The tilled earth of the field was cool to Dane's touch as he ran his large calloused hands through it, letting it run through his fingers. He paused for a moment and breathed deeply, enjoying the warm, moist smell of the air contrasting with the still-cool soil below. He smiled.
With a satisfied grunt, he pulled himself to his feet. He thrust his hand into the burlap sack at his feet. Gripping hard, he pulled out a handful of the oats and let them patter softly to the wet earth. These oats would be the start of a year of hard work, but would yield more than enough grain to keep his farm running for the year. He moved through the row, scattering handful by handful onto the land. In almost no time, the first of the fields was sown.
Dane wiped the sweat from his brow, and lifted the remaining 3 bags of oats onto one shoulder. As he moved to the second field, he looked at the ground. It was unbroken, with the plow sitting to the side. The oxen was...missing. Dane brow furrowed for a moment, then relaxed as his face fell. The oxen had been slaughtered in the last goblin incursion. Dane gritted his teeth, the loyal beast's last low still echoing in his head. A flash of the scene rushed to his senses, the slick wetness of the dying beast punctuated with the flashes of burning red eyes. Dane shook his head, trying to leave the memory behind to address the problem. Well, the answer was simple, if not exhausting.
Dane would have to push the plow himself to till the field.
He steeled his resolve, and placed his strong hands on the stilt, aligning the moldboard with the land and placing the share into the ground. He braced his legs, feeling the corded muscles strain as he pushed the plow to no avail. Dane growled softly. This field was fallow; It would just take a bit more leverage to cut into the grasses and turn the soil. He adjusted his balance and reset his grip again, driving his boots into the earth. Dane strained, breathing heavily. The first turn was always the hardest. Just, needed to find the right angle. Snorting, he pushed again. The wet ground under his feet gave more way than the stubborn plow.
A warm, damp breeze started to come in from the west, carrying a thick, musky scent. Dane's nostrils flared as he breathed heavily from the exertion. Sweat ran down the stubble of his cheek and jaw. The aroma on the air was heady and almost sweet, blending perfectly with the soil of his farm. Distracted, Dane's hand slipped and he fell to his knees.
A whisper came from next to his face. "Harder than it should be. Right?"
Dane rolled away from the sound, bringing his heavy fists to bear as he made it to his feet. His eyes darted back and forth, looking for the source of the whisper and finding...nothing. The nape of Dane's neck bristled, the dirty blond hair almost standing on end. Dane's breath quickened as the sweet, musky odor assailed his senses again. A small hand caressed his left ear before tweaking the lobe playfully.
The soft voice came again, this time sultry and more feminine. "It's so...difficult to make progress without help.", the voice purred, almost a low moan.