Chapter 184: A Piggyback Ride

Arno finished constructing the piano on the stage a couple of weeks before the harvest began because the parts arrived earlier than expected. The roof for the amphitheater was still under construction—the Warriors decided to use building that as part of the training regimen—so for now it was covered with a canvas tarp to protect it from the elements when not in use.

Katie didn't remember anything from her piano lessons but where the notes were and three basic songs: Chopsticks, From a Wigwam, and the top half of Heart and Soul. She tested the first two and had to get Abby to do the chords for the third.

Play practice had been suspended while the area was under construction so the only people who heard any of the piano music were the Warriors and whatever Kanta men were on shift. Everyone was curious but Carrick ordered them to get back to work and apologized to Katie.

"It's fine," she reassured him. "We were only testing it out. We have plans to use this in the post-harvest celebration. Since you have already volunteered your men to help us with it you are all welcome to join us."

"Thank you for your generosity, Madam Clan Leader," Carrick said respectfully before returning to work.

Abby remembered about a dozen songs she could play without sheet music even though she was a little rusty on the chords. Half were fairly upbeat covers of pop songs and the other half were more classical in nature.

Katie was satisfied by what she remembered. "We can definitely get a decent dance party started out of this. But what about you? You won't be able to dance if you're stuck at the piano all night."

She shrugged. There was only one person she cared about dancing with and was fairly certain he had never danced in his life. Blaise already told her that music was something primarily reserved for the royal family in Shibatsu because instruments were expensive.

"I'll be fine. It's not like you can take over for me."

Unbeknownst to her, Katie went off in search of Ayana to ask her to play a traditional song or two on the fiddle at the celebration so Abby could have the opportunity to dance. She had the feeling Blaise would want to finally make a move that night and had to leave it open for him.

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The harvest lasted for roughly two weeks and everyone was exhausted by the time it was over. They rotated in shifts so at least a little work for their export business could be done. The merchants liked doing one or two big trips before the snow hit and they needed to have everything done in time.

Most people spent half the day in the fields and the other half making things in their various businesses to be sold. Abby was doubly tired because she had to carve out time each day to practice the piano so she wouldn't embarrass herself in front of everyone.

Blaise found her passed out on the piano bench one day with her face squished against the keys. "Miss Abby, I would recommend finding a softer place to nap."

She rubbed at her face tiredly. "Thanks. I would have had a horrible crick in my neck if I stayed there much longer. What time is it?"

"About half past six. Katie sent me to fetch you when you did not come home for dinner."

Abby groaned. How embarrassing. At least she wasn't the only one falling asleep in weird places. Al was found taking a power nap under a bush the other day in the middle of harvesting after staying up too late helping someone's goat give birth.

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Not only did they have to pick all the vegetables they grew specifically, they had to pick all the fruit from the trees and bushes that grew around the mountains so it wouldn't go to waste. Berries and plums typically needed to be picked in spring or summer but could last through October and apples couldn't be harvested until the fall anyway.

Drying out fruits or turning them into jams was a big deal out here since they had such a long shelf life. Once the harvest was over, the Kanta women would spend the next several weeks making jam to last them to through the upcoming year.

"Are you getting adequate rest, Miss Abby?" Blaise asked in concern.

She realized she had been spacing out and smiled apologetically. "Not really. I just need to wait until the first big snowstorm; then I'll be able to get away with sleeping for days as long as my niece and nephew aren't too loud."

"Isn't that still about a month away?"

"…yes."

It was entirely possible she would work herself to death before then but that was how life worked here. She had gotten used to it.

"I see. Please let me know if there is anything I can do to ease your burden," Blaise said seriously.

It had taken spending more time with him for Abby to realize that he actually cared a lot more than he let on. You simply had to know what signs to look for. He was a very considerate person even if he didn't show it in the ways she had been used to back home.

"If you really want to help me out you could always give me a piggyback ride back to the house," she joked.

Blaise had seen Adam receive enough piggyback rides to know what they were. He took her words seriously and crouched down, indicating for her to get on his back. She hastily backtracked. "I wasn't serious! You really don't have to do that."

He shook his head. "No, you are tired. It is my honor to assist you. Get on."

Abby couldn't argue with him so she meekly got onto his back, feeling like an overgrown six-year-old. When was the last time someone had carried her like this anyway? When her dad was alive?

"Thank you," she said lamely, doing her best to hide her face and avoid the stares of everyone they passed.

Blaise didn't seem to think there was anything weird about this at all. He continued chatting with her about the harvest and how training was going as if she wasn't currently riding on his back all the way back to the house.

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