Chapter 1 — Farmstead

CHAPTER I -- FARMSTEAD

Caitlyn strode across the yard, making her way to the donkey cart then stationed outside the family farmhouse. Carrying her basket of apples in both hands she repositioned the handle to the crook of her elbow and started rummaging its contents with the opposite hand. In moments she pulled out the envelope she had found some minutes earlier, having stowed it in the basket promptly after reading it's contents.

As she strode up, Caitlyn took sight of two people packing up the cart. They were hers mother Niamh, and middlest sister Erin.

The two shared a particular bond, with Erin aspiring to many of the same skills and talents as her mother. Erin and Niamh were both packing woolen textiles of their own design and make onto the cart. Cloth-weaving was one of the budding talents that Erin had picked up from spending time with Niamh while she toiled.

In appearance however, Erin looked more like Caitlyn, sharing long red hair somewhere between a state of wavy and loosely curled, with fair freckled skin and blue eyes. They shared even a penchant for hard work but were otherwise drastically different young ladies. Where Caitlyn enjoyed the hard labours and toils of farm work, Erin preferred the finer talents of refining the farm's bounty into products such as the textiles she now packed with mother Niamh.The youngest MacCready then gathering round the cart, Erin wore a knitted wool sweater to fight off the chilly morning air. 

Niamh, though, a hard working woman of powerful build, and mother of twelve other children aside from Caitlyn and Erin could have been completely unrelated if appearance were the only judge. Her skin was soft and featureless with neither freckle nor mole, nor a wrinkle ever betraying her middling age. Her sandy brown hair was long and straight, though braided and laid over her shoulder and aside her breast. Complementing her brown hair, were dark brown eyes. On that morning she wore a white hood and cloak which picked up all faint ray of light. 

Tossing the basket onto the cart, and wiggling it into position between an overflowing sack of potatoes and several tied up bundles of carrots, Caitlyn then closed the few feet between her and her mother and produced the envelope before her matron. 

Niamh, hardly even noticed Caitlyn at first. As daughter closed the short distance, mother sensed Caitlyn's approaching presence, looked over and then did a double take at the thing in her eldest daughter's hand, raising a brow. Niamh tightened the twine around her last stack of textiles, and having completed her work she turned to face Caitlyn. 

Receiving the letter, Niamh inspected the envelope first, taking note of the broken wax seal and raising an eye at Caitlyn while she quickly turned it to the other side and read aloud the addressee's name printed on the standard side. 

"Oorus." She then began to slowly pull the letter out, unfolding it thus and speaking to Caitlyn as she went. "Perhaps it would mind a young woman well to at least attempt to find the recipient of a sealed letter before she opens it."

Caitlyn blushed, straightening her arms out and clasping her hands together while performing the slightest possible deferential bow she could muster. Though, both proud and embarrassed of any misstep, Caitlyn never regretted the order of responsibilities associated with age. Being the eldest and only technical adult of the MacCready siblings, her own presence on the farm hinged on such an order.

Niamh continued to read, to the backdrop of Erin's silent arranging of variously coloured yarn spools on the cart. Caitlyn found herself growing somewhat impatient during the process, allowing her eyes to wander while she awaited her mother's response to the letter's contents.

Activity from the barn echoed, as the sound of the great wooden doors sliding open, corresponded with both vibrant young and restrained mature voice before the door then rumbled and banged closed. 

Caitlyn turned her attention to the barn, where she then saw four more figures making their way over. She inspected the forms intuiting from shape and height that one was her eldest sister Jalyssa, while the two shortest persons were her twin siblings Theo and Thea. The fourth form was unusually tall, and not till he got closer to the cart's lamp light did she realize it was her second eldest brother Dalton carrying five year old Aisling on his shoulders.

The one feature shared by all of the MacCready children then present were their remarkable blue eyes -- a feature that none of them shared with either of brown-eyed their parents. Otherwise they were all fair and attractive children, allowed a substantial degree of good health and welfare by the demands of farm life. 

Caitlyn first took note of Jalyssa with a frown, noting her sister's light and springy steps while she tilted her head at the twinkling stars above -- daydreaming, likely about that old Billy McMurray or some other boy. 

"Nothing but trouble," Caitlyn mumbled, not knowing herself whether she was speaking of Jalyssa or Billy. 

"That's rather assumptuous," Niamh interjected, loudly folding up the letter as she did, and then waving it in front of Caitlyn. "These adventures could be a good tide of income for the farm. And we needs a considerable share of coin if your father's to build a new fireplace."

"No, I meant," Caitlyn started, stopping short as her mother pushed the enveloped letter back into her free hand. 

"Time to make scarce my dear," Niamh spoke, altering the direction of the interaction. "Your brothers and sisters have arrived, and we're still here packing up while people's from across the Cloudsea arrive yet in the Port Town looking to spend their coin. We have already missed the opportunity of the first arrivals." 

Hurriedly, Niamh then strode over to the five siblings coming up to the cart, taking Erin by the hand as she walked over. Not to be dismissed, Caitlyn walked over, but inspected the donkey's straps and reins as she went, patting the creature on the shoulder when she turned back to meet her family a few paces away. 

The second eldest brother Dalton took sight of Caitlyn and offered a wave with a smile, before then removing Aisling from his shoulders and placing her feet on the ground. Theo and Thea practically circled Dalton, always excited for his attention as he nodded with nonchalance and a careless grin. 

"Caitlyn!" Thea was the first of the blond twins to notice her, skipping over with Theo in tow. "We were just telling Dalton that mother'n da said we two were to be off with you to town." 

Caitlyn smiled at the pure joy and excitement on the faces of the fifteen year old fraternals, who were always eager to help either Dalton or herself. 

"This will be our first trip to town with the cart," Theo started. 

"It's not a trip," Dalton interrupted. "It's important work. You're to mind the stall with your older sisters." He looked over then at one of his own fraternal siblings, Jalyssa, who rolled her eyes at the notion. 

"Something you're meaning to say Jalyssa," Caitlyn cut in. 

"Oh for the Hawk's light," Niamh hushed the children before Jalyssa could offer a retort. "Don't you start mothering her while I'm still in sight Kate." 

Caitlyn blushed, while Jalyssa smiled a victorious glance at her expense. Inspecting Jalyssa, Caitlyn then found herself boiling with suppressed jealousy. Though, the two sisters could be identical, Jalyssa's disregard of farm work afforded her a feminine glow and radiance that none of the other MacCreadys had quite managed to achieve. 

Jalyssa was sleight of build -- dainty by all accounts. She was the apple's eye of the entire population of Windswept's male youths. Rather, that is at least how Caitlyn saw her. 

Jalyssa lifted a hand from her own basket -- this one, overflowing with various flowers -- to flick a long lock of red hair back over her shoulder. Caitlyn held back a frown at her sister's taunting smile. 

"Jalyssa will watch Aisling while she vends out our goods and bounty. The twins will tend to packing the sales and minding the cart. Caitlyn will oversee you all while she aids in whatever capacity is needed," Niamh started directing orders at the siblings, all the while walking amongst them and straightening whatever crease needed straightening, and brushing patches of dust off of clothe and skin with the back of her hand. 

"But what about me mommy!" Aisling protested as Niamh fixed the child's thick brown braids. 

"Aisling has the most important job of all," she hesitated for a moment to make sure Aisling was truly paying attention. "You are to watch your elder sisters and brothers, both to make sure they work steadfast and to learn from their example, for one day you will take the cart to town with your younger sisters and brothers." 

"I only have one younger brother," Aisling protested even still. 

"As of yet this is true," Nihm stood abruptly, rubbing her still flat belly suggestively as she turned away to direct her attention back to the cart. The three eldest siblings present gave each other knowing glances, fully well aware that their mother was not yet showing any signs of slowing down. Theo and Thea too giggled at the suggestion, but kept it amongst themselves as they shared glances. 

Beforelong, those MacCreadys that were to head to town with the cart had stowed themselves in their spots, with Jalyssa sitting on one edge of the box seat and Aisling next to her, leaving a spot for Caitlyn to hold the rains. Theo and Thea leaned over the box edge from where they sat in the cart's flatbed, in order to engage in idle chatter with Jalyssa. 

Niamh had already seen off the younger children and at last offered Caitlyn a hug before patting her on the shoulder and sending her to the driver's box as well. All the while Dalton checked and double checked the donkey's harness and straps. 

Once Caitlyn had finally twisted into her seat, however, Niamh pulled Dalton away. The two waved the others away on their short trip to town, joined shortly then by Erin once the youngest red-head had realized the time of the departure had drawn. 

"Take care of mother and father while we're gone, Erin!" Caitlyn shouted over her shoulder as the donkey towed them off. "And take care of the chores Dalton." 

Dalton laughed at the last bit, with an energy that carried cross the wind as cart carried off his siblings toward town on that final morning of the tendays of darkness.