Chapter 3 Part 4

Fortunately his father presented an opportunity which offered Dylan an excellent solution to the problem of his overly amorous companion. Learth had to make a short journey of several days whereby he would visit some of the other plantations. That morning at breakfast, he offered to take Dylan along with him.

Gayla objected, but not too loudly. After all it was quite a tradition for parents visiting other plantations to parade their sons and especially their daughters so that they may meet others their age. Occasionally a father would return alone having married his daughter off to a successful member of a neighboring plantation. It was Learth’s intention to make sure that the other plantations knew that an educated young man would be residing at Sandy Hollow, and that he would soon be of marrying age.

Sharon’s opinion of the whole matter, was to say less than enthusiastic. Since she was originally from a different plantation, she was free to marry any of the young men from Sandy Hollow, and she had set her sights on Dylan.

Dylan, on the other hand, though apprehensive of the discoveries he might have made in Sharon’s arms each night, was somewhat relieved that his father had insisted he go with him. Not that he was looking forward to getting away from Sharon, but he was very uncomfortable with the girl’s aggressive nature. She was far too eager to become intimate.

Later that morning, Dylan bade farewell to his mother and sister as he and his father mounted the supply wagon loaded down with goods for trade. He saw Sharon watching off to one side. Her small yet ripe body trembled with frustration and a Dylan swore that a small storm cloud hovered over her head until he and his father were well out of sight of Sandy Hollow.

They rode for half a day before they came to the next plantation. The community was called Great Bend after the huge gentle loop that the river made as it encircled their compound.

Dylan immediately noticed the unusual amount of interest that he and his father were getting. That of course was to be expected. Dylan was well aware of the interest he had always displayed when a visitor had come to Sandy Hollow.

Dylan’s father, Learth, made no attempt to show off or engage in idle conversation. Instead, he pulled his wagon up to the main door of the stock house of Great Bend, and disembarked leaving Dylan only with the instructions to watch the goods. That of course was not really necessary as no one would dare steal from another plantation. The communities depended on each other too heavily for the relationships to be jeopardized by the coveting of meager supplies.

When Learth emerged from the building, a heavy set, but pleasant enough fellow followed him. “Your timing if fortuitous, Learth,” the man said rubbing his hands together. “Last months the weevils got into our grain stores and we could use a little extra just in case we don’t have enough for the season.”

“You are, of course, welcome to all of our surplus if you need it,” Dylan’s father answered. He pulled back the tarp and revealed several large bags. “Do you have anything to trade for them?”

The question was academic. If the community didn’t have anything to trade, Learth would give them the grain on credit, but honor and an unwillingness to accept charity was common among the plantations and Learth knew that something would be offered in trade even if it was only a token offering.

“As a matter of fact we do,” the other man answered with pride. “Last month we traded six good horses to a traveling merchant in exchange for a magical fabric.”

“Magical fabric?” Learth asked.

“Well the merchant denied that it was magic, but its sturdiness and wear is so unlike anything that I’ve ever run across that it’s almost like magic.”

“Let’s see your magic cloth then,” Learth laughed. Then he gestured at Dylan. “My son, there, is studying at the Academy and perhaps he can tell us as to whether the cloth is magic or not.”

The other man’s eyes widened slightly. “Well young master,” he greeted Dylan, “it’s indeed a pleasure to make your acquaintance.” Dylan nodded politely in response.

“Why is it that your young scholar isn’t attending the classes?” the man asked his father.

“Because Dylan here is so adept at his studies that he’s been rewarded with a vacation.”

“Really?” The man eyed Dylan closely and Dylan began to feel uncomfortable with the added attention. “Tell me, Learth, is he betrothed?”

“Not yet,” Learth replied. “And if his mother has anything to say about it, he won’t be for some years to come. He’s going to have to finish his studies first.”

“When the time comes, don’t forget Great Bend,” the man urged. “We have some very promising young girls about his age who’ll make very fine wives.”

“Rest assured,” Learth promised. “Now about that fabric?” The man led Learth back into the building and after half an hour, he re-emerged with several workers in tow. Under Learth’s direction, they removed the bags of grain from the wagon and took them inside. Then they brought several bolts of blue cloth out and placed them in the wagon where the bags had been.

Learth and the man spoke for several more moments before concluding that there was nothing more to be traded. So late that afternoon, Dylan and Learth departed Great Bend and moved further down the road.

“It’s truly amazing weave of fabric,” Learth told his son as they rode. “The weave is very, very complex and strong. It’s mostly cotton, but the weave is beyond anything I’ve ever seen.”

“Ronald, the supply master back there, told me that it comes from a small village near the Orkons not too far south of Tycho. He said that the story goes that the weaver who makes the fabric refuses to make it any color but blue.”

“Why do you think that is?” Dylan asked.

“He thinks that it’s part of the magic that makes the cloth so tough,” Learth muttered. “I tend to think that it’s just superstition.”

Late that evening, they arrived at the Pine Wood plantation. Pine Wood differed from other plantations slightly as the community was geared mainly in the harvesting of timber and tree sap. The young pines were bled for their sap as they grew to maturity and then they would be cut for their wood and a new tree would be planted.

Due to the long number of years it took for a new tree to mature enough to be bled, the plantation was truly enormous. Pine Wood was dozens of leagues across and a very well respected part of the Plantation League of the Teverak Region.

Because of the late hour of their arrival, Dylan and Learth were offered billeting in the guest quarters and promised to do their trading the next morning. They took a late complimentary meal in the commons hall and were introduced only as a trading party from Sandy Hollow.

Dylan was amazed at the similarities of the plantations he visited as far as their sociological structure. Though the crops and functions may differ wildly, the basic organization of each plantation was quite similar.

The next morning, they traded for a large barrel of turpentine and a cord of fat wood kindling. Then by mid morning they were well on their way to the next community. By the end of the day they had visited two more plantations and had acquired several small kegs of honey and several hundred pounds of raw sugar. The last plantation they visited, Timber Slough, a wetland with very sandy soil was extremely rich in sugar cane and was the most distant of the plantations. Learth and Dylan had spent four days on the road, and after lodging at Timber Slew, they began the long trek back to Sandy Hollow.

Having traded with most of the plantations already, they stopped only when necessary and camped along side the road when darkness fell. Not once were they molested as the roads were well traveled and patrolled by the caravans.

They had been gone only six days when they finally returned to Sandy Hollow. And though he still had a little time left, Dylan announced that he was going to leave the next morning citing travel time as his excuse. He really did not want to return to the Academy so soon, but he was quite certain that Sharon’s advances would not be easily put off much longer and the need to return gave him the perfect excuse.

He spent the evening with his family after brief farewell to his suitor, Sharon. She was far from happy about the lack of affair, but she put on a front and wished him well on his journey.

Dylan, in a fit of sympathy or longing, he was not sure which, promised to remember her and stated that he looked forward to his next trip home. He was rewarded with a brief hug at which time Sharon whispered into his ear that she would give him something very special the next time he came home. Dylan broke the embrace with a smile and struggled to remain standing as his knees went weak.

The next morning, there were brief farewells and a minimal shedding of tears as Dylan flagged down and joined a passing caravan. He rode in a grain wagon and watched Sandy Hollow fall far behind him.

Dimly he recalled the last time he had done that and meditated on how far he had come since then.