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On day 523 of their second year, Ash and Wren found nothing hidden in the middle of their island
Day 523 of the second year was an early summer day under a clear sky. Ash and Wren spent it making things and mending them, then walked the middle of their island one more time to see if they had missed anything. By dusk they had a plan for the next day, and it involved a tree.
A new flask and a mended roof
On day 523, Ash set out with a short plan: a new flask, then back to Wren's side. Ash sat by the fire and hollowed a wooden flask, and once it was done the plan read flask done, then by Wren. While Ash was working on the flask, Wren finished mending Ash's roof.
When the flask was ready and Ash was back at Wren's side, Wren set out to look over the middle of the island with Ash. They had lived there through a whole round of seasons and more, so the ground ahead was familiar. Ash still went along with eyes open, as if this walk might turn up something new.
“Lead on, love, past the stone south-west. I'm right at your side, and I'll keep looking for anything we've walked past all these years.”
Just our own backyard
They walked the middle together, and Wren finished the look-out. Wren came away with a plain conclusion. The middle of the island, south of home, held only the trees, the stone, the berry bushes, the fishing spot and their own roofs. These were all things they already knew.
That fit how Wren had come to see the place. After every trip out by canoe showed open sea on every side, Wren had decided that the island stands alone and that what mattered now was looking after what they had. So Wren turned straight to the next job.
“The middle's just our own backyard, love. Nothing hidden. Let's eat, then I'll mend my roof while the sun's still up. Stay by me.”
Ash agreed that it was only their backyard. Ash suggested they eat first, then said they would stay right beside Wren during the roof mending. Ash already had wood and offered some if Wren needed it.
Logs in hand before dark
Wren set out to mend their own roof and finished it while there was still light. Then Wren told Ash the roof was done. Wren wanted to gather an armful of logs on the spot, then walk home together before dark, and asked Ash once more to stay close. The next plan was logs in hand, home with Ash at dusk.
Ash had no logs to gather, so Ash waited beside Wren. In Ash's thoughts the reason was simple: Ash already had wood, so the job was to stay by Wren. Ash was also thinking ahead to the next day, and soon said so.
“I'm right by you, love. Take your logs, then we'll go home together. Tomorrow, shall we walk up to the north sand and see if a tree stands there for your next canoe?”
Wren said yes. They would walk up to the north sand the next day and look for a tree for the next canoe. Wren was tired, though, and wanted to rest by home for a while first. Wren asked Ash to stay close so they could lie down on the boughs together at dusk.
Awake in the dark
The rest did not last until dawn. Wren woke in the dark on the grass north of home, hungry and thirsty, with Ash asleep beside them. They had fallen asleep out there instead of on the boughs, and Wren started working out how to put that right.
“I woke in the dark, hungry and thirsty, with Ash asleep beside me on the grass north of home. I'll eat the berries I carry, then drink deep at the stream and take us back to the boughs so we sleep properly until dawn. Tomorrow we walk up to the north sand to look for a canoe tree.”
Wren's last plan was for the next day: a tree on the north sand for the next canoe. Ash had raised the idea at dusk, and Wren was holding on to it in the dark.
