What Ines could tell right away was that the little bull ashta wasn’t mean at all. It was playful, curious and healthy. That was utterly indicative that it had been taken care of well and fit into the settlement in a way where its work was valued and it wasn’t abused. It had no scars other than the ones a young male elephant would have roaming the jungle. It offered her the frond – upside the head – and then took it back, trying to get her to want it. And the fact that Randal didn’t seem to upset to see it roaming away from its little herd was also a sign of how laid back and relaxed the settlement was.
“The Sawmill is all the way up the cobbled pathway in the north. This bull has wandered quite a ways. Isuas is a plant we grow here that we turn into a cloth that is stronger and lighter than cotton, thus more durable and suited to our climate. Lars is our Sawmill foreman. He just came out of the jungle one day with these Ashta. I don’t know exactly where he got them, but I do know they are invaluable because they can lift and move a lot of things.” Randal said, joining the girl urging the Ashta onto a trail that lead a short distance to the commons.
The creature didn’t seem to be giving her any trouble. It just ambled happily after, as if glad to have something to do and someplace to go.
“I don’t mind the conversation. I also like answering questions.” Randal said, giving her a smile and reaching out and patting the ashta’s leg affectionately as the three of them lumbered at the beasts pace into the Commons. “I wish I could remember this one’s name. They all have them.” He assured her, gesturing. “See this is The Commons. If you would have came by sea, the dock there is where you would have tied up.” Randal said, giving her a bit of a tour before passing onward.
“We have a communal forge, kitchen, guest quarters, water storage, events center, a kiln, and a fish cleaning station. That big building off Swing Beach there… that’s the Tidepool Bar. It’s the only place you can get a decent meal and drink unless someone’s cooking in the kitchen. Generally if someone’s cooking there, you are welcome to come eat. I heard the Rangers killed a rather large python in one of the streams earlier today so I suspect we’ll all be eating snake for dinner. One of those things can feed all of us with leftovers, even if there are sailors visiting.” Randal said, leading her onward.
He was like a tour guide, pointing out things as they walked. The cobbled pathway snaked past a Mercantile that Randal pointed out, a series of steaming water pools that looked amazingly comfortable and had two people already bathing in them. Then he pointed out through the trees a bungalow on the headlands that he said was another Founders… Mathias. The path wove through some bungalows that looked to be all of the same design before it flat out opened up and they walked… and walked and walked… skating the beach. They passed more housing that was over the waters which Randal called Ranchos, then turned north. Trails snaked off the main cobbled pathway. The first one lead to something called Sharktooth point, while the second one went somewhere Randal said was a beach containing a lot of pigs.
The little bull followed contentedly and once they turned north bullied his way to the lead, tuffed tail lashing happily as he called out only to receive answering calls by other Ashta in the distance. He didn’t play around anymore after Randal’s place once they were moving. And it was obvious the creature had just been bored and had gone looking for something to entertain him. Going somewhere, even if it was being taken home, was entertainment in spades for the young creature.
The cobbled pathway intersected another cobbled pathway, in a T formation, but Randal took neither the right nor the left path. Instead, he simply walked off the trail and into the trees which were opened by numerous Ashta tracks. The vegetation opened up and they passed stacks of logs and finally came into a clearing with a small covered saw mill that was currently not running. A man was working on it with a wrench.
A newly built bungalow, and a large mulling area for Ashta. A stream flows through the clearing providing a waterwheel for the mill and a rather large wading pool that usually has several of the ashta lounging within. The animals are not confined in any way, but are seemingly attached to the area and guarded by two larger bulls that make good watch animals over the whole facility.
Other Ashta were milling about and all wandered over to affectionately greet the newly arrived bull as if they hadn’t seen him for days.
The bungalow has very few walls, most of them open to the outside which allow the Ashta to pop into the living area of the bungalow which features a very large high ceiling for just that accommodating purpose. Without the animals the man who runs the mill would not be able to operate it with any efficiency. The animals serve to move his lumber, logs, and in cases of low water, operate his mill providing its power.
Near the mill itself is a huge pile of sawdust. Randal pointed out the sawdust and told Ines it was free to any Syka citizens that wish to use it. Near it, various carts and platforms for hauling wood rested in another covered shed.
Piles of wood line the edge of the clearing, some tarped against the frequent rains. Logs are also stacked here and there. Some are cut down to easy sizes and some have been freshly dragged in by the Ashka. There is a small shed near the bungalow that housed ashta harnessing which is kept away from nibbling rodents who could potentially ruin the leather.
Lars himself saw the bull, Randal, and the new woman and set down his tools. He grinned, and gestured at the mill. “We’re down again. Its being finicky. I have spare parts on order from the Svefra from Riverfall that should be here any day. At this rate I’ll need to reorder again before long.” He added, shaking his head.
The two men came together, shook hands and Lars stared at the bull. “Brought him back, I see? He likes to wander to the commons to see if he can find anyone to pay attention to him.” He said, shaking his head. “Thank you, Randal.” Lars added.
Randal shook his head. “Don’t thank me. We have a visitor who claims to want to stay. She’s good with them and took him in hand. Ines, this is Lars, Lars, this is Ines.” Randal introduced them. Lars offered her a smile, then a handshake, and gestured at the bull. “He’s still a baby in Ashta standards and he’s hard to keep home. His attention wanders like the wind. Thank you for seeing him safely back here.” He added, smiling once more.
The man looked tired, and one knuckle on the back of his hand was scraped. It looked like he’d been working on getting the mill fixed for hours.
“She’s good with Ashta. Her family raised them and the really big ones in Taloba. But she’s not Myrian. Don’t ask me how… “ He laughed lightly. “We were both wondering if you had work for someone with a bit of Ashta experience.” Randal said, gesturing at Ines again.
Lars laughed. “I do indeed have work… lots of work… for someone experienced. They take a lot of care, cleaning, and even this area takes a lot of cleaning. Now that we have them here, they are invaluable, but the dung piles up. I’ve gotten Tony Swiftwater to come take it to fertilize the Isuas plants, but hes so busy he only comes every five or six days. If you, young lady, can care for the Ashta and remove their droppings and deliver them to the grove when the bin gets full, I would pay you nicely for it.” He said, nodding once more to the small herd.
“They take a lot of work and trust people. I won’t tolerate any mistreatment of them either. They are good creatures, and we need them badly.” He said, turning around.
“What do you think? Any questions?” He asked carefully, smiling at Randal as if the Founder had just made his day bringing him this gem. It literally had been a shitty day, between the breakdown and the missing bull. But now things were indeed looking up. If his attention wasn’t divided all the time, he might very well get something done around the mill.
