• Solo • [Warrick] Simple Pleasures

[Lei'lira]

7 Ymiden 716
No matter how much I do around here, there is always more to be done. Lei'lira thought in amused exasperation as she looked around her farm.

The cow needed to be milked, the horses needed to be groomed, and exercised, and their stalls could use a good cleaning. And as always, the eggs needed to be gathered...if she could find where the hens had made their nests, that was.

You know you love it. came her familiar's amused response.

Lei'lira turned to face the wolf spirit that was her constant companion. She was right, of course. She usually was.

I wouldn't trade this for the world. she agreed.

Though the little farm was small, it was Lei'lira's home, her little piece of the world. It was safe, and it offered a peace that Lei'lira craved.

Time to get to work.

Lei'lira decided to start with seeing to the cow. If she left the milking for too long, Daisy wouldn't thank her for it. A cow that didn't get milked often enough would sicken from complications caused by their swollen udder. Even waiting a break longer than she should would cause the animal pain since she didn't have a calf to nurse, and Lei'lira didn't want Daisy to suffer.

As Lei'lira entered the barn, she paused to get her milking bucket. She set it on the ground, next to Daisy. Daisy twitched an ear as she eyed Lei'lira, knowing what was coming. The look in the cow's eyes said "it was about time." When she was ready, Lei'lira squatted down, and took hold of Daisy's teats gently. Daisy snorted sharply, making her displeasure known as she planted a hoof firmly on Lei'lira's foot.

Lei'lira realized what she had done wrong immediately. Although Ymiden was a warm season, it was still cool in the morning at times, and that was the case now. Daisy was an easy going creature, but she hated cold hands touching her while she was being milked, and she was quick to make her displeasure known. Apparently, her hands weren't warm enough for the cow's tastes. Lei'lira stood, shifting her weight carefully off of her injured foot, and scratched Daisy's ears in apology. When the cow was appeased, it was time to get back to work. This time, Lei'lira was careful to hold her hands under her armpits for a while, warming them before milking Daisy.

When that was done, Lei'lira brought the nearly full milk bucket into the house, happy with what she had gotten. There would be plenty of milk for breakfast today. With luck, there would be eggs as well. That was the next task for the day; finding where the hens had laid their eggs. Fortunately, it didn't take too long. Experience had taught Lei'lira all of the most likely places to look for nests, and with only five hens, gathering the eggs was a simpler task than it would have been had she had more chickens to hunt for.

One of these days, I'll get that chicken coop. Then I won't need to hunt for nests at all. she thought ruefully as she headed back into the house once more.

Lei'lira cooked up a quick, simple breakfast for herself, setting a portion aside for her twin if she wanted any. After she ate, she cleaned up after herself before heading back out to get some more work done.

[Lei'lira]

It was warm, but this early in the season, it was still pleasantly so. The true heat of Ymiden, and worse, Saun, was still to come. There were a few lingering clouds in the sky from the light showers last night. But the ground was dry in most places, and that made her work easier.

Lei'lira headed into the barn once more, and led the horses out into the yard one by one so they could graze while she worked. Once they were outside, she took each of their water buckets, and dumped the old water out well away from the barn. Then, using clean water, and her scrub brush, she scrubbed out the algae, bits of hay, and clumps of grain that had gotten inside each of the buckets. Since a dirty bucket could lead to dehydration if the horse refused to drink out of it, or worse, health problems, Lei'lira made certain to do a good job cleaning them out. When she was finished, she set them aside so that they could dry in the sun while she finished her work.

She moved her wheelbarrow as close to the barn door as she could manage so that removing the horse manure from the stalls would be easier to manage. Lei'lira took a quick look around the stall. Star wasn't a restless sleeper the way Darkwind was, so if the straw and manure were strewn about, it was a sign that she had been in distress during the night. Fortunately, that wasn't the case this time. When she was satisfied, she began by using her manure fork to pick up the larger pieces in Star's stall, and put them in her largest bucket. Knowing that a difference in the amount of manure might be a sign of illness, Lei'lira paused in her work long enough to check for any warning signs, but to her relief, there were none. When she was done getting all of the larger pieces, Lei'lira used her pitchfork to sift through the straw bedding in search of the smaller pieces. Experience had taught her that it was unlikely she would find them all every time she mucked out the stalls. But the more she could find and remove, the happier her horses would be. And by sifting the straw carefully, she was able to save more of it since only the wet, soiled straw had to be removed.

After she was finished removing the manure, Lei'lira dug up the urine spot in the stall. Like many mares, Star and Kaiyu both used the back corners of their stalls, and knowing this made it easier to find. As she worked, she was careful to remove all of the wet straw while taking as little of the good straw along with it as she could manage. When she was finished, Lei'lira examined the stall, searching for exposed nails that might scratch Star, or worse, put an eye out if they weren't removed. Likewise, she tested the hinges of the stall door to make sure they weren't loose. All three of her horses were too curious for their own good. If there was a way for them to escape their stalls and go wandering about on their own, then they would.

Once she was satisfied that Star's stall was safe, she brought some fresh straw into the stall. Using her pitchfork, she mixed it in with the older stuff. The last thing that needed to be done was to fill Star's water bucket with fresh water. Then she looked around one final time, before moving on to the next stall.

By then, Lei'lira had fallen into old habit, and she hummed softly as she worked. It was hard, dirty work, but it was a chore that she was very familiar with. So her mind was free to roam while she worked, except for when it came time to make sure the stall she was cleaning was safe. That would always require her full attention. But the rest of the time, she could spend daydreaming of the time when she had enough horses to call her farm a real breeding ranch. It was a pleasant daydream that passed the time quickly. And before she knew it, all three of the stalls were clean. With that task done, Lei'lira was free to move on to more enjoyable work.

[Lei'lira]

Lei'lira pushed the manure filled wheelbarrow off to one side. Lazuli might want to use it as fertilizer for her crops. With that done, she cleaned her tools off, and headed into the barn to put them away. When she returned, she had her grooming brushes in hand.

Darkwind's ears perked up with interest when he saw her coming, making Lei'lira laugh.

"You know what these are for, don't you?"

I never know who enjoys these grooming sessions more, you, or the horses. Lei'luna commented with amusement.

"Neither do I. But it's a great way for me to bond with them, doing something that we all enjoy so much." Lei'lira replied with a grin.

Darkwind tossed his head, and danced in place eagerly. Lei'lira waited until he calmed down, then began brushing him out. Star seemed content to wait for her turn patiently, but Kaiyu snorted loudly, tossing her head to get Lei'lira's attention. She chuckled at the mare's antics.

"Patience is a virtue, Kaiyu. You're going to have to wait your turn, just like Star does."

You know they can't understand you the way I do. Lei'luna commented as she watched Lei'lira work.

"Oh, I don't know about that. They can't talk back, but horses are smarter than most people give them credit for."

No one was around to hear Lei'lira talking to "herself," so she didn't bother using the silent communication she and Lei'luna shared between them. Before long, Lei'lira was finished with Darkwind, and his black coat gleamed in the sun. Lei'lira took a few trills to admire her work. Then she brought the stallion back into his stall. He snorted in protest.

"Don't look at me that way." she scolded him as she led him into the barn.

"If I let you stay out here while I groom the others, you'll just roll in the grass, and undo all of my work."

Lei'lira was firm about putting him back into his stall, but she did offer him a handful of hay as a treat. Once he was settled, and mostly content, she headed back outside. She groomed each of the mares in turn, starting with Kaiyu since she was the less patient of the two. And once she was done, she settled them both back into their stalls with a treat for good behavior.

The horses still needed to be exercised, but that would have to wait for a while. There was more pressing work that had to be done first. It often felt as if no matter how much work she managed to do, the work was never done. But life on her farm was both peaceful, and very fulfilling. More than that, it was home. And Lei'lira wouldn't trade it for the world.

[Zenith]

Points:
Story: 5/5
Collaboration: 0/ 5 (solo)
Structure: 5/ 5

Knowledge:
Animal Husbandry: Keeping to a schedule when milking.
Animal Husbandry: Clean water buckets means happy horses.
Animal Husbandry: A messy stall can mean distress.
Animal Husbandry: Horses are smarter than you think.
Animal Training: Rewards to help reinforce good behavior.
Business Management: Replacing only what’s been soiled.
Construction: Checking stalls for the safety of the horses.
Medicine: Checking stool for early signs of illness.
Singing: Can help to pass the time.
Daisy: Doesn’t like cold hands.
Daisy: Lets her displeasure be known.
Darkwind: Loves to be groomed
Kaiyu: Impatient for attention.
Star: Patient

Comments:
So I have to say, this was my first grade and I was a bit worried it would drag as a farm work thread. I was happily wrong. The pacing was great, and I love the personality of the animals. Also great to get the inner dialogue from the character during the more menial tasks.