Once Sascha and his helpers had finished the platform, Jigano helped secure one end of the ropes to the smaller pulleys sunk into the wood. There were two, and he pointed up to the roof beams high overhead where he and Amalia would go.
"Fly your rope up and over that one, there, and I'll do the same for the one next to it," he said with a nod. "That should secure it enough for Melita to be lifted up to do the work of boring the anchor holes." He grinned at the baker, excited to be flying with her again, this time for the rebuilding of their beloved Atheneum, the library she had grown up in. He still wasn't comfortable shifting in full view of strangers, though, so the bard ducked aside behind a pile of waiting stones that were slowly being carted up the scaffolding so they could be laid atop the rising wall.
The white raven fluttered up to perch on top of the stones, croaking encouragement to his owlfriend before he swooped down to grab his own rope and then led the way up, up, to the very roof of the building, where sturdy timbers still braced the remaining ceiling. Swooping over his own support beam, he looped and dodged through the hanging length of rope, engaging in a bit of exuberant aerial acrobatics to secure the platform that would hold his friend while she set the anchors for the large pulleys that were needed for the biggest stone blocks.
Once he was certain his own rope was tight, and that Amalia was finished with hers, he dove back to the pile of rocks and stepped out, shifting his jaw a little from the discomfort of having the thick rope in his beak. "Alright, Melita!" he called with a grin. "You're up - literally!"
A couple of strong townsfolk wiped the stone dust and mortar from the hands and stepped over with reassuring nods to take hold of the platform's newly-secured ropes, ready to raise it - and Melita - up to where she needed to be.
"Fly your rope up and over that one, there, and I'll do the same for the one next to it," he said with a nod. "That should secure it enough for Melita to be lifted up to do the work of boring the anchor holes." He grinned at the baker, excited to be flying with her again, this time for the rebuilding of their beloved Atheneum, the library she had grown up in. He still wasn't comfortable shifting in full view of strangers, though, so the bard ducked aside behind a pile of waiting stones that were slowly being carted up the scaffolding so they could be laid atop the rising wall.
The white raven fluttered up to perch on top of the stones, croaking encouragement to his owlfriend before he swooped down to grab his own rope and then led the way up, up, to the very roof of the building, where sturdy timbers still braced the remaining ceiling. Swooping over his own support beam, he looped and dodged through the hanging length of rope, engaging in a bit of exuberant aerial acrobatics to secure the platform that would hold his friend while she set the anchors for the large pulleys that were needed for the biggest stone blocks.
Once he was certain his own rope was tight, and that Amalia was finished with hers, he dove back to the pile of rocks and stepped out, shifting his jaw a little from the discomfort of having the thick rope in his beak. "Alright, Melita!" he called with a grin. "You're up - literally!"
A couple of strong townsfolk wiped the stone dust and mortar from the hands and stepped over with reassuring nods to take hold of the platform's newly-secured ropes, ready to raise it - and Melita - up to where she needed to be.
