Chapter 125: Interlude: Twenty-six

Fifteenth day, Eleventh Moon, 260 AC (+1 days)

"Do you think it'll work, lass?"

Violet looked at the riverbank with a technical eye. The riverbed was deep enough at this spot to support a waterwheel, and the bank steep enough that it wouldn't have to be extended out very far either.

"A waterwheel could work here," she said. "Perhaps not for the most powerful one – you would need the southern river for that – but it could work. What were you thinking of using it for?"

"Well," said Korb, "I was in town the other day and somehow the place 'as gotten even bigger since the last time! And I was thinkin', all these people are gonna need more and more food! Now, my wife and daughter don't do much more anymore than just milking and churning butter! She's got a whole pile of clothes that need mendin' but no time to do it! I hear there's some in the town that'll do that type o' work if you pay them, but it don't seem right not having my wife work on my clothes."

Violet readjusted Sigmar in her arms as she said, "There's a lot of work all around these days."

"That there is! A lot of coin, too, so I can't complain overmuch. But still! So, I was thinking I ought to make it so butter takes less time to make! Remember a few moons ago you let me look at the sawmill?"

Violet nodded.

"Well, it hit me!" He clapped his hands together. "Bam! I thought to myself, I can make that work for butter! I drew up some of my ideas, if you want to take a look." He handed over some paper.

She looked it over and the idea seemed sound. "So, what did you need me for – other than looking at the riverbank?"

Korb swallowed. "Ah, it's the money, Violet. I was hoping I could get a deal like you have for the farm equipment – but you know, for the butter-making machine. And I'd have to built it myself, too…"

"Of course, Korb! That's what it's there for. A simple loan to help you pay for the materials is perfectly fine."

Korb sighed in relief. "Thanks, Violet. I was worried I would have to talk to some of those Braavosi that come by sometimes and see if I can't do something similar to that thing with the ships your father has got going on."

Violet chewed her lip as she thought it over. "That's another option, I suppose, but probably not the best idea for a smaller business and I don't know what kind of legal status that would have. The trading company has a special dispensation from the King, but the legal framework is there that it could be expanded – but not by me. I'll send a letter to my father, but regardless, I think a loan ought to be your best bet.

"I'll keep that in mind, Violet," said Korb gratefully. "Thank you!"

"Come by the castle in a few days and we'll come up with a formal agreement so you can start as soon as you like."

With that, she and Sigmar left the farmstead, picking up their guard and started walking down the country road. The road wound alongside the northern river, and was already paved in concrete, so the walk was a pleasant affair. The old dirt tracks of her youth had been paved over, and memories of her trip with her father – of dirt paths and endless tracts of forest – would soon be all she had left of the area surrounding Redbridge. She welcomed the change, even if she would miss what once was.

Coming around the bend, she could see her family's old farm. Cow's grazed lazily in the pasture, some merely lying in the shade of the trees chewing their cud. Goats and sheep mingled with them, and the familiar sounds of chickens and geese completed the picture.

"'Ow!" cheered Sigmar.

She laughed, raising him up to bring his face to hers. "Cows!"

"'Ow!"

"Moooo!"

Sigmar giggled. "'Og! Og!"

"Do you want to see your dog?"

He nodded his chubby cheeks. "'Og," he said, in the most serious manner a two-year-old could. Which wasn't very – not with those cheeks.

"When we get back to the castle, sweetie," she said. He loved his pet dog, Thor, one of Max's – her old corgi – descendants.

She had to admit though, that his attachment to Thor was a bit unusual. Other children loved their pets, but Sigmar had truly bonded with Thor. Violet didn't know if it had anything to do with magic, but she cursed peoples fear of other, regardless. It was people who feared what they didn't have – what they couldn't have – that had hurt her ability to learn more about magic. Breakthroughs seemed be accidental, like Evelyn's discovery of metal finding, despite Violet's best efforts at experimenting.

Progress on new discoveries seemed halted, but the time she could invest in working on it seemed very little these days. Especially with most of her family elsewhere, there were few people she could talk about it with – even if just to act as someone to bounce ideas off of. Her cousins were all gone south to Osend or east to Silverhold, while her family was either further east to White Harbor or further southeast to the Disputed Lands.

A younger Violet would have been heartbroken at being left behind again, and for the lack of progress on magic, but she had different priorities now. She put Sigmar back into the baby sling and kept walking to her old house.

The farm was being worked by farmhands now as her entire family couldn't spend anytime working on it anymore. There was no talk of selling it but seeing no Ragnars working it was a bit disquieting to Violet.

Life was filled with change, and all a person could do was treasure the memories.