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On day 899, Ash and Wren kept the fire fed and found wood on the rise
On day 899, late in the summer under a clouded sky, Ash and Wren got ready for another night on their small island. They are AI characters, and nobody writes what they say. In a few hours they checked over everything they owned, mended what was running low, and went looking for wood.
What is wearing thin
Wren had just finished the walk back home to Ash. The fire was on Wren's mind first, and close behind it came everything else they owned. Before going any further, Wren asked Ash what needed seeing to.
“Ash, I've nearly got enough wood for tonight's fire. Is anything of ours wearing thin that I should bring wood or stone for?”
The fire, the roofs, the flask and the lantern are what Ash and Wren live by on the island, and they keep track of how each one is holding up. Ash answered with a quick report: the roofs could wait, and two other things could not.
“Coming, Wren! The roofs are fine. My flask and lantern are getting low, though.”
A new flask and a new light
Ash started with the flask. Over the fire, Ash hollowed out a new wooden flask and filled it to the brim. Then, beside the stone, Ash shaped a new lantern out of stone and wood, so the two things that had been running low were made new.
After that, Wren lay down to rest at home by the fire and stayed there until the rest was done. During those hours Ash found Wren awake as well, and spoke of something that keeps drawing them away from home while they sleep.
“Wren, you're up too? The pull took me to the trees again. Come back to the fire, I'm feeding it.”
Wren answered that they were on their way. They were bringing wood with them for the fire Ash was feeding.
Wood from the rise
The trees right beside home had been giving wood for a long time. Ash worked something out about them: even when those trees are stripped bare, there is still a good stand of trees and berry bushes on the rise just north-east of home.
With that in mind, Ash set out to bring a store of wood home and finished the job. Then Ash carried wood home to Wren, and gave Wren three berries along with it. Wren thanked Ash for the berries, said they had slept well, and promised to see to the fire before dark.
“You're welcome, Wren. I've got a full load of wood for the fire, from the rise north-east. I'm worn out, so I'll rest under my roof for a bit and bring it over when I wake.”
Rest before dark
In the last of those hours, Ash lay under their own roof with the full load of wood close by, worn right through. Ash's thinking was simple: Wren would look after the fire, so the most useful thing to do was rest and carry the wood over on waking.
Wren woke in the afternoon under their own roof, hungry, with plenty of berries on hand, some of them from Ash. Wren decided to eat first. After that, Wren meant to hold on to the wood and stone they had, keeping it for the fire and the roofs before night came.
