"Now that you mention it, there is a little work we have yet to attend to—the kind that needs a strong, steady hand to accomplish."
Skharr had volunteered his efforts and while it was clear that the dwarf he was escorting was under no such obligations, Brahgen didn't feel it was right for him to stand around doing nothing. Of course, the massive barbarian was better suited to certain kinds of work, while he was undoubtedly better suited to others.
"And if you have a need for tools to be fixed about the place, I suppose I might be of some help," he said finally and tried to hide his reluctance.
"Are you sure?" She brushed some of her long, curly brown hair from her face as the children ran around her. "You look to have been on a dusty road and likely need some rest."
"And he doesn't?" the dwarf asked.
"He offered. And my husband might be a little too quick to take advantage of the help."
"Well…what else would I have to do? Sit around and fondle meself?"
Brahgen's eyebrows raised in mute apology when he remembered there were children around them and he cleared his throat and looked away quickly.
"Well, we have a few items that might require fixing if you find yourself up to the challenge.”
Seated on a chair while he worked with his hands was certainly better than the alternative of riding on a donkey and feeling like his ass was being pummeled. A handful of tools needed repair and in the pleasant shade of the house, it was not an unpleasant way to spend the day, especially since Skharr was out working in the sun.
"What is your name?" he asked and wiped his fingers with a piece of cloth before he refocused his attention on the wheelbarrow he was affixing a proper wheel to.
"I am Hanna. My husband is Faron. This is Sateen." She indicated the girl who played around her feet. "And my oldest is Taso."
The dwarf nodded. "I am called Brahgen AnvilForged—a dwarf but not much of one, of course."
"What makes you say that?"
He shrugged offhandedly, finished with the wheel, and cleaned the grease from his hand. "There is not much dwarf in me. It's why I travel with a barbarian now."
"There are places in the world for all," she noted. "Even barbarians."
"How did you do that?"
Brahgen looked at the young Sateen who stared at him as he flicked the planer between his fingers from side to side.
"I…what?"
"How do you do that? With your fingers?"
He twirled it in a few more complex patterns. "Oh? That? It is nothing. Wait until you see this."
After a few more flourishes, he tossed it up in the air and made to catch it with the other hand but let it slip deftly into his coat sleeve before he showed both hands to the young girl.
She squealed, clapped, and looked around. "Where is it?"
"I should ask you since you hid it."
"I didn't!"
"Indeed you did—look!" Brahgen extended his hand past her head and withdrew the planer from his sleeve in a smooth motion that made it appear as though he pulled it out from behind her ear.
She laughed and picked it up like she didn't quite believe it was real. A sound of laughter came from the fields and drew his attention there for a moment. Skharr swung Taso onto his shoulders with one hand while the other lifted the plow that had caught in some stones. The field had not been plowed very well and needed considerably more work. Surprisingly, the warrior appeared to be good at it.
"We all have our gifts, Master Brahgen," Hanna stated firmly with a small smile as she picked Sateen up so she could sit on her lap. "Perhaps he has impressive strength, but you should know that we will eat far easier this winter now that the wheelbarrow has a proper wheel."
"You merely need to clean the dirt and grime from the axle regularly and you shouldn't have any more problems."
"Even so. It’s not the kind of thing a barbarian would know about, wouldn't you think?"
He smiled. "Well, if you say so. But rarely does a woman look at a man and say, 'what a fine set of fingers he has.’"
She smirked and shrugged nonchalantly. "You might find yourself surprised on that score."
"I still cannot believe it."
Skharr looked up from the little campfire they had lit for themselves. The farmhouse was small and cramped, even without two extra occupants, and the barn was already a little too full. Sleeping under the stars was not so terrible either as the weather was clear and the open landscape around them seemed surprisingly peaceful.
He looked at the dwarf who whittled a piece of wood.
"Cannot believe what?" he asked after a moment's pause.
"That you lived in this godsbedammed place. No offense to the family, of course. It is a peaceful existence, but I cannot think that Skharr fucking DeathEater would find comfort as a farmer."
"There is an odd peace that comes from simply working with your hands, tilling the land, and other such ventures. A real but somewhat irregular danger from the forest kept me from going soft but even so, it was an interesting change of pace."
He handed the wineskin to the dwarf, who took a long swig from it.
"But you did not purchase the farm from him, did you?" Brahgen asked and handed the skin to Faron.
The man took it with a grateful smile before he shook his head. "No. I think we purchased it from the man who bought it from Skharr. He showed us there was power in the land and a peace to it, despite the forest on our borders."
"Only this particular piece of land," the barbarian noted.
"Yes." Faron laughed, gulped the wine, and passed it to the warrior. "I think the power of the land inside the forest would have resisted us in some fashion if we’d tried to venture in there. It is best to enjoy the peace and let the power protect us through its proximity."
Only a suggestion of a throb lingered in his head as they rose with the sun and prepared to press forward on their journey. Skharr knew that heading through the forest was the fastest route to their destination, but he couldn't help a feeling of trepidation at the idea of entering it.
Perhaps that was why he had decided to spend the rest of the day and the night among those who had purchased his former farmstead rather than proceed the day before. He preferred to brave the dangers once he was rested and ready, not with a half-day’s travel under their belts.
Still, they would have to get through it eventually, and this seemed like the kind of day on which to do so. The weather was still fine with only a handful of clouds scattered across the bright orange sky as they turned away from the farmhouse and walked steadily toward the forest.
"Did you always mean to travel through the woods?" Brahgen asked and nudged Jenny forward to walk alongside Horse.
"Aye. It's the shorter way. There is also less chance of us being encountered by folk who mean to rob us."
"Instead, you'd like to find out what is inside the fucking place that means to eat us?"
"I've battled the beasts in these woods before and they are not quite as terrifying as one might think. When it comes to robbers, we might find them in larger numbers and with more sophisticated weapons. It is best to deal with a known kind of creature."