Wandering
Eastward - Soff
"My twentieth birthday was
two months ago," began Soff. "I've lived in Verwatch my entire life.
The furthest I've ever travelled was down to Calicosa, by river boat. It's
quite far - all the way to where the Thunderer meets the Swaying River.
Verwatch is one of the new towns, built after we became free - no secret
hideaways or stashes.
"Many of my ancestors were
amongst the first to settle Verwatch. It sits around and on a hill that
overlooks the Thunderer; the name comes from 'river watch'. My great, great
grandmother built a mill on a small rise a little way out of town, and
ownership has passed down to my father through the youngest of each generation.
My younger brother will likely inherit it, when my father passes.
"I spent my years up until
my fourteenth in learning and play - Verwatch (and most places here) provides
schooling for the young. Since then I've spent my time working at the mill, and
reading or taking walks in my free time. I was asked to take the collegiate test,
but I did not want to. Further education only opened paths to things I do not
want to do. It was nice to be asked. The collegiate test is a test administered
by the Republic to find those able enough to become governors, teachers and
councillors - and sometimes soldiers or magicians.
"Working at the mill is
soothing and peaceful. I enjoy it. My younger brother has grown into not
minding it either, which is good. My older siblings were never too much for it:
my sister, the eldest of us all, loves to sew and tailor and has taken that up.
She makes everything, and I'm sure she's dressed half of Verwatch by now. My
clothes - she made them."
"I'm impressed - I assume
she is not much older than you?" asked Taoten.
"She's twenty-six in a
week, so a few years older. Not much for you, I'm sure. Here," said Soff,
pulling something from her bag as she walked. She threw it at Taoten, and he
caught it - a simple smock. "Put that on."
"Thank you," said
Taoten, pleased.
"It's for my safety, not
yours." Soff paused for a moment, then continued speaking. "My elder
brother is twenty-four, and he was a hunter for a couple of years until he
married. He's done well. He married the daughter of a rich sheep farmer, and
while she manages the land he looks after the kids and the house. He caught her
eye because he's a pretty boy - not handsome, not strong, and not feminine
pretty either. I always found it to be a strange look, but it's what the woman
wanted in her man. They live away from town a bit, and he still hunts, from time
to time.
"My father runs the mill,
which means keeping the workers working and stepping in when he needs to. He's
a gruff man, but too kind for his own good. He keeps some of the older workers
around even though they shouldn't be working any more. His siblings - all five
of them - moved to other towns. I'm not sure why; but I think my grandmother
demanded that they spread out. I think she had trouble with one of her sisters,
way back when. Old bird had her eye on me a lot, actually.
"Mum doesn't do much. She's
the daughter of a tailor, but she never felt much like working so she married
my father. She looks after the garden, and... wanders around. The amount of
time she spends visiting people is incredible. I thought about doing the same,
but I couldn't bring myself to be that blatantly idle.
"What I was going to do -
was help manage the mill. I've picked it up from my father, and if my brother
had no desire to run it I could entirely. My dream was that we'd finally build
a second mill, which my family has planned to do for many years. Then I'd spend
my later years writing poetry or tales, and finish reading the library end to
end.
"But now I can't. I have no
idea what I'm going to do now. And it's your fault."
"Well," said Taoten,
after a long pause. "I think we better walk in silence, for a while. But I
am sorry, you know. I'm sure there were better victims."
Soff didn't say anything. They
walked in silence until morning.
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