Damien worked hard and steady, and was at last able to climb down from the roof. The roof above him was solid now, cedar shingles aligned in neat overlapping rows, but the setting sun cast long, navy shadows across the Greenwing. Where once the ice had concealed rot, the beams had been stripped, mended, and reinforced, each nail driven home with precision. He would find solace inside the warmth of the lodge, where Kai had also found success.
The dragoon had taken to mixing mortar with efficiency. The air filled with the faint grit of lime and clay, pungent even in the cold. Noah knelt beside him when it came time to set the bricks, guiding the younger man in lining them snug against the hearth’s cracked foundation. They worked shoulder to shoulder, Kaisel spreading mortar with careful precision while Noah pressed each brick into place, filling holes and steadying the base until the structure held firm once more.
By the time the last brick was laid and the last of the mortar smoothed over, Damien was inside. ”Why don’t you two finish up here, filling in the grout. I’ll get all of the supplies we need to rebuild the fire.”
Finish up with the fireplace by grouting and Noah will build a new fire at the end!
