15 Ymiden 716
Jachiel set the second measuring plank firmly against the fence post, looped the twine tight around the pair to hold them together, and then went to get the new rail. Each measuring post had long nails jutting out just under where each rail should be. He dragged the rail one-handed behind him, and lifted first one end and then the other onto the lowest set of nails. Using the same measuring posts all the way along the edge made absolutely sure that each line of rails was at exactly the same height all the way around the field. In his case, it also meant that he didn't have to try to hold the long rail level as he hammered in the short nails that fastened the rail to the main fence posts. It was bad enough juggling nails and hammer.
He did go to one knee and press the other knee against the rail to make sure that it didn't jar itself loose, but that was as far as the necessary holding went. Kneeling also allowed him to jab a small hole in the ground near the foot of the fence post and drop in a seed for the Snake Whip Brambles that the black-winged Avriel wanted him to grow. The repaired fence would double as a growing frame for the brambles and lend extra validity to his claim that they were just there to keep the ox out of the crops.
He took the first extra sharp nail, set it on the lower third of the rail's height, and pushed it into the soft pine of the rail by hand until it stayed firmly in place, then he let go of it, picked up the hammer, and hammered it in the rest of the way. The hammer blows vibrated through the wood and into his knee. It wasn't the most pleasant of sensations, but it was tolerable. He pounded until the nail head was flush with the surface of the wood, then set the hammer down and picked up the second nail. This time he set it against the upper third of the rail and shoved hard to get it in far enough that it would stay without him having to find some other way of holding it there for the first few blows.
• Graded • Thorny fences (Job thread)
Jachiel mends a fence and plants some seeds
Moderator: Basilisk Snek
- Jachiel
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Thorny fences (Job thread)
word count: 394
- Jachiel
- Approved Character
- Posts: 150
- Joined: Tue May 03, 2016 2:45 pm
- Race: Human
- Renown: 95
- Character Sheet
- Personal Journal
- Wealth Tier: Tier 1
Thorny fences (Job thread)
It went in a bit crookedly and he tried to straighten it up by hitting it the other way with the hammer, but he wasn't sure how well he succeeded. It went in, at least, but that was as much as he could say for it. He sighed, climbed to his feet and walked down to the other end of the rail. Once there, he went to one knee again, used his other knee to press the rail back against the post and fished in his pocket for the first nail. It tangled with others, and a whole cluster came out and tumbled through his fingers onto the ground. He swore under his breath, spitting out the words with the casual efficiency of a military man, then picked them up one by one and dropped them back in his pocket. He saved the last one and shoved it into the lower third of the rail, then grabbed the hammer and pounded the nail home, expelling his frustration with his clumsiness through the blows of the hammer. He planted the seed, then eased out the second nail more carefully, gritted his teeth in concentration, and pushed. It went in straight and he hammered that one home as well, then tested the rail. It felt solid - at least, it didn't creak or wobble when he put weight against it. Jachiel sighed, stretched his back, and then went to fetch the new upper rail.
He dragged it back and lifted it onto the higher set of jutting nails one end at a time. This time he also remained standing and leaned his hip against the rail to keep it steady, rather than his knee. That worked fine for one end of the rail, where he could lean against it with his right hip and still be facing the nails and swinging a full swing of the hammer with his left hand. It worked less well at the other, where the circumstances meant he had to lean on it with his left hip, but still use his left hand in a rather more restricted swing of the hammer. The first nail went in at an awkward angle, the second he did more slowly and carefully so that it went in straighter. The rail seemed sound enough when he tested it, but he didn't know enough to know whether the crooked nail would hold as well as the straight ones did. He swung his arm around to loosen it up, then picked at the knots holding the measuring posts until the ties came loose and he could move them along to support the next pair of rails.
He dragged it back and lifted it onto the higher set of jutting nails one end at a time. This time he also remained standing and leaned his hip against the rail to keep it steady, rather than his knee. That worked fine for one end of the rail, where he could lean against it with his right hip and still be facing the nails and swinging a full swing of the hammer with his left hand. It worked less well at the other, where the circumstances meant he had to lean on it with his left hip, but still use his left hand in a rather more restricted swing of the hammer. The first nail went in at an awkward angle, the second he did more slowly and carefully so that it went in straighter. The rail seemed sound enough when he tested it, but he didn't know enough to know whether the crooked nail would hold as well as the straight ones did. He swung his arm around to loosen it up, then picked at the knots holding the measuring posts until the ties came loose and he could move them along to support the next pair of rails.
word count: 445
- Jachiel
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- Posts: 150
- Joined: Tue May 03, 2016 2:45 pm
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- Wealth Tier: Tier 1
Thorny fences (Job thread)
What had been the second measuring plank only needed to be moved the other side of its fencepost and then re-tied into place, so he moved that one first. The first measuring plank needed to be moved two rail-lengths to its new fencepost and he heaved it up to rest against his shoulder and trudged along, trying not to let it roll so much that the jutting nails dug painfully into his body. He wasn't entirely successful, but the thick shirt padded it to some extent, and the nails didn't break the kin or tear the shirt. It was probably, he mused as he retied the twine to fix the plank in its new position, a good thing that it was so early in the season. It wouldn't be many arcs before it would be far to hot to wear a shirt this thick, and then he'd have to make the choice between baring his scars to the sun, and all and sundry who passed by, or laying out the coin for hot cycle clothing. He grimaced. More money - but he hadn't been thinking of the hot cycle when he set out in early Ashan. He hadn't been thinking much about anything except getting away from the stares of pity and disgust.
As if his thoughts summoned her, the black and white cat sauntered up, leapt to the top of one of the fenceposts and stared imperiously at him. He looked back at her, then shook his head, and went to fetch the new lower rail. She watched haughtily as he dragged it back and lifted the ends into place on the lower set of jutting nails. He looked back at her and demanded, "Well? Does your cattiness want to make a suggestion for improvement?" She ignored him, delicately licked a paw and began to wash her ears. "Thought not," Jachiel told her, with a wry smile, and went to one knee. He probed in the dirt to make a hole, hit a largish pebble, and had to stop and prise it out before he could carry on. Eventually it came loose, and he tossed it aside, dropped in the seeds, and patted the soil lightly back into place. Then he sighed, shuffled closer to the fence and pressed his knee to the rail.
As if his thoughts summoned her, the black and white cat sauntered up, leapt to the top of one of the fenceposts and stared imperiously at him. He looked back at her, then shook his head, and went to fetch the new lower rail. She watched haughtily as he dragged it back and lifted the ends into place on the lower set of jutting nails. He looked back at her and demanded, "Well? Does your cattiness want to make a suggestion for improvement?" She ignored him, delicately licked a paw and began to wash her ears. "Thought not," Jachiel told her, with a wry smile, and went to one knee. He probed in the dirt to make a hole, hit a largish pebble, and had to stop and prise it out before he could carry on. Eventually it came loose, and he tossed it aside, dropped in the seeds, and patted the soil lightly back into place. Then he sighed, shuffled closer to the fence and pressed his knee to the rail.
Last edited by Jachiel on Mon Jul 25, 2016 12:50 am, edited 1 time in total. word count: 392
- Jachiel
- Approved Character
- Posts: 150
- Joined: Tue May 03, 2016 2:45 pm
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- Renown: 95
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- Wealth Tier: Tier 1
Thorny fences (Job thread)
The cat stalked along the section he'd just mended and sat herself immediately above his kneeling figure, like a queen condescending to approach one of her courtiers. Jachiel looked up at her black and white elegance for a long moment, then shoved the first of the nails into place and began to hammer it fully into the rail and post. The blows jarred throuh his hand and knee, and clearly jarred the cat too, because she shot up from her seat on top of the post he was hammering into and stalked back along the new top rail until she reached a safer seat on the other post. "So sorry, your cattiness," he muttered, starting on the second nail. "Better keep your distance from all the hard work. Don't mind me, I'm just the farmer..."
He rubbed his jarred knee, then heaved himself to his feet and went to do the other end. It was a slow, patient rhythm as he worked on, first one nail, then the other, first one rail, then the other. His knee, hips and arm ached as he went on, and he tried to ignore them apart from the occasional rub. He wasn't sure if the hammering jarred his body more the more of it he did, or if he just noticed it more, because the more he did, the more it hurt, and the more it hurt, the easier it was for him to notice it. Either way, it wasn't as if he had any choice in the matter. The task - both tasks actually - had to be done now, before it got any hotter, and he didn't and never would have anyone to help with it. Fences, he remembered as he stopped to set down the hammer and move the measuring planks once more, had always been a family task. Two to carry, one to hold, one to hammer. Four to joke about it as they worked.
Maybe it still was, back home. He looked over his shoulder towards the sea, then deliberately turned his back on that. New life. New home. New methods. No looking back.
He rubbed his jarred knee, then heaved himself to his feet and went to do the other end. It was a slow, patient rhythm as he worked on, first one nail, then the other, first one rail, then the other. His knee, hips and arm ached as he went on, and he tried to ignore them apart from the occasional rub. He wasn't sure if the hammering jarred his body more the more of it he did, or if he just noticed it more, because the more he did, the more it hurt, and the more it hurt, the easier it was for him to notice it. Either way, it wasn't as if he had any choice in the matter. The task - both tasks actually - had to be done now, before it got any hotter, and he didn't and never would have anyone to help with it. Fences, he remembered as he stopped to set down the hammer and move the measuring planks once more, had always been a family task. Two to carry, one to hold, one to hammer. Four to joke about it as they worked.
Maybe it still was, back home. He looked over his shoulder towards the sea, then deliberately turned his back on that. New life. New home. New methods. No looking back.
word count: 359
- Maltruism
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Thorny fences (Job thread)
Come and get your Loot!
(There's plenty more where that came from)
JACHIEL:
Skills:
- Agriculture +3
- Construction +4
- Endurance +2
- Logistics +2
Knowledges:
- Basic
- Cycle of Pain and Sensitivity
- Get the Job Done Before New Clothes are Required
- Rocking the Catwalk
- Soloing a 4-Man Job
- Specific
- Construction: Having to Hammer Left-Handed From Both Sides
- Construction: Measuring Post Template for Consistency
- Construction: Nails as Fence Rail Supports
- Agriculture: Letting the Fence Double as a Trellis
- Agriculture: Seeding the Fence Line with Snake Whip Bramble
Loot:
I will send the stats for your job pay in a PM
Injuries:
Just Aches and Pains
Comments:
Nice down-to-earth descriptions of farm work. I love the cat.
There's one spot where you say "arcs" where I think you meant "trials".
PM me with any comments or concerns
There's one spot where you say "arcs" where I think you meant "trials".
PM me with any comments or concerns
word count: 136
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