Natti Lancaster's Arc

Chapter 3 of 5

Natti walked through Fort Orynth's main square, notebook tucked under her arm. Her school had walls and a library now, but she needed instructors who actually knew their stuff. Real experts. She stopped at the bulletin board outside the general store and pinned up a notice: "Agricultural Instructors Wanted—Lancaster Farm Education Center." Her paw smoothed the paper flat. Fort Orynth had traders, builders, and travelers passing through every week. Someone here would know about crops or livestock management. Someone could teach what she couldn't. The trading post three blocks down might have leads too. She headed that direction, her boots kicking up dust with each step. The trading post owner shook his head when she asked about instructors. No luck there. Natti adjusted her glasses and kept walking. Two more shops gave her the same answer. Her tail drooped slightly, but she didn't stop. At the edge of the square, she spotted a small diner with light green and tan walls and yellow trim. The sign read "Auntie Cleo's Breakfast & Lunch Diner." Through the window, she saw farmers gathered at tables, talking over coffee. Perfect. These were exactly the people who'd know the local talent. She pushed through the door and the smell of fresh bread hit her nose. Natti approached a table where three older farmers sat. She explained what she needed—experienced people who could teach crop rotation, animal husbandry, proper irrigation. One farmer mentioned a woman two towns over who'd studied soil science. Another knew a livestock handler who'd worked on big operations. Natti wrote everything down, her handwriting getting messier as she tried to keep up. By the time she left the diner, her notebook had seven solid leads. Her chest felt lighter. Fort Orynth wasn't just a place to post notices. It was a place where information moved between people who actually did the work. Walking back toward the farm, she passed a monument she'd never really looked at before. A cow statue stood on a green granite base, names carved into the stone beneath it. She stopped and read a few. These were teachers and farmers who'd shared what they knew with others. The Ellsie Mentor Award, the plaque said. Natti's whiskers twitched. Someday, maybe her instructors would be remembered like this. Maybe students from her school would teach others, and the cycle would keep going. She touched the base of the statue once, then headed home. Tomorrow she'd start contacting every name in her notebook. Today, she'd learned that Fort Orynth held more than supplies and traders. It held the connections she needed to make her school real.