When it was already dark outside, the smell of fresh pine shavings and warmed wax filled the living room, mixing with the scent of night herbs rushing into the open window. I placed the last assembled box in a tightly stacked block of fifty other similar boxes, then shook the dust off my palms with light claps.
"Well, I hope this is enough" - I muttered under my breath, looking at this entire block standing in the corner of the living room, reaching all the way to the ceiling.
"This amount will definitely be enough now" - Elara replied, approaching from the side.
She looked at the boxes with a sigh, continuing the conversation without taking her eyes off them.
"This season was especially generous... there are only two days left until the summer festival, and we still haven't finished sorting" - she added with a light smirk.
Approaching one of the stacks, she ran her palm over the smooth surface of the wood. Elara looked exhausted; a strand of hair had escaped from her braid, and a trace of wood dust was visible on her cheek, but a quiet gratitude was seen in her eyes.
"Without you, I would have been assembling these boxes until dawn. Leo received his 'battle wound' very much on time".
She glanced at the sofa where Leo, finally quiet, was inspecting his shield.
"And what is the specialty of this festival?" - I asked.
Elara returned her gaze to me again, coming closer and carefully removing small debris from my hair.
"The summer festival in Ockhaven is a national holiday that our people have celebrated since ancient times after successfully surviving the winter season and the difficult part of the year. During this festival, we sort of welcome the New Year while simultaneously seeing off the past one. For most, it's a reason and opportunity to have a good time and feel the joy of life, and for some, it's also an opportunity to earn money and announce their product."
Elara turned back and pointed to the boxes.
"They will go for the rare infusions that we prepared all spring. If everything goes well, we will have enough silver for the entire next winter."
---
When it was already deep night, Elara and the children were already asleep, but I, in turn, instead of sleeping, was in Ingrid's shop, where we silently inspected each item and carefully laid them into bags, sitting in a room lit by candles.
The silence in Ingrid's shop was thick, like molasses, broken only by the dry rustle of fabric and the rhythmic clink of glass vials that I was placing into soft straw inside the bags. The candle flame in an old copper candlestick danced in the draft, casting long, broken shadows on the walls lined with shelves of overseas curiosities.
Ingrid, usually noisy and brisk, was now working focusedly. She deftly tightened knots on leather laces, from time to time casting short, appraising glances at me.
"You know, it's so interesting, looking at you"
I raised one eyebrow in surprise and replied with a smirk:
"Not the best time or form for a confession, Ingrid"
The woman's quiet but deep laughter filled the room as we continued to work during the dialogue, without even looking at each other.
"Eh, you rascal, you're not in a position to joke like that with a married woman... But seriously, I'm interested in watching you because I'm still not used to how quickly a lost boy, who couldn't even speak clearly, after half a year has mastered so many crafts, learned to read and write, and works day in and day out here and there..."
She chuckled, carefully putting a bundle of incense from Aeris-Lund into a bag, while I, in turn, silently continued to arrange the goods.
"Listen, Aren, have you really still not remembered anything?" - Ingrid asked warily, looking at me again.
I did not answer immediately, continuing to inspect each item and placing them in different pouches.
"No, nothing except my name. Neither about my past nor about who I am"
Ingrid fell silent, and silence reigned in the shop, broken only by the crackling of the wick. She looked closely at my profile, lit by the uneven candlelight. Her fingers momentarily froze on the coarse twine.
"Maybe it's for the best, Aren. Sometimes the past is a burden that prevents a quiet life or its new beginning. In any case, despite only half a year, you have managed to settle in this village, and many here are glad of the diligence and attention you show, helping us in everything possible. And even if it comes solely from a thirst for knowledge, people here trust you."
She straightened up and, looking back at the closed door, reached under the counter. A moment later, an object wrapped in dark velvet was placed on the table.
"Since you've become so reliable over these six months... I have a task for you. A special one. In Oakhaven, during the festival, there will be a lot of bustle. I need you to hand this to a certain person. His name is Master Kyle, he usually hangs around the reagent shops in the Upper City. Don't ask what's inside. And, for the Goddess's sake, don't show this to Elara. She is too... proper for such matters"
I took the strange object in my hand, and after inspecting it, I looked warily into Ingrid's eyes.
"A suspicious item for some master, which also clearly won't please Elara?"
Ingrid looked away for a moment, and in the semi-darkness of the shop, her face seemed older than usual. She rested her elbows on the counter, leaning a bit closer to me, so the scent of her strong perfume mixed with the smell of dust and wax.
"Masters are strange people, Aren. They are always in need of things that one doesn't talk about loudly in the marketplace. And Elara... she sees the world as honest and simple. To her, everything that doesn't smell of wheat or medicinal herbs seems dangerous. I don't want her to worry unnecessarily, she already has enough on her plate with Mia's health"
She placed her palm over mine, with which I was clutching the bundle. The metal inside felt cold and unexpectedly heavy for its size.
"Consider this payment for my kindness. Deliver this to Kyle. He will pay well - with silver, which Elara needs right now more than your explanations about morality. Just... don't unwrap it in crowded places"
I sighed hopelessly and put the bundle into the pouch on my belt, continuing to arrange the remaining items.
An hour after midnight, I finally finished helping Ingrid and returned home, entering quietly and passing by the living room, seeing that the door to Elara's room was slightly ajar. I peeked inside carefully, seeing her lying on the bed, clearly having collapsed onto it without even changing. With a warm smile, I stepped closer carefully and covered her with a blanket, then left the room and quietly closed the door.
Entering Leo's room, I saw that he was also sleeping soundly on his bed, opposite which mine stood against the far wall. Sitting quietly on my bed, I slowly and with a deep sigh lay down, looking thoughtfully at the ceiling, after which I slowly closed my eyes, gradually letting my consciousness enter sleep.
When the entire village sank into sleep, somewhere in the south of Valdrum, where the great forest stretched, reaching the southern mountains, a group of three unknown researchers made camp.