Creating a play to fit the stage

Over the next few days, the farm bustled as any other in the neighborhood. Autumn season meant harvest, and so every farmer and his hired helpers labored in the field. This season enabled the farmer to reap his entire years worth of effort. Behind the chatter and laughs in the golden fields, it also had a darker connotation.

A successful harvest leads to a comfortable life during the hunkering down for the winter season. A poor harvest meant scraping watered down gruel and hoping for the best. Crop failure and no means to pay the levied taxes led to being branded and sold as a slave.

"How come you're so happy these days Chu?"

Miki asked while they hauled a large basket made of woven tree bark through the narrow rows.

"No real reason, I just think what we have, is just good enough."

Chu replied as he loaded another heap of harvested corn into the basket. Of course, he was not thinking about the harvest, under the daily toil of Clod and the others, this was a success. His thoughts gravitated to the last few days before the visitors left.

As a favor, Fatty Tian and the Churches Union had their guards mingle with the farm residents. The little conversations soon focused on trying to entice the residents into leaving. One had to know, as of yet, nobody really interacted or actually held a Gold Coin.

Chu chuckled, knowing that not only had the workers in the fields or those doing the menial labor refuse, but they had also reported the incident to Mrs. Thomas or Sakura. Better yet, none of them tried to use the opportunity to suck up or achieve brownie points with him.

"Ok, now your smile is just plain weird, Chu."

***

"The harvesting is nearly complete."

Clod reported during the meeting. Every night the residents gathered at the long tables for dinner. After eating, the schedules and any important discussions would then be handed out. Chu sat at the head of the table, listening while browsing through a written report of the day's activities. He waited until Clod finished, before speaking.

"How long will it take if you have the full support of everyone here?"

Chu asked.

"About a week. Our harvest this time is well over three times as much than last years. We should finish before the next full moon comes around."

Clod tilted his head in thought as he answered. The harvest this year had been great, he had only lost about an acre's worth due to natural causes. next year, he hoped to use the plough to further increase the yield. Clod spent most of his time in the fields or tending to the horses. In the evenings, however, he preferred to climb to the top of the Windmill.

From the window, he loved the feel of the cool breeze, while enjoying the view of the corn dancing and swaying in the wind. Most of the time the other workers from the field would join him there, as they chatted and reminisced like old farmers.

"Then let's make the harvest a priority. Once the corn is harvested, we can take our time and shuck the grains from the cobs, within the walls."

Chu said. He thought for a minute and continued

"When the harvest is complete, I want the fences around the farm set up. Next year we need to build a larger stable on the outside before the smell becomes intolerable."

Next spring, he hoped to purchase some livestock. He planned to build a large barn, adjacent to the eastern gate. Once he constructed it properly, then he would have no fear of loss from any wild beast attacks. With the group of fanatical hunters living on the farm, he never had to worry about such trivial things anymore.

Those wild animals would just be asking for trouble.

Chu had the leaders of the respective departments remain a little longer.

He rolled out the map, showing the layout of the farm. Circling around the wooden wall with his finger he instructed.

"I want a simple fence built about one hundred feet away from the walls. Under normal circumstances, we can use the enclosure as a corral for the livestock. Whenever we are under attack, it can serve as a means to slow our attackers. The resulting concentration of enemies stopped by the fence during that short period will allow us to bombard with the Multishots."

Chu explained. He pointed to some markers that needed to be laid and the reasoning behind them.

Rose and Miki had done a survey of the area outside the walls during the nighttime hours. Without the aid of a bonfire, an attacker could still be easily picked out in the dark. The only building left outside the walls was the butcher shed. Because it was attached to the wall, it posed no problem for the watchtower archers.

Chu made Halter rebuild the windows on the watchtowers to a smaller size. This would make it harder for enemy archers to aim, while still ensuring the defense could level the opponents with the rapid fire from the crossbows. The platforms on the side of the towers will hold a Multishot.

This way the operators could view the field themselves and attack accordingly. With the range of the weapon, the Multishot on the north end could assist in subduing attackers coming in from the south. Of course, he still planned to have at least two of the artillery weapons on the ground as a backup.

Such a setup only wowed the residents.

"Boss, are you planning to fight the army?"

Halter asked.

By now this farm had one of the highest concentration of educated folks. Looking at the setup implemented over the past couple days left them in awe. Not mentioning an army, if a band of bandits decided to attack the farm, all that awaited them would be certain death.

Chu snorted in reply

"This is just us making sure nobody can waltz and threaten us freely in the future. Speaking of which, has the bait been eaten?"

***

Ming sat on a flat boulder humming a tune. Now and then, he prodded the dying campfire with a stick, causing sparks to fly as it blazed in response. Under the stars, and solitary on the road, he cut a lonely sight. The ragged figure looked even more pitiful when he nibbled on a piece of jerky.

"Don't you think he is overdoing it? Why does he come across more like a beggar than a thief?"

On an embankment some distance away, a little girl lay on her stomach, watching while asking the question. Next to her, a young woman sat cross-legged, alternating between the seasoned smoked boar in one hand, and the fresh bread in the other.

"Some of the best thieves in the cities pose as beggars. They are usually everywhere and are least suspected. Of course, they are also the first ones to earn a nobleman's anger on the street."

Jill swallowed before explaining. In the cities, nobles had a history of using this setup to spring surprise raids on competing Houses or to steal from other Clans. Hiding under the cloak of a beggar allowed for many covert operations.

"I still think he looks much like a beggar."

Dyna said, munching on a piece of meat. She ripped a portion and fed it to the wolf sprawled out at the side. The beast gently snapped and swallowed the piece without touching her little fingers. Not far behind them, a horse grazed seemingly oblivious to the nearby wolf.

"Tonight seems like it's the same. This waiting is killing me, not to mention having to sleep outdoors on the hard ground."

Jill said. For two nights they surveyed the roadway, waiting and preparing for the main actors to grace the stage. Tonight had the presence of another no-show.

"It's not so bad, being outside among the stars, waiting for just that right time to pounce. That's what makes it so exciting. It's the thrill of the hunt... hehe."

Dyna chuckled. Jill could only think the little girl had similar traits to those patient stalkers that followed her around. If this little girl had a fault, it would be that when she did attack, she turned vicious. According to the Boss, the etiquette training seemed to have paid off and turned her into a docile little lady.

Little lady my ass.

Jill shook her head, remembering the reason why Chu made her accompany the girl. She patted the grass to soften a makeshift bedding when she happened to see the silhouette of a huge wolf bounding over the grasslands. Even though her heart knew it as an ally, it still skipped a beat on the fearful sight.

The beast slowed on approach, grinding to a walk so as to avoid startling the horse. By the time, the little girl patted the monstrous head, the tongue remained outside as it panted for breath. Dyna sat up and fumbled in a backpack for a small pouch. Holding up the small tiles close to her eye, so as to make them out in the low light, she placed some on the flat grass.

The wolf, wasted no time in choosing two, prodding them with its large paws. Jill did make out the blood-red tile chosen by the intelligent beast.

"A large group of men on horses, rated as a threat, coming from that direction."

Dyna pointed from where the wolf appeared.

Jill rose while speaking.

"Looks like tonight is the night. Bob, did give us a good estimate in his last letter. Now its all up to Ming."

She said while removing a crossbow from the saddle. Though they might not be able to render assistance if the plan went wrong, given any opportunity they had to act. Dyna cupped her hand and imitated the hoot of a night-bird common on the grassland. A waving firebrand signaled the teen sitting at the fire, received her signal.

About less than half an hour later, a lone horse clipped out from the grassland, its rider obviously avoiding the road. On seeing the flickering light from the campfire, the horse and rider paused, before deciding to investigate.

The curtains were raised and the show had begun...

***

Old man Hodge hands trembled as he held onto the small rectangular wooden sieve. Taking his time he slowly dipped the apparatus into the liquid. Rocking his hands to and fro, for a minute, he slowly removed the sieve. Placing it on a table he removed the latched sides, and by holding the flat sieve, he swiftly turned it over on the flat surface.

With a gentle tug, a thin-film that attached to the sieve slowly became loose and covered the table. Hodge reattached the wooden sides to the sieve, and continued the process, this time leaving the sieve immersed inside the liquid for a longer period.

On another end of the polished table, Sally slowly lifted the partially dried sheets and hung them on a line with wooden clips to dry. Since the sun rose until this late at night, they had been constantly repeating this process. Hodge groaned as he straightened his bent back. He rested the sieve on the side, as he had finished for the day.

Holding a lamp, he moved it closer for the light to fall on the pearl white surface.

Finally.

By using a little of that finely ground slake lime to help wash in the preparation stage, or maybe because of the type of bark used, they had done it. Hodge used his free hand to run his coarse fingers across the smooth surface. Thin, smooth and nearly white in color. He whispered under his breath, afraid to soil the new discovery.

"Paper."