A quote: “Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, “Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.”’” ~~ Matthew 13:30

I’ll start with a story …

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“It’s pretty late in the year for an Archivist, son. Harvest was two months ago.”

I had ridden up to the farm openly with coat open so my vest of Archivist tartan was visible, my saddle bags marked by the Archivist seal.

The man was calm, but suspicious. Behind him ranged a few young men. Armed. I cleared my throat.

“Matthew 13:30, sir. We now gather more than seeds. May I dismount?”

His suspicion turned to curiosity, “You may, sir. You are welcome at my table. I am Richard.”

Formalities observed, especially in the outer Territories, was a good sign. I started breathing again.

The table was rough-hewn, the room cozy, tidy, and the mug I held steamed rich with spices. I nodded to the saddlebag and let him open and inspect it. He pulled out one of the many leather-bound journals I carried, flipped it open to fine vellum pages.

“Richard, Archivists have noticed across the Territories that our oral traditions are changing. Histories shift from place to place. I’m here to write down your stories just as you tell them. We will store them as we do seed. For future generations.”

He nodded, as did family in the room. I caught the eye of one young woman in the back smiling at me.

It was going to be an interesting winter.

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Now, it’s your turn.
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. featured image, cropped, Adobe Stock standard license