[Job Thread]Forest Times I:(Solo)

[Antar]

3rd day of Fall, 511

Life working for the Carver Brothers wasn't that bad. Sure it was hard and grueling work at times, but the benefits to ones health seemed to pay off in the long run. After his wasting away in the cold of the North, his job had helped to fashion bits of whipcord muscle about himself and that was fine by him.

Such a musculature was sure to prove beneficial so long as Antar balanced his growing strength with the speed and endurance he would need. This day had started like any other, working the camp chores. Tending to his horse, and riding the way here upon Dawnstride's back.

All to spend another day in the woods, within the rain and loving every second of it. The rain was sometimes the best time to cut down a tree, when the bark was damp enough to chop through easily. But it did make it a downright hard time to cart everything back... making the quotas for the day lower.

[Antar]

Slogging through the mud was cold work for a man. Even colder work for a horse. Dawnstride was doing her best carting back the lumber and Antar was sure going to treat the mare to a bit of oats for efforts. With less quotas and more hazardous conditions the woodcutters of the forest had circled up by threes to get as much done as possible in the rains.

Unfortunately, since he was a lot junior to the other woodcutters of the yard, it meant Antar was the one stuck shuttling the wagon to and from the Yard.

Driving a horse and wagon in the rain was enough to make anyone's nerves shot. But the rogue took it slow and steady, making sure the ruts of the rod from the wheels of the other wagons were strayed away from as much as possible and that the mare took wide slow turns. He did this for two reasons: the first was to ensure his horse wasn't hurt by the tasks, and the second reason was to keep his wagon from getting mired in the mud.

The only downside to all of this was it left him out in the rain more, freezing under his cloak. Well, not exactly freezing, but he was certainly petching cold and soaked ! Damn rain, it was good for fields, and crops but it was a piss poor thing to be driving a wagon in. The turns of the forest roads in the hills had almost made him careen into the underbrush more then once today.

He hated to think what might have happened if he had kept her at a trot.

Pulling on one side of the reins, Noth guided the wagon into the yard and pulled Dawnstride to halt to unload the trees from the back... He had three more trips today to do before it was over.

Petching rain!

[Antar]

Calling one of the other men to help him in the slipping murk, Antar began unloading the wagon of the cut limbs of trees. Working with two people lifting to throw the cuts into sorted piles of Pine, Ash, Oak, and the other assorted trees in the forest was a bit of a mess to find ones balance and lift.

Twice he and the worker helping him had had to drop a cut to prevent injury to themselves in the the slickened dirt of the Yard. His arms would burn from the efforts and his legs were already cramping from the efforts when he returned muddy to the driver's seat to turn back towards the woods.

The trip back wasn't any easier but when he arrived, the other two woodsmen had worked falling another few trees to trim them. They were working on a sixth as well so he quickly got out and helped with his hatchet to prune the branches off before the loading process began again.

It was just as messy as the other end of the line, and twice as grueling do to the incline of the forest loam near the southern hills. But somehow, with sweat blood and cursing the three managed to garner a means to load things up properly before one of the others looked at him to speak, "Think that's the full amount already, we got some briar and birchwood here, and that's heavier in plankage then most pine. Think we should head back to: the wolves are out a bit. Been howlind close by."

Noth looked at them with a tilt to his head to listen to the forests. The rains and winds above the tree sounded like an ocean so it was hard to hear anything... but the wolves were always a problem. "Anyone over at Bosh's site since he's sick?"

"Don't think so." the man said as he cocked an ear to listen to a wolf's howl. They had been right, the animals had been a little close... too close for Noth's comfort, "You thinking we should move? That might be a good idea, save we be careful with the ditch."

Bosh's site was closer to the Carver's Yard, and a mite dense with fir and pines. They were a little hard to cut down in tough soil, but with the rains and the downpours they might be a little easier to bring down. "How bout you, Gettle. You think Anthony's suggestion's a good one?

"Yeah Bert, at least one o' us is using their head. You be mighty scared of those wolves."

"Hah! Anyone in their right mind would be so close to the cemetery, Ain't you heard the stories 'bout the wolves and that place."

Noth was getting a little ticked so he let a little bit of coldness enter his voice, "Shut yer' traps gentlemen and get in the wagon so I can drop you off. Last thing you want is a wolf knowing your around by sound, though they probably already have your scent. Even if this damn rain! I'll be sure to keep my bow handy but you're eyes will have to be on the lookout for 'em. Least I know where to shoot them from hunting a few before."

The two looked at him a bit askance at a 'junior' speaking to them like that but then another wolf's cry echoed in the hills nearby. It wasn't long before the two were throwing their tool bags in the back of the wagon and scrambling up to the side seat before asking Noth to drive. Which he did, though to make good on his work he did keep his bow close behind him, and made sure to hold an arrow in his hand safely as he clucked his tongue to make Dawnstride begin to turn around.

Part of it was for show, a means to get back at some of the old timers; but the other part of it was purely a precaution. Just in case.

[Antar]

He only spotted one wolf on the way to Bosh's work area, but the scampering of paws quickly made it vanish back into the underbrush out of sight. The two gentlmen beside him breathed a long sigh of relief as the mile and a half trek with the wagon brought them closer to the new work area.

It was a difficult passage of the woods to drive a wagon in, and the extremely tight turn around one bend had him cursing as Dawn pulled the wagon with all her horsie might. Soon enough, the devilish ride was finished and the two yardmen were let off with thier tools and a promise that Antar would return. The Yard was only a short distance away, less then a mile, which was easy traveling for a horse in good weather but miserable in the muck and grime.

It took three times as long to get there as it should, but eventually everything was set to offload. The burning in his shoulders was hurting more now from the constant lifting, but that was the life on rainy days when everyone pulled double duty.

But he had to admit- his three seasons of working here had begun to get him a great set of abdominal muscles and his physique was starting to improve overall. The hard work, kept him healthy and fit, so it seemed to be a blessing in disguise. Working in the woods, carving stuff with his hands... creating something from another instead of completely destroying it when he crafted a comb or anything else was a good feeling to him. One the rogue wished he had possessed a great many years of his prior life.

Putting the last piece of the wood down in the sorting pile, he bent at the knees to release its weight. Sighing he took a bit of feed the brothers kept for the draw horses and gave it to the mare, stroking her neck as an apology for having to make one more trip. By this time, he hoped the pair of woodcutters had made enough progress in the dense pine to make their quota for the last trip...

[Antar]

The driving of the wagon through the slogging mud wasn't any more pleasant then the first time through. Twice he had to halt Dawn to let another wagon pass, and it was only with a bit of a sigh and a snap of the reins he could get her to start up again.

The rain was just as cold to horses as it was to men, so the rogue was sure he was going to brush her down by the fire tonight, to get all the mud off at least. By the time the mile back had fallen behind the wagon wheels, Noth's attention seemed to be slipping and when he dismounted near the two other woodsman he told them to load up while he helped care a bit for his horse.

Taking a horse blanket from the back of the wagon was an easy thing , brushing the muck and mire off a shivering horse wasn't as easy. But the addition of a carrot and the friction of his fingers through Dawn's thickening coat managed to warm his hands enough to help him finish loading up as the other men took a seat in the wagon...

Soon his shivering through his cloak stopped, as well as his ability to keep his wits about him. Pulling himself up to the drivers Antar took the reins in hand once again before pressing his tongue to the roof of his mouth. Clucking twice to Stride's ears to let her know it was time to move on.

The final trek back to the Yard was uneventful with Antar passing the ride in silence as the two older woodcutters traded pieces of conversation as Antar held a death grip on the reins. The rain slick road was turning the forest loam to muck, sliding the wagon back and forth in the muck. The extra weight from the load of cut trunks barely managed to help Dawn pull the wagon back through the mile trek. But the extra damage to the from the rest of the wagons passage in the rain lead to dangerous conditions.

So he took it slow, keeping Dawn at an even, if slow pace. When the others asked him why he simply told them the truth: that the horse needed to take it slow lest risk injury but they should stay on the lookout for wolves. The last part was a bit of a jibe in their direction, but it got them thinking Antar was at least doing his job.

After all: Dawn was his horse, and his use of her with the work and his own wagon was one thing the Carver's didn't have to pay for. Even if they let him maintain it for free with their help. He'd had to replace the axle once, and the wheels twice: and boy was that a vagik to do. No... let the bastard lumberjacks wait when they weren't normally the wagon drivers too. Sometimes he wondered if anyone the Carvers hired worked in as many tasks as he did. Though... it was quite the education he was receiving.

One day, if he worked hard enough, he might even open his own business: once he knew it was safe to do so...

[Antar]

It wasn't long before the final trip back to the Yard was completed with the new cut pine emptied. WIth the quota done for the day Antar set out to tack up his horse, with his saddle and prepare for the trip home. Rising into the saddle with a push of his arms to take his body weight he began to turn Dawnstride back towards the city outskirts and the place where the Crimson Edge had made camp for that night.

The ride back was a bit of a problem, with many of the same difficulties as driving, but by keeping it careful he managed to guide Dawnstride around the most treacherous of potholes filled with rain water at a slow pace.

When he got back to camp he brushed down his horse again by the fire, letting the heat keep her from shivering before taking her to where the tarp for the animal's was kept. There was the ass, a mule , and the other horses of the camp which were in need of being tended to, so he brushed them down as well before warming a set of blankets over the hot wood ashes to warm them up to act as wraps for the horses.

They were kept within the shelter of a half collapsed set of three walls, and the tarp provided cover from the rain and elements. and a set of ropes and stout branches carved sharp on both ends formed the open breadth of their cage. Just one of the many things he had used his talents upon building through these months past.

The myrian's horses were some of the most irritable, but noth knew a carrot would winnow the creature's will down and eventually the horse enjoyed its own brushing. Soon, after winter he would have to build something more permanent for the group. Thinking it best to begin preparations for the start of the new year. But that was only after he was sure they survived the winter weather.

Winters in Sunberth could vary from time to time, and if the rain was any indication of things: snows would be heavy this year. When his care for hte camp animals was finished Noth left to find a bit of stew made by one of the others and took a share before heading back to his tent to care for his falcon. She was beginning to lose that sense of distemper at his presence... and that was a good thing. It meant the conditioning was working.

A brief rub of oil into the creatures feathers was enough to make Ellise chirp a bit in pleasure as Noth began to spend the rest of the day inside his tent. Keeping it between him and the elements was a luxury he didn't always possess. But it was a good feeling... especially when he had a little falcon for a guard.

[Cachet]

Antar : Antar SKILLS Driving(horse):3 Riding (Horse):2 Bodybuilding:2 Woodcutting:2 Animal Husbandry:1 Horsemanship:2 Falconry:1 LORE Falconry: Putting up a guard Conclusion: A job thread what is there really to say? Anything seem out of place? Any questions please feel free to contact me ASAP.