Tor saw neither hide nor hair of her older brothers the rest of the day. She kept Eric close, either snugged between her breasts or on her shoulder. With the heat of the day and the exertion of from her work, Eric was usually on her shoulder uness she was dealing with a particularly stubborn horse. He held onto a small braid of hair she had pulled from the bun at the nape of her neck. He was a quick learning and was eager to pick up on what Tor meant when she said things like "barrel chested" and "heavy headed."

The princeling, his owner-friend and Mick spent the better part of the afternoon selecting geldings, yearlings and a few mares to be sold. Larson and two other ranch-hands took the horses to the sale pens. Idiot kept a watchful eye on the hands as they moved around the outside of the pens.

Tor was the one who entered his paddock to retrieve the mares. The big stallion was a bit agitated that she was removing some of his new mares, but had the sense not to fight her about it. In the evening, before supper, Tor spent a solid hour working Idiot from the ground. His manners in the saddle were getting better, but he still had a lack of respect for humans on the ground. She spent another half-hour grooming him, making him pick up his feet and allow her to work on them.

When she was finished, she patted his neck, fed him a treat before making sure the right mixture of grains and supplements were in his trough. Satisfied, she made her way back to her wagon. Mick was sitting on the steps that led into the living space, Eric was in the entry way. Both males were watching the fire and the food cooking over it. The human was the first to look up when Tor approached.

He smiled brightly and waved to her. "Tor! You're back. Mick has some delicious smelling food cooking."

Mick nodded absently. "It's the domesticated bison from the DeVose's brand. They had some really good steers this year. I put your favorite mix of spices on it. I've got ground bird eggs and stringed greens simmering in the skillet. The cornbread should just about be ready."

Tor sighed in relief as she crouched down next to the fire. "One thing you're good at is cooking. I missed your cooking while I was gone."

The younger twin smiled and rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "If you say so. I'm just glad you like it."

Tor rolled her eyes as she stood. "Move. I want to change and freshen up a bit before I eat." She walked up the steps after her brother stood and checked on the food. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Eric respectfully, and quickly, move out of the path of her feet. She reached out and pulled the door closed before walking further into the living wagon.

The wagon itself wasn't terribly long, perhaps ten feet. It was about twelve feet high by five feet wide. At the far end was a raised platform with a mattress on top. Deep blue curtains were tied off at the sides of the bed, revealing the rows of drawers beneath. Along one side was a sink set into a countertop that ended in a cast-iron, wood burning stove set a few feet away from the door. The stove was currently cold, mainly only used in the winter to warm the wagon and cook when it was too cold outside to do so.

Between the countertop and the bed was a short bench with cushions on the seat and lining the back. It matched the bench on the opposite wall. The other side of the wagon was split into two sections, just like the first. There was the cushioned bench that ended in a small countertop. Beyond that was a skinny wardrobe closet, closed with a thick, dark curtain. The last fixture was a high, rounded countertop, stacked with papers and thick, bound ledgers. A stool was shoved underneath, bound to the wall by a couple of ropes that could be easily undone.

Tor walked past this as she unbuttoned her shirt, peeling it off and dropping it on top of Eric. She smirked as he shouted in protest but otherwise ignored him. She pulled off her dirty trousers and dropped them before pumping just a bit of water into the sink. She dampened a cloth and quickly scrubbed herself down, focusing mainly on her face, arms and neck. Just that little bit made her feel a hundred times better. She would take a bath in one of the big, heated tubs in one of the bath houses tomorrow.

She pulled on a clean shirt, buttoned it up and tucked it into a clean pair of pants. Refreshed, she picked up her dirty shirt and smirked down at her frazzled human. "Oh? Were you under there? I am so sorry." She tossed the shirt onto the pants and scooped up her human.  "Come on. I'm betting supper's ready by now."

Supper was a quiet affair. Mick had little to say, giving only one or two word answers to any of Tor's questions. As usual, Tor made sure Eric got his portion after it was significantly cooled. The young man ate his fill and was delighted enough to get seconds. Mick had even made a fruit cobbler of some sort in the fire while they ate. It was the first time in a long time Eric had had sweets. Since his mother was alive, when he was just a small boy. His father's second and third wives were hard, horrible women. They had taste only for the finest of foods and none at all for sweets and desserts.

So the human chowed down until he felt so stuffed he couldn't possibly move, let alone take another bite. Tor shook her head with a little chuckle. She bid her brother goodnight and closed the door. She cracked open the windows and lit the small lantern hanging above her bed.

"Your pack is there on the floor inside the wardrobe," she told him. "Go change for bed." Once he was inside, she quickly changed into her own sleepwear. When Eric came back out, she plucked him up and placed him on the mattress before climbing up with him. She sprawled out on the bed and sighed in relief. "Oh it is amazing to be back home in your own bed."

The boy looked around, admiring the interior. It was simply furnished and had very few decorations. There was one daguerreotype of an older man who bore a resemblence to Jason. Both men had that darker skin tone with a prominent nose. The man in the image boasted a salt-and-pepper beard, weathered lines beneath his eyes and crows feet in the corners. It was obvious his life was not easy and spent in the sun. Eric guessed it was her father. Strangely, there were no images of her mother. Eric wondered what she looked like.
Next to her father's image hung several ribbons of varying colors, with blue being the most prominent. Eric couldn't read the wording on them. The characters were wholly unfamiliar to him. "What language is that?" he asked.

Tor grunted and glanced at the ribbons. She had almost been asleep when he spoke. "Kilaean. It's the original language of Elders, before some decided to speak the human tongue in hopes of communicating and fostering peace. They're prizes for my horses winning in the show ring. I don't do the fancy riding like my brothers. My horses win based on their confirmation, strength and temperment."

Eric grinned. "I don't see Idiot winning based on his temperment."

Tor rolled her eyes. "Oh ha ha. Give him time. I'll make him a good boy yet." She sat up and blew out the lantern overhead. She rolled onto her side and curled up beneath the sheets. "Go to sleep. Tomorrow comes far too quickly."

Tomorrow did come far too quickly, despite the comfortable mattress and cool evening breeze from the windows. Tor was up before sunrise, rolling from the bed, narrowly missing Eric. She crouched in front of the drawers and grabbed a new pair of trousers and shirt. She tossed her sleeping shirt over Eric, who didn't bother with a protest since the warmth of her shirt replaced the missing warmth of her body. He just sighed happily and curled into a comfortable ball.

Once she was dressed, she pulled on her boots, ran a comb through her hair and braided it before tossing it over her shoulder. Breakfast was cold cornbread from last night, barely heated beef and water. She glanced over at the bed and huffed. "Eric. Wake up. Unless you want to spend the day in here. By yourself."

Eric grunted and crawled from under the arm of the night shirt. "Fine. I'm up." He yawned and stretched before rubbing his eyes and looking to the floor far beneath him. "Um, a little help please?"

Tor realized she was going to have to make a few adjustments in her wagon. She pursed her lips and tried to think of a time window she could purchase human ropes for Eric to use in the wagon. None came to mind. She sighed. It would be a while before her home was perfectly suited to him. Not that it was such an imposition for her to lift him around a few places.

She reached over and plucked him up by the back of his shirt and set him on the ground not too far from the wardrobe. "You change. I'm going to feed. I'll come get you before we go to the sell-grounds."

The human nodded as he yawned again, the slightest of shivers running through him. To Tor, it was a cool morning in late spring. To him, it was chilly and deserving of a light jacket. He huffed and jogged to his stash of belongings. Tor closed and locked the door before heading to check on her herds. Larson was already there, feeding the horses but staying well clear of Idiot.

The big black stud was currently tolerating the man since he was outside the fence and wasn't anywhere near him or his prized mares. Still, he kept an eye on the Elder male. Tor nodded to the older man. "It's good to be back. Even if I have to tolerate my brothers."

Larson chuckled. "Just steer clear of them as much as you can, just like normal. Your buyers don't exactly overlap."

"No, but I have to keep my horses within sight of Jason at all times. I have no idea what my father was thinking when he drafted his will."

"Ah, maybe he was just trying to make you love each other."

Tor snorted. "That's not going to happen until the Creator comes down and declares peace among men."

This time, Larson laughed aloud. "Alright. You have me there." He patted a bay mare's neck before leaning against the panel boards. "What are your plans for today, Miss?"

"Start by feeding the horses. I need to geld the other stallion. That's going to be a lot of work. We'll need to get him down and tie up that back leg or else he'll kick the shit outta whoever is behind him." She rubbed the bridge of her nose. "But it has to be done. I'll not have him and his lines cheapened by overbreeding."

Larson nodded. "You have a good eye for the lines. Always did."

The ghost of a smile curled her lips. "Alright. Let's get them fed." When all the feeding was done, Tor made her way back to the wagon and Eric. "I've got work to do in the paddocks. I've got to geld that stallion. You shouldn't be anywhere around when it happens. It would be too easy for you to get caught by a wayward hoof or boot."

Eric flinched. "Alright. Will I be able to be with you at all today?"

She huffed and crouched to be closer to his level. "Perhaps. Work here at the fair is dangerous. I don't want you hurt."

He nodded, a bit glum. "If you say so."

Tor rolled her eyes. "Don't be such a baby. I'm not abandoning you. You're remaining in the wagon for your safety."

Eric felt his pride riled up at her slight. "I am not a baby! I am simply concerned about being left alone."

"I'm not coddling you. My main concern is that you stay safe while I work. Is that clear? I'm on the ground, helping to hold that stud down. I can't be looking over you the whole time. And if he throws his head back and hits me in the chest, you would be pulp. I'm not going to risk that. Now, if I get time this afternoon to go up to the fair itself and see my horses, I'll come get you." She gave him a severe look. "Until then, you are to stay in this wagon. You are safe in here. Do you understand?"

He frowned and looked at his feet, scuffing one toe in the dusty floor. "Okay," he mumbled. "I'll stay here."

Tor sighed and scooped up her human. She set him on the bed with a plate of cornbread and beef and a bowl of water. "This should tied you over until lunch. I'll definitely be back for that." She ruffled his hair with her finger. "Don't do something stupid and try to climb down. I don't need you getting all broken again."

Eric nodded mutely. Tor shook her head as she left, locking the door again behind her. There was work to do. And work wouldn't wait.