The autumn passed, with the two of them weeding the oak, and planting all kinds of herbs, which the nymph told them were good to keep insects from her trees, around the great oak.
Moss grew on top of the hut's roof, but Lysander wasn't worried. That just meant another layer of isolation, for the winter months.
When the first snow fell, Erin was the first to wake up. He swung the shutters open, for they didn't have glass in their windows, and he blinked. The snowflakes were falling merrily.
He reached out a hand, and tried to capture a few, only for them to melt in his grasp. Erin ran back to the second bed in the hut, and then shook Lysander awake.
"Ly, happy first snow!" Erin said, as he kept on shaking the other boy.
Lysander opened his eyes, and then looked at the snow, which was now entering the hut.
"Why did you leave the window open? Come on, close it. Help me get some curtains up," it was just their luck, that they washed the curtains the day before. They were hanging from the rafters, while the fire in the hearth was drying them.
They were thick curtains, made of linen. A gift from Belle the nymph, who liked to pay them every month, with something they might need.
Lysander was not as excited about the snow, as Erin. For him, snow meant, that things will get tougher. No more crops in the farms, where he would help pick vegetables, in exchange for some pocket money. Most animals were in hibernation. Those that were not, were better at hiding in the snow, than Lysander.
Yet, Erin's enthusiasm was infecting him. A small smile made its way to Lysander's face, as they hung the curtains on the windows. If he were lucky, they wouldn't need to wash them again, until the winter ended. Before they were even done, Erin was bouncing at the soles of his feet.
"Do you want to go out and play?" Lysander asked, reading the mood.
"Can I, Ly? You will come and play with me, right? We need a snowman up in front of the hut. A big one!" Erin said, reaching out with his hands towards the ceiling so that he can show just how big of a snowman he wanted.
"Fine. But first, we must have some breakfast," Lysander said. They could always wash after Erin was done playing in the snow.
For now, they could simply stay in the clothes, which were already in need of washing. Lysander went to the pot, which was still halfway full of yesterday's stew. They had been lucky, that they had found an entire field with cabbages just this week.
At any rate, no one came to chase them away from the field. Yet, he knew that, once they were done with making the snowman, they needed to return there, and pick the remaining cabbage. For, if they did not, it was just going to go to waste.
A part of him lamented, that there were many more such fields in the frontier, where the food will go to waste. Yet, there was nothing he could do. For, taking care of the nymph's tree, was something they had to make a priority.
As the two boys waited for the cabbage stew to heat up, they busied themselves with setting the table. The bowls were placed on their spots, together with the spoons. Erin would never voice it, but he missed eating bread. Even flatbread, was something that made his mouth water. Yet, they weren't as lucky as to find a wheat field in the forest.
That is not to say, there wasn't one or two. Yet, they were farmed by goblins. Erin didn't want to steal, and not just because it was wrong. More than that, goblins were scary. More than one war party would chance their luck, by attacking Brier Village, when the winter came. Yet, now, they will only find a husk of a village.
Thinking about his home village always made Erin sad. He sniffed, and that brought Lysander's attention to him.
"Hey, buddy, are you thinking of home, again?" Lysander asked. He always knew to call him buddy or friend, when the blonde was down in the dumps.
"It is nothing, Ly. Is the stew ready yet?" Erin asked, not wanting to pile up his bad mood, on his best friend.
"We can play, and then we have to harvest the cabbage," Lysander said, and then Erin nodded. Lysander was by far more pragmatic than him. The blonde wondered, for how long will the cabbage be ok to eat, if left in the snow?
"Ly, let us first go and take the cabbage. We can play later," Erin suggested. He knew, that he couldn't keep on thinking the way he used to, while he still had parents. Everyone had to pull their weight out here, and he was no exception.
"Ok. And we can take baths right after," Lysander said. When the hut was filled with the aroma of the cabbage stew, the stomachs of the two boys growled as one.
They shared a look, and giggled at the silliness of the act. Lysander took the cloth he had fashioned out of the adventurer's robe, and took the stew off the fire. He placed it on the wooden floor, and then took the bowls, and filled them to the brim.
"It smells as yummy as yesterday," Lysander said, wanting to brighten the mood.
"Well, yes, you cooked it. Ly, you will make a fine wife one day," Erin teased. Lysander pocked his tongue out at him.
"Then I will need to teach you how to cook, before you end up wanting to marry me, or something?" Lysander teased right back. Erin turned the color of ripe cherries, as he began to mumble how he was going to make sure Lysander ended up in white, one day.
Lysander let this evasion slide, for he knew that the blonde didn't know what he was talking about. If only he was right...
The autumn passed, with the two of them weeding the oak, and planting all kinds of herbs, which the nymph told them were good to keep insects from her trees, around the great oak.
Moss grew on top of the hut's roof, but Lysander wasn't worried. That just meant another layer of isolation, for the winter months.
When the first snow fell, Erin was the first to wake up. He swung the shutters open, for they didn't have glass in their windows, and he blinked. The snowflakes were falling merrily.
He reached out a hand, and tried to capture a few, only for them to melt in his grasp. Erin ran back to the second bed in the hut, and then shook Lysander awake.
"Ly, happy first snow!" Erin said, as he kept on shaking the other boy.
Lysander opened his eyes, and then looked at the snow, which was now entering the hut.
"Why did you leave the window open? Come on, close it. Help me get some curtains up," it was just their luck, that they washed the curtains the day before. They were hanging from the rafters, while the fire in the hearth was drying them.
They were thick curtains, made of linen. A gift from Belle the nymph, who liked to pay them every month, with something they might need.
Lysander was not as excited about the snow, as Erin. For him, snow meant, that things will get tougher. No more crops in the farms, where he would help pick vegetables, in exchange for some pocket money. Most animals were in hibernation. Those that were not, were better at hiding in the snow, than Lysander.
Yet, Erin's enthusiasm was infecting him. A small smile made its way to Lysander's face, as they hung the curtains on the windows. If he were lucky, they wouldn't need to wash them again, until the winter ended. Before they were even done, Erin was bouncing at the soles of his feet.
"Do you want to go out and play?" Lysander asked, reading the mood.
"Can I, Ly? You will come and play with me, right? We need a snowman up in front of the hut. A big one!" Erin said, reaching out with his hands towards the ceiling so that he can show just how big of a snowman he wanted.
"Fine. But first, we must have some breakfast," Lysander said. They could always wash after Erin was done playing in the snow.
For now, they could simply stay in the clothes, which were already in need of washing. Lysander went to the pot, which was still halfway full of yesterday's stew. They had been lucky, that they had found an entire field with cabbages just this week.
At any rate, no one came to chase them away from the field. Yet, he knew that, once they were done with making the snowman, they needed to return there, and pick the remaining cabbage. For, if they did not, it was just going to go to waste.
A part of him lamented, that there were many more such fields in the frontier, where the food will go to waste. Yet, there was nothing he could do. For, taking care of the nymph's tree, was something they had to make a priority.
As the two boys waited for the cabbage stew to heat up, they busied themselves with setting the table. The bowls were placed on their spots, together with the spoons. Erin would never voice it, but he missed eating bread. Even flatbread, was something that made his mouth water. Yet, they weren't as lucky as to find a wheat field in the forest.
That is not to say, there wasn't one or two. Yet, they were farmed by goblins. Erin didn't want to steal, and not just because it was wrong. More than that, goblins were scary. More than one war party would chance their luck, by attacking Brier Village, when the winter came. Yet, now, they will only find a husk of a village.
Thinking about his home village always made Erin sad. He sniffed, and that brought Lysander's attention to him.
"Hey, buddy, are you thinking of home, again?" Lysander asked. He always knew to call him buddy or friend, when the blonde was down in the dumps.
"It is nothing, Ly. Is the stew ready yet?" Erin asked, not wanting to pile up his bad mood, on his best friend.
"We can play, and then we have to harvest the cabbage," Lysander said, and then Erin nodded. Lysander was by far more pragmatic than him. The blonde wondered, for how long will the cabbage be ok to eat, if left in the snow?
"Ly, let us first go and take the cabbage. We can play later," Erin suggested. He knew, that he couldn't keep on thinking the way he used to, while he still had parents. Everyone had to pull their weight out here, and he was no exception.
"Ok. And we can take baths right after," Lysander said. When the hut was filled with the aroma of the cabbage stew, the stomachs of the two boys growled as one.
They shared a look, and giggled at the silliness of the act. Lysander took the cloth he had fashioned out of the adventurer's robe, and took the stew off the fire. He placed it on the wooden floor, and then took the bowls, and filled them to the brim.
"It smells as yummy as yesterday," Lysander said, wanting to brighten the mood.
"Well, yes, you cooked it. Ly, you will make a fine wife one day," Erin teased. Lysander pocked his tongue out at him.
"Then I will need to teach you how to cook, before you end up wanting to marry me, or something?" Lysander teased right back. Erin turned the color of ripe cherries, as he began to mumble how he was going to make sure Lysander ended up in white, one day.
Lysander let this evasion slide, for he knew that the blonde didn't know what he was talking about. If only he was right...
