Sherry-By-The-Bend.

Unfortunately for Clive, dealing with halfling politics and concerns over making it to Jeb's for Thanksgiving wasn't the only thing he was going to have to deal with in such a short amount of time as the halfling guards at the entrance to the colony spotted plumes of dirt rising from down the road.

"'Ey? Wha's tha'?" One of them asked and pointed towards the rolling cloud as it got closer.

"Think it's them ogres again?!" The other asked fearfully.

"Not sure I'm fixin' ta find out!" The first stated and ran off to warn someone and make it their problem instead, leaving his friend to stand at the entrance as the ground rumbled and the cloud of dirt got closer and closer.

It wasn't until whatever it was rounded a bend in the road that the halfling saw several green vehicles rumbling down the road towards their colony.

"Oh Hells wha' now?!"

The halfling grumbled as he hoisted his spear, hastily and shoddily repaired, out as threateningly as he could while he waited for his friend ran off. His grip was shaking as several of the green vehicles pulled over and parked either in front of the colony or along the road just a little further away.

Out of the lead vehicle came a man dressed in green army fatigues. He glanced around and then cast an eye down upon the shaking halfling.

"You uh, you the folks that're doin' some construction out here?"

The halfling nodded. The man grunted and gestured to the rest of the convoy while calling out.

"This is it!"

The halfling watched as the trucks began to disgorge their payloads onto the road and in front of the entrance. Dozens of people got out, most were dressed in the same green fatigues as the man was, but there were also a good chunk of people that were dressed in the clothing of the new arrivals from town.

Clive, Kilpa, and as many of the halfling militia that was able to mobilize quickly enough, appeared at the entrance, ready to do battle if they needed to. Clive cocked a brow at the National Guard unit that was now disembarking and begin to unload tools and pallets of building materials.

"Can I help you all?"

"No. But from our reports you might need ours. Corporal Vance Stevens, Army Corp of Engineers. We're here to lend a hand in whatever construction your doin'."

"Why?" Clive asked a little suspiciously.

"We have our hands full in town and are hopin' that by helpin' you folks out with your construction that'll free up resources to help us out."

"Scratch our back to scratch yours?" Clive asked.

"That's right."

Clive didn't like the idea of the National Guard being this close to Sloth. But construction was slow going. The halflings were getting more and more comfortable and familiar with their tools. But their sizes, and frequent usage of breaks, made their contribution, while thankful, rather minimal in putting a dent in the workload.

"Alright. Just keep clear of the woods. Wild boar are in the area."

"Ain't no trouble for us." The Corporal stated and gave a shrill whistle, waving at the assembled mix of grunts and what appeared to be hired labor.

The corps of engineers collected their tool boxes and packs full of other necessities while the hired labor from town got to work hauling pallets of lumber, spools of copper wire, buckets of nail, and loads of pipes.

"Who's in charge?"

"I am." Clive said.

"What all needs done?"

"Well, we have a hothouse for food, and a few homes built already."

"Sewage? Clean water?"

"We have some outhouses and a nearby river and lake."

"Really? There wasn't one on the map." The corporal stated.

"Yeah, it's a recent feature. Sprung up while... doing some excavating." Clive lied.

"Huh, that's handy. So just gotta set up a septic tank, some water filtration just to be on the safe side, electricity, and general housin'. That correct?" The corporal asked as he listed off everything the colony needed as of now.

"That's about right. Unless you have some fish in there somewhere to transplant into the lake and river as well."

"That we don't. But I'll put it in my report and we'll get somethin' goin' when the weather turns a little better." The Corporal stated and turned to the rest of the assembled people.

"Alright folks! You know the drill! Bear Necessities first! Septic, filtration, and housing! Go! Go! Go!" The corporal called out and the groups of people began to pick up their loads and make their way into the colony to begin assisting in getting the town itself up and running.

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Before they could begin however, one of the halflings spotted the hired help from town, and their pointed ears.

"'Ey! Wha're you doin' 'ere?!"

The elf in question raised a fine brow and looked around in confusion.

"I'm sorry?"

"Not yet yer not! Wha're yer kind doin' 'ere?!"

"We're... helping?" The elf said, unsure why the halfling was acting belligerently.

"I'll bet you are!" Another halfling declared as more and more of the halflings started to gather to see what the commotion was about, and adding their own glares and jeers at the small number of elves among the laborers.

"I'm sorry, is there goin' to be a problem here?" The corporal asked as he watched the seemingly one-sided animosity.

"It's... complicated, would it be alright if they helped elsewhere?" Clive asked tiredly.

"You need help and now you're bein' picky about WHO is helpin' you?" The corporal asked with a raised brow.

"Look, it's a long story. They can help, just not within the colony itself." Clive tried to explain.

The corporal huffed and sighed before looking at the very confused elves.

"Can you lot start clearing the land across the road? Will that be alright?"

"Sure. We don't have a problem with that." The elves stated as they gathered their tools and made their way over to the more wooded and rugged area across the way.

"Can we get started now or should me and my men leave as well?" Corporal Stevens asked.

"Yes, please." Clive said and gestured for them to continue.

Rolling his eyes and shaking his head, the corporal lead his men and the laborers, minus the elves, into the colony as they began discussing where to get started. Clive looked down at Kilpa as the other halflings freely left the humans to their devices while jeering and mocking the elves.

"Are all halflings this antagonistic towards elves?"

"Nope. Just ours." Kilpa said with a sigh.

"Lucky us." Clive muttered as he and Kilpa followed after Corporal Stevens and his men.

"Where do you want the septic tank located?" The corporal asked.

"Away from town would be best. We also have plans to make alot of the land north and west of us farmland."

The corporal marked a location on a map he had while he and Clive walked.

"Where do you have the hothouse?"

"Over here." Clive gestured to where the glass and steel building stood as it hummed steadily with the generators.

"How long will they last?" Corporal Stevens asked as he gestured to the generators.

"As long as we have enough fuel. Maybe a month, two if we start rationing it."

Corporal Stevens hummed as he and Clive went over the where's, what's, and why's of what all the halflings needed built while his men and the hired labor made their way over to the construction sites still underway and began to pitch in.

"So we'll scout out the woods and clear them of any boar and wildlife so we can clear it for housin'."

"No! That's not necessary!" Clive said quickly.

"May as well do it now. The extra lumber can help anyway."

"But there are boars there!"

"And we have M-16s. We'll be fine." The corporal explained.

"But-"

"Corporal." A cold voice rang out.

Clive and the corporal turned towards the voice and spotted the lab-coated form of Dr. Zhu marching towards them.

"Can I help you Ma'am?"

"I doubt it. It's Doctor, by the way. Dr. Allie Zhu."

"So what do you need doc? Blood samples?" Corporal Stevens asked with a chuckle.

"I need many things. But I doubt you would have anything I would want."

Some of the nearby grunts snickered while the corporal simply smiled at the cold doctor.

"So then what DO you need doc?"

"I need you and your men to not disturb a very delicate environmental system within the woods to the west of here."

"What? Is there some sort of special moss or fungus that can cure cancer there?"

"No. What is there is Top Secret." Dr. Zhu declared and produced a badge for the Corporal to inspect.

He took it and gave it a brief enough glance that Clive wasn't sure he even read or saw anything on it. The corporal simply sneered and spat.

"Fuckin' spooks. Have to make everythin' harder dontcha? Fine! We'll avoid whatever UFO horseshit you have out in the woods! Happy?!"

"Rarely. But this is acceptable, for now." She declared and the corporal marched away with some of his men in tow, leaving Clive and Kilpa alone with the doctor.

"Why did you help?" Clive asked as he turned towards her.

"I didn't. It's merely a part of my mission to see to it that those grunts don't stumble onto something they don't understand."

"Well, thanks anyway. I don't-"

"If you want to thank me. Convince the giant to come with us." Dr. Zhu interrupted.

"What?!" Clive said a little louder than he thought he did.

"The equipment I have here is insufficient to take proper samples and conduct research on the giant. But my personal lab back at headquarters is much better equipped. However, efforts to relocate the giant away has been stymied by the fact that it simply isn't bothered by our presence."

"You tried to kidnap him?!"

"No. We tried to relocate it to a place better suited for containing it and wouldn't result in the military coming across a literal giant." Dr. Zhu explained.

"Pretty sure tha's still kidnappin'." Kilpa hissed.

"Only to people that knows it exists."

"We know he exists." Clive said.

Dr. Zhu gave him and Kilpa a cold smile.

"That can be fixed."

Then the smile was gone from her face.

"Call it whatever you want. But there will come a day that someone that doesn't belong to us will stumble across the giant and will alert the military. What do you think will happen when they investigate?"

Clive glared at her as she turned on her heel and departed.

-----

"Wha's all tha' racket?" Hamish asked.

"Maybe we're under attack again?" One of the other halflings within the hothouse asked.

The halflings stood still and listened intently for any sounds that was unfamiliar to their little colony. Sounds of building, sounds of talking and bartering, sounds of the hothouse and the generators going. But no sounds of battle.

The halfling sighed in relief.

"Tha's good."

"Why're you so worried? 'Enry 'ere will protect us wontcha 'Enry?" One of the halflings declared with a chuckle and gestured to the shrubling.

"Will you lot quit tha'! It's morbid 'nd scares decent folk it does!" Hamish chided.

"Oh it's only a wee bit o' fun Hamish!" Another halfling said with a laugh.

"Tha's 'ow it always starts! Just a wee bit o' fun 'ere, a lark there, befer you know it tha whole place is worshipin' a damn hedge! Offerin' their newborns ta it like savages!" Hamish retorted.

"Ha! Who in their right mind would worship some veg! It's good fun is all Hamish!" One of the halflings said.

"I dinnae ken you lot. 'Eard some folks sayin' tha' it were 'Enry tha' protected 'em durin' tha attack it was." One of the more superstitious halflings stated.

"See?! Fun 'nd games is it?!" Hamish cried as he gestured to the halfling that gave Shrubry suspicious glances.

"I mean, tha plants in 'ere ARE growin' alot faster than usual." One of the halflings declared.

"Aye, 'nd these vines 'nd roots all come from 'is pot."

"Enough! We're halflin's! This talk o' livin' plants is nothin' but Fey Tales they is! Always 'as been!" Hamish stated heatedly.

"Now now Hamish! My Da told tales o' 'is crops comin' ta life!"

"Were he drunk as a skunk?!"

"Well... maybe."

"Excatly! Tha reason why tha crops in 'ere is doin' so well is 'cause o' tha Tall Folk! Simple as! If it weren'y fer Clive 'nd 'em we wouldn'y be growin' nothin'!"

"But Hamish-"

"No buts! I'll 'ear no more talk o' livin' plants when in tha hothouse! Understood?!" Hamish declared and turned back to his patch of ripe strawberries.

The other halflings mumbled and grumbled before turning back to their own sections of crops. Hamish just huffed as he tended to the fruits and veg. As if workin' part time to build Clive a proper home wasn't bad enough, now he has to deal with these dimwits claiming that the plants were alive, Hamish thought.

On top of that, Addie was getting frisky again. She tends to get more and more pushy when she does. Not always the good kind either. When's Clive's new home built? When're you gonna finish it so Clive and Stella can spend more time together? Rub my feet.

Hamish was exhausted! At least when he was working at the hothouse he could rest and relax among the smells and feels of crops growing and nice moist dirt. At least when the others weren't rambling about Henry the Living Shrub that is.

It didn't help that everywhere he turned to there were thick roots and vines that snaked along the walls and floors. They tried initially to keep them all contained at Henry's pot. But the damnable things just keep sprouting up! Even tried to get some goats and sheep to come in and eat up the vines. But the dumb beasts didn't want anything to do with the vines and shrubs and seemed more intent on eating all the ripe and swollen fruits and veg instead! So they tried to cut 'em. But they were damn hard and broke half their trimmers or were seemingly no longer there when they went to cut 'em.

Hamish grumbled as he swatted a swaying vine from out of his face.

"I swear 'Enry! Ifin you dinnae stop tha'! I'll get a torch!"

Hamish didn't expect anything to come from yelling at the stray vine. He certainly wasn't expecting said vine to retreat! He watched as it moved slowly away from Hamish and attached itself to the nearby wall. He also looked down and found some of the more clogging vines to have parted, leaving plenty of room to walk about more freely than before.

The other halflings looked between Hamish and Shrubry. Hamish stared wide-eyed for a long moment before clearing his throat.

"Well, thank you 'Enry. 'Preciate tha'."

He turned to the halflings.

"Well? Back ta work you lot!"

The halflings hurriedly returned to their plots while Hamish cast an eye on the shrubbed halfling in the center of the hothouse. It's exhaustion is all it is, Hamish thought as he returned to his own gardening with a manic desperation. Can't be giving in to this nonsense too! Bad enough the rest of them are making jokes, worse that some are seriously believing it! He has to be the only sane one left, Hamish thought as he worked faster and harder.