After the hilarious events of the morning the rest of the day seemed to pass in a blur, Beck's mother went out with Evie into the market square to get some vegetables for dinner and some supplies for the coming trip over to the Capital.

Beck stayed behind with his father and uncle to be shown around the workshop and well acquainted to all the bits and bobs that would be used in many ways to enhance his crafting abilities while his father was gone, after the tour and a brief crafting session Beck decided he needed a break. His mind was a mess of thoughts. Thoughts of kings, commissions and strangely named carpentry equipment. It was all too much for one day.

Beck helped move the throne into a corner of the workshop and cover it with an oil cloth then he silently left out the back door of the house down to his favorite spot in the village. Down main street through the market square and community notice board, a hard left and then there it was. Apart from weekly sword drill there was nothing beck loved to do more than go down to Lofters lake to de-stress.

Lofters lake was a small round expanse of water just on the edge of Crafton. About three hundred meters in diameter, it was a home for many families of freshwater fish and continuously supplied the village with more than enough fish to go around. Beck liked the lake a lot but not for its fishing purposes.

For Becks sixteenth birthday his dad had made him a small raft that for the past month Beck had used every day out on the lake, it had become the best way for beck to empty his mind and just relax.

So out he went, down to the dock where his raft was moored alongside the other small fishing dinghies. It was secured to the jetty by a singular rope wrapped around the steering tiller. The raft was a fairly simple design, it was about two meters wide, and three meters long made up of half cut logs lying horizontally, lashed together with thick rope and finished with planks around the edges. Two large, inflated Lether skins attached at either side of the raft ensured that the platform remained afloat.

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Equipped with a rudder and two small paddles, Beck had even made himself a small anchor out of a rock he found on the shore of the lake. The raft was very maneuverable and practical for exploring every inch of Lofters Lake but today was different. As Beck paddled into the middle of the lake, he had no intentions of exploring, so as he cast his anchor he lay down and fell asleep letting his thoughts drift away on the placid surface of the lake.

It was very late in the afternoon when Beck awoke and the sun was setting between the trees, he sat back up, stretched and paddled back to shore. As he was tying his raft back to the jetty he noticed a growing fog cloud on the other side of the lake, as he continued to observe he thought he saw some mysterious forms wandering about in the mist. Beck snapped back to reality as the raft began to move further from the dock, he cast the anchor and tied off the raft; I'll have to take a better look tomorrow Beck thought. He headed back up main street through the square and to his house and walked upstairs to where his family were sitting around the dinner table. “Where were you Beck” asked his mother, “I was over by the lake” he replied, “what's wrong with the lake then”?

“Wrong with the lake?... nothing I hope” Beck replied very confused “well that's a relief you look as if you've seen a ghost dear”

I might have he wondered “are you alright Beck you don't seem so” jasper interposed “I'm fine dad I just need a little sleep” Beck replied and with that he left the dining table and went of to his room for the night.