Mirroring the Endless Night | Elliott x Female Farmer |

6. Progress

"Now then, those two chicks are of the Golden Comet breed. They've reached their juvenile stage so technically they're no longer chicks, they're pullets. Give them about six weeks to get used to you and their new home and they'll be laying eggs before you know it," Marnie explained with a smile once Maria returned to the counter, "you have enough feed right? You know you can always buy more from me too."

"I'm fairly sure I've got enough. Also, remind me to buy a heater for the coop in the fall, I don't have the money for one now but I'll get it then," she requested, carefully grabbing the wooden box that housed the chicks.

Marnie nodded and the two women wished each other goodbyes and good days, and the farmer was soon walking down the familiar dirt path back up to her farm. The last weeks of Spring had arrived, but the sweltering heat of Summer had settled in early this year.

'Oh yea... I'm gonna need AC soon,' she thought as sweat began beading on her forehead.

Chirping caught her attention as she stepped through the threshold to enter the farmland. Looking down into the box, she was met with two pairs of beady eyes that studied her.

"Don't worry girls, you'll be in your new home soon. I'll have to introduce you to the cat, let's hope that he doesn't try to eat either of you," she explained, carefully stepping over jagged rocks and logs which she hadn't cleared from the land yet.

After a few brief moments she'd arrived at the fence which surrounded the old barn and new coop, creating an enclosure for all the animals she'd eventually own. The fence was made of wood, but she'd been sure to wrap chicken wire around the fence posts that rose to about her knees, ensuring that the young chickens wouldn't be able to make a run for it when she wasn't around to supervise them.

Balancing the box on her hip, she unlocked the fence gate and quickly stepped into the pasture, shutting the gate behind her and approaching the chicken coop. The building was by no means massive, roughly half the size of the glorified shed she called her home. It was made entirely of wood and stone collected on her farm, and within the coop itself was a low to the ground trough where she'd already placed some feed in, as well as a waterer which would fill itself with water as the pullets drank from it. A few high windows let the afternoon sunlight stream in.

"Alright girls, here we are," Maria said with a smile, kneeling down and gently grasping both chicks in either hand before carefully placing them on the coop's wooden floor, "your new home. What do you think?"

Cygnus, the bigger chick, took a few small steps before chirping loudly and running towards the food trough, flapping her little wings as she ran. Corvus seemed far shier and cautious of her surroundings, turning to look up at Maria with curious eyes.

The farmer smiled and sat down cross legged on the floor, carefully running her fingers down the pullet's head and back, "don't worry, girl. I know that moving somewhere new can be really scary, but I'm sure you'll like it here. When I have the money I can bring some new friends here for you, and I promise that I'll give you the best, comfiest bird lifestyle one can have."

A small, chittering noise suddenly drew her attention. She turned her head to see Orion standing in the coop's doorway, his head tilted as he looked at the two birds curiously. Maria knew that by the way his tail was hooked that his temperament wasn't aggressive but mostly friendly, but she shooed him out of the coop either way.

"Oh no you don't, these girls need to get used to their new home, out you go," she quickly said, hopping up onto her feet as she ushered the Burmese out of the building.

She quickly checked to make sure both chickens were comfortable before stumbling out of the coop and shutting the door behind her. A sigh passed her lips as she slipped her phone from her back pocket and checked the time: 1:33 in the afternoon.