With the construction finished and thoroughly inspected after our multiple walkthroughs, we piled back into the wagon and began our trip back to Elise’s house for our final night as her guests. Marin, Hana, and Marten had plans to meet with Elise the following morning to procure the necessary furnishings for their new home, which left Lia and me time to finally start our own project. We sat together in bed comparing notes and making plans well into the evening, until Marin knocked on the door and chastised us for being too loud. Our planning continued in whispers under cover of darkness afterwards, ending only after Lia fell asleep mid-conversation.
We said our goodbyes soon after dawn and, with a box full of Marten’s best tools, made our way to the stash of building supplies in front of the Corells’ house. We parted ways there as planned; Lia sprinted ahead to our clearing with a splitting axe to begin widening our building space, while I stayed behind to sort through our supplies. The small materials like nails and mortar ingredients were thankfully packed in large crates, which could easily be carried three or four high. Likewise, I could carry a bundle of timbers on each shoulder with a small boost from my Strength enhancement. Our stone slabs were a different story; although it was technically possible for me to lift one on my own, I knew that I could comfortably make three trips in the time it would have taken me to haul the slab through the woods by myself.
As I began my role as our pack mule, I passed the time by watching Lia through my Detection. A combination of Sharpening and Strength enhancements gave her the ability to chop down the surrounding emberwoods with only a dozen swings, which severely emphasized her lack of experience with the task. I couldn’t help but laugh as her first target fell opposite the direction she had originally intended; while falling trees would have been dangerous for most people, Lia merely stomped her foot in frustration as she dodged to the side. She grabbed it by a notch and, after a quick flare of mana, dragged it slowly out of the forest to its intended spot at the side of the clearing. Her skills increased with each attempt, and by the time I had arrived with our first load of crates, she had eight logs stripped and neatly stacked.
The work passed by quickly once we settled into a rhythm, and we finished our first set of tasks by noon. Knowing that the next task was hauling stone slabs, we both dragged our heels and took a more scenic route through the forest, casually chatting while we snacked on jerky and dried fruits. When her parents’ new house finally came into view, we both stopped short and looked at each other. “We could just...take a break for the day,” Lia suggested with a hopeful grin.
“I think we’ve earned this punishment,” I groaned, stretching in anticipation of the work to come. “When’s the last time we did any training?”
“It was, erm…” she trailed off as she scrunched up her face. “Huh. I guess it’s been a while, hasn’t it?”
I nodded. “To be fair, we’ve been pretty busy for the past few weeks. You know, fleeing the country and whatnot.”
She laughed. “Well, we don’t have to worry about that anymore. No more Virram Yorrell, no more missions, nothing.”
“You’re right about that,” I said with a smirk. “Now we have to worry about moving these rocks instead.”
She threw her head back and let out a loud sigh. “Fine. I guess.” With our momentary break over, we crossed to where the first massive slab of stone waited for us. I heaved one end up and onto my shoulder, then waited as Lia spent a few moments experimenting with how much mana she would need to expend to successfully carry the stone. When she managed to raise the slab up to a comfortable enough position, I let her take the lead and set our pace. It was slow going at first, but as she became more confident in her balance, our speed gradually increased until we were cruising through the trees at an enhanced jog.
We completed the task just before sundown. Lia’s energy visibly dimmed with each successive delivery; by the time we came to the last stone, I had to balance the entirety of its weight on my back as she merely guided me through the forest on shaking, unsteady legs. When we reached the clearing, she immediately collapsed face-first into the ground, landing spread-eagle in the soft grass. I hefted the final stone down where we had piled the others, then returned to check on her.
“Just leave me here,” she moaned into the dirt. “I’m not moving until tomorrow.”
“Don’t you want to sleep in a real bed tonight?” I laughed. “I imagine it would be a lot more comfortable.”
“Yes, I do,” she answered, “but unfortunately, I’m not moving until tomorrow.”
I knelt down beside her and scooped her up into my arms. “If that’s the case, I’ll just have to move you myself.” She wrapped her arms around my neck as I stood up and began our final trip through the woods for the day. “You did a good job today, Lia.”
“Mhmm,” she nodded sleepily into my neck. “You too.”
Marten had promised us that they would arrive with the furniture before sundown, but we returned to find the house as dark and empty as we had left it. Without a key to the door, I had no choice but to rest my back against it as I sat on the front steps, still holding Lia in my arms as she slept soundly against my chest. I had nearly dozed off myself when a floating lamp in the distance signaled the return of our missing trio, all of whom sat on the front bench of
