Before she could really get to planting, Demi needed to make the other flint farming tools she had passed over in the beginning. She couldn’t break up the soil and aerate it without the proper tools.
It seemed that the tools that she made herself, even those made of flint and deadwood, were blessed tools, and much more powerful than even those that might be had from a master blacksmith. They would continue to grow along with Demi, becoming more powerful the more that she used them.
In fact, the hammer, axe, knife, and shovel had already begun to become subtly cuter. The colors of the tools were changing gradually, and in several places there seemed to be wooden flower buds.
It’ll be something when wooden flowers bloom, Demi thought wryly to herself. But I expect that is absolutely what’s going to happen eventually.
So she went to the flint outcropping and made the rest of her basic tools, apart from the watering can.
That, the dryads brought themselves and offered as a housewarming gift.
It was beautiful and gave the impression that it had been made from living leaves, but once handled, it felt like metal, perhaps copper gone a beautiful viridian from age and weather. It, like so many of the other tools she had used, seemed to have its own secrets. It could apparently hold much more water than it first appeared to hold, while at the same time being lightweight and easy to carry.
—which Demi was absolutely grateful for. She had helped with the gardening enough to know exactly how heavy a three-gallon watering can was when it was filled with water, especially for a young lady whose activities generally included reading and reading.
✦ ✦ ✦
After patiently checking through the huge number of crafting recipes that had been unlocked by her current crafting skill level, Demi found a recipe for raised beds.
So she obtained some dry wood from the dryads, and along with the already fertile earth near the blessed spring and some mulch she created from the rich loam in the forest, she constructed a raised bed for her onions and another where she planted the carrots and radishes.
But just when she was about to begin farming in earnest, she looked up at the sun, shielding her eyes with her hand. It was a bright, clear day, and the sunlight was warm on her exposed skin.
And that made her stop and think about something she had not yet considered.
Glimmer was contentedly sunning himself on the porch, so he was conveniently available for interrogation.
“Glimmer, who should I ask to get some sunblock?” she wondered, tapping her lower lip thoughtfully. “I thought maybe from the foxes, since they’re traders and have a lot of different goods, but since they’re all furry, maybe the sunblock they have wouldn’t be suited for me.”
Glimmer blinked at her sleepily. “What on earth are you talking about?” he asked. “Why would you want to block out the sun? That sounds absolutely nefarious.”
Demi rolled her eyes. “I don’t want to block out the sun, or I suppose I do, but not in the way you’re implying. I’m asking where I should get sunscreen.”
“You mean like a parasol?” he asked, titling his head to the side. “I suppose they can be charming accessories. That young fox lady, Eleonore, she has one, I believe. I’ve seen her strolling about with it when she goes off drawing plants in the woodlands. The foxes probably are the right choice.”
“Ah, no,” Demi said, shaking her head, her hands fluttering in the signal for “you’re out.” “Not like a parasol or even like a big hat, although those are very useful ways to protect yourself from the sun. What I’m talking about is a kind of lotion that you rub on your skin that protects it from the sun, from sunburns and skin cancer.”
At home, Demi never went out of doors without sunscreen on. It was just good sense, and one of the most important things a person could do to keep themselves healthy and looking their best. No matter what expensive creams and elixirs a person put on their face to keep their skin clean, clear, and soft, all of that was immediately undone if they didn’t also put on sunscreen.
That was a true fact of life that Demi was more than ready to hang her hat on.
It was possible that this world didn’t have sunscreen, at least not in a form she was accustomed to. It was a relatively modern invention, after all. Still, it didn’t hurt to check. She felt a little guilty for neglecting to consider that she needed sunscreen, even when she had been running around building the lean-to, crafting tools, or helping with the construction of the house: all activities that would have benefitted from sun protection. She didn’t even have a sun hat. As charming as her triangle katyusha was, it wasn’t doing anything about the UVA and UVB rays that were currently raining down on her.
I’ve had a lot on my mind lately, Demi comforted herself. At least I remembered it this time.
But Glimmer remained somewhat incredulous.
“You don’t need some kind of lotion to protect you from the sun. You’re a Harvest Goddess. You won’t get a sunburn no matter how long you stand out in the sun,” he pointed out, as if this information ought to be obvious.
Oh, well, that’s reassuring, Demi thought. And convenient. I’m glad to know that I’m not going to develop any surprise dark spots or sunburns. Still—
“How do ordinary, non-goddess people prevent sunburns and sun damage?” she asked curiously.
This was a farming world. Everyone was always outside doing gardening and farming work. The answer might be as simple as “cover up,” but in case it wasn’t, Demi wanted to know to satisfy her own curiosity.
“They ask for a blessing from the goddess Hollyhope,” Glimmer said frankly. “It’s something everyone does if they expect to be doing labor outside. It’s a novice level prayer so anyone can do it.”
“Oh,” Demi said, blinking, having received an answer she was not expecting.
That’s such a fantasy-world answer, she thought with amusement.
But then she stopped.
“Isn’t Hollyhope resting right now?” she asked. “Can she grant blessings and answer prayers even while she’s asleep?”
The chicken nodded.
“Any prayers that have been already registered into the system and given approval are answered automatically,” he explained. “If she had to answer all of those prayers and blessings individually, then I’m certain she wouldn’t have time to do anything else. So routine prayers and blessings are granted automatically. It’s only unique and nonstandard blessings that the goddess has to answer actively.”
“I see,” Demi said thoughtfully. Then she thought about things a little more.
“Hollyhope is exhausted right now, isn’t she?” she asked, leaning her cheek against her hand. “That’s why I was summoned. That’s why she’s sleeping, right?”
“Correct,” answered Glimmer, seeming uncertain of where her questions were heading.
“Well, even if a sun protection blessing doesn’t take much energy, if everyone is making them almost every day, that must add up,” she pointed out.
“Ahhh,” he said with a wise nod. “Yes. I’m sure that common blessings like this do constitute some burden on her. It’s not really an issue under normal circumstances. What would you suggest? That people stop asking for sun protection and simply deal with the consequences themselves?”
She waved him off.
“No, no,” she said, but then reconsidered. “Well, something like that. If people used a safe, mineral-based sunscreen instead of asking for a blessing, then it could take some strain off of Hollyhope and allow her to rest more easily,” she pointed out. “It’s about redistributing the cost of the blessings, not doing away with the protection.”
“Well, I can’t say that that’s a bad idea,” Glimmer said, considering things himself. “Still, I’ve never heard of this ‘sunscreen’ lotion you keep talking about.”
“It’s possible that it doesn’t exist in this world yet,” Demi agreed. “Since people can gain protection from sunburns and weathering with a simple blessing, I’m sure that no one’s spent the time to research it, or if they have discovered it accidentally, it’s been deemed to be pointless. I’m going to do some research and talk to other people about this. If this might be able to help Hollyhope, then I’d like to try.”
“Ahh, such a good girl,” Glimmer cackled, sincerely moved as he took a dramatic pose. “Surely, I have raised you very well.”
“Thank you for all of your incredible guidance,” Demi answered with a giggle.
Then, assured of her sun protection and with a new puzzle to ponder, Demi set to gardening.