Abandoned - Dwarves' Quarry - Story 7 NWS

[Abandoned]

Chapter 13


  With the latest new arrivals, we had more builders and more laborers.   They began work building a large house over by the new caves on the road from the new storage cave.  Near that cave they planted patches with potatoes and carrot seeds we gave them.







  They continued building houses in the row along the road between the caves.  They planted a patch of onions with the other 2 patches and next to it they set up a hive for all the bees that were in a stump there.  There would be honey to glaze carrots with for a sweet treat.  They worked hard in those patches even after the snow began to fall, they wanted to be sure to harvest every last potato, carrot, and onion.    That row of houses was quite impressive looking.  There was still 2 of their families in the dwelling cave that needed houses.



  The river boatman returned again.  He had a little barley this time plus more apples and wool.  We needed the food, especially the grain, and the tailor was happy to get more wool for warm coats.  The river boatman again accepted tools in trade.  He told the people in charge of the trade route that we now had stone.  A barge had been built and was at the new settlement of Riverboat Depot where the boatmen could leave and pick up trade goods.  There was room to stockpile stone now.

[Abandoned]

Chapter 14


  There were 2 smaller wood houses built for the last 2 families in the dwelling cave.  One house was close to that cave and the other was by the storage cave and patches.   Our food supply and overall health had improved, must have been all those apples.
 




  The boatman returned with more apples and cheese and a little more barley.  He loaded his riverboat with stone to take to Crystal Falls.  We were concerned for that boatman; his boat was sitting very low in the water from the weight of the stone.  He said he would definitely tell the people in charge that we needed that barge.  Yes, and grain, the barge and grain.

  Our foresters could not supply enough logs to keep up with the woodcutter and builders.  Laborers took to the woods to cut trees.  The demand for logs would lessen since all the needed houses were built, for the time being.  There were several young adults living at home that would soon reach marriageable age, we would then need more houses.

  Wild foods were continually gathered by laborers also.  A 2nd gatherer's workplace was setup, this one across from the row of new houses.  We had wild oats on hand again, no doubt contributing to our rise in overall health along with the barley. 

[Abandoned]

Chapter 15




  We built another fishing pier too, the new one was down past the trading post and quarry.  We had 2 fishermen working at each.  The fish smoker would have a steadier supply of fish.    We hoped that the new bear cave would supply more bear meat for the spit and furs for the tailor.  She was always waiting for furs or for wool for warm coats; she was always short of one or the other.  It was not unusual to go to one of the storage caves and not get what you went there for, but we were doing a lot better than before we came here.  We dwarves in the north always traded tools or work for food; we were not used to providing for ourselves like this.

  That was our 9th year, eager explorer, I remember it well for 2 reasons.  One was that Dwarves' Quarry's population went over 100.  We had 71 adults and 32 young children.  The second reason was because in late summer one of the river boatmen returned saying we could have the barge if we had someone who would go with him to Riverboat Depot to pick it up.  He would show our bargeman the route. Our bargeman could make stone deliveries along the trade route and take surplus stone to the Depot.  Our young single girls were not happy that one of the eligible young single males was leaving, but leave he did.  He returned in late autumn with the depot barge.

[Abandoned]

Chapter 16


  To celebrate the arrival of the barge and success of Dwarves' Quarry, there was, of course, plenty of ale, but also 3 newly carved dwarf statues.  One was over by the caves where we first settled when we came here, another was by the mines and smelter, and a third by the trading post where piles of stone were waiting to be loading on the barge.
 






  Over by the nearby quarry, an overseer's tower was built.  We needed to keep good records on the production and trade of the stone and any special orders.  We would be handling the stone trade from here.  Small amounts of stone would be picked up by the river boatmen from the stockpile of surplus stone we took to Riverboat Depot.

  The river boatmen would still be stopping here accepting tools and iron in exchange for food.  We were now getting regular shipments of barley from Newburg.  Apples, walnuts, and wool were part of our standing order.  Our trader, Wyatta, was kept busy.  It was Wyatta that pointed out that he still had 2 of the Dwarven axes in stock at the trading post.  We did not hesitate to build a second forester, this one south of the rowhouses.  The 2 new foresters would use those axes. 



  We started building a stone house next to the new forester but construction was put on hold when we realized how many young single still living at home were not yet old enough to marry.  We still had several young singles living alone in houses waiting for spouses.   Wyatta, the trader, lived alone in the workplace house by the trading post for several years until he turned 15.  Kailynn moved in with him as soon as she turned 15.  They just had their first child before you arrived, eager explorer.

[Abandoned]

Chapter 17


  Last year, year 11, Dwarves' Quarry suffered its first loss, Cornell the vendor died in childbirth.  She and her husband, Jalonso, and 3 children lived by the fishing pier and blacksmith.   We had no cemetery when she died, and I wondered why our overall happiness did not drop.  Well, I found out when I was doing the housing census.  I don't know if the couple's young daughter, Glorin, moved out into her own house before or after her mother died, but her father and her 2 siblings moved in with Jackelin who had been our gatherer.  Jalonso quit fishing when he moved in and went to work as forester where the daughter worked.  She immediately quit and went to work as the beekeeper.  Jalonso and Jackelin had a child of their own only a few months later.  There was talk.  The town's overall happiness did drop by then.





  We build a cemetery west of town just outside the work areas of the forester and the hunter.  We later built a workplace chapel.  Jalonso's daughter, Glorin, was a frequent visitor to both the cemetery and the chapel.  No one knows if she's visited her father.

[Abandoned]

Chapter 18




  Well, eager explorer, we are glad you came to visit us and had time to stay awhile and look around town.  We think we've done quite well here over the past 12 years.  We rely on the river boatman for grain and other items but we do provide a lot of food and items for ourselves. 





  Dwarves' Quarry now has a population of 122, 85 adults and 37 young children. Corter and I have 3 adult children at home ages 8, 10, and 11.  We only have 33 homes for our 60 families but as I said, we have a lot of young adults still living at home like ours.  We will have a lot more homes and new couples in the next few years, I'm sure. 

  So, eager explorer, thank you again for bringing the barley seeds.  We will plant a patch right away.  Explore the town as much as you like.  Don' t miss seeing those American Living rowhouses before you go, they are really fantastic.



Fare thee well, eager explorer.


The End

[taniu]

@Abandoned     Thank you very much for the wonderful story. Greetings