Chapter 23: Clearing Supplies

Early the next morning, sunlight filtered through the wooden window panes of the cabin, rousing Art. He threw off his fur blanket and stepped off the wooden bed. Ron had already placed a bucket full of clear water on the table, and a large bowl of meat broth was keeping warm by the fireplace.

Art washed his face with the water and drained the broth in one gulp.

"Ron! Ron!"

Ron, who was in the stable feeding black beans to the green mule and the warhorse, dropped his sack and hurried in upon hearing Art’s voice. "My lord, did you call for me?"

"Go fetch the old steward, then saddle the horses and prepare some food. We are heading to the valley to the south today," Art said while dressing.

Ron stepped out to find old Cooper, who followed him back shortly after.

"Good morning, my lord."

"Cooper, it is a rare, fine day. I intend to take another look at the southern valley. There are three things you must do today: first, register everyone in the wooden fort; second, take stock of all our supplies, including grain, weapons, livestock, farming tools, land, and miscellaneous items. I know nothing of plowing and farming, so you may have Ordo and the others assist you. Therefore, the third task is to draft a plan for clearing the valley. Call Scott and Lawrence together to discuss it; I will hear your results when I return this evening. Furthermore, the old carpenter we brought back is now under your charge to help with woodworking. His wife and granddaughter will assist Emma in the kitchen. We are at the beginning of everything; we must make good use of every soul. Treat children like women, women like men, and men like beasts of burden—but tell Emma that since the weather is cold and everyone must work their hardest, she must ensure everyone is fed well. Our grain is scarce, so encourage everyone to gather wild vegetables and fruits whenever they have time. I will take Ordo and the others out to hunt, and we will stew meat broth for everyone from time to time."

After giving his orders, Art returned to his bed, pulled a quill and a small inkpot wrapped in tattered parchment from a wooden chest beneath it, and handed them to Cooper. "Ink is precious, so use it sparingly. If you run out of parchment, use birch bark as a substitute."

Once he finished with Cooper, Art stepped out of the cabin and pushed open the door to the small cabin opposite. Ordo, Bath, and Kazak were sprawled across a wooden bed. Art walked over and tapped Kazak, who was nearest to the edge.

Kazak wiped the sleep from his eyes, squinting at the intruder. It took him a moment to realize who it was, and he quickly shook his two companions awake.

"My lord, we drank a bit too much yesterday and overslept. We’ll get up right away, right away!"

"Ordo, how is the wound on your arm?"

"My lord, since you applied that medicinal juice yesterday, the wound hasn't festered any further; it even feels cool."

"Good. I am heading south today. You don't need to come; you can take the day to rest at home. Go eat early; the kitchen won't save food for sluggards."

Ron arrived with Art’s leather armor and weapons, informing him that the horses were ready.

Art took the armor, strapped it on, buckled his belt, hung his longsword at his side, and exited the cabin. He mounted his horse, and Ron followed on the green mule.

...

The two rode along the small creek in front of the wooden fort, heading south through the dense forest valley. By midday, they had emerged from the valley and reached the northern edge of the southern basin.

Before them lay an open, funnel-shaped expanse. Where the creek exited the valley, the land was less than a hundred feet wide, with a low, gentle slope on the right holding a patch of level ground. Less than two miles further south, the terrain opened up dramatically, reaching a width of a mile at its widest point. On both sides, the foothills of the Bore Mountains and the Carmel Mountains rose in tiers, eventually reaching the height of the main ranges. Once the creek entered the basin, it slowed, the riverbed widening as it wound through the center of the valley toward the south. Six miles away, it skirted a gentle hill near the right-hand mountain range before continuing southward. The basin had been uncultivated for hundreds of years; the land was overgrown with wild weeds, some patches of thatch growing taller than a man.

The two rode out of the valley mouth and followed the riverbank southward. A path had clearly been cleared through the weeds on the right bank, with smaller trails branching off every few dozen steps into the deep brush—likely left by Cooper and Scott during their survey a while back.

After about a mile, the cleared path ended, and the two had to struggle to advance slowly through the dense weeds.

"My lord, there is movement in the weeds," Ron said, peering from his mule into the waist-high grass, which was shaking.

"Probably boars or rabbits, startled by us. We must be careful." Art drew the horse bow from his saddle and gripped it in his hand.

Continuing south, aside from the difficulty of traversing the tall weeds, they remained safe. The occasional wild animals they encountered fled in panic.

As the sun began to dip into the west, they finally reached the small hill nestled against the right-hand mountain range. They tied their mounts to a small tree and climbed to the top. The hill was not high; they reached the summit in a short time. There was a flat area of about half an acre, sparsely populated with dwarf pines and birch trees. The western side of the hill was a steep cliff, while the eastern slope descended gradually to the riverbank, forming a small peninsula surrounded on three sides by water.

Art stood on the hilltop, shading his eyes with his hand to gaze south. The river continued toward the southwest, passing through a wilderness of weeds and into a dense forest. Looking as far as the eye could see, even further south of the forest lay vast stretches of alternating hills and basins, extending all the way to the southern gorge.

In the extreme distance, the mountain stream and gorge continued southward, running along the Carmel Mountains until they reached the northern plains of Lombardy...

This was Art’s first time venturing deep into the basin to survey its full extent.

"My lord, it’s miraculous. Who would have thought there was such a wide expanse of land hidden within these mountains and forests?" Ron was stunned by the vastness before him.

"Indeed. I hadn't expected it either. It is said that hundreds of years ago, this was a trade route connecting north and south. But now, it is a corner forgotten by God."

At noon, they ate some bread and water at the foot of the hill before beginning their return journey.

Before nightfall, they were back at the wooden fort. Outside the kitchen, the crowd stood with wooden bowls and utensils, waiting for Emma to ladle out the porridge. Kazak, standing at the end of the line, saw Art return and hurried forward to greet him, taking the reins.

"Kazak, how was your rest today?"

"My lord, we are all rested. In the morning, we helped the old steward register everyone and count the supplies, and in the afternoon, we went with the others into the forest to chop plenty of firewood."

"Good. Go eat."

Art handed his horse to Ron and walked straight into his small courtyard. Cooper was still discussing land reclamation with Scott, Lawrence, and several farmers.

"My lord," everyone greeted him.

"Eat first. After you finish, Cooper, Scott, and Lawrence, come to my quarters. I want to hear the results of your discussions." Art said, returning to his cabin.

...

Just as Ron finished clearing the utensils from the wooden table, Cooper and the others arrived, carrying small stools and wooden blocks, and found seats.

Art set down his wooden cup and said to them, "Let's take this one thing at a time. Cooper, start with the registration of the refugees and the status of the supplies."

Cooper picked up several pieces of flattened birch bark. "Very well, my lord. According to the census, there are thirteen households in the fort, totaling thirty-four people: thirteen able-bodied farmers, eleven farm wives, six children over ten, and four children under ten. There is one carpenter, along with his wife and granddaughter. Including Ron, Ordo’s group of four, and ourselves, that makes forty-three in total."

Cooper flipped to another piece of bark and read, "As for supplies, aside from the items the farmers brought with them, we currently have two acres of land, over twelve hundred pounds of grain, twenty-one farming tools, one four-wheeled carriage, one mule, one horse, and various small items like axes, saws, iron pots, and cooking utensils. Regarding weapons: eleven short spears, ten spearheads, three long swords, seven short swords, five war axes, four bows, over fifty arrows, three sets of leather armor, one set of iron armor, two iron helmets, one round shield, three sets of saddles, eight sets of bedding, and miscellaneous gear like marching blankets, water skins, and whetstones. The grain and weapons are currently stored in the room with Ordo and the others; the tools are kept in the stable. I am managing the daily distribution."

Cooper handed the birch bark to Art, who glanced over it briefly before returning it. "Keep the matter of supplies to yourselves. Do not spread word of it, especially the amount of grain."

"Yes, my lord. Currently, we consume at least thirty pounds of barley a day. Once we start clearing land, the daily consumption will exceed forty pounds. Our current stock will last at most a month. Furthermore, spring planting will require a massive amount of seed, and we will need to provide food until the autumn harvest..." Cooper noted while organizing his papers.

"Cooper, do not worry; I will find a way to handle the grain and supplies. Your main focus should be on clearing the land and the affairs of the fort. Scott, Lawrence, you two must share the burden with the old steward."

"That is enough on supplies. Now, let’s talk about clearing the wasteland. Cooper, you start, and the others may add to it."

"My lord, clearing land is a major undertaking. We will have to solve many problems as we go, but today I brought Scott, Lawrence, and some of the farmers together to discuss a rough plan."

Art nodded for him to continue.

"Scott and I surveyed the southern basin carefully some time ago. The land is generally fertile, especially near the river, where much of it is black soil. However, the entire valley is overgrown, and the roots of the weeds are deeply embedded, which will make clearing it a grueling task. Our plan is to clear two plots of land on either side of the river, extending half a mile south and three hundred yards wide on each side, totaling about one hundred acres. These plots are the most fertile and conveniently located for irrigation."

"Very well. It is acceptable to start with the most fertile land along the river. Cooper, when marking the boundaries, set aside a larger portion as my military colony land. Base it on the grain requirements for fifteen soldiers."

"As you command, my lord. Regarding the steps for clearing, we believe the 'burn-grass' method is the simplest. To prevent the fire from spreading uncontrollably, we can first chop out a firebreak thirty feet wide along the perimeter, then set fire to the weeds within that boundary. This will save us the heavy labor of manual clearing, and the ash will enrich the soil."

"That is acceptable. The weather has been fine, the snow is nearly melted, and the dry weeds will ignite easily."

"Yes, my lord. Once the weeds are burned away, we must organize everyone to plow, level, and harrow the land before it freezes again..." Cooper detailed the steps one by one.

"Very well, Cooper. I have said I know nothing of farming. The clearing and planting are your responsibility; Scott and Lawrence, assist the old steward. If there are problems, let me know, and I will do my best to solve them. Cooper, I trust you." Art had great confidence in this former master builder and farm owner.

"Is there anything else to add?" Art asked the others.

Lawrence stood up and bowed to Art.

"Lawrence, there is no need for such formality. Speak your mind."

"My lord, I wanted to ask... how will the cleared land be distributed? What about the seed? And... and is it true there will be no rent or taxes for the first year?" Lawrence’s questions were the concerns of all the farmers.

"I have promised you all enough land to till. As the steward said, he plans to clear a hundred acres. My intention is this: once the land is cleared, every able-bodied man and woman will be allocated three acres, and children over ten will receive two acres each. There will be no taxes for the first year; afterward, it will be one-fifth of the harvest. After five years, the land will belong to you. The farming tools will be loaned to you free of charge. I will also lend you the seed for the spring and autumn planting of the first year, which you will return after the harvest. In return, you must cultivate my military colony land well."

"Cooper, how much grain do you estimate that land will produce?"

"In the first year, one pound of seed will produce at most three pounds of grain. In the future, I estimate it could reach five."

"Ah? But your wheat patch this year produced three hundred and fifty pounds of grain from fifty pounds of seed..."

"That is because the plot was small. I tended to it every day, watering and weeding every single stalk by hand. Of course the yield was high. With such a vast expanse, it is impossible to farm like that. Moreover, we currently lack heavy plows and draft horses; relying only on iron hoes and light plows, we cannot turn the soil deeply enough..."

Due to the lack of sufficient tools and livestock, the newly cleared land could only be plowed shallowly, preventing the soil's full fertility from being utilized. It was estimated that after the first spring harvest, once the seed was returned and reserved for the following year, everyone would barely have enough to sustain themselves, with no surplus.

The room full of men discussed the clearing of the wasteland late into the night, roughly planning the division of labor, the use of tools, food supplies, and many other matters.