Fic: The Summer Intern (cont.)
Oct. 18th, 2010 09:02 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jeriendhalShort bit today. Posting incomplete scenes makes Baby Jesus cry, but it's been while since I've posted anything from this story.
“Here we are, sir,” Skyler announced. He dipped the lightflyer to the right and began circling a small stone farmhouse surrounded perhaps twenty acres of cultivated farmland, consisting mostly of cob stalks and a small fruit orchard, that sat along the very edge of the forest that defined the major portion of the Reserve. A ground truck was parked out in front of the house, along with what looked like a local Civil Protection cruiser.
“Put us down by the barn,” the First One ordered. Skyler set the flyer down in front of a large outbuilding, with a thump that jarred Nan's teeth and got Freya to start muttering about replacing the landing gear with soft pillows. As they all climbed out, a lanky male vulpine, dressed in stained overalls and looking to be somewhere in his mid-sixties by the speckling of white on the deep red fur covering his muzzle, came out to meet them.
“About time you came along, Holy Den Mother bless me. You people from the Reserve?” he asked, looking suspicious.
“We are,” Freya answered. “I'm Ranger Walklong, and this is the First One, and his assistants Skyler and Nan Rey Clawstroke. You're Master Furrow?”
“I am,” Furrow answered, after a moment's pause. He seemed slightly taken aback at the First One's presence, but he recovered quickly and went on. “Alfi Furrow, and I've been working this plot of land for the past forty years. And I want to tell you I've never had a moment's trouble with any ferin around here until now. But that cursed grey Morrow Wolf that's leadin' the pack that's been hanging around of late is a damned menace!”
“So what's he supposed ot have been doing?” the First One asked, a frown forming on his face.
“Come over to the house. Milord's Civil Protection officer is here already and there's no sense in me telling story twice over again.” He waved them in the direction of the house and they followed. In front of the house was a wide, roofed over porch with a small table and four chairs for taking afternoon tea. A younger male perhaps twenty years Master Furrow's junior and with the same fur pattern was talking to another male, this one in his late twenties, with gray fur and wearing a Civil Protection uniform, over cup of tea.
“Bill, this is the First One and Ranger Walklong,” Furrow said, jerking his thumb to the group. “First One, this is my son Bill and Officer Graycoat.”
“Aw, crap,” Ferya muttered to herself, as the First One's tail and spurs rose up in agitation.
“Graycoat, finally found some honest work I see,” the First One said, smiling at him and very deliberately flattening his tail and spurs again.
“And I see you still haven't, Terinu,” Graycoat returned, sipping his cup with a genial smile, though his raised tail indicated he was anything but relaxed. Nan had to wonder how he'd earned the right to address the First One by his old name, a privilege she'd thought limited to a very select list of dwindling friends and family from the old Second Dominion War days.
“Here we are, sir,” Skyler announced. He dipped the lightflyer to the right and began circling a small stone farmhouse surrounded perhaps twenty acres of cultivated farmland, consisting mostly of cob stalks and a small fruit orchard, that sat along the very edge of the forest that defined the major portion of the Reserve. A ground truck was parked out in front of the house, along with what looked like a local Civil Protection cruiser.
“Put us down by the barn,” the First One ordered. Skyler set the flyer down in front of a large outbuilding, with a thump that jarred Nan's teeth and got Freya to start muttering about replacing the landing gear with soft pillows. As they all climbed out, a lanky male vulpine, dressed in stained overalls and looking to be somewhere in his mid-sixties by the speckling of white on the deep red fur covering his muzzle, came out to meet them.
“About time you came along, Holy Den Mother bless me. You people from the Reserve?” he asked, looking suspicious.
“We are,” Freya answered. “I'm Ranger Walklong, and this is the First One, and his assistants Skyler and Nan Rey Clawstroke. You're Master Furrow?”
“I am,” Furrow answered, after a moment's pause. He seemed slightly taken aback at the First One's presence, but he recovered quickly and went on. “Alfi Furrow, and I've been working this plot of land for the past forty years. And I want to tell you I've never had a moment's trouble with any ferin around here until now. But that cursed grey Morrow Wolf that's leadin' the pack that's been hanging around of late is a damned menace!”
“So what's he supposed ot have been doing?” the First One asked, a frown forming on his face.
“Come over to the house. Milord's Civil Protection officer is here already and there's no sense in me telling story twice over again.” He waved them in the direction of the house and they followed. In front of the house was a wide, roofed over porch with a small table and four chairs for taking afternoon tea. A younger male perhaps twenty years Master Furrow's junior and with the same fur pattern was talking to another male, this one in his late twenties, with gray fur and wearing a Civil Protection uniform, over cup of tea.
“Bill, this is the First One and Ranger Walklong,” Furrow said, jerking his thumb to the group. “First One, this is my son Bill and Officer Graycoat.”
“Aw, crap,” Ferya muttered to herself, as the First One's tail and spurs rose up in agitation.
“Graycoat, finally found some honest work I see,” the First One said, smiling at him and very deliberately flattening his tail and spurs again.
“And I see you still haven't, Terinu,” Graycoat returned, sipping his cup with a genial smile, though his raised tail indicated he was anything but relaxed. Nan had to wonder how he'd earned the right to address the First One by his old name, a privilege she'd thought limited to a very select list of dwindling friends and family from the old Second Dominion War days.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2010-10-19 06:00 am (UTC)Oh coolness! Greycoat has turned up to complicate matters. I was wondering if that letter to sue was prodromal.
And that is an EXCELLENT touch at the end having Greycoat address Terinu by his old name. It speaks volumes about the relationship between the two of them. I get the feeling that these two have been at loggerheads for decades. I love Teri and Freya's reaction at seeing him talking to the farmers son. He's probably busy trying to work out how he can use this situation to his advantage to 'get' Terinu.
no subject
Date: 2010-10-19 04:29 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-10-19 07:43 am (UTC)So, that is the guy suing Teri (erm, the First One)?
But isn't he a bit young to call him Terinu???
*looking forward to the next part*
mjkj
no subject
Date: 2010-10-19 04:29 pm (UTC)Hehe.