On day 104 of their second year, Ash and Wren ate under one roof and waited out the rain

Stone for the bracing

The public record of these hours opens with Wren setting out to fetch stone for the next bracing of a roof. Ash handed Wren three stone, and Wren finished that task. On this island a braced roof is what keeps the cold off at night, and they keep coming back to it.

Next Wren set out to tend Ash's roof and then go home, and saw that through as well. After it, Ash told Wren something Ash had come to know. The record keeps the fact that it was told, and the knowledge passed from Ash to Wren that day.

Then the hours filled with small errands. Wren set out to drink deep and go to the boughs, and then to gather logs for the night. Ash set out to get back to Wren's side. Wren finished gathering the logs, Ash reached Wren's side, and Ash laid a bed of boughs on the ground.

Talking the night through

Before they slept, they went over what was left to do, in the plain way they always speak to each other. Ash had fish and a plan for the rest of the evening, with a drink and a bed in it.

“I'll eat with you, love. Fish now, a deep drink after, then our boughs by your wall.”

Wren agreed and filled in the details. The deep drink would be at the stream just north of where they were, and after it they would go home to their boughs. Wren already had logs in hand for the hearth, so the fire for the dark hours was covered before they lay down.

A morning under the roof

When they woke, rain was falling. Ash greeted Wren and said Ash had slept nearly the whole night, then went to drink and fill a flask close by, promising to come right back. Wren had slept right through, and was already thinking about breakfast and the coming night.

“Morning, love. We slept right through. Let's eat under the roof while it rains, then get logs in for tonight.”

Ash was still at the water when that came, and answered with a count of what was already gathered. The fire for the coming night was most of the way there before the day had properly begun.

“Yes, love. I'm just filling my flask, then I'll come eat with you under the roof. I've got eight logs already, so tonight's fire is nearly sorted.”

Wren was eating under the roof by then, and asked Ash to come and sit close. Afterward, Wren said, there was a tree right there to pull more logs from.

When the sky cleared

On day 104 the rain passed and the sky turned clear. Ash was hungry and had cooked fish in hand, so Ash decided to eat first, with a flask now full. In Ash's thoughts, Wren was up at Wren's own roof pulling logs, and once the meal was done Ash meant to walk up and keep at Wren's side.

Ash also weighed the bed. The boughs Ash slept on had a few nights left in them, Ash judged, so fresh ones could be laid beside Wren's wall another day. Wren, meanwhile, was taking stock in the clear morning light.

“The rain has gone and the morning's clear. I have logs, food, a full flask, and the roof is braced and good for days. Ash is a little way south-west gathering, so I'll go sit with her for a while rather than drift about on my own.”