Chapter 2

Tarsha cursed as she tried to patch an uncooperative fence that marked the turning in the road towards the inn. No one had been sleeping well since Travis and Garry had disappeared a week apart a month ago. To make matters worse Jessica had broken her leg and an arm when she had fallen from the hay loft in the stables and Annabell was out of commission with the flu, and Daniel had been taken to be trained as a healer, when a passing healer had sensed his power while he was nursing a sick puppy, which left them very short handed.

"Do you need a hand there miss?" A male voice asked as she struggled to get the beam in place.

"I got it thanks." She replied as she got it in place with a grunt.

"I was hoping that you could help me, I think I'm a little lost." He added as she turned to look at him, tucking her hair back under her scarf.

"Where are you heading Herald?" She asked smiling up at him, he and his companion were a little dusty from their travels.

"I'm looking for an inn called Traveller's rest."

"It's just down the road a bit." She pointed down the road. "If wait but a moment I'll show you, I heading back there as soon as I get this in place." She added as she hammered a block of shaped wood into the poles to hold them in place. "There." She sighed in satisfaction and frowned as she looked about. "Now where did Jona wonder off too?" She muttered and let off an unlady like high pitch whistle at which the companion snorted at. "Sorry." She apologised with a smile as her mare appeared and she mounted, after packing up her tools. "You aren't the usual herald we have come this way." She commented as she led the way.

"I'm a messenger, I have a few letters for the Mannerly's."

"I'm Tarsha, my family runs the inn." She introduced herself.

"Leren, messenger for this section of the north and this is Jerna." He introduced himself and his companion.

"It's a pleasure to meet you both." She gave them both a goofy bow. "I don't suppose you have a letter from Talia, do you?" She asked.

"You know the Queen's own?" He inquired looking a little surprised.

"Sure do, she is my aunt." She nodded with a grin as he blinked. "Mother was one of the lucky ones of the family; she got out when Aunt Talia offered a way out." She added as they rode into the yard. "Papa, messages from Haven." She called out to her father as he stepped out of the inn.

"Good, been expecting them." He nodded. "You get the fence patched up okay?"

"Had a little trouble but it's all fixed." She nodded as she dismounted and led Jona back to her stall and removed her minimum tack, gave her a quick grooming before hurrying into the inn where the letters were always read out, passing Leren as he made his way to the stable.

"Oh thank goodness." She heard her mother exclaim.

"What?" Tarsha asked as she stepped into the cool inn.

"Travis and Garry have been chosen and are safe and sound in Haven. Dirk sends his congratulations and his apologies for worrying us." She read out to every one, who let out a great sigh of relief. "Talia also sends her congratulations of have two children chosen and apologies for making more work for us." Mama chuckled. "Oh, She and Dirk have managed to arrange some time away and will be coming to spend midwinter with us, along with Jemmie."

"Jemmie is their son right?" Jazmine asked with a small frown.

"Yes, she says they Garry and Travis will be coming with them, but they will be only be able to spend a few days because of the distance." She nodded. "Just to know that they are okay and only seeing them for a little while is better then not seeing them at all."

"Very true, love." Papa smiled leaning back in his chair with a proud grin on his face. "A healer and two heralds in the family, four including Dirk and Talia."

"You do realise this means that we are going to have to extend the stables again, don't you father." James commented thinking. "Especially with more and more Heralds stopping here to rest all the time, we only have two companion friendly stalls and nine normal stalls that hold two horses each and that just isn't enough any more."

"Looks like we have found a new hobby for the month." Devid grinned at his brother.

"Well if that doesn't keep you two out of trouble I don't know what will." Mama commented with a sniff, before smiling at them both as they grinned at her.

"Would you like something to drink, Leren?" Tarsha asked as he walked back into the inn.

"A cider would be nice." He nodded as he took a seat near the family.

"We have some fresh baked bread and some good cheese if you are hungry," Jazmine offered looking up from where she, Annabell and Karen were sewing together a thick patch blanket.

"Sounds delicious." He smiled a little uncertainly, even as his stomach growled loudly.

"Good heavens when was the last time you ate?" Mama asked.

"Last night actually." He flushed a little. "I don't really like waystation food so I skipped breakfast."

"We have some cold fowl left over from last nights dinner if you don't mind left overs." She offered as she stood up and ignoring her bulging stomach and his protests that cheese and bread would do him and bustled into the kitchen to get him a decent meal.

"You'll have to excuse my wife, she gets very motherly when she is near her time." Papa grinned at his obvious discomfort. "Karen, could you go and check on Jessie and tell her what we've heard in the letters?" He asked his youngest daughter.

"Sure thing, Papa." She nodded and scampered for the stairs after she tied off her thread.

"How big is this family?" Leren asked looking about at them all.

"Well there are ten children at the moment, and from what the healer says two more on the way." Papa grinned with pride. "But there is only seven here at the moment, two were chosen last month and another has just been apprenticed as a healer." He looked slyly at all his children. "Winter is very cold here."

"Papa!" They all cried in mock disgust.

"Jacob you behave yourself." Mama called from the kitchen with mock severity, just before she carried out a tray full of food for everyone to eat.

"After lunch Devid and I will have a look and see what we can do about our stable troubles." James commented as he buttered a slice of bread.

"Well I'll be back adding a few more rooms to the inn to deal with the crowds we've been having. Tarsha, have you finished with the stables?" Papa asked.

"Nearly, I got a few more stalls to clean out from the last visitors." She nodded.

"Get Karen to help you, when you are finished that move to the barn and start on the cows and check on the dairy, Annabell?"

"Kitchen has been scrubbed down and the yard cleaned." Annabell replied with a smile. "I was going to watch over Jess and stay out of everyone's way."

"Jazmine?"

"Animals have been fed, eggs collected and veggies pulled for supper. Mama and I have made up some more bread for the oven tonight and the roast is over the fire." Jazmine answered tying off her thread.

"James? Devid?"

"Wood chopped and stacked, water tank filled in the kitchen and bathing room." James nodded listing off the chores they had been given at breakfast.

"Did you bring up another barrel of ale from the basement?" Papa asked picking at his lunch.

"It's settling behind the bar." Devid nodded.

"Alright you see what you can come up with for the stable, Jazmine help your mother clean up the rooms that have been used and double check the unused ones for new customers. Tarsha, when you are done in the stables, go over the horses and make sure that they are all in good condition and see if any need a trip to the black smith." He gave out new chores. "Ah Karen, help Tarsha in the stables and then you can do the lunch dishes." He looked them all over. "Any one not got a chore?" He asked with a chuckle, knowing that he had covered everyone.

"I can lend a hand if you need a bit of extra muscle." Leren offered finishing his lunch, amazed at the amount of work they did in one day. "I'm not very good at carpentry but I am good at stable work and kitchen work."

"If you can lend a hand to Tarsha she'll show you where the hay bales are kept and bring a few into the stable to be put up in the loft." Papa nodded in thanks. "When will you be heading off?"

"I'll be here for a few days, I have to wait for the sector herald to check in so I can pass on some messages." He replied with a small shrug. "But for as long as I am here I'll help out, I hate sitting around."

"Farm boy?" Mama asked with a twinkle in her eye.

"Family has a small farm a few furlongs out of Haven." He nodded.

"Know anything about milking?" Papa asked as Mama and Jazmine began clearing the table.

"Sure do, though I haven't touched a cow in years." He nodded.

"Then after you've helped in the stable would you mind doing some milking?"

"Not at all." He shook his head.

"Karen can show you where it all is when you're ready." Papa told him as everyone stood up and headed off to start their lunch time chores.

"We'll need horses to drag the bales from the barn." Tarsha told him as they headed for the stable. "They are too heavy to carry. Once you get them in here you put them on the lift." She pointed out a flat platform and ropes hanging by the loft. "You pull them up and throw the hay to the back of the loft."

"Want to lend a hand Jerna?" He asked his companion as Tarsha threw a bareback pad over Jona's back and the bale harness that they had created to make the task easier. He chuckled as Jerna nodded and stepped out of her stall.

"If she doesn't mind a harness, they are hanging there." Tarsha pointed them out. "They are crude but it makes it easier to drag the bales over." She grabbed a handful of Jona's mane and pulled herself up on to her back and led the way to the barn at the back of the inn. She showed him how to rope the bales to the harness after attaching a small sled. "How long you been a herald?" She asked as they towed six bales back to the stable.

"Eight years, I was chosen when I was twelve, in the middle of milking cows and telling off a younger sibling when Jerna here interrupted me and carried me off before I could blink." He chuckled at the memory and patted Jerna's neck as she snorted. "I was covered head to toe in mud from a scuffle I'd had with my older brother, blood on my shirt from the bloody nose he had given me, covered in horse hair and dog hair from the work I had already done."

"Haven must have thought that you'd been through a war." Tarsha chuckled, at the image he was painting for her.

"Oh they thought she had saved me from bandits or a bad family." He chuckled. "It wasn't until I told them I was from a farm that they understood why I was such a mess." Tarsha led Jona in first so she could show him how the lift worked.

"You can put up to four bales on at a time, no more or you can't lift it." She told him as she lifted her three on the platform and then grabbed a rope that was as thick as her arm and began to haul the load up. "We tried this once by hitching it up to a horse to save some time and accidentally tore it down." She grinned as he smothered a laugh. "The ropes can't handle going out at an angle and the load." She explained before tying the rope to a bench bolted to the floor. "Now you climb up the ladder and you'll see the pitch fork, you just throw it towards the back."

"On it." He nodded and scrambled up the ladder.

"Give me a yell when you finish and I haul up the next load." She added as she turned to finish off the stables, but gave Karen the easy job of shovelling hay into the clean stalls. While she mucked them out and washed them down, then hauled up the next load for Leren and went over the horses inch by inch, before making a few notes on the stable wall. "Leren, I'll be in the barn when you are done, but don't hesitate to sing out if you get tired." She called up to him as she mounted Jona again.

"Will do." He called down with a grin.

She was on her second cow when he arrived; looking flushed and well pleased with himself.

"You look tired." She commented with a smile as he took a stool and metal bucket and sat beside a cow on the other side of her.

"I had forgotten how hard this type of work is and how good it feels." He replied with a grin.

"It always feels good to accomplish a task, no matter what it is." She agreed with a chuckle. "Some times to make things interesting I set a time limit and if I make it the next time I try and beat it."

"I used to do the same thing when I was bored and wanted a challenge, but with this sort of work I used to daydream about becoming a herald."

"Some times dreams come true." She grinned as she picked up her full pail and poured it into a large metal vat, being sure to seal the lid again before returning to stool and moved on to the next cow. "One bucket per cow, during this season." She added as he filled his bucket. "Some of them have calves to feed."

"Right." He nodded as emptied his pail, sealed the lid out of old habit and moved on. "Are there any villages near by?" He asked as he massaged his fingers before he started his second pail.

"There is one six candlemarks away to the south and one two days ride to the north, three waystations, eight farms, one healers temple and one noble holiday home in between." She nodded as she finished her fourth pail and began to turn the milked cows loose into their paddock. "The nearest farm to the north of us is five candlemarks up, there is one to the east of us but they are nearly three days ride away, and one farm three candle marks to the south of us."

"So in other words it isn't a good idea to be out in the weather." He nodded, watching the level of milk in his pail.

"No, we had one bard through here a month or so back that got caught in that huge storm that went through here. He had to huddle in a burrowed out tree and pray that his mare didn't spook."

"Where is the healing temple?" He asked standing to empty his pail again and turned his cow loose before starting on the next.

"Three candlemarks north, one of them will be arriving in the next day or so to stay until Mama gives birth." She replied as she finished her last cow. "He has birthed us all and told mama that he would have to be in his grave before he would miss another." She grinned as she emptied her pail and turned her cow loose and checked on the cheeses that were curing in the store room. "Last two times he arrived just as she went into labour, says he got his timing down pat."

"Dinner is ready." Karen called as she stuck her head in the barn door before running off again.

"Time flies when you are having fun." Tarsha grinned as he looked outside to check the height of the sun, which was just setting. "Come on I'll show you where to wash up, if business is slow after dinner we all soak in the baths for awhile." She led Jona and Leren back to the inn and gave Jona over to Karen who took her to the stable and showed Leren the entrance to the men's bathing room before heading to the woman's baths on the opposite side of the hall. She made so with a quick wash up to the elbows, face and neck before heading to the table. "No customers tonight?" She asked in surprise as she took a seat as Jazmine set a plate of food in front of her and another in front of Leren.

"Two, they are in their rooms." Papa nodded. "They said they will have their meal after they washed the road off. How are the horses?" He asked breaking his bread in half and made himself a roast sandwich.

"Only one need to be reshoed, probably all four, they aren't bad yet but any hard use and they will snap." She replied cutting into her meat before piling it up on half the slice of bread and added a thin layer of mashed potatoes and turnip, folded the bread in half and bit into it. "They are nearly none existent." She continued after she swallowed. "The others are okay, most of them had them changed two months ago. Oh and I think one of the cows is with calf, I'll know for sure in another few days."

"Keep an eye on her then, for her to be having a calf so late she might loose it." He warned. "James what did you two come up with for the stable?"

"We'll have to build it in sections, basically in stall pairs until we know if we have enough." Devid replied as James had his mouthful. "We reckon we can get maybe eight double stalls build completely before the first snow comes."

"You think you can get the roof up in eight weeks?" Tarsha asked absently as she mopped up some gravy with her bread.

"Easily, we maybe able to get ten done in that time frame." James nodded wiping his mouth with a napkin as gravy ran down his chin.

"And with an early snow, we'll have to get the last of the crops in whether they are completely ripe or not or loose it." Papa said thoughtfully.

"I don't understand, how can you know if it's going to snow early?" Leren asked looking up from his meal.

"Sorry what?" Tarsha asked looking up.

"Never mind I think you just answered the question quiet nicely." Leren smiled and shook his head and caught James and Devid wink at him while Papa gesture for him to keep quiet and Tarsha went back to her meal.

"You were saying something about the crops Papa?" Jazmine said after a few moments silence.

"We may have to harvest early."

"First frost will be in a few weeks." Tarsha added sipping at her cider in between munching on a carrot stick. "Six minimum." She said more firmly before tucking back into her meal. "I'm heading for the baths if you need me." She added as she picked up her plate and headed for the kitchen.

"She has a weather gift?" Leren asked with a raised eyebrow.

"She is only good when it comes to storms and bad weather." Mama nodded as she gestured for Karen to help Jazmine clear off the table.

"Anything else she seems to have a knack for?"

"Not that we've really noticed, no." James shook his head. "But we all keep our eyes open, gifts run strong in our line and we tried to get them trained early." He titled his head a little. "Horses." He stood up and headed out the door with a lantern.

"Foresight." Papa replied at Leren's frown. "It only works enough to let us know when company is coming. It would have been nice if it had shown up where Garry and Travis ended up but…" he shrugged. "Karen is showing a gift for animals, Mary can talk the truth out of any one with out trying, Jazmine always knows where things are, even if they have been moved, Daniel is a healer and I know when some one is lying to me, I know when some one is cruel at heart. The others we don't know for sure, but I think Devid might have a really good talent for wood and tracking." He stood up as the two travellers came down stairs and went to see what they wanted to drink as Karen carried over their meal, before he sent her up to tell Tarsha that horses were coming in and she was needed in the stables.

OOOOOOO

Tarsha moved quietly through the stable in the predawn light, making up feed for the six horses and mush for Jerna, who whickered her thanks before plunging her nose into the bucket.

"Hush you." She chided the stallion who kicked in his stall as she set a bucket down for the mare next to him. "Wait your turn." She added as she left him for a moment to get the next two buckets and stroked his head as he plunged his head into his food. She headed for the entrance of the stables as she heard a horse trotting into the yard. "You're up early Healer Meren." She commented as she took hold of his placid mare's rein, as he dismounted.

"I had one of my feelings last night that your ma, wouldn't wait for me if I slept in." He chuckled as he untied his saddlebags.

"So it will be today." She smiled as she led the mare into the stable and began removing the tack and placed her in a stall with a bucket of feed. "Once again James and Papa win the bet. Mama is in the kitchen dishing up breakfast."

"I'll give it another three candle marks before she goes into labour, though." Healer Meren chuckled as he headed for the inn.

"Is Leren up yet Jerna?" She asked the companion as she pulled out the grooming brushes. She laughed as Jerna did a perfect impression of snoring. "I guess we wore him out yesterday." She continued to chuckle as she gave Meren's mare a quick groom. "Would you like me to groom you while sleeping beauty sleeps?" She asked looking over her shoulder and chuckled as Jerna bobbed her head in agreement. "I guess it has been awhile since he has had to do that much work, huh?" She commented to Jerna as she ran the brush through her mane. "From the way he was trying to stay awake after dinner I'll say that he will sleep for awhile yet, at least until Mama goes into labour." She chuckled under her breath. "No one sleeps through that." She added as she brushed out the tangles in her tail. "She doesn't have much trouble birthing, it Papa that makes the most noise, he always has to do something noisy to pass the time." She sighed a little. "You would think that after all this time he would be used to it." she smiled as Jerna rolled her eyes and shook her head. "I guess not, some times men are so silly about the most peculiar things." She pulled an apple out of her pocket and cut it in half and shared it with Jerna. "I mean James is terrified of rivers, Devid passes out at the sight of blood…Jazmine is scared to death of spiders, she will run screaming from a room if she sees one, Annabell does the same with mice but not with rats which I find strange." She watched as Jerna tilted her head and nudged her arm. "What am I afraid of?" She asked and Jerna nodded. "Heights and of falling." She shuddered. "It comes from falling off the inn roof when I was nine when I was retrieving a leather ball that Devid had made for me. I'm fine as long as I don't go any higher then the second floor." She shook her head and began to clean out the brushes she had been using all morning.

"Hey we were wondering where you disappeared to." Annabell commented as she came into the stable a little while later as Tarsha was looking over the family tack to make any repairs that were needed. "I brought you some warmed cider." She set down the large mug on an upturned barrel.

"Thanks, how you feeling today?" Tarsha asked looking up from the reins she was going over.

"Much better, Meren looked me over and said that the virus was gone." Annabell smiled. "So I'll be back in full form for the morning chores."

"I wouldn't count on that." Tarsha chuckled. "Meren reckons that mama will go into labour by then and you know that nothing gets done until afterwards."

"True…do you hear bells?" Annabell asked with a small frown.

"Companion coming." Tarsha nodded. "I learned to tell over the years." She looked at Jerna. "Is it the sector herald, Jerna?" She asked and smiled as Jerna nodded. "You going to wake Leren or let him sleep?" She smiled as Jerna whickered and shook her head. "Do him some good to get some decent sleep while he can, Morning Koran." She waved in greeting as a female herald followed her companion in. "Vern, you want some warm mush? I got some left over from Jerna's meal" She asked the companion as he entered a stall on his own and nodded. "Leren is still asleep, he offered to help out yesterday." She told Koran as she loosened her saddlebags Tarsha set the spare bucket of mush in front of Vern who dug in.

"That's fine, I'll be here for a few days any way." Koran shrugged as she dug an apple out of her bags and bit into it.

"Breakfast is still being served if you are hungry." Annabell spoke up as she left the stable as Karen called for her.

"Hmm, real food." Koran shivered in delight and nearly ran for the inn.

"You need anything else Vern?" Tarsha asked picking up her mug of cider and sipped at it and sat down when he shook his head. "The east paddock is open if you two want to stretch your legs or be out in the sun." She added before turning her attention to a small rip in a girth strap and began to sew it back together, humming under her breath as she worked.

OOOOOOO

"Tarsha, dinner." James stuck his head into the stables, blinking to adjust his sight to the darkness. "You've been in here all day." He added as she looked up from the saddle she was just finishing oiling.

"Papa told me to go over the tack." She shrugged as she set the saddle on a rail to dry and washed her hands in a bucket. "Mama gone into labour yet?"

"Nope, but she has scrubbed the kitchen floor twice." James chuckled.

"Going to rain tonight." Tarsha commented as they headed into the yard.

"There isn't a cloud in the sky Tar." James pointed out.

"I know, but it will rain." She nodded.

"Well you haven't been wrong yet, I'll tell Annabell so she can get the washing in." He nodded and headed for the kitchen as Papa waved her over and handed her a tray of drinks and gestured to the table nearest the fire.