The next morning, Natalie was up at five. To her surprise, she could hear someone in the shower. Natalie went downstairs, she'd have to shower a bit later, in the kitchen she found her mother.

"Ah Natalie, good if your heading out the back to help Dad, will you tell him I need a good amount of greens this morning?" Her mother was busy cooking breakfast.

"Sure Mum," Natalie gave her a hug, grabbed a piece of cooked bacon and went out into the garden. Eating her prize, she looked around the garden for her father. Spotting him in the hen house. Natalie approached. A sudden movement near her, as she passed the rows of beans, startled her so badly she jumped; with a little squeal!

"Easy there Sis," Laughed Brian. "It's just me, sorry didn't mean to scare you."

Natalie taking a moment to get her heart under control again, gave her brother a glare. A little beyond him in the cabbage patch, she could see Jake. He was laughing quietly, while leaning up against the fence that divided that section from the chicken run.

"Back to work Boy's," her father called, Natalie could see he was fighting a grin. "Were you looking for me Little Bee?"

"Yes Dad, Mum's asking for more greens," she replied. "Which section should I get them from, south side? Or by the rabbits?"

"I have already picked them," her dad said. "They are over by the tap, could you take them back up to the house? We have this almost done."

Natalie nodded. She picked up the basket of veggies, fruit and eggs, it looked like she wasn't needed here this morning. She turned back to the house, entering the Kitchen she found Chelsea busy helping their mother. Natalie put the basket of produce onto a bench near the sink, then began to wash everything.

"Good you have the greens?" Asked her Mother, as she was transferring hot cakes onto a plate. "When your done there Natalie, bring the eggs over, please, you can start frying them for breakfast."

"Ok Mum," Natalie was soon finished with the basket load of greens and fruit. She moved on to frying the eggs as asked. In short order they had breakfast ready, and the lunch half done, for the keeper.

With a loud clattering of the back screen door, her father and brothers came into the kitchen. Everyone took up a plate, filled it, and sat at the table. It was quiet as they ate, no one had much to say, there were a few yawns appearing here and there.

When breakfast was over, they all set to and cleaned the kitchen. Chelsea finished putting their lunch into the keeper.

"Ok chores," Mum said. "Who hasn't showered yet?"

"I haven't Mum." Natalie said.

"Then you get the bathroom to clean," her mother told her. "Make sure you leave the shower stall, until after you have showered,"

Natalie smiled at her mother, sometimes, Mum seemed to forget that she was fourteen, she knew how to clean the shower. It didn't take that long for Natalie to finish the bathroom and her shower. She carried the washing down to the laundry, putting it into the machine, she programmed it to wash and then dry the clothes.

Natalie checked to see if there were more chores to do, everything was done. She went to her room and entered the pod.

"Hi Sam, anything about the game or forums?" She asked.

"No Natalie, still nothing." Sam said. "I will continue to monitor them."

"Alright, log me in to Freedom please," Natalie opened her eyes to the bare bedroom of her cottage. She really needed to do something about that, but again it would have to wait. Right now she had donkeys to feed, fields to harvest, and replant.

When Natalie enter the barn, she was greeted by a loud braying from the donkeys, they were eager for their breakfast. Carefully, she put a halter on each of them and led them outside to one of the animal pens. She then went to the storage shed, gathered up a good arm load of hay for them. Throwing it into the pen, she turned back for more hay, after two trips the donkeys had their morning feed.

Cleaning the stalls was quickly done, she left the donkeys to eat. The Chance Berry's were ready, now to see if auto harvesting worked for this as well. Reaching out to the nearest bush, Natalie was pleased when she received a notification, asking if she wished to harvest the berries.

In a matter of a few moments, all the Chance Berry bushes were bare. Moving on to the Blueguards and Sundaisys, Natalie soon had that field cleared. Next was the tree lot. There she had a surprise, as soon as she touched the gate she was notified about four trees ready for harvest. She clicked yes to it and waited.

The large half shed, to one side, shimmered, there were four large logs, now laying on the racks. Natalie went to the shed, another notification told her that the logs needed two days to dry, and cure before she could use them.

Now that was done, Natalie decided to try out the plow. She collected the donkeys, in moments they were harnessed. Climbing up into the tall seat of the plow, was a bit of a challenge. Natalie picked up the long leather reins, clicked to the donkeys. Then attempted to drive them to the fields, it wasn't easy. She'd pulled a bit much on one side, the donkeys immediately responded and turned. When she'd pulled to try and straighten them up. Over compensation caused them to turn the other way.

She quickly learnt to pull gently. Once on the field, she used the side leaver to lower the blades. They bit into the earth, she was doing it! Admittedly it wasn't straight, but the ground was getting tilled.

It took her all morning, she stood and looked at the six large fields. Five of them were bare, ready for the seeds. The sixth one was half covered with the Chance Berry bushes, she had plowed the other half. Then she looked at the donkeys, she could see they were exhausted. Covered in dust and dirt, they were a pitiful sight.

Natalie went to their heads and gave each a pat, telling them they had done well. Taking the harness off and leading them to their yard. She groomed them and gave them another large helping of hay.

Next was seed gathering. The Healberries and Chance berries, took the most time to harvest for seeds. Taking the Chance Berry seeds to the field, she planted them in the other half. They fill it up nicely.

The Healberries were a much larger bush, they took up a whole field on their own. It was a shame they'll die off after harvest. Having something else constantly producing, would have been good.

After going back for more seeds, she planted two of the remaining fields. The other will have to wait for the next lot of seeds to develop, in two days time. Then again, this was a new area, maybe she could find something wild to replant.

Natalie looked around, she could try a bit of alchemy. The thought of going out to explore was attractive. Natalie wandered up the path to the tool shed, she'd stored her bow there. Checking that it was still in working order, she picked up her quiver, slung both on her back and left the Sanctuary.

Outside the Sanctuary, it was busy, she could see soldiers from the Village moving about in the meadows. Quite a few people were walking around between the Sanctuary's, Natalie thought nothing of it. She watched for a bit then turned towards the empty parts of the meadowlands.

Already, Natalie could see berry bushes and flowering plants, smiling, she started to collect anything that looked like it might be useful. As she continued moving down the meadows, Natalie observed movement in the tall grasses. She paused in her gathering, nocking an arrow to the bow, she waited.

The grass near her was rustling, nervously, she raised the bow to her shoulders and readied herself. There was a squawking sound, that made her jump a bit, causing her to lose her hold on the nocked arrow, it fell to her feet. Natalie was horrified, quickly she snatched another arrow, but the grasses parted, a large ungainly looking bird stepped out.

Forgetting that she might be in danger, Natalie stared. How did something with a head that big, managed to even walk? The thing was ridiculous, a large domed head, sporting a huge curved beak, sitting on a small short neck. The body was deceptively small looking, but she suddenly notice just how muscular the bird actually was.

The bird became aware of Natalie, it stood still, then with a loud squawking, beak gaping, it charged! All of Natalie's training, went out the window in seconds, she squeaked in surprise, closed her eyes and swipped the bow at the bird. By shear luck, the blade on the arm of her bow, cut a large gash into the bird's neck.

Momentum of the bird's charge, caused it to crash into her. Natalie screamed! Every feather on her head standing up, she blindly started to stab the bird with the arrow she was still holding. Blood, that was pouring out of the fatal wound on the bird's neck, covered Natalie's head and shoulders. This would have made it harder for the confused girl to see. If her eyes were actually open, and not screwed tightly shut!

Eventually, she calmed down enough to realise she was stabbing at an unmoving corpse. Shaking so badly, she couldn't stand, Natalie crawled away from the birds body.

"Well that could have gone better." Came the dry sounding voice of her AI.

"Shut up, Sam!" A shaking, embarrassed, and thoroughly frightened young girl, half screamed.

"As you wish." Sam replied.

Natalie was certain she could hear amusement in his voice. She sat and stared at the dead bird, it was a long time before she could bring herself to approach it. Tentatively, Natalie reached out to touch the corpse, a morbid fascination taking hold of her. She had never seen a dead creature before, the animals her father kept in the backyard, were always processed in the slaughter shed.

An animal was placed in the small room at one end, two hours later, you collect the already butchered and packed, ready for the freezer, meat, at the other end. Very neat and tidy, no sight of all that blood, or the smell. The slaughter shed was even self cleaning. All the waste products, would be processed into dry flakes, which in turn, would be spread into the garden beds as fertiliser.

This was very different, Natalie had no idea what she was supposed to do with this thing now. Chelsea had mentioned, she would need to learn how to skin and butcher her kills. She remembered, Chelsea telling her, of her own first battle, Natalie felt a bit better about the whole episode. She hadn't reacted very well to the situation, but at least she wasn't alone in that. She wondered how well her brothers had done, in their first hunt.

Natalie reached down, taking hold of a leg, she dragged the dead bird along behind her. Gone was any idea of further gathering, she was sore, and dripping gore with every step. She wanted to get clean. Having the safety of the Sanctuary, surrounding her was also a must.

She'd decided, dealing with the corpse, was something she could do, after she cleaned all the blood off her face. Natalie was so shaken up, it didn't occur to her, to will herself and the corpse back into the Sanctuary. She had covered almost the whole distance back, before she remembered.

Breathing heavily, Natalie paused, shook her head in disgust at herself, and willed both herself and the corpse into the Sanctuary. She'd have to do better then this, looking down she grimaced, the dead bird was leaking blood all over her bedroom floor!

Growling, in anger at her own stupidity, Natalie dragged it out side, leaving a long trail of blood behind her. She dumped the bird by the tool shed. Then spent the remaining time, before lunch, cleaning up the mess in the cottage. Blood, she discovered, was very hard to clean up.

Eventuality, the job was done. Natalie was eyeing off the carcass, how did you go about the process of butchering? Looking at it with distaste, she knew, that this was going to be extremely unpleasant.

Natalie took hold of the bird carcass, gritting her teeth, she moved the knife in her hands to slice the the birds head off. A notification appeared.

Do you wish to loot and butcher the Dodo carcass?

yes / no

Natalie stared. What? Chelsea had said.... a sudden thought enter her head... she wouldn't!

Would she? Had her serious, not prone to jokes sister, set her up?

Furiously, Natalie selected, yes, the carcass shimmered and disappeared. Laying on the ground, was a few silver's, some meat and a couple of feathers. Natalie's anger drained away, leaving her battered, bruised and worn out. She picked up the things, stored them in her inventory and logged out of the game.