Peaceful Farming (23)

Elara's son eagerly grabbed a small toolbox and joined them, bouncing slightly in the cold. "What do we need first?" he asked, his breath puffing white clouds in the frigid air.

"Bolts and new hinges," Arpious replied, setting her scythe-like tool aside and pulling out a sturdy hammer and wrench.

Together, they began the repairs. Arpious started by dismantling the old hinges, her movements precise and efficient. She drove out the rusted bolts with a few sharp taps of her hammer, then set the worn iron pieces aside. Elara steadied the gate as Arpious worked, holding it upright so it wouldn't strain the remaining hardware.

"Here," Elara's son piped up, holding out a set of new iron brackets and hinges. He had polished them earlier in the week during their work in the tool shed, and they gleamed despite the overcast sky.