Chapter 5

The foresters had not been able to locate the boar, although it had torn up other farms as well as returning to the first one. Silas went to look at the damage, much of which was covered by the footprints of everyone involved. Fortunately, he did find a few prints which told him that this was a large animal and quite heavy based on how deep the footprints were. It would be a remarkable boar indeed, based on the weights. It ate like it was starved. Silas went and sat off a little ways and tried to think, It was one of the farms horses that finally gave him an answer, for she was ready to foal and sank deeper than the other animals in the soft ground. A sow, close to giving birth would be both heavy and hungry. I went back over to the farmer and the forester, who were pointing and talking about where it could be. “It is not likely a boar, the weight is too much and no boar I have ever seen eats like this. I think it is a sow and she is nigh due.” Both of them looked at him for a good minute before the forester nodded “Good thought Silas, Indeed that makes sense. And she will be looking for a place to give birth and protect her piglets, a different sort of place than we have been searching.” Silas nodded “And she will be much more vicious than any boar as well.” They both nodded after a moment. “Thanks for giving us that thought, I think you have answered much of the mystery. We may be able to lure her into a trap and keep her as a breeder.” Silas nodded, “Likely not going to be a friendly pig, but the piglets will do much to recover the costs of the lost crops.” He excused himself and returned to his cabin, as he still had much to do.

They did indeed trap the sow, but it was impossible to move or touch. They fed her and let her give birth, then kept her until the eight piglets were eating on their own. They then planned to dispatch the sow and cook her. Silas suggested she be given some ale with her last meal, so that she might be less angry and difficult. They took up small collection and gave her a gallon of ale, she was quite mellow and they killed her in her sleep. The piglets were mostly traded off for other pigs and the farmers who had lost crops soon had a small pig breeding business.

It was some weeks later during a meeting with the countess about crop harvesting and storage, that Silas noted she seemed different, he paid attention and decided that she might indeed be pregnant. At the end, Silas waited for the older men to leave, and he felt the touch, her smile said much “I think you have succeeded where others have failed, she rubbed her stomach which did seem slightly more rounded. Silas smiled “Perhaps some tea to settle your morning stomach and ease the discomforts.” “I would be most appreciative, as I already am” she replied.