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The Apple Tree
The Traveler’ Tome recorded the gathering of the apple tree from a place called Carroll County in the cloud shrouded beautiful blue world. Translocation had carried Rhiann Klarje to the lands of the third planet from an unremarkable little sun. The little planet sat in the sun’s Goldilocks’s zone. Nature expressed many climacteric variations. NET enjoyed the blue-greenness of the mountains in the eastern part of a land inhabited by diverse bipedal folk. Locals referred to the mountains as the Blue Ridge. Names of passages through the mountains intrigued the sorcerer. He particularly liked Fancy Gap, Orchard Gap, Wards Gap, and Low Gap. NET investigated a mountain called Sugarloaf. He anticipated finding a Jellybean Bush in a place so named, but he found only green trees and foliage. Rhiann Klarje explored widely in the area. Enterprising gentlemen named Ralph and Arthur had established an orchard in thermal belts and grew luscious fruits called apples. The traveler found numerous varieties of the delicious fruit. Ralph’s son Sam and Arthur’s son Garnet had nurtured the growth and the orchard flourished. NET returned to the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Garnet brushed back another bead of sweat from his brow. Half a century of trudging up and down the hillsides of the thriving Virginia orchard had not dulled his vision. Garnet had followed and widened his father’s footsteps. The gentle Virginian still outworked younger men. Today he carried a ladder thrice his height on his shoulder and walked alone toward another tree to thin apples. His efforts maintained the apple trees’ health. The small deciduous apple tree was a species of the rose family that reached 10 to 39 feet tall and had broad densely twiggy crowns. The leaves were alternately arranged simple ovals with an acute tip, serrated margin, and slightly downy underside. Blossoms appeared simultaneously with the budding of the leaves. The flowers were white with a pink tinged color that gradually faded, with five petals, one to one and a half inches in diameter. The fruit matured in autumn and was typically 2 to 5 inches in diameter. The center of the fruit contained five carpels arranged in a five-point star, each carpel containing one to three seeds. Garnet knew every tree in the orchard.
Rhiann enjoyed his visits to the simple blue world. This orchard became one of his favorite places. He enjoyed the industrious people going about their tasks. If only he could carry the Virginians’ work ethic to the sorcerers of Thynna! The sorcerer remained inconspicuous during his visits. The blue world was Nature’s domain. Rhiann saw Magick in Nature and marveled at the simple farmer’s skill in tending his grove. Garnet’s skills rivaled the most veteran tree herders on Sagain, and he performed the tasks without the benefit of Magick. The orchardist placed his ladder against a bearing tree. The small canine that followed Garnet threw his ears back and looked directly toward Rhiann. The sorcerer was discovered. Garnet descended the ladder and looked toward the young visitor.
The dog barked but obediently stopped when Garnet patted his head.
“Hullo,” Garnet said cheerfully.
“Hello!” Rhiann managed.
Garnet continued, “I’m Garnet. Are you looking for the pack house?”
Rhiann answered, “No…no, I’d like to talk to you. My name is…NET. I’ve watched you tending the trees. I admire your great dedication. It looks like hard work. Are you a Tree Shepherd?”
The orchardist replied, “I’m not a shepherd. We don’t have any sheep. Some of the neighbors still have cows. I had to give mine up. Too much work to do in the orchard! NET? You’ve an odd name. Can’t say I’ve heard such. I just work the land. I enjoy the orchard. Hard work doesn’t hurt a man! I’d rather work here for two full days than take a trip to Boone.”
Rhiann said, “So…you don’t like to travel.”
Garnet replied, “Can’t say I do. Have you traveled far?”
Rhiann continued, “Yes…I’m not from these parts. What are local people commonly named?”
Garnet lifted back his worn cap a bit and again wiped his brow and followed, “That’s a might peculiar question young fellow. Have heard folks named Archer, Fisher, Hunter, and Bowman. But not ‘Net’.”
Rhiann felt a bit uncomfortable and continued, “NET is my, what do you say, cognomen? My mother named me Rhiann. You have a fine beast. What’s his name?”
Garnet quizzically asked, “Cognomen? Beast? You talk a might funny, young fellow.”
Rhiann searched for words. His Comprehend Languages Spell was a bit weak on vernacular. After a few awkward moments he managed, “Nickname! NET is my nickname! It’s what my friends call me. The beast… the four-legged creature beside you. I can’t understand his tongue.”
Garnet chuckled, “That’s funny. His name is Drum. He’s a pretty good dog. If a man wanted to go hunting, Drum’s always done a good job, but he doesn’t speak much.”
Garnet laughed.
NET, hoping to build rapport with the seemingly gentile man, replied, “Is the hunting good around here?”
Garnet sighed and answered, “Pretty good. It’s been a little dry. I saw a few rabbits.”
NET continued, “Do you have cheethras, invisibears, and mountain airy bears, rocs?”
Garnet answered, “Uh, no. Might see a bear. Doubt there’d be one in town, uh, in Mount Airy. Foxes, coons, deer, and docks are more common.”
The orchardist stared quizzically at the sorcerer.
Rhiann studied the trees. “Garnet, some of the trees have differing leaves. Is that Magick?”
Now Garnet really laughed, “You aren’t from around here are you? Must be a city fellow! That’s grafting. We grow several kinds of fruit in these orchards.”
Rhiann Klarje rubbed the cherry red birthmark on his chin and asked, “Garnet. I was wondering…might I have one of these trees?”
Garnet chuckled briefly and then answered, “I suppose a man could use a backhoe to dig one up.”
NET continued, “I’m serious.”
Garnet scratched his head and said, “You must have a truck nearby to haul it. Sam won’t mind. I’ll call Joe. He’ll bring the backhoe.”
The traveler said, “I…I won’t need a backhoe…or any other digging implements… only your permission.”
The comment perplexed the kind orchardist. Garnet answered, “I suppose… I don’t see how…”
Rhiann Klarje said, “Thank you. I’ll leave the ground undisturbed.”
The robed gangly young man scurried around the base of the apple tree with a little shovel, scooped up morsels of dirt, placed the soil in a tiny bucket, and uttered what sounded like a child’s limerick.
Garnet advised, “You’ll never move any dirt with those little tools. The roots go deep.”
The sorcerer completed the Dig Spell. Blue light flashed through the orchard. Garnet and Drum were alone. The young man and apple tree had disappeared. Green grass grew over the site where the missing tree had stood. Garnet scratched his head, looked at Drum, and said, “Nobody’s going to believe us, Drum. We may as well finish the thinning.”
benjamintowe 