Expected cargo

Writers: Jane, Paula
Date Posted: 5th April 2007

Characters: Aivorn, Jesten
Description: Aivorn's new breeding stock arrives by riverboat.
Location: Emerald Falls Hold
Date: month 3, day 18 of Turn 4

Jesten, the captain of the riverboat Sungazer, was glad to see the master beastcrafter on the dock as they tied up. The livestock they were carrying as deck cargo were apparently gentle, well mannered creatures. The man consigning the two huge porcines had assured them of
that, and then suggested that they didn't let the riverboat's children into the pens that had been set up on the open deck.

Something didn't seem right about _that_ and the whole family was on edge after the man's warning. Usually the children roamed wherever they wanted when they weren't doing chores and, of course, as soon as they'd been told not to go near the porcines, that was the _only_ place of interest on the riverboat.

Aivorn had been waiting the riverboat's arrival impatiently. He had new breeding stock arriving. He was especially expecting the new porcines.
The old boar was getting too old and these two young ones would replace him and bring in some new blood.

As soon as the landing stage was down on the wharf Jesten moved down it and over to where the master beastcrafter was standing. "Are you ready to get those porcines unloaded, Master Aivorn? We think it'll be better to move them before we do the rest of the unloading since that will no
doubt disturb them."

"Captain," Aivorn greeted him with a nod. "Actually I was thinking it would better other way around: First we unload the others and take them out of the way, then when the boat is empty, we can concentrate getting those two out and into their pens," he said. Unfortunately, there was quite a distance between the boat docks and beasthold. The master
beastcrafters just hoped they wouldn't be as bad-tempered as the Emerald Falls old boar was. It they were, it meant long and hard day for him and his journeymen.

"They came onboard easy enough," Jesten commented, "though you're the expert. It'll be a couple of candlemarks before the decks are empty, if you really want to wait."

"Yes, I'd like to wait," Aivorn replied and turned to his staff. "Get those herdbeasts out first."

~ ~ ~

Jesten let the crew move all the livestock from the deck onto the sheltered pens on the wharf. The other cargo on the main and crew decks was inanimate and could wait. He set the youngsters to dismantle the pens and start cleaning the woodwork on the understanding they make themselves scarce when the porcines were being moved. And then he
sought out the master beastcrafter.

"Ready to go now, Master Aivorn."

"Good, let's get to work then," Aivorn replied and gestured his journeymen to follow. "Let's take a look of these porcines."

"They're big." Bigger than any male porcine he'd seen, though they weren't something he saw many of on the river. "They haven't behaved badly on the journey. Certainly didn't look distressed at any time."

"Handsome fellows," Aivorn remarked and leaned against the pen-railing.
"There's few ladies waiting for you," he adressed the boars. "So don't cause any trouble."

"Ladies and trouble go hand in hand," one of the crew muttered. He grinned at the breastcrafter. "What do you want us to do, sir?"

"Open the pen after we get the ropes attached to them," Aivorn replied.
His journeymen would do most of the work.

"I'm interested to see that," Jesten said, edging closer to where the beastcrafters were working. They were huge creatures and despite the protestations of docility the riverboat captaion wasn't convinced.

The first one was easy. The boar let him be roped and walked out of the boat without fight, especially since one of the journeymen was holding a fruit in front of him. But the second one... he watched Aivorn suspiciously and snorted loudly.

"Troublemaker, aren't you?" Aivorn asked mildly. The beast lifted his tail and expressed his opinion with the smelly way.

The captain of the riverboat grinned. Nothing like a bit of
entertainment, as long as it didn't do damage to the boat or crew.
He glanced around to make sure the children were keeping out of the way, grinning at the wretches hanging from every possible vantage point.

"Say if you need a hand," he offered.

Aivorn grinned at him and then looked at his men. "Which one of you takes the tail-end?" he asked. They all looked the fresh pile and kind of shuffled backwards.

"Aargh, what a bunch of ninnies," he snorted.

"Do you really steer it by that little tail?" Jesten asked, still grinning. "A big beast like that?

"No, we push from the arse. Pulling just makes them to dig their trotters to the ground and then they won't budge," Aivorn explained.

"Rather you than me, then."

"It figures," Aivorn grunted.

"Is he going to move?" Jesten asked after a while.

"I'll make him move," Aivorn promised and got to work. The boar was not interested in food, and squalled protests when it was taken out from the boat by force of three beastcrafters. It was hard and smelly, but they
did get it right were it belonged.

The riverboat captain was still laughing when he followed the master beastcrafter onto the wharf and offered the man his hand. "Congratulations. A job well done."

"Thank you. T'is what they pay me for," Aivorn grinned and squeezed the hand.

Last updated on the April 6th 2007

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Expected cargo