06-28-2017, 09:09 PM
Day 2, After Dark
The time had arrived. Aang slept out in the barn on the comfortable saddle specially summoned for Appa. The shaggy bison lounged without it across the barn, upside down with belly exposed. Somewhere up in the rafters Aang was sure Momo had made himself comfortable. Lysandra was in the ranch house, sleeping in a guest bed.
It was odd, being pampered like this. The good kind of pamper, where the day was grueling work, but when the sun went down it was nothing but laughs, good food and great desert. Emily shadowed Aang and Rowan all day, so the monk was forced to just walk around. It gave him time to build a plan.
A sound caught his ear. It was the code! With a little roll and leap, Aang shot out of the barn through an open window. The effort hurt his wounded leg, but he needed the stretch. Cupping his hands around his mouth, he made a bird call that would alert his partner in crime of his escape. A reply came a moment later. With a grin, Aang dashed away from the barn, out into the open wheat field.
Sure enough, Rowan was there, waiting. “Ya sure ya wanna do this, bud?”
“Definitely, especially if it means I can come back and expect a fresh pie now and then.” He was already rubbing his hands together with eager anticipation. “Plus, I was getting stiff. Your wife’s definition of ‘relax’ is about as flexible as the cuffs she’ll put on us if she catches us.”
The farmer chuckled. “Tha’s my wife, I tell ya what. It’ll worth it though, I’ve been itchen to see that Earthbendin’ of yers.”
Aang pointed at the ground, “right here? You don’t think it’ll hurt the wheet?”
This had the man laugh outright. “You kidd’n? If ya can soften th’ dirt, it’ll be th’ healthiest crop of the pull!” He took Aang by the shoulder, leading him along as the wisened farmer explains the complexities of agriculture. “When th’ dirt gets hard, roots can’t spread out. Poor plants get choked up. So me ‘n Emily usually put worms in th’ ground to soften it up. Costs a lot, and takes a few days, but…”
The Avatar shrugs off the farmer’s hand. “So what you’re saying is I’m cheaper than worms?” A grin formed. “I guess I should up my pay to two pies?” With a swift dash away, he held up a hand to stop Rowan from following. Proud to display his non-violent side, he leaps into the air, bringing his hands up skyward. As he drops, his hands slam down, palms into the soil.
Rowan only had a moment to realize that Aang was starting now before he was almost thrown to his rear end. The ground underfoot trembled, pulsing outward. Even as he stepped back to catch himself, his foot sank several good inches into the ground. “Oh my word! That’s damn near three hours of work ya just did.”
“Believe it or not, that’s pretty basic. I was almost afraid I was going to overdue it.” Aang did not bother to dust his hands off. The dirt was a nice change. “I don’t think this way is very smart though. Row by row would be better to make sure we don’t miss anything.”
The farmer did not mind one bit. Aang was being thorough, and with how soft the soil was, he almost wondered how deep the roots would grow just overnight. “Alrighty. Hope ya don’ mind if I follow ya, it’s just perty damn neat.”
The monk grinned almost ready to blush at the praise. “I don’t mind one bit.”
The night progressed pretty smoothly. Aang walked row by row, stomping the ground in one place to soften the soil in long, broad lines. The effect impressed the farmer each time, yet Aang was constantly measuring his strength. So many battles had trained him to use this technique with much more force.
After a while, Rowan started jokingly mimicking Aang’s movements, as if he were bending the earth like a pro. Aang thought back to the conversation from breakfast. Could he make this man an Earthbender? It was not like he saw Rowan using the power to fight with, he seemed so happy with the idea to till the dirt. He could see Rowan digging wells, or building stone sheds.
As they came to Rowan’s grove, the farmer really got a show. It took more concentration, a much more rigid stance, to soften the soil deep enough to aid the roots of some of the deeper-reaching trees. Five rows in, it turned into more of a lesson than copycatting. Aang would pause to make adjustments to Rowan’s form, instruct him on how to feel with his feet as if they were his eyes. Rowan did not understand, but that was the best part about it. He was far more receptive to this new information than Aang had ever been.
It was at the end of the grove, before they entered the soybean field, that Aang revealed the growing burden in the back of his mind. “If I tried to give you Earthbending… it could change you in ways I don’t yet understand… and… I don’t know if my energy is strong enough to bend yours, even if I tried.”
Rowan, sweating from genuine effort, rested his hands on his hips. “Well... it ain’t like yer bendin’ my energies against my will… I mean… S’not every day a Prime walks up to ya and says ‘hey Rowan, ya want a magic lesson?’ I mean… I could prolly go to Dalaran and beg for a teacher, but…” He pointed up at the floating island, just vaguely visible as a shadow contrasting against a blanket of stars. “Can’t exactly get there, if ya know what I mean.”
A nod showed Aang understands. “Well… I guess it makes sense that Ozai was only so hard because he was fighting back. What if I mess up?”
“Will ya do right iffen ya do?”
“Of course, why would-“
Rowan stopped him with a firm pat on the shoulder. “Yer a monk. I ain’t askin’ some lowlife ta try open heart surgery on me, now am I? I’m askin’ a monk who’s life I saved to help better mine. I feel ya wouldn’t leave without a heavy spirit iffen I didn’t give ya a way to balance the scale. Helpin’ th’ farm ain’t quite like saven’ yer life.”
Some might think the farmer was sounding greedy by imposing debts for the noble act of saving a life. Aang, however, admired the world-wisened man. He would have felt bad to burden the farmer couple and leave without paying them back. They really had saved his life. Lysandra was nice, but she could not have staved off an infection if one had set.
“Give me a few days to heal. I don’t think I can do it at half strength. Until then, we can finish the farm as training. Mind and body.”
Rowan laughed, patting his chest. “Aye. I’m usen muscles I ain’t ever used before, an’ from a farmer tha’s sayin’ somethen.”
The time had arrived. Aang slept out in the barn on the comfortable saddle specially summoned for Appa. The shaggy bison lounged without it across the barn, upside down with belly exposed. Somewhere up in the rafters Aang was sure Momo had made himself comfortable. Lysandra was in the ranch house, sleeping in a guest bed.
It was odd, being pampered like this. The good kind of pamper, where the day was grueling work, but when the sun went down it was nothing but laughs, good food and great desert. Emily shadowed Aang and Rowan all day, so the monk was forced to just walk around. It gave him time to build a plan.
A sound caught his ear. It was the code! With a little roll and leap, Aang shot out of the barn through an open window. The effort hurt his wounded leg, but he needed the stretch. Cupping his hands around his mouth, he made a bird call that would alert his partner in crime of his escape. A reply came a moment later. With a grin, Aang dashed away from the barn, out into the open wheat field.
Sure enough, Rowan was there, waiting. “Ya sure ya wanna do this, bud?”
“Definitely, especially if it means I can come back and expect a fresh pie now and then.” He was already rubbing his hands together with eager anticipation. “Plus, I was getting stiff. Your wife’s definition of ‘relax’ is about as flexible as the cuffs she’ll put on us if she catches us.”
The farmer chuckled. “Tha’s my wife, I tell ya what. It’ll worth it though, I’ve been itchen to see that Earthbendin’ of yers.”
Aang pointed at the ground, “right here? You don’t think it’ll hurt the wheet?”
This had the man laugh outright. “You kidd’n? If ya can soften th’ dirt, it’ll be th’ healthiest crop of the pull!” He took Aang by the shoulder, leading him along as the wisened farmer explains the complexities of agriculture. “When th’ dirt gets hard, roots can’t spread out. Poor plants get choked up. So me ‘n Emily usually put worms in th’ ground to soften it up. Costs a lot, and takes a few days, but…”
The Avatar shrugs off the farmer’s hand. “So what you’re saying is I’m cheaper than worms?” A grin formed. “I guess I should up my pay to two pies?” With a swift dash away, he held up a hand to stop Rowan from following. Proud to display his non-violent side, he leaps into the air, bringing his hands up skyward. As he drops, his hands slam down, palms into the soil.
Rowan only had a moment to realize that Aang was starting now before he was almost thrown to his rear end. The ground underfoot trembled, pulsing outward. Even as he stepped back to catch himself, his foot sank several good inches into the ground. “Oh my word! That’s damn near three hours of work ya just did.”
“Believe it or not, that’s pretty basic. I was almost afraid I was going to overdue it.” Aang did not bother to dust his hands off. The dirt was a nice change. “I don’t think this way is very smart though. Row by row would be better to make sure we don’t miss anything.”
The farmer did not mind one bit. Aang was being thorough, and with how soft the soil was, he almost wondered how deep the roots would grow just overnight. “Alrighty. Hope ya don’ mind if I follow ya, it’s just perty damn neat.”
The monk grinned almost ready to blush at the praise. “I don’t mind one bit.”
The night progressed pretty smoothly. Aang walked row by row, stomping the ground in one place to soften the soil in long, broad lines. The effect impressed the farmer each time, yet Aang was constantly measuring his strength. So many battles had trained him to use this technique with much more force.
After a while, Rowan started jokingly mimicking Aang’s movements, as if he were bending the earth like a pro. Aang thought back to the conversation from breakfast. Could he make this man an Earthbender? It was not like he saw Rowan using the power to fight with, he seemed so happy with the idea to till the dirt. He could see Rowan digging wells, or building stone sheds.
As they came to Rowan’s grove, the farmer really got a show. It took more concentration, a much more rigid stance, to soften the soil deep enough to aid the roots of some of the deeper-reaching trees. Five rows in, it turned into more of a lesson than copycatting. Aang would pause to make adjustments to Rowan’s form, instruct him on how to feel with his feet as if they were his eyes. Rowan did not understand, but that was the best part about it. He was far more receptive to this new information than Aang had ever been.
It was at the end of the grove, before they entered the soybean field, that Aang revealed the growing burden in the back of his mind. “If I tried to give you Earthbending… it could change you in ways I don’t yet understand… and… I don’t know if my energy is strong enough to bend yours, even if I tried.”
Rowan, sweating from genuine effort, rested his hands on his hips. “Well... it ain’t like yer bendin’ my energies against my will… I mean… S’not every day a Prime walks up to ya and says ‘hey Rowan, ya want a magic lesson?’ I mean… I could prolly go to Dalaran and beg for a teacher, but…” He pointed up at the floating island, just vaguely visible as a shadow contrasting against a blanket of stars. “Can’t exactly get there, if ya know what I mean.”
A nod showed Aang understands. “Well… I guess it makes sense that Ozai was only so hard because he was fighting back. What if I mess up?”
“Will ya do right iffen ya do?”
“Of course, why would-“
Rowan stopped him with a firm pat on the shoulder. “Yer a monk. I ain’t askin’ some lowlife ta try open heart surgery on me, now am I? I’m askin’ a monk who’s life I saved to help better mine. I feel ya wouldn’t leave without a heavy spirit iffen I didn’t give ya a way to balance the scale. Helpin’ th’ farm ain’t quite like saven’ yer life.”
Some might think the farmer was sounding greedy by imposing debts for the noble act of saving a life. Aang, however, admired the world-wisened man. He would have felt bad to burden the farmer couple and leave without paying them back. They really had saved his life. Lysandra was nice, but she could not have staved off an infection if one had set.
“Give me a few days to heal. I don’t think I can do it at half strength. Until then, we can finish the farm as training. Mind and body.”
Rowan laughed, patting his chest. “Aye. I’m usen muscles I ain’t ever used before, an’ from a farmer tha’s sayin’ somethen.”
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