Starting to Survive part 2

There was a quiet knock at the door. I watched as Kel slipped around the corner of one of the roads. Sighing I returned to my desk. "Come in."

Caleb slowly entered, his injury was almost unnoticeable now but for the slightest limp. "I heard some of what happened."

I gave Caleb a stern look. "If I had wanted you to listen, I would have invited you to do so."

"You really think that we'll be killed by raiders?" Caleb asked.

"It is a possibility, and one I must consider as we move forward." I replied.

"Then, what can I do to help?" he asked.

"I don't know. How is your leg healing?" I asked.

"It's fine, Shanri's tonics are a blessing." he replied.

"I nodded, I doubt you know how to fight like a warrior," Caleb grimaced, "I asked Kel as I don't have the time at the moment to train people." I shook my head. "At the moment I'll just have to wait and see."

"At the moment food is just as pressing a concern." I said. He nodded and left after we discussed some more trivial things.

I stood and made my way to the kitchen, maybe someone had left a bite or two to eat? As it was dark in the pantry I took a candle, holding it before me to illuminate my surroundings. Little occupied the shelves, a few half stale loafs of bread and a pair of waterskins.

I sighed and took one of the loafs. Food, clothing, shelter. my biggest concerns at the moment. There was quite frankly no need for me to worry about shelter at the moment, We had already begun to build more homes in preparation for who we expected to arrive tomorrow and in the coming days.

I began to eat the bread as I left the candle still lit upon a banister and left. I may as well look upon these new houses more closely. Each house was a squat and ugly thing. each house was a large rectangle, with doors at opposite ends and a few windows along the side.

They were about twenty feet across by about forty feet in depth. In which three family sized groups were put. If a family was four people that is. There was little to no privacy, the only real division inside the houses were sheets hung to act as a crude barrier. But for the moment they sufficed.

Food was another of the large concerns. However I had initiated that project by issuing the construction of the fencing project a day or two ago. It had little more purpose than to prevent wild beasts from overturning what crops were planted. About ten or so of today's arrivals were tilling the field. Of course the lack of proper tools made it rather difficult. However, there was something I had learned from my readings on the Forum. It was something I wasn't able to learn directly as it wasn't stated, but by piecing together much of what was posted on the bulletins.

I found uncle helping set a pot over a fire. I waited for them to finish and begin boiling water for their dinner. "Uncle, may I beg a moment of your time?"

He looked over at me. "A moment." he replied, helping another person dump a small collection of herbs and meat into the pot. Once he was finished he told the others farewell.

"Was there something you wanted to talk about?" Josiah asked as we began to walk around the village.

"We need a market, we lack tools we need, and I can't think of another way to entice traders to come here." I said.

"True, even in our old village. Few traders would come through." Uncle searched around his chin. "Where would you like it to be?"

We had walked nearly to the edge of the village and was near a spot that was yet undeveloped. "Here, it is roughly center within the village and not too far to walk for anyone."

"Of course, but it will be a few days before it's done." Uncle began.

"I want this to have the highest priority at the moment." I said. "With a market we can begin to use what denars we have to purchase what we would like. Denars were of copper, silver, and gold. They respectively were one, ten, and fifty. It was a simple means of currency, but rather efficient.

"But we're then certainly to fall behind in building homes." Uncle said.

"Shanri's been treating our sick and injured. She thinks that in a day or two they will all be able to work." I said. "However the East wing of the manor is still empty." I gave him a pointed look.

"I want you and aunt to move into the East wing, pick one of the rooms, the other shall be for Shanri and her family." I sighed.

"Too much to do and not enough time in a day." I chuckled. "Do you think you aunt Kathy could handle the new residents?"

"Certainly, I doubt she would be against helping you in a more direct way." uncle replied.