." The man laughed as he pointed at his leg that he had propped up on one of the other chairs. It was clear that any kind of movement took a considerable time for the farmer. "Thank you for letting me in." Thane would thank with a smile. "I saw the notice outside and I wondered if I could help you out." Thane explained and the farmer nodded vigorously. "I was just about to ask. Good good." He would turn in his chair and point to the corner of the cabin that had numerous pouches on a shelf rack.

"Right over there. There should be a pouch labelled as winter or winter season or something along those lines." Thane's gaze followed the farmer's finger, seeing all of the different pouches and satchels. He walked over to the rack and quickly found the pouch in question and went back to show it to the farmer. "Is this the one?" Thane asked for confirmation. "Sure is." The farmer replied. "What kind of seeds are these?" Thane's curiosity was gnawing on him. "Interested in why I want to sow after a harvest season, are you?" The farmer chuckled, as if he was glad that Thane had asked that question.

"As the label suggests, those are special seeds for plants that only grow and produce in this, usually, not exactly productive season." Thane brought the pouch closer to his eyes, wondering what kind of plants were hidden in the seeds. "There isn't great variety, but it is better to have at least something growing. Besides, they take different nutrients out of the ground, so it will have time to recover in time for next regular season." The farmer explained further. "I'll get to work then, if it is fine with you." Thane was ready to get to work, but the farmer had one last advice. "Make sure to space them out a little bit. Their roots tend to spread out. I don't want them to fight over space." The farmer said and Thane headed out.

The man set aside his own leather bags and gauntlets and got dirty. If there was anything besides fighting his kin was good at, it was manual labour. While agriculture was not one of things that Thane's nomadic life could make use of, digging holes in the ground, placing seeds in them and then covering the seed with a mound of dirt were fairly easy tasks. There were good two handfuls of seeds to plant and he did just that. Every now and then he had to stand up and stretch his back. The sun was properly up, by the time he placed every seed. After he was done, he returned to the cabin. "Everything planted?" The farmer asked, when Thane entered the cabin, as he stood over the stove. Something smelled really good. "Yes. Here is the pouch." Thane would place the pounch where he first picked it up from and went over to the sink to wash his hands. There was dirt all over them, even behind his nails, as it was expected. "I would like you to stay for lunch, unless you're needed somewhere else." The farmer invited Thane to stay for a little bit longer and the Au Ra smiled in return. "If it is fine with you, I would be delighted to."

The two chatted for a while eating and exchanged names. Thane learned that the farmer's name was Furah and that he had inherited the field from his old friend, who died years ago. The tale reminded Thane of his own old friend and hoped that he was doing well. However, after the dishes were clean, it was high time for Thane to go. "Thank you for your hospitality Furah. I hope that your wintery harvest will be bountiful." Thane thanked the elderly man, who handed him a leather pouch. "I thank you, Thane. For planting those seeds, when I couldn't. Here are some Jewels that I would like you to have as a bit of a reward." The Au Ra would shake his head. "That's not-" He wanted to decline. "I insist." Furah said firmly, not giving Thane much of an option, so he reluctantly accepted the pouch. "Thank you, again."