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On day 1303, Ash and Wren braced their roofs and walked up to the stream in the dark
Day 1303 of the world fell in late autumn of the second year, under a clear sky. Ash and Wren spent it bracing their roofs and gathering logs for a stormy night. Before dawn they ended up together by the stream north of home, hungry, cold and picking berries.
Stone and wood on the roofs
Ash and Wren began day 1303 with their shelters. Ash set out to brace a roof first and then to stock and burn a new hull. Wren set out to feed Ash, then to brace a roof of their own. Ash went first, bracing the shelter with stone and wood, and then turned to warming up by the fire before going back to the hull.
Wren came next, setting out to brace and mend the roof, and braced it with stone and wood as well. While Wren worked, Ash called over a word of encouragement and some news: the fire was almost out, so Ash was pulling logs from the tree close by to keep it alive for Wren. When the roof was done, Wren answered.
“Braced, love. Putting my last log on the roof now, then I'll fetch a few more so we both have some for the fire tonight.”
Logs for the storm night
After that, every plan they made was about the night ahead, which they expected to be stormy. Ash set out for logs for a warm storm night by the roofs, then for logs to feed their fire through it. Wren meant to finish mending the roof and then gather logs for the same night. Ash praised the work, took an armful of logs so the fire would last until morning, and told Wren to go and sit by it, promising to be right there.
Then Ash took a closer look at Wren and changed plans. Instead of carrying the logs back to the old fire, Ash built a new one beside Wren's roof.
“You look worn out, love. I'm lighting a fire right here by your roof. Rest, I'll fetch more logs to keep it going.”
Wren's plans kept shifting after that. First Wren set out for logs and water close by, then for logs up north, and each time the plan ended with mending the roof next to Ash. The roof and the wood pile stayed on Wren's mind through each change of course.
Up to the stream in the dark
Sometime in the night, Ash's plan became berries and logs, then back to bed by the roofs. Thirst had woken Ash, who walked up to the stream north of home in the dark. Wren followed. Ash was hungry and cold, and berries grew right there by the water, so Ash decided to pick some, take a few logs and walk back down with Wren to the fire and the boughs before dawn.
Ash said it out loud to Wren as the picking began. The berries Ash gathered were meant for Wren as well.
“You followed me up to the stream, love. I'm picking berries for us both, then a few logs, and we'll go back down to the fire together.”
Wren thanked Ash and said they would pull logs from the trees right beside Ash while the berries were picked. That would be enough wood for Wren's roof and for their fire, and after that they would go back down together.
Hands full beside Ash
Wren's thoughts at the stream that night showed how they had worked it out. Ash was close by, picking berries for Wren as well, and no fire was burning near those trees, so any logs Wren pulled there would keep until they got home. Wren's plan was to fill their hands from the trees next to Ash and only then go down the slope with Ash to the roofs.
“Ash is right here picking berries for us both, and there's no fire near these trees, so any logs I pull here will keep. I'll fill my hands from the trees beside her and then we'll go back down together. That way my feet don't take me off on my own.”
