With a steady supply of water now secured he moved on to prepare for the eventual birth of the sprouts. A support system would have to be created in order to ensure the sprouts grew straight and strong. Their fragile stems would be susceptible to the coming winds. For this to be accomplished he would have to venture back into the valley to find sticks and vines. This time the trip would be not take as long since he already knew where to look, also his daily trips for water gave him the opportunity to find the shortest route possible.
He counted the number of mounds in which the seeds were growing and added a few extra just to be on the safe side. With the number resonating through his mind he set off towards the valley. He was correct in his assumption that he would be in and out of there quickly. It was only a matter of minutes before he had collected enough supplies to complete this next step. The Sun had yet to reach it's mid-morning perch and he was already on the way back to his field.
As he dropped the collection of materials his flesh alerted him to the rise of activity within the air. The winds were on their way and gaining strength with every minute that passed. He had no time to spare and set to work immediately. He took a seat next to the pile and began to separate the sticks from the vines. He began by setting sticks of similar size together in various little groups. As he was doing this the vines were also tossed into groups based on length and girth. He was unsure of what seeds would produce trees and which would bring forth the smaller plants. His best option would be to use the larger sticks and vines to secure the seedlings which formed the perimeter, hoping to form a protective barrier around the inner growth. With the larger items in hand he began to tie the vines at various distances along the stick. This endeavour led him into the early afternoon by the time it was completed. He debated taking a short break before continuing on when the winds suddenly picked up it's pace. The loose ends of the tied vines were picked by the currents and fluttered chaotically.
Worried that any procrastination could prove to be fatal to the fetal plants he instantly made his way to the closest corner plunging the first stick deep into the soil. To be sure the support was adequate he gently tugged on it then lightly tapped it with his foot. The stick would move only with physical interaction. There wasn't a chance the winds would overwhelm the support sticks he planted along the perimeter. He only hoped the inner area would fair as well. In accordance to his plan the sticks would decrease in size the closer he got to the center of his garden.
With a dozen or so small sticks remaining he found himself nearing the end of his objective. He had to take to his knees in order to firmly place these smaller sticks into place. As he tested the resistance of these small sticks a motion from below caught his attention. Something on the soil was moving. Lowering his head and inspecting the scene a speck of green was slightly visible against the brown dirt. Had it not been for the wind he would never had noticed. He quickly turned his head searching for more signs of life. Randomly laid out across the area he was now inspecting, more and more greenage could be seen. Excited about the new life he jumped to his feet and proudly surveyed his field taking in accomplishments achieved thus far. His only concern was that the seedlings wouldn't be tall enough to be anchored when the winds reach their apex.
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