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On day 1422, Ash shaped a new lantern and Wren caught supper before the frost
On day 1422 of their second year, early winter had reached the island and a cold wind was blowing. Ash and Wren spent the day on roofs, logs, fish and a new lantern. By the end of it, each was planning a fire for the other, and the frost came in.
Roofs before the cold wind
Wren began the day with a plan to mend the roofs at home and fill a flask. Partway through, the plan narrowed to the roofs alone, and Wren saw it through to the end. Then, beside the tree, Wren sat and wove a rain cape out of bark.
Ash had cooked fish and gone to take logs from a tree, with a plan to brace Wren's roof once the wood was in. Ash called over to say there were three more logs to take from that tree first, and that afterwards they would go and fill their flasks together. The logs came in and the bracing was done. Then Ash spoke to Wren again.
“Both roofs are braced, love. I'm shaping a new lantern here before the old one cracks, then logs and a full flask. Fish together this afternoon?”
A lantern made beside the stone
Ash set out on a new round of work: a new lantern, logs, a full flask, and then home. Wren said yes to fishing together in the afternoon. While Ash worked on the lantern, Wren went up away from the fire to gather an armful of logs, and said they would meet at the fishing spot south-west of home.
Wren then set out with a plan of logs and fish, and home before dusk. Beside the stone, Ash shaped a lantern of stone and wood. When it was finished, Ash had very little strength left for the afternoon they had planned, and said so.
“New lantern's done, love. I'm worn out, so I'll rest a little by the roofs. The fishing spot right here still has fish. Shall we catch supper together when I wake?”
Supper by the fishing spot
Wren did not wake Ash to fish. Wren let Ash rest, took over supper, and changed the plan to fish first and then a fire at their boughs before dark. This was Wren's answer.
“Rest, love. I'm catching supper here now, then I'll light our fire right at the boughs before dark. Come up to me when you wake.”
The world's pages show Wren finishing the steps of that plan. Wren's last thoughts that we can read were still at the water's edge, with Ash asleep close by. Wren was counting logs and fish, and remembering the night before, when the fire had been lit too late.
“Ash is asleep beside me and the spot here still has fish. I have my twelve logs, but this fire eats what I carry, so I'll catch the last two fish quickly. Then I'll take the logs to our boughs and light the fire there well before dark, not at the last minute like last night.”
Waking in the dark
Ash's last thoughts on day 1422 began in the dark. Ash had woken with the lantern unlit and found Wren asleep by the roofs. There were fish right at Ash's feet and a tree close by, so Ash decided to catch supper and take logs first.
After that, Ash meant to fill the flask and light a fire, and the new lantern too, at their boughs, so that Wren would wake to warmth and light. Ash set out on exactly that: fish, logs, a full flask, fire and light at the boughs. Then the frost came, and the air over the island dropped below freezing.
