#debukefarmhold

"and then the other..."

They step through.. and arrive to find..farming going on... "Everyone hurry up, it's getting dark..."

Even in spring, there's crops to be gathered.

Dagmar looks behind her, touching the handrail of the bridge. "Damn."

"You okay?" Siv steadies her "Now you see why I had trouble describing it save comparing it to a story"

"I don't remember... did it take time?"

"It feels like it did but it didn't?"

"Yes and no, it takes... we walked to Iowa... and however long that took, it took...but not in the Autumn world"

"No shit."

"No shit" She smiles "When Rovers, the ones that take the trods anyway work, they have LOOOONG shifts"

"But... but how much time on the outside? Does that mean Olgar is secretly way older?"

"Depends on how you count time... " Siv says "Come on, let's..."

"Okay, who's shirking?" A voice says coming up on them, then Clem says "oh! Hey girls, thought some of my kin were ducking the chores. "

"Hey." A flash of teeth in a quick grin for Clem.

"We took the trod." Soooo casual.

Clem seems to understand "You must be this sained to ride.. I understand. welcome you two. You here just for a visit?"

She nods. "Yeah."

"Well, you're welcome to but if you two stick around you're going to be put to work, fair warning" She smiles "Good food after"

"Work doing what?"

"Crops brought in, tools put up... animals put away."

"We could help with the animals, couldn't we?"

"Mmm big girls like you? Ought to have you carting wagons." she winks "sure, you can help with the animals. Come on. We'll show you the ropes. "

"Well, could do that, too... just... dunno. I like the animals."

"She really does" Siv says

"Hey..." a voice behind them, and Sylvi's arriving off the trod. "I got your note. Hi, Chief Clem."

"Hey, you're just in time to show them the rope with the animals, Sylvi. " Clem says with a smile

Siv turns "You made it! Hey... tada.. behold, Dagmar has crossed a trod. For our next magical trick.." She lets it hang

"Hey Sylvi! Food after, if we help..."

Sylvi gives Dagmar a bit of a grin. "Welcome to the bigger leagues. Sure...I hope you guys don't mind if we start with Lanark?" She seems okay, but not excessively upbeat...this is her first visit back since the funeral/triumphant return.

"I'm not sure why you like Lanark so much, he's.. well, he's a mean old thing" Siv says "Ships don't threaten to kick you"

Clem chuckles

"...Think maybe we'd see Blueberry, too?"

"He and I came to an understanding. He's cranky...but Mrs McGillicuddy is meaner."

"Oh jeez yeah."

"Sure, they're probably pasturing together. C'mon." She leads the way.

Dagmar tromps along with the other girls.

The three girls head out to get the horses. Blueberry looks up happily as they approach. Lanark looks up, snorts, and goes back to eating

"Hey." She offers out a blocky hand to Blueberry. "Remember me?"

Yup, she does, sniff and press nose into hand.

Another grin. "Cool horse."

Sylvi makes a series of signs to Lanark: Hi. You remember these other two-footers. Are you well?

A snort nod and Lanark rises over to greet Sylvi. And looks at her.

Then a nod to Dagmar. "Blueberry's friendly. Sorry we don't have any carrots right now," she adds outloud to both horses.

The foal trots up on spindly legs

A quiet look back at Lanark, and she reaches up to rest her hand on his forehead, if he allows.

"She's just as pretty as i remember her."

Blueberry is friendly

Lanark allows, and even presses ever so slightly, so no one watchinging need thing he LIKES Syvl. He does, of course

A grin at the press, then she drops her hand and tells the horses, "Time to head for the stalls. We'll brush and feed you all tonight." She signs it for Lanark as well.

Lanark listens as he listens to no one else.