Gold Rings ⚜️ Bucky Barnes X Reader

10: Hunting Orders

--- JUNE 17th 2017 ---

After living in the village for a month, Bucky had started to get a lay of the land. The town was shaped like an upside-down T, with homes towards the points and service jobs closer to the center of town. To the northeast was the lake Hadiza had pointed out previously, and a river extended into some dense jungle to the east towards the farms where Songbird lived.

The east part of the T was home to all of the craftsmen: blacksmith, carpenter, and the leather worker. The baker and the cook nested themselves in the middle of town with the weaver, and their homes strayed to the west part of the T.

At the center of the T was a bunch of empty trade booths ready for the next festival goers to sell their wares. In the meantime, the currently empty booths were used by the weaver to hang dyed fabrics to dry.

Bucky and Hadiza lived to the north end of the village at the topmost point of the T. When he asked why there were several empty huts to the north, Hadiza explained that Wakanda had taken in several refugees from Sokovia. Hadiza and her family were stationed to help them adjust to their new lives. Now many of them had moved to the city, and Hadiza learned to like the quiet.

Speaking of Hadiza, he hadn't truly understood the amount of power her family held in the community. She was the matriarch to everyone in town, almost like local royalty. She guided the town with her children helping everyone else in town with their work as Hadiza's family had no trade to practice or farm to plow.

Bucky had also gotten to know all of Hadiza's kids, and there were quite a number. The oldest was Abner, a tall man of 24 years old with just enough muscle on him to not appear scrawny. He was a kind kid with a voice sweet as molasses and strengthened by his low tone and slow speech.

Hadiza then had two daughters, Bamidele and Chidinma, though they much preferred their nicknames of Bami and Chidi. Bami had freshly turned 18, and her mother was set on finding Bami a match the next festival season. As for Chidi, the 14-year-old was much more interested in her work as the weaver's right-hand woman than in finding a partner.

After the two girls were the "triplets", though they weren't actually born together. The three were born closely one after the other and resembled each other so similarly that they had earned the collective nickname. Following their family's naming convention, the 10-year-old eldest triplet was named Damu, with his 9- and 8-year-old younger sisters being Esi and Fatima.

Finally, there was the baby of the family. Hadiza at this time had grown old, and told her husband this was to be the last heir sired. The baby girl was named Zola and was often found wandering the village since she had just learned how to walk. When Hadiza wasn't walking with her cane, it was either because she was carrying Zola or because the triplets were playing keep-away with her staff again.

Oh, the joys of children.

Now that Bucky had gotten his lay of the land, he fell naturally into the cycle of the town. Though he appreciated the roof over his head and the proximity to town, Bucky really saw himself on a little farm like Songbird's raising his own crops and cattle. It would take time, but by this time next year, he was sure to make a settlement.

The festival was to be on the first of August. If Bucky could earn enough by then, he might just have enough to sell or trade for the materials needed for his own little home.

To get there, Bucky first needed to actually do some of those aforementioned favors. His first stop? The carpenter. If anyone was going to help Bucky build a house, it would be the wood worker!

Once dressed and fed, Bucky made his way to the carpenter's hut near the center of town. Outside stood Hadiza and her eldest son Abner, who was carrying a large load of bundled twigs.

"Ah, yes, bring those bundles around the back! We have much to do if we want to prepare for the festival. The weaver told me those sticks are too short to make proper baskets, so we're just going to need to find them a new purpose."

"Maybe roofing material?"

The carpenter turned to see Bucky saunter up to the trio, joining the conversation with a semi-forced smile.

"Ah, yes, Sargeant Barnes!"

"You can call me Bucky."

"What a good name! Now, I take it if you suggest roofing material, then you must be making a house of your own?"

"I plan to," Bucky beamed. "But all in due time. From my understanding, Songbird paid for your services by offering her own aid. I would like to do the same."

The carpenter smiled, brandishing his golden canine tooth proudly. "Of course! We could always use an extra hand. Isn't that right, Abner?"

They only got grunts in return.

Hadiza laughed heartily at the humor, glancing between her son, the carpenter, and Bucky. "Abner is such a strong boy, he's been working with the carpenter since he was ten years old!"

"Maaa!" The boy whined, a slight flush rising to his cheeks.

"Oh hush! A mother is allowed to be proud of her son!" Hadiza jokingly scolded before turning back to the conversation.

The carpenter held out his hand to Bucky. "How about this? I have grown old and while my hands are highly skilled, my legs are tired from age. If you can lend me your legs to hunt for meat for my family, I can lend my hands in building your home."

Bucky nodded, taking the carpenter's hand in his and shaking it firmly. "That sounds like a perfect deal. I'll have to you the best cut of meat I can find!"

With a mission in mind, Bucky bid Hadiza and the carpenter ado before turning towards the dense jungle that crowded the northeastern part of town.