Fantasy World Farm, page 11
“Alright, buddy, that was your first test,” I said. “Now, I’ve gotta feed the chickens, the pigs, and milk the cows. So, I’m gonna throw you a proverbial bone here and not tie you to the fence. But you’ve gotta promise you’ll be good and stay where I tell you to.”
Fang yipped and ran in a little circle again, and I chuckled at his way of communicating. It blew my mind that he was this receptive, and it was pretty damn evident the wolves here were nothing like the wolves back home.
“Come on then, bud,” I said as I patted my thigh and started walking over to the chicken coop. “Let’s go.”
Fang followed close at my side as we walked over, and I couldn’t help but smile down at the little guy. He looked so happy, with his tongue sticking out and his tail wagging behind him.
Maybe getting portaled to this world wasn’t so bad after all.
And maybe I’d found my Sparky.
Chapter Seven
I finished the rest of my morning chores with Fang at my side, and I was pretty pleased with how docile he was. There wasn’t a single point where I thought he was gonna go for my animals, and by the time I got to milking the cows, I let him sit inside the pasture with me. He laid on the ground with his head lowered, and I knew he was submitting to me, so any worries I had sort of just gradually faded.
After I’d dealt with all of the animals, I headed inside and decided to finally get dressed for the day. Working in my pajamas wasn’t exactly a rarity, and thanks to the lack of rain, I wasn’t muddy at all. But that didn’t mean I didn’t immediately throw my clothes into the clothes hamper as soon as I got into my bedroom.
I picked out a pair of blue jeans, a white tank top, and a dark blue flannel for the day. Then I slipped on my Timberlands and quickly brushed my teeth in my bathroom. I also splashed my face with some water just to help me wake up a little bit more, and I brushed through my hair to tame it.
I wanted to sort some food out for the town today. The thought of them still being starving when all of this was just sitting up here was gonna eat away at me, so I wanted to get that job done as soon as possible.
I still had no idea about the currency of this world, but I knew Alden wouldn’t screw me over. He seemed genuine and like he wanted to help out the people of this town. Plus, any money at this point would be better than none. Sure, I could live off the food on my farm, and I was planning on saving the food from the greenhouse for myself regardless, but this was a good way to start building up a bit of wealth here.
When I went outside, I noticed my sprinklers were going off and that the timer must have still been active. My crops were looking good, and Fang and I hopped into my side by side and took a slow drive around the fields just so I could really make sure everything was growing okay.
The dirt on top seemed normal, and I figured that was because when I got portaled, it just picked up my farm to a certain depth and transported it all here. That’s why the crops were still thriving, because the roots were still embedded into the dirt rather than being cut off.
But I wondered how far that went.
I decided to grab my shovel and literally do some digging near the potato field. Fang followed my every move, and he was panting happily as the sun started to make its gradual ascent into the sky. He watched me with a curious tilt of his head as I plunged my shovel into the dirt and started digging. I didn’t want to use the post hole digger for this, just so I could have a bit more accuracy of where I was digging. I didn’t want to hit a root or anything and ruin one of the crops.
I dug down until I could see the wisps of roots of the closest potato, but then I kept going. Sweat started to pool on my brow, but I pushed on, and I knew it was a good idea for me to do this, because once I’d pulled up dirt from below the root, I saw something shimmering in the sunlight.
I dumped the shovel full of dirt onto the ground next to me and knelt down to inspect it, and I frowned in confusion when I saw small crystals inside of the soil. They were mostly light purple and blue in color, but there were some that were pale green and yellow, too. They looked like shards of quartz and were cut in an almost perfect way, like a jeweler had done it by hand and with precision.
“What the hell…” I trailed off as I inspected the small crystal.
If there were crystals in the dirt, then that could mean it’d be packed with way more minerals. Which would mean stronger crops, and with the way my crops already grew, there was no knowing how much better they’d become with this added benefit.
I dug my hand into the small hole I’d dug and grabbed a handful of dirt. It was tough, coarse, and a lot rougher than the soil on top from my world. Maybe it would need more water for it to absorb into the crops next season after I plowed the field. Figuring out how to treat it would be another story, but for now, the current crops had the topsoil from my world covering them, and that would have to do.
The crystals inside the soil made me hopeful, though. They seemed special or magical to some extent, and I had a feeling the crystals might help in the future.
I shoveled the dirt and the crystals back into the hole I’d dug and flattened it back down. After that, I started to drive back to the barn and grabbed a few crates that I used to pack produce for the transportation vans. Then I stuck them onto the back of my Gator, drove over to the fruit trees, and began handpicking the ripest fruits.
It took me around thirty minutes to find as many as I could that were ready and in perfect condition, and I’d filled up an entire crate of apples, lemons, peaches, and oranges. There were more apples than anything, but I figured the townsfolk would take whatever they could get and not kick up a fuss.
After I’d filled that crate and put it back onto the side by side, I moved on to my drip irrigation fields. My corn and potatoes wouldn’t be ready to harvest for some time yet, so I’d have to start picking out some of the best-looking crops. This was only going to be a taster, I guess, and when it was time to use my tractor to fully harvest these fields, there would be a lot more for them to buy and eat.
I filled the next crate with ripe cucumbers, peppers, and carrots, and once I was happy with how full the crate was, I stacked both of them carefully on top of one another in the back of the Gator.
There was one more thing I needed to do before I left for the town, though. I wanted to find some old drip-irrigation hoses for Ellyn. I could really help her and her father out by introducing them to this kind of technology, and, hopefully, I could get their yield looking better for the next season.
I started really rifling through my barn to find what I needed, and I came across one of the old solar water pumps Dad used to have as a back-up. This would be perfect for getting the water out of their well, especially since Ellyn had told me that the rainfall had been pretty shitty recently. So, I grabbed the pump, the solar panel, and all of its attachments, and I tucked that and a bunch of old garden and irrigation drip hoses into the back of the side by side, too.
There was enough room for me to grab my wheelbarrow and lay it down, too, and I knew I’d be needing that later when we got into town. I didn’t want to take the side by side directly into Gladewood just yet because I didn’t want to freak everyone out, so I could use the wheelbarrow to take the baskets of fruit down the streets without getting too many funny looks.
Fang was right at my heel, and his tail was wagging happily at the thought of leaving the farm with me. I looked down at the leash still attached to his collar and dragging behind him, and I sighed.
“Alright, buddy, this is gonna be another trust exercise,” I said as I knelt down in front of him. “If I take this off, you’ve got to stay right by me, okay? No wandering off, and no attacking anyone.”
Fang lolled his tongue out as he looked at me, and I reached over to unhook it from his collar. Then I shoved the leash into my pocket and stood up with another sigh.
“Please don’t make me regret this,” I mumbled to myself before I hopped into my Gator again.
Fang climbed up onto the seat beside mine and made himself comfortable.
I had to jump out again so I could shut the gate behind me, but then we were off toward town. After we’d driven out of the Mist Woods, I made a right instead of turning into town, and I parked my side by side around the corner so it was mostly out of sight.
Then I pulled my wheelbarrow down and carefully placed the baskets of fruits inside.
The little wolf was more than happy to stretch his legs as he trotted beside me, and it was kinda funny watching the townspeople smile at me only for their faces to fall as they noticed the animal walking at my side.
I chuckled to myself as the passersby on the street started to scramble into their homes. Their intrigue at the vibrant fruits I was carrying was clearly overshadowed by their fear of the baby wolf.
Fang whined as everyone started to move away from him, and his head hung low.
“It’s alright, buddy,” I said to him. “They’ll come to see that you’re not a big bad wolf.”
He whined again, but his tail started swishing side to side at my words.
I couldn’t lie, while I didn’t want them to feel afraid of him, it did feel pretty damn cool having a pet wolf at my side.
Eventually, we made it to the Overseer’s townhouse. For a moment, I thought about how Alden and his men might react to a wolf strolling on in, and I realized it was probably best if I went in alone, but that also meant leaving Fang to his own devices.
Over the course of the morning, we’d built up a real trust, but that was on my farm with my animals. In Gladewood Crossing, there were actual living people here, and I didn’t want to be responsible for them getting hurt.
But when I looked down at the white wolf and he looked back up at me, I knew he wasn’t capable of doing that.
“You stay out here, okay?” I asked. “Sit.”
Fang immediately sat down on the ground outside the building and tilted his head at me.
“I won’t be long,” I said. “But don’t move. Okay, Fang?”
The pup yipped, and I knew that was his way of telling me he understood, so I used my back to push open the door to the townhouse and pulled the wheelbarrow inside with me.
It was a small interior, with a fireplace lighting up the dim room, an oak desk in the center, and a few bookshelves lining the walls. Alden was sitting at his desk, writing with a quill and ink on some old-looking parchment, and he didn’t even look up at me as I entered.
I walked further in and spotted two doors on either wall, and I assumed that was where his men probably were.
I cleared my throat as I approached his desk and let go of the handles of the wheelbarrow.
“Good morning, Overseer Alden,” I said.
The half-orc held up a large green finger and continued to scribble down on the parchment. I tried to hold back a laugh at the awkwardness of the situation, and I stood patiently waiting for him to finish.
Alden eventually put the quill down with a sigh and leaned back in his rickety wooden chair. When he spotted the food in my crates, however, he bolted upright with raised eyebrows.
“Noah, g-good morning,” he said as he cleared his throat. “You brought in some food?”
“I did,” I said. “This is just a little taster before the rest of the crops will be ready to be picked.”
“I see,” Alden hummed. “That looks like more than enough.”
“Awesome,” I said with a nod.
The door on the left suddenly opened, and Wilbur, the dwarf, walked out. Then his beady eyes lit up as he spotted the food in my hands.
“Now, would you look at that?” he said as he came to stand next to Alden’s desk. “You’re a quick one, aren’t you?”
“I keep my promises,” I said with a smirk.
“You know, rather than me buying that off you today… you could always sell some directly to the people?” Alden suggested. “We have a spare market stall you can use.”
“That’s not a bad idea!” Wilbur commented. “Plus, it will give you a chance to meet some more of the folk of Gladewood.”
“It’s not the best stall out there, by any means,” the half-orc added. “It’s rickety and will probably blow away in a harsh wind, but it’ll suffice for now.”
“Alright, I guess I can sell some of these myself.” I shrugged. “So, you don’t want to buy any off me right now?”
“Sell what you’ve got here first,” Alden said with a short nod, as if he’d just come to the decision. “I want the people to know you’re a good farmer, and they can see the face behind the man who’s about to change our lives.”
“You’re sure? I can always go and bring back more,” I offered.
“Tomorrow, perhaps,” he said. “Today, I need you to go out there and show Gladewood Crossing your face. Show them you aren’t just a stranger that fell out of the sky. You’re a person who’s looking to help.”
“You make it sound so easy,” I said with a weak laugh. “I’ve got a feeling some people might not be that easily convinced.”
“You’d be surprised what a little food can do, Noah.” Alden smiled warmly, and the creases by his eyes deepened. “Now, go on, get out there! Wilbur can help you take the food.”
“I will?” the dwarf asked in surprise, only for Alden to send him a sharp, pointed look. “I mean… I will.”
I laughed, hauled up one of the crates, and watched as Wilbur struggled to get a good grip on the other one still in the wheelbarrow. Despite being a stocky guy, I doubt he’d had to lift anything that heavy for a long time.
I led the way outside and whistled for Fang to follow me. The pup was still in the same position I’d left him in, and as soon as I whistled, he was at my heel.
“Hells! What have you got a wolf here for?” Wilbur gasped in shock and almost fell back onto his ass.
“He’s my pet,” I said with a casual shrug. “He won’t bite.”
“Are you sure about that?” Wilbur choked out and warily eyed the white pup.
“I’m sure, Wilbur,” I drawled. “He didn’t eat my sheep this morning, so I don’t think he’s going to try and eat you.”
“‘Think’,” the dwarf scoffed. “That’s reassuring.”
“Alright, I promise,” I corrected myself. “How’s that?”
“It’ll do,” he grumbled, but he still moved around to the other side of me where Fang wasn’t walking.
I shook my head and chuckled as we started to make our way down the cobbled streets and to the front of the line of market stalls. I’d never noticed there was one abandoned stall, but it didn’t look too different from the others. The only difference was it didn’t have baskets or food displayed on it, but that was quickly about to change.
“There you go,” Wilbur said with a grunt as he placed the crate down in front of the rickety stall. “I’m sure these will sell faster than I can run away from that thing.”
He shot another narrowed-eyed look at the wolf beside me.
“That ‘thing’ is called Fang,” I said. “And he’s not gonna hurt you, Wilbur.”
“How in the hells you’ve trained a wolf in a day is beyond me,” he grumbled to himself. “You’re sure you’re not a wizard trying to pull the wool over our eyes?”
“I’m sure,” I said with an amused smile. “This little guy just needed someone to look after him, that’s all.”
“Right,” Wilbur said dryly, and I could tell he wasn’t convinced. “Well, best of luck, Noah from The States.”
“Thanks for your help, Wilbur,” I said. “I appreciate it.”
“Don’t mention it,” the dwarf said as he waved his hand at me and started walking back to the townhouse.
I chuckled to myself as I started to unpack the various crops and laid some of them out on the main table. I tilted two of the crates and leaned them up against the front of the stall so they could showcase the majority of the fruits, and then I stepped back to see how it looked.
Compared to the other stalls, this one was bursting with color and vibrance. There were no crooked carrots here, and the array was just a taster of what I had to offer to these people.
“Noah!” I heard my name being called from down the street.
I turned my head away from my stall and immediately smiled as I saw Ellyn running over to me.
She had changed into a white blouse and a light pink dress over the top that hugged her figure. It was cut off just below the knee, and she had on big brown boots that were covered in mud.
“Hey!” I greeted her enthusiastically, only to nearly fall over as she threw herself into my arms.
I spluttered out a laugh as I caught my balance and wrapped my arms around her waist.
“It’s good to see you!” she said breathlessly, and she squeezed me tightly before she pulled away.
“You just saw me this morning,” I pointed out with a chuckle.
“I know, but I didn’t know when I’d be seeing you next.” The elf shrugged.
Now that she was up close, I could see small flowers threaded into the braid that wrapped around the side of her head and was tied at the back. Her pale cheeks were flushed with color, and she looked up at me with a wide, innocent smile.
“Well, I guess you’re seeing me now,” I joked before I gestured behind me. “What do you think about my stall?”
“Alden’s letting you sell?” she asked as she looked at it. “I thought he wanted to buy off you and sell to the vendors.”
“He wants me to sell directly today,” I explained. “He thinks it will be a good way to show my face to the people of Gladewood and show them I’m not some weird outcast who dropped outside of their town.”
“I suppose I can see his logic there,” Ellyn giggled, and then she perked up. “I’ll help you!”
“Oh, you really don’t have to--”
“I wasn’t asking, I was telling you that I’m helping,” the elf said plainly and looked at me with a straight face.
“Yes, ma’am,” I said with an amused chuckle.
