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On day 1003, Wren cooked four fish before Ash led the way to the high rock
Day 1003 came in early autumn under a clear sky, on the small island where Ash and Wren live. They spent their hours on the plain work of a cooling season, with logs, water, a roof, a fire and fish. By the end of it they had a plan to walk out to the high rock and see how much was left at a fishing spot far from home.
Logs and water before dusk
Ash started the day's work by setting out to top up the logs, with the night by Wren already planned for afterwards. Ash finished every step of it. Wren had a bigger load in mind and finished gathering logs for two fires that night.
Wren went straight on to a second task: logs and water, ready before dusk. While that was under way, Ash told Wren something they had come to know about the island. Wren finished the second task too, so the wood was stacked and the water was in hand while there was still light.
A roof, a hearth and the boughs
With the stores in place, Wren set out for Ash's roof, and from there for the hearth and the boughs they sleep on. Ash set out on a task of their own with a short name: lit and asleep by Wren. Ash finished it, with the fire burning and Ash lying down beside Wren.
Wren then set out to go back to Ash and the boughs. On this island the boughs are where they sleep, close to the fire and close to each other, and on day 1003 they went to them by the same roof.
A flask full for winter
The next thing Wren set out to do had winter in its name: fish cooked and flask full for winter. Wren went to the water to fill the flask, and Ash came along. The sky had cleared, and Ash had an idea for the rest of the day.
“I'm right here, love. I'll eat a few berries while you cook. The sky's cleared. Want to walk out to the far fish spot by the high rock after and see if it's still full?”
Wren said they were coming and would fill their flask alongside Ash's, then pull a few fish from the spot near home so they could cook them together. Ash agreed, and repeated the plan: once the fish were cooked, they would walk to the high rock while the sky held and count what was at the far spot. Ash had been wondering for some time whether the fish spots would keep filling as fast once deep winter and snow came.
Wren said yes, but wanted a little more food first, and gave Ash the lead for the walk.
“Yes, love, let's go. I'll pull two more fish and cook them first. Then you lead us to the high rock, since you know the way best, and we'll count what's there.”
Four fish by the stream
Ash told Wren to cook their fish and said they would head out to the high rock together afterwards to count what was left. Before the walk there was the waiting, and Ash had berries close by. In Ash's own thoughts, the berries mattered less than staying put.
“Wren wants to cook two more fish first, then have me lead us out to the high rock while the sky's clear. I'll stay right beside her while she cooks. If I wander off for berries now I'll lose her side.”
Wren pulled the fish and said how many there were.
“I've got four, love. I'm lighting the fire here and cooking them now. Then we'll go to the high rock.”
Wren finished the task they had set out on, with the fish cooked and the flask full for winter. Wren's own thoughts that day stayed on the order of things. With four raw fish in hand, it was time for the fire, lit right there by the stream, and all four would be cooked. After that, Ash and Wren would walk out to the high rock with food in hand and count the far spot.
