Adventure of Crow 1

The sun lays hard across the fields, turning the stalks pale gold and the air thin with dust. Crow works by sound, his spear resting nearby, his scythe whispering through the rows as he keeps pace with the harvest.

Beside him, Carrot labors too slowly, his breath rough and uneven. Each cut he makes lands a little late, a little short, like his arms have gone heavy with the heat.

Then, from the barn, a sharp metallic crack snaps through the yard. A wagon wheel breaks apart with a sudden clatter, and the sound of shifting wood follows close behind.

A brief silence hangs over the field, broken only by the hiss of insects and Carrot’s strained breathing. If the cart fails here, the cut grain may sit baking in the heat.

Crow turns from the rows and heads for the barnyard, guided by the creak of settling wood and the rasp of loose grain underfoot.

Carrot backs toward the barn wall where the shade falls thin and cool, lowering himself with a weary grunt. The wagon waits beside him, one wheel broken open in jagged spokes.

The axle sounds splintered where the wheel gave way.

Crow kneels by the hub and runs his fingers over the damage. A spoke has snapped clean, and the rim has shifted enough to pinch the joint.

He works with steady hands, and the loosened wheel gives a harsh scrape as he tests it. The cart answers with a shudder, but the broken pieces still need binding before it can bear a full load.

Carrot pushes himself upright from the barn wall and crosses into the light with a slow, stubborn effort. He braces one palm against the loosened rim, just where the wood wants to wander.

Crow threads rough rope through the broken spokes, and the wheel answers with a smaller, steadier creak. Carrot leans harder, listening to the strain, then shifts his grip to match Crow's pull.

The rim settles square against the hub. The wagon stays still under their hands, ready for the next turn of work.