Oliver strolled into the clearing, inspecting the area like he owned it. Which, David guessed, he did.
Still it smarted as the old man stepped over David’s backpack, peered into his tent and tutted. There was ownership of the land and there were boundaries.
“You needed help with something Oliver?”
Oliver grunted an affirmative and bent over to shift David’s bag and pick up his berry crate. He held it out towards David.
“Follow me.”
As soon as David snatched the crate out of Oliver's hands the old man was off, striding further into the grove. Pidgey let out a low questioning squawk as David set the Tackle stick down. David could only shrug and nod after Oliver. They followed him into the trees.
Oliver may have been an old man but Pidgey was hopping at full speed to keep up as he powered through the woods. If anything Oliver was faster here than he had been on the paths through the farm. His mustache twitched as the farmer turned his head back and forth, scanning the woods. It wasn’t long before he spotted what he was searching for.
“You can’t touch these too much,” Oliver began as he inspected the berry bush. “Too many changes disrupt their synthesis and that can kill them.” He paused his lecture to reach out and pinch off a random branch.
“But if you know what you’re doing you can get a few extra berries out of the bush before it dies off.” Oliver gave David a sidelong glance. “You don’t. Don’t touch the bushes.”
“Sure,” David replied easily, holding out the crate to take the leafy berry as Oliver narrowed his eyes. He had no interest in gardening
The berry was covered in overlapping leafy strands, like a piñata. It didn’t look very appetizing. Even Pidgey was hanging back.
Oliver didn’t take another berry from the bush, but he did sniff at a few of the growing ones. With a small noise to David and Pidgey he led them back into the woods.
“Why these berries in particular?” David asked as they finally stopped by another bush. “Is it the color?”
The trip through the woods was starting to drag on. Oliver had ignored over ten different bushes along the way, waving David away when he pointed them out. They'd only stopped at three bushes in the hour or so of walking. The only thing the berries had in common was their green color. And that was a weak link given the second kind was more yellow streaks than green.
“No reason.” Oliver denied without bothering to put much effort into the blatant lie. He started to pick berries off the very full bush with both hands.
David picked up one of the berries to study it closer. The berry looked like peas that had outgrown their pod. They shrugged off that protective skin and grew larger outside the confines.
Oliver picked 6 or 7 from the bush before he stopped, nodded to himself and turned back into the woods from where they came.
David sighed and followed him.
-.-
Back at the farmhouse, Oliver took the crate out of David’s hands, instructed him to wait on the patio and disappeared into the house.
Pidgey was back in her ball, David having returned her when they left the grove. With nothing else to do, he sat and twiddled his thumbs as he waited. Thankfully he didn’t have to wait long. Oliver returned with a single pokeball on his belt, the crate and a hamper of sorts that carried the berries now. He passed the crate and hamper over to David.
“You can leave the crate here. We won’t be gone long.”
“Alright.” He said, starting to suspect that this wasn’t the kind of work that Jacob had in mind when he mentioned the possibility yesterday. He didn’t mind it too much though. It didn’t seem like anything that Oliver couldn’t have done himself, but it wasn’t hard work. It was fine if Oliver wanted to reassert himself or push the boundaries like this. This was far from an unpleasant task and David was sure Oliver had plenty of those on a farm.
Oliver strode off the patio towards the road, but David paused and scanned the area.
“Is Michael not here today?”
Was it fine to leave a kid on the farm by himself? Michael seemed to be allowed to run through the orchards by himself, but that was when Oliver was in the area. Leaving him here alone was another story.
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Oliver’s shoulders fell in the largest show of emotions David had seen from the man all day.
“No, not today. Maybe not tomorrow either. His parents will want to spend some more time with him if they’re going away soon.”
After saying that Oliver straightened up and set off down the road without waiting for David.
Oliver led David diagonally through the city. He seemed to take turns as soon as they were available instead of what would be the quickest route. David lost track of where he was quickly, but he knew they were heading south-east. They left the apartment blocks behind and arrived back in the third ring of the city or the orchard ring.
Oliver stopped outside one of these orchards. A sign buried behind creeping ivy had 'Trailing Reach' engraved into it. Oliver eyed David and seemed to be regretting his earlier decision of asking him to come.
“Be polite. Don’t speak first and let him do the talking you hear?”
David raised an eyebrow but gave a short nod to signal his agreement.
Oliver grimaced but didn’t say anything more before continuing down the farm path.
“Why’re you here?” A scratchy voice called out as they neared the farmhouse’s patio.
“Hello Lael. How are you? It’s good to see you,” Oliver responded as he straightened up.
A head poked out over a railing surrounded by shrubs with trumpet shaped flowers. The man was wizened and looked older than Oliver, but it was hard to tell. A cap with a wide visor shrouded his face.
“Cut the crap Olly. What are you doing here?”
David looked at Oliver. This was who he was supposed to be polite to?
Oliver ignored the look and grabbed the hamper out of David’s hands. He stepped forward onto the patio. “I need an excuse to visit an old friend?”
David followed him up but hung back as Oliver pulled a seat out from the large table and sat down.
Lael snorted and sank back into his chair. Up closer his scratchy voice was even more grating. “Don’t think I don’t know why you’re here. I’m sure Jacob ran straight back to you after the meeting.”
“I was just here to drop off some of my latest harvest. A gift for you and Denna.” Oliver feigned hurt for a short second before leaning forward. “But since you mentioned it, I did hear about the vote. I was surprised you’d changed your mind on such a-” Oliver paused to add emphasis. “-radical issue”
“Bah!” Lael puckered his lips and crossed his arms. “What does it matter to you? You’ve never had any issues with ‘radical’ votes before!”
“I hope you aren’t putting what I’m thinking of on the same level as breaking our impartiality.” Oliver replied calmly with a hint of rebuke.
Lael seemed to shrink further into the chair even as he grunted. He turned away from Oliver, gaze lingering on the hamper before stopping on David. The old man needed to tilt his head back to see him from under the cap that left his face in shadow. Lael’s eyes were already squinted before he narrowed them at David.
“And who’s this? Should I be giving you the same lecture?”
“He’s a friend of the family. From Saffron,” Oliver answered stiffly.
David nodded a greeting but didn’t introduce himself as Oliver had asked.
“Ah.” Lael said with a shake of his head.
“Ah.” Oliver replied.
The two elderly men shared a commiserating sigh before settling into silence.
“What are you thinking, Lael?” Oliver asked, breaking the peace. “You know better than this.”
Lael sighed deeper this time and looked out at his orchard. “Of course I do. My brain hasn’t grown addled like yours.”
“So?” Oliver asked, agitated. He placed his right hand on the table and spread his fingers out as if to steady himself.
David watched the gesture carefully. He’d seen it often enough now to know it was an expression of some kind, but he didn’t know of what.
“If it’s what the people want, who am I to get in their way? Isn’t that what you keep saying to me?”
“Don’t pretend this is the same thing!” Oliver thundered.
Lael sighed again. “What’s the point fighting it now if it’ll happen eventually. Better to let it through now when I can help deal with the fallout.”
Oliver stiffened. “Caleb? Is he not listening to you?”
Lael slapped the table quickly and withdrew his hand back under the table in a blink. “Of course he does. He’s my son. But...” Lael scrunched in a bit more. “His head’s in the cards. He’s certain he’s on the right path and lets all they say fill his mind.”
Oliver’s arm trembled, and the table creaked.
“If they’ve overstepped their bounds...” Oliver warned.
Lael shook his head. “Of course they haven’t. I’m sure it’s just a favor here and there. Nothing obvious or traceable and nothing outside the constraints.” Lael pushed out of his seat to pull the hamper towards himself. “Denna and I will do our best, but you can’t expect much help from our corner in the council you hear?”
Oliver relaxed his hand and his shoulders fell. “And you wouldn’t consider another of-”
Lael slapped the table again. “He’s my son Oliver. And he’s not the only one leaning this way. You may think I don’t pay attention to the city, but I do. Things have changed.”
Oliver stood. “Thanks for your hospitality then. I had best be off.”
Lael waved him away. “Come back when you know Denna will be about. I’ll get an earful that she missed you.”
Oliver nodded and turning, gestured for David to lead the way.
Lael wasted no time in pulling the wrapper off the hamper as they stepped off the patio. The crackle of the paper was only drowned out by his scratchy shout. “Durin, Aguav and Strip berries! Oliver you Grimer!”
“Oh?” Oliver called back, not pausing his steps. “I thought Denna liked bitter berries?”
“And I hate them!” Lael screeched. “Oliver!”
David eyed the elderly man beside him. He wasn’t grinning or anything but his mustache was twitching like he wanted to.
“Oliver!”
No reason my ass.
Oliver led the way back absentmindedly, taking a straight path now instead of their winding earlier route. He stopped only to spit on the ground whenever he saw a group of locals sitting around gambling. Which was often in the south side of the city.