Chapter 17: A New Dawn
Dawn’s first light filtered through the narrow gaps of the small window in the vault ceiling, freshly made just yesterday. I stirred slowly awake stretching out my arms feeling much better than when I collapsed.
I looked around.
Everything looked as good and as never as ever.
Isabella and Rosaluna deserved to see this—their new home.
But before that since it looked early in the morning.
Why simply show them when I could give them something truly special?
The walk to Oren’s workshop helped work the stiffness from my joints. As expected, the steady rhythm of hammer on wood already echoed from within—the carpenter had been rising before dawn for as long as I could remember, just as his father had before him, and his father’s father before that, their hands growing more skilled with each passing year.
I pushed open the heavy oak door, breathing in the familiar scent of sawdust and linseed oil. Oren looked up from the chair leg he was turning, his weathered face creasing into a sympathetic expression when he recognized me.
"Harold, lad." His voice carried the weight of genuine concern. "Word travels fast in a village this small. I heard about what happened to your place. Terrible business, that fire. You and your family have my deepest sympathies."
"I appreciate that, old Oren, truly. But I’m not here to mourn—I’m here to rebuild. I need furniture. Three beds—sturdy ones that’ll last. A dining table, large enough for a family but not so big it overwhelms a small room. Chairs to match, with good backs for long evening meals."
Oren’s bushy eyebrows rose slightly, but his expression remained neutral. No doubt he was wondering where a thirteen-year-old boy planned to put such furniture, but his discretion had been honed over decades of village life. People had their reasons, and a good craftsman learned not to pry.
"I can do that," he said simply, already mentally cataloging his inventory. "Got a nice oak dining set finished just last week—was meant for the Hartwell farm, but they’ve postponed their order. And I’ve always got beds in various stages. When do you need them?"