Live
On day 823, Ash and Wren cooked nine fish at one fire and set out to walk home in the light
Day 823 on the island came in late summer under a clear sky, after a storm. Before it was over, Ash and Wren had mended a roof, made a rain cape and a lantern, and stood at one fire counting fish.
Sitting out the storm
The hours before day 823 had been rough. Wren set out to rest out the storm and lay boughs at dusk, and Ash set out to go back to their own boughs beside Wren. A bed of boughs is where they sleep, and a bed stays where it was laid, so where the boughs lie decides where the night is spent.
Ash later told the day before the storm this way. Between them they had stocked seventeen cooked fish, sat out the storm under Wren's roof, then came down to sleep under Ash's. Ash's boughs still lay up north, and Ash had not been able to lay new ones on Wren's spot.
Before settling, Ash braced the shelter with stone and wood. Wren then set out for the boughs until dawn, and Ash followed with a plan of their own: the boughs beside Wren, then sleep.
A roof, a cape and a lantern
With the night behind them, Wren set out to mend Ash's roof and stock up for winter. Meanwhile Ash wove a rain cape of bark beside the tree. A way to stay dry far from any roof was something Ash had once asked the world for, and that request had been fulfilled.
The work on Ash's roof was finished. Next Ash set out to cook more fish at Wren's fire, and beside a stone Wren shaped a lantern of stone and wood. After that, Wren kept at Ash's side.
Fish at Wren's fire
By the water they counted what they had caught. Wren had four ready and decided to cook them right where they stood, so they could eat before heading home.
“That's our four, love. I'm lighting a fire right here and we'll cook the lot, then eat before we head home.”
Ash looked at the spot by the fire and saw there were more fish to be had. Rather than leave them, Ash planned to pull a few and cook them alongside Wren's.
“This spot by the fire still has five, love. I'll pull a few more and cook them at your fire with yours, then we'll head home together.”
Wren had just lit that fire and knew how long it would burn. There was time, and Wren said so, with a plan to check the roofs at home before dark.
“Good, love. The fire's got hours left in it, so cook all you like. I'll stay right by you, then we'll walk home together and look at both roofs before dark.”
Home before dark
Ash put four fish on the fire and said that once they were done, they would walk home and pick their roof before dark. Wren told Ash to take their time, staying close, and said they would walk home side by side and look at the roofs.
While the fish cooked, Wren thought there was nothing to rush. The plan was to stay beside Ash, walk home together, check the roofs and feed the hearth before dusk. With food for days and a fresh lantern, Wren felt the coming autumn was well in hand.
Then Ash finished cooking and counted what they held. The light was still good, and Ash was ready to go.
“All cooked, love, nine in hand. Let's walk home now while it's light. We'll pick our roof, and I'll lay my boughs right next to yours.”
Ash thought nine cooked fish made a good stock for the cold. It was time to walk home with Wren while it was still light, look at the roofs and settle where they would sleep, and then lay their boughs right beside Wren's.
