Hikari woke up.
She found herself in a barn.
A pile of hay covered by two blankets staggered over each other formed her bed.
It was comfortable.
She was wearing a cotton shirt. It felt baggy.
She looked down and saw her cleavage exposed between the laces.
She stood up. Her hands touched her legs.
She had pants on. Baggy ones. Tight ones rip easily.
A repulsive stench tickled her nostrils.
"Whats that smell?"
There was a horse sharing the barn with her.
It stood up right with its head peering out of its stable.
Its mouth chewing on some hay.
"Right"
The barn door creaked open.
A man in a light brown shirt and black pants similar to hers walked in.
"Gerald"
"Wakey, wakey princess. We got work to do."
Hikari's barefoot touched the ground.
Her socks were hanging on the wall nearby.
They were dirty. They smelled like yesterday's socks. Or perhaps even the day before.
Her muddy brown leather boots leaning against the wall.
She slid her socks and boots on.
They were deliberately one size larger than her already huge size.
She pulled her boot laces together.
"Leave your sword at the sentry post later, we'll be doing farming today."
"Alright."
She left the barn.
The ground outside was sodden. There were still small patches of melting snow.
The sky above was overcast.
"The snow hasn't fully melted yet. But it's cleared enough to begin plowing."
They reached a rack. Gerald grabbed a plow.
Hikari grabbed one too. She held it up in one hand.
It was thin enough for her to snap with one hand.
"Oh, yours is over there."
There was a bigger plow laying on the ground. It was twice the size of the regular ones with twice as many teeth.
She picked it up and tested its weight. It was heavy enough to crush armour if she swung.
"I got the lads at the blacksmith to craft a bigger one cuz you keep breaking the small ones."
"Sorry."
"Don't sweat it. Just get to work now."
Hikari walked onto the fields.
She staggered as the ground below her was soft and uneven.
"Hey look. Her 'ladyship' is here!"
"Welcome. How do ya like the weather so far?"
"Shut up and get back to work!" Gerald barked at the men.
Hikari sank the plow into the ground.
She leaned back.
Her body weight dragged the plow through the wet soil.
The soil was tough enough in some places to hold even her.
"What's the hold up?"
"Soil's too sodden. We can't seem to even get our plow going."
"Hey! Hikari, come here." Gerald beckoned her.
"Coming."
The farmers cleared the area.
Hikari raised her plow.
The thick steel teeth sank deep into the ground.
She leaned back. The clay held her weight.
Gerald stabbed the ground in front of her with his plow.
Cracks emerged.
A huge mass of soil was tossed into the air.
"The soil's red. Bloody clay. Get the shovel. Fill this area up with normal soil."
The farmers patched up the crater Hikari made in the ground.
Hikari rested on her plow.
"Gerald, what are we planting?"
"Food of course. Not everyone can eat stewed orc like you. Nor can they just casually drive their sword through a bear."
"But the snow."
"Good point. We have a short window before the grounds are covered in snow again. We'll grow Alerian beans. They sprout in a month. We can manage at least two harvests before the snow falls."
"Beans?"
"I know, I know. You hate beans. You told me a million times. But hey, if you literally have nothing else to eat, they can last you through a blizzard. You can keep them past several harvest seasons. They are so durable that you can even use them as money."
Hikari nods.
Her ears twitched.
She hears a squeaking sound.
She turned her head and saw a family of rodents outside the fence.
Their brown fur coats camouflaged them against the ground.
Only when they sat upright in their hind legs were they visible against the white snow that has yet to melt.
Gerald looks in the direction she was facing.
"Crud. Those devils are here already. Get the crossbows!"
"What are those?"
"Rats. They'll clean out your bean field in no time. Though, they do make a decent roast if you manage to catch them. If you manage to catch them that is."
Gerald rested his plow on his shoulder and walked towards the armoury.
Hikari turned towards the rodents.
They were still there.
Biting and scratching away at the wooden fencing.
The thin sticks did not hold them for long.
They made their way into the field, sniffing and digging around.
Though they make a decent roast if you manage to catch them.
Hikari drew her dagger.
She held her breath.
Her focus sharpened.
A bean rodent stopped to brush its whiskers.
The dagger left her hand.
Stab. The dagger sank into the soil.
The rodents scattered.
"Haha! Nice try. I guess mentioning the word roast got you going."
"Sorry."
Gerald pats her on the back.
His crossbow resting on his shoulder.
"Don't worry about it. We don't have a cross bow small enough for you. Just focus on plowing. Leave the rodent hunting to me and the lads. We'll share the roast with you as always."
"Alright."