Legend to Farmer 4: A Slice of Life Fantasy by Dante King

Author:Dante King [King, Dante]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2024-10-18T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 17

“Valdis,” Murdo said that evening when they reconvened inside the Bull Inn for a debrief on that day's work.

“Yes, Murdo,” Valdis said, mirroring the other man's somber professional tone. “What is it? How can I help you?”

“Valdis,” Murdo said again, warming to his theme, “I need you to stay on a couple more days if possible.”

Valdis considered this. “I've already spent longer than I had really planned on coming to town and staying here,” he said slowly. “Now that the weather’s cleared I should really get shifting back to Battleground Ranch.”

“I appreciate that, really I do,” Murdo said. “But the fact of the matter is that I can't get my mitts on any fresh laborers. I don't know what's going on in town. I suppose people are busy dealing with their farmsteads and the like. The wharves, I've never seen busier. Seems like every man and his son wants to try their hand at fishing this season. There’s hardly a competent soul left who fancies a bit of work up on the rooftops.”

“Well, can you blame them?” Captain Buran cried from the bar where he was waiting patiently for Molly Taur to pour three generous pints and garnish them with a tot each of rum. “Let me tell you, there's no finer life for a man or woman than being a fisherman.”

Valdis saw Murdo roll his eyes over the rim of his tankard.

“Why?” Captain Buran asked the taproom at large. “Well, I’ll tell you. It's a life of adventure it is, a life of mystery and wonder and the occasional biting of a fish with too many teeth for a man's liking.”

“Oh gods, here we go,” Murdo muttered. “He’s giving them the full spiel.”

Valdis smiled into the dregs of the drink that Captain Buran had insisted on replacing.

“I'm telling you, my buckos, there's nothing like the smell of that fine lake air, the feel of the wind in your hair—“

“What hair?” some local wag called, to much laughter.

“—and the way the waves rock you to sleep at night when you're away from shore for a few days,” Captain Buran finished.

There was a smattering of chuckling from the gathering of patrons around the room.

“Aye, being a fisherman is the noblest calling in life, in my opinion,” the old sailor went on. “It's a life of stories and songs and scars to prove that you—“

“All right, all right, put a sock in it, brother,” Murdo said.

Valdis laughed, and Murdo turned back to him.

“The point is, I need your help for a little longer, if you can spare the time and the labor,” he said. “I'll pay you half again what I'm paying you now, how's that for fair?”

Valdis considered it. He would have worked for the same pay, but he was not going to look a gift horse in the mouth either. The farmstead coffers could always use a boost. Besides, realistically, he knew that he was probably doing the work of two men as it was, thanks to his magically augmented muscles and the stamina that his dabbling with spells in his youth had given him.

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