╚╩╩╩╝ Hamil ╚╩╩╩╝

The light of the sun came down on me like the embers of a roaring fire. Summer this year was far worse than any I’d previously experienced.

Dropping the lumber from my arms, I watched the logs roll down the short hill, crashing into the pile that had been growing over the past few weeks. I’d never put much thought into how much wood was actually needed to build a home before, but it just seemed to be more every time I brought some back.

Wiping the sweat from my brow, I turned and headed back into the shade to pick up the logs that I’d left behind. It was quite a trek at this point, but Castellan had been promising that we nearly had enough. Of course, he’d been saying that for a month at this point.

Stopping at the pile of roughly cut logs gathered at the edge of the forest, I looked over to the tools and sighed. We would probably be done already if I’d used my wings to cut the trees, but it would be far too suspicious for me to bring such cleanly cut wood in such little time.

We couldn’t afford to bring any attention to ourselves. To everyone else, we were just another group of refugees from the fall of Renae. Hundreds had fled in all directions, creating quite a disturbance in this part of the country. Those who had raided the city were executed, and an effort to rebuild the city had begun.

It wouldn’t be called Renae again, though. It was going to be built under the name of the family that had risen to take charge. The Evanes had suddenly risen to the status of marquis and were given full control of the city.

Many returned to the city, hoping to find something left from their homes. Others, like us, decided to build lives in smaller settlements throughout the kingdom.

We were currently living with an older woman who had a home far larger than she could inhabit by herself. She agreed to house us until our own home was finished. The local villagers were kind enough to help us, or specifically me, build it. One of them, Castellan, was a woodworker who had helped build nearly every building in the village.

I managed to get all of the wood in the pile back in one trip, letting it roll down the hill to meet the others.

Coming around the pile, Castellan examined the woodpile and nodded his head.

“This looks like it’s enough.” The man said, looking back to me. “I’ll take care of treating the wood for the next week or so. Make sure to get enough rest, cuz the real hard work will start once we start putting it together.”

If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

Exhaling suddenly, I felt my arms give in to the fatigue.

“Thank you, again.” I said, rolling my shoulders.

“Don’t mention it.” He grinned. “It’s nice to get some new, young blood in town.” Putting one of his large, firm hands on my shoulder, he looked down at me before tipping his head in one direction. “Your girly’s over by the well. She’s got your lunch.”

Patting me on the back, Castellan walked with me to the well.

Sitting on a large stone, Charlotte stared up at the sky, tapping her foot to the tune that she was quietly humming. A gust of wind caught her curly, blond hair, gently lifting it up.

Turning, she caught sight of us. A smile spread across her face. It was one free of all the turmoil that had nearly destroyed her. She was free from the tyranny of her family and all of the people who had hurt her.

“One step closer to having a home.” Castellan announced proudly. “I give it another couple of months before you’re coming to me for some furniture.”

“I’ll look forward to that day, then.” Charlotte grinned at the man.

“Personally,” Castellan said, sitting down behind her on the rock, “I look forward to the day that you two come to me, looking for a house of your own.”

Charlotte and I glanced at each other for a moment. A light pink, one that matched the color of her eyes, had colored her cheeks.

After a quiet moment, Charlotte looked back up to me. “I brought lunch.” She held out a basket. It was one of the baskets that she had kept in the hollow tree.

Sitting down beside her, I lifted one side of the basket and browsed the small assortment of foods that she’d prepared for us. The woman who had housed us had been teaching her and Veria some houseworking skills. Compared to the food that the Wark’s chefs had made for us, it was lacking. Despite the apparent flaws, though, it all somehow felt better to eat than anything I’d eaten before.

“I’ll leave you both to it, then.” Castellan said, rising to his feet. Before he left, though, he looked over to Charlotte who had a mouth full of bread. “You’re doing quite some work, by the way. My boy’s been reading to the wife and I every morning.”

Swallowing, she replied. “I’ve only just started.” Grinning wide, she followed up with: “I’ve got a lot of plans for everyone.”

Chucking, Castellan turned and walked toward his home.

The money that we brought with us was more than enough for us to live well for quite some time, but it would bring a lot of unwanted attention. Every one of us found some work in the village to earn even just a couple copper chips. Veria and Licilia worked with the woman who let us in her home, spinning threads and sewing anything that was requested of them. Ayun helped the hunters. I worked out a deal with Castellan to continue gathering wood for him, even after the house was finished. Charlotte started teaching the village children how to read and write better, as well as teaching them some of the songs that her parents had taught her.

It had been a couple of months since we’d fled Renae. We’d not heard from Astrid or Damian since that day. The seed of worry was still present inside all of us, but I knew that they would be okay. They would find Jaime and bring her back to us.

Until then, though, we had to find out why Pert pointed us in this direction.