The Red Lands

A drizzle of snow fell during the night, layering the grassland and forest with a crisp blanket.

In the morning, Chu gathered his group on the upper platform. Everyone sat munching on a warm slice of buttered rock bread. Along with the steaming bread in the covered basket, Sue prepared a large pot of hot water. With the wooden ladle, they scooped it into their new bowls and sipped.

Beverages like milk, tea, and coffee require further investigation. He knew nothing of what nobles in this world enjoyed. Maybe later, he might find some root or leaves to add flavor to the water, but such brews stood low on the priority list. His world centered around the village. Settling and security first. Knowledge would come after.

"We have a lot of work to complete before the expected snowstorms."

"But Chu, can't we just remain in the cellar? We can always come out and move around inside the barn. When the snow really comes down, it reaches waist height."

Chu nodded in agreement with Ming.

In the middle of winter, the snow can reach nearly three to four feet in depth. That was one of the reasons the village tended to hunker down during this time. It was also why hunting and woodcutting ground to a halt. Only seasoned hunters ventured out into the forest at this time.

Even if the snow becomes compact, one will still find oneself sinking waist-deep in snow while walking. Chu realized the importance of the weather forecast he usually took for granted. Blindness to nature posed a high risk of death.

He continued talking as he reached for another piece of bread.

"And that is why we need to get this place prepared. I want us to be comfortable, but I also want us to be ready to handle any of the dangers that may befall us."

Chu looked around at his team members. It was a total contrast to handing out work to experienced personnel for efficient job completion.

He could only sigh inwardly.

As it was, he could only begin with children who could be molded into those he could trust.

Having a batch of men at his command would be the best. But when things take a turn for the best or worst, he might be the first sacrifice. At present, he was too weak. Who would see a little boy as their leader?

A weakling like him was just a tool to be exploited.

This was one of the main reasons he refused to throw in his lot with Griz at the Trading Post for the winter. Their relationship might be good now, but in time, it might change into him being locked down in service. In this world, he aimed for freedom and independence.

Munching on the butter-softened bread, he issued some orders.

"Clod, take Ming and repair the barn door. I want it so that at least one can open. If not, cut a small door that can be opened and locked when needed."

"Okay, but the door on the ground would be really heavy to lift with only us."

Chu looked at the half-open entrance. The barn door stood about ten feet in height to allow easy entrance of animals and carts. The half-door remaining hung open and crooked.

"When you're ready, we will all help. If we can't raise it, dismantle it and nail it back piece by piece. Lucy and Miki will be lookouts. They can help you as assistants now and again."

"Okay. We will get started right away."

Chu raised his hand,

"Wait until the meeting is over, then go. Everyone here has a task. But the most important point of the morning meetings is for each of you to know where everyone is during the day."

He turned to the freckled-faced girl,

"Sue, the cooking will be done by you. We will bring some stone slabs from the broken house next door. I want to build a small oven under this platform in the corner furthest from the cellar. During the day, that will serve as our main kitchen area.

In the cellar, we will make a simple fireside in the passageway near the well. On normal days, we cook in the barn. If there is danger with no alternative, we cook down there."

Sue nodded while straightening her back,

"Okay, I used an oven at the inn, I know how to build a small one. The hardest work is gathering the flat stone slabs."

Chu agreed, nodding his head.

"Find some suitable ones and stack them. When you're ready, we can help you bring them inside at once. Don't forget you also have to cook. For today, prepare the bread with a simple soup. When we complete the oven, you can start cooking normal meals."

Ming piped in.

"Chu, when can we eat the meat?"

"Sue can start cooking the meat from tomorrow. Mix the days between the deer and the bear. Spread them out with vegetable days in between. Remember that we are only eating enough not to starve. Three meals, the idea is to keep us full. You will be responsible for making our supplies last over the winter, Sue. That is your responsibility."

Sue nodded her head vigorously.

This was her opportunity to become someone of worth. For someone who had nearly given up on life, she was fully motivated with a new goal.

"Dyna and Sakura will clean out all the trash from the deck up here and the ground below. I want all the sources of musty smells gone. While you guys handle the ground floor, pay attention to the wooden walls. Any plank that needs nailing down or changing must be done. Clod will see to it when the doors are secured."

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"Yes."

"OK"

"That's the plan, I want to get that door done today, and any holes that are big enough for wild animals to be patched up."

Everyone scattered to work. They were not stupid enough to understand that Chu planned to secure the entire barn. Instead of living like rats in the cellar, afraid to exit. Chu intended to turn the barn into his castle.

When they climbed down the ladder, Chu waited for Clod.

He moved last due to his leg.

Seeking the boy's advice, he walked him through his planned modifications.

"This entire area under the decking. I want it secured with a stout fence. The posts must be strong enough to keep a wolf out, but have spaces. Wide enough to counter with spears."

He bought the lumber from the Trading Post for this very purpose. Thick planks for the rotting walls, shingles for the roof, and posts for the fence.

By securing the area under the platform, the planned kitchen, trapdoor, ladder, and cellar entrance remained safe zones. Any wood left over, he intended to construct an inside fence to ensure the route from the deck to the cellar remained accessible in the event of a breach of the fence.

Speaking to Clod as they inspected the walls, he decided to make a run to the Trading Post before the onslaught of the snow. Clod advised they should strengthen the protection of the barn walls below the decking by doubling the planks. In the event a wild animal dared to chew and gnaw its way inside, they had sufficient time to respond.

The arrangement allowed them to gather around the oven to keep warm during the day. If a beast breached the door of the barn, they had adequate time to fight safely behind the fence or escape into the cellar.

Chu went to the well and placed a long plank across. He tied a rope and bucket and tested it out. They would use this to bathe and cook in the barn. He then replaced the wood cover and hid it partially with some shrubs. Once not in use, he wanted to keep it hidden. The thick rope and heavy plank ensured it could handle their weight in the event they needed to escape the cellar by climbing.

Thinking about the risks involved in leaving the safety of the barn to fetch water, he informed Ming about keeping the wooden barrels inside filled for kitchen use, and to make the task of fetching water a priority with everyone involved. The more eyes on watch and surveillance, the better.

He left Clod and walked around the rear of the barn, and back to the well,

"How is it?"

Chu asked Miki as he went across. She sat on top of an old tree at the back of the well. The barn doors faced the forest to the west. The well lay on the side of the barn between it and the ruined farmhouse. The only blind spot from the tree was where the barn blocked the view. Lucy covered that area by patrolling in the front.

"I can see as far as the forest line until the barn blocks me. As for the rear, it's not a problem. I can even see the smoke from some of the farmhouses in the distance to the east."

"That's good. I don't want to be sneaked up by people or beasts."

Chu left and went to help Sue gather the flat stone slabs. He wanted to make a small oven by stacking the bricks up and around like an igloo. Luckily, the kitchen in the farmhouse had a broken oven. He quickly dismantled it, knocking the bricks out one by one. Calling the others, they made short work moving them inside.

"Can you build it like how I showed you?"

Chu asked the young girl.

"Yes, I can try, I just need some mud and water to help bind it. Once it dries, it should be strong enough."

"Ok, bring all the buckets, I want to fill as much water as possible before covering the well."

When they got their work done, Clod was ready to get the door back up. As he said before, it was too heavy for all of them, so he decided to break it apart and bar the entire entrance piece by piece like a jigsaw. Later, he would then cut a door by using one of those pieces.

"If that's the case, I want the door tall enough for us but short enough that a grown man needs to bend down and walk in."

"Ok, but this will take longer since we have to break up the door."

"I can help, this is important. We can secure the barn for now and make the door properly inside. When it's finished, then we'll install it."

"Amazing. Only you could have come up with such an idea. Chu, you are soooo smart."

"Stop sucking up and get to work."

By late evening, a crude door was made on the barn entrance that was barred by a plank across it. The couple of weathered sideboards were replaced, and larger holes were patched. It was not skilled work, but effective and sufficient for their immediate needs. Clod's experience from a farm was a bonus since he was like an all-around handyman.

They sat on the floor around a fire in the middle of the barn. Although it was old, it was more sturdy and safer than some homes in the village. Chu's next plan was to build a flat mud and stone fireside on the platform so they could light a fire on it.

That way, they could keep warm on the platform and have light for reading. He felt more relaxed if he sat on a height rather than on the ground.

"Tomorrow, we need to get the fence inside done. I did buy enough materials to bar the doors, but since we reused most of the wood planks, we should have extra."

"The oven should be ready in two days. I want it properly dried first. Sue can make us a soup tomorrow in the cellar. Sue, make enough for the whole day and just keep it over coals to remain warm."

The barn was not too dark, as there were small windows high up to provide light. They were like slits so nothing large could pass through.

"Sakura, tomorrow, you and Dyna should get some of the padded clothes out. I want Lucy and Miki to start wearing theirs. The short swords and scabbards are a little bulky for us to wear on the side, so we'll strap them on our backs. Once anybody has to go outside the barn, they need to be armed!"

After getting the nods from all, he continued.

"When the inside fence is up, we will keep two spears near the kitchen to use. I want one hidden on the platform for emergency use. Tomorrow evening, we will start practicing with the crossbows."

Chu had brought eight short swords and eight wooden spears with iron tips. He didn't bother wasting money on long swords or two-handed ones. Given their strength, it was a sacrifice of length and heaviness for ease of handling. He also purchased five crossbows that were the lightest he could find.

Their main stash of weapons would be kept in the cellar. The crossbows were light ones that were easy to load. For the children, it was still tough to operate. He preferred them to bows and arrows because it was simple point and shoot. He felt training with a bow would need too much practice for children like them.

He didn't even have any instructors, so the weapons were like a deterrent and a source of comfort. He only hoped they could make use of it when ready.

This little stash cost them some serious gold, nearly causing him to shed tears. One crossbow bolt alone costs ten copper. Chu ended up buying five hundred. He was banking on reusing most of them. As for the swords and spears, they were nearly eighty silvers for one.

From his transactions he understood why the startup costs for hunters and adventurers were high. Not everyone could just walk in and get those jobs. Most started as apprentices and worked their way into better equipment.

"Dyna, I want to store a few sheets up on the platform in a corner. We can use them when we're up there to keep warm. Make a trip outside tomorrow with Sakura and gather some fresh grass before the snow covers it all. We can use that under the sheets to make softer beds in the cellar."

After they ate, Chu left them to continue his self-studies until the darkness fell.

When everyone was cleaned up and ready for bed, they filed into the cellar and closed the trapdoor. A small fire was already lit near the well to provide a little light and, more importantly, to ward off the cold.

Chu had tested this for the cellar to remain with fresh air and not become dangerously filled with smoke. He still had them arrange a night guard for safety. A sheet acting as a wall divided the cellar into two, giving the girls their privacy.

With soft cloth-filled quilts acting as bedding and covers, it was a welcome difference from the life they were accustomed to just months ago.

Risking his life for just this simple lifestyle was worth it for the time being.

He didn't want to make it a habit in this life.