Peaceful Beginnings (3)

"Mary." Ross said as he embraced her into his arms. "But how..." He said as she ruffle his hair and smiled at him. "Wake up." She said as he looked back at her with confusion. "But why now I.."

"Boy wake up time for work." Oalf said as he kicked the bed, startling Ross awake. He rubbed his tired eyes as he looked around and sighed. "Who's Mary? You kept mumbling that name."

"Someone from my past, But what work you mean." He said as he avoided further explanation.

"Old man Kieth said you'll be with me today, to pay for that meal ya had last night." Oalf said as he chuckled. "Quite the entrance too, looked half dead might I add." He turned and waved a hand. "Better hurry, got a whole days worth of work."

Stretching his stiff muscles as he rose off the bed, he followed Oalf. "What is it you do around here anyway?" He asked as he climbed the stairs.

"This and that, General chores around that the old man doesn't have time for." He said as he led Ross through a different door than where he entered the night prior. This door led to the back of the inn where a small shed stood with a garden around it. "Ever handled an axe before?" He asked as he picked one that was leaning beside the door where they walked through. "Need fire wood for cooking, then we will go hunting." He held the axe to Ross.

Ross took the axe and looked where a pile of unkempt logs were. "So I'm splitting logs?" He asked as he thought back to his previous life. He never had to use such means to cook, nor has he ever used an axe. 'I had it much better back then, more so I would say my poor lifestyle was much better than this.' Sighing he walked over to the pile and pick a decent sized log. It was roughly cut and when he stood it up it was at an angle. 'Now I'm sure I saw this on TV once. How did it go again.' He held the axe in from of him with two hands hand held is parallel to the top. 'Line it up, then chop.' He thought as he raised the axe and brought it down with force.

Oalf kept an eye on Ross as he tended to the garden. He watched as he went to chop the log. As the axe came down, the axe head diverted itself as it hit the top of the log, chipping off the bark and some of the center. The power he exerted caused the man's wrists to twist, and the force the came back made the axe go flying sideways as he lost his grip. Ross yelped in pain as Oalf rubbed his temples as took a deep breath. "Boy, Should've told me you didn't know how to chop wood." He walked over and pick up the axe. "You gotta put your whole body into it, not your arms. That way you don't hurt yourself and loose your grip." He stated as he demonstrated it to him.

Ross watched as Oalf swiftly and fluidly split the log. He stood in stupor as the halves went flying with great force. Nodding as he was handed the axe, he positioned himself like Oalf did. 'I think I got this now.' He thought as he mimicked the movement, not perfectly but good enough to cause the log to split. It didn't have the same effect but it made him feel great, powerful even. Like the time he had to punch a guy at a bar he had gone to. He had quite the adrenaline rush like that day.

Chucking, Oalf broke Ross' thought process." Wipe that stupid grin off your face and hurry, at this rate we won't have time to hunt." He shook his head as he continued tending the garden.

Ross continued splitting logs as the morning slowly dragged on. He felt quite satisfied with the work he had been putting in, but one thing was on his mind. 'Mary.. I will come back to you.'