The kitchen was filled with the rich aroma of roasting poultry and the distinct scent of crushed herbs as the family gathered for the midday meal. The snow outside was finally surrendering to the relentless dampness of the early spring, leaving the world outside the windows a patchwork of gray slush and dark earth.
Jacob and Arthur met at the heavy oak table, both of them carrying an air of time well spent in their respective pursuits. Sera took her seat next to May, her face flushed from the brisk air and the excitement of their successful negotiations across the neighboring farmsteads.
Arthur set his heavy glass of cider down with a solid thud against the wood, looking toward his youngest son with a raised eyebrow. "I saw you coming across the ridge from the south, Jacob, and you had a look about you that suggested a very light purse."
Jacob smiled, breaking off a piece of the warm, crusty bread that May had placed in the center of the table. "The purse is indeed lighter, Father, but our borders have moved significantly further than the eye can see from this window. I spoke with the Millers and the old widow Vance, and they were more than happy to part with the dead sections of their land for a fair price in gold."
Caleb leaned forward, his eyes wide with the sudden realization of what this meant for their daily chores. "If you bought the Miller's north slope and the Vance property, that means we have to move nearly a mile of fencing before the spring planting truly begins."
"We will move the fences, Caleb, but we will not do it the old way with post holes and aching backs," Jacob replied while glancing at Arthur with a knowing look. "With the salt-grass bulbs ready for transplanting, we can turn those dead zones into the most productive soil in the entire Sinclair Kingdom by the time the summer heat arrives."
Arthur nodded slowly, his mind clearly working through the logistics of the new territory they now claimed as their own. "It is a bold move, son, but those families were drowning under the taxes for land that gave them nothing but dust and grief. You have done them a kindness while securing the future of the Hemlock name for generations to come. And while I am very proud of you for enacting your own agenda, lets talk about expansion next time you decide to buy up some property."
There was no anger in Arthur's voice, on the contrary, he seemed to have a tone of pride. He even smiled as he mussed up his growing son's hair.
"Remind me to show you how the contracts work for the change in ownership. They will be bringing them by either today or tomorrow, and I would like for you to see the process, Jacob."
"And you, Caleb," Arthur said as he turned to his oldest, "It is about to be your birthday as well, thirteen years old. How do you want to celebrate it?"
On the other side of the table, the women focused on the more social aspects of the morning trek. May was listening intently while she served the stew, her eyes bright with the reflected joy of her youngest daughter and their guest. Lila sat on a tall stool, her chin resting in her hands as she looked up at Sera with wide, expectant eyes.
"Was it very cold out there today, Sera?" Lila asked, her voice small and polite. "Did you see any little rabbits hiding in the tall dead grass?"
Sera laughed softly, her voice acting like a gentle melody that seemed to soften the rustic edges of the kitchen. "The wind was a bit chilly, little one, but your brother's magic kept me quite warm. I did not see any rabbits, though I did see the Miller's daughter, who was wearing the most beautiful blue ribbons in her hair that shimmered like the bright sky."
Lila's eyes grew even larger at the mention of the ribbons. "Are the ribbons blue like my favorite flower? Did she look like a princess from the stories?"
"They were exactly that blue, Lila, and she did look very special," Sera explained while she took a modest bite of the roasted bird. "But the most interesting thing was how the neighbors looked at the shawl Jacob made for me. Mrs. Vance spent nearly ten minutes touching the fabric and asking what kind of sheep produced wool that felt like a warm summer breeze."
May smiled at Sera, reaching out to pat the young woman's hand with a gesture of genuine motherly affection. "They are curious people, and they have noticed that the Hemlock farm is thriving while the rest of the village is still shivering in their boots. We must be careful with what we tell them, for gossip in a small town like Ruvka can travel faster than a hawk diving for prey."
"I told them that we were simply lucky with our winter stores and that Jacob had brought back some clever ideas from his time in the city," Sera continued as she looked toward May. "It is better they think us clever and fortunate than to have them whispering about the kind of magic that can stretch the very walls of a house."
Lila giggled, picking up a small piece of bread to dip in her gravy. "If they came inside the big-small house, would their eyes pop out of their heads? Mother says it is rude to stare, but I think they would stare a lot."
Her innocent comments garnered laughter from around the table as the boys had just finished up their birthday plans. The meal continued with a sense of peace, the kind that only comes when a family knows they are no longer merely surviving. Winters in Ruvka could be tough, and for them, it was like this winter had passed early.
Arthur stayed relatively quiet for the remainder of the lunch, his hand occasionally drifting to the pocket where the small, leather-bound book from Old Thom was still sitting, ready for him to use it. He felt the phantom pulse of the magic within it, a silent reminder that he would soon be able to contribute more than just physical strength to the expansion of their legacy.
Jacob watched his father, noting the distant look in the older man's eyes and the way his fingers twitched with a new kind of nervous energy. He knew something had changed during Arthur's trip to town, but he did not press for answers, trusting that his father would speak when the time was right.
For now, the Hemlocks were a family of rising power, their roots sinking deeper into the earth even as their branches reached toward a sky that no longer felt so far away.