Mermaids are Menacing (Book 2) Complete

42.) Prep Work

I rubbed my belly as I made a plan. This placed seemed safe. There were fences but no high walls. Most likely to keep there little herds in and it seemed peaceful in the area. Red eyes most likely dont come out this far. These people lived there lives in relative safety. With my enhanced eyes I could see what they wore but not there faces. Free flowing clothes but a few wore shawls. It was warm enough now but I should still begin winter preperations.

Winter preperations were usually done a little at a time all year round.  Wood needed months to dry out. Cut and stacked in a dry place.
Food needed to be caught and prepped and buried to prevent wild animals from coming to call. Since I wasn't in my own valley I would need to dig my own cold store which wouldn't be easy in my condition.
Pots for boiling water, pots to pee in if I got snowed in by bad weather. Baskets for storing things. Materials to work on to keep me busy in the long boring days and baby things. Spears! Warm clothes. Blankets. I haven't even found a good place to build a house but the to do list continued to grow in my mind.

I clapped my hands against my cheeks. It gave me a little shock.

Shelter first. Everything else could wait till later

Walking around I looked for a place off the beaten path. It needed to be near a water source but not so close that there might be a possibility of flooding in the rainy season. The entire area feels damp as it is. The ground is a deep green and mossy with ferns filling up the space between trees. Even the air tastes moist. The spot needed to be high up enough to be able to see people coming but hidden enough not to be discovered, for safety reasons. This region is hilly and not far from a marshy area. Where theres water, theres game and the reedy plants are good for handy crafts.

I eventually found a good spot. It was hilly in a sea of trees but the elevation is ideal for the rainy season. When I scouted the area I didn't find any foot trails which meant people probably dont tend to come up this way.  I found an entire host of tracks, some I knew and some I didn’t. The hunting would be good here.  I can build my house up against the hill for added support. Theres plenty of trees and they all look healthy which means I probably wont need to worry about a mud slide but it wouldn't hurt to reinforce the house more just incase. Besides little dragons are strong and tend to bounce off the walls.

Work couldn't wait so I cleared an area where four big trees grew. Pulling out tree saplings and moss and rocks, I made a pile outside the rectangular space. The trees grew a little far apart, which meant It would require more wood to heat the house but dragons grew big and as long as I insulated it well it should be fine at least for awhile.

I moved quickly. Digging three deep holes along each side for where I planned the walls to go, with the exception of the two short sides of the rectangle that only got two. I would need a door space and a fire place. Dirt accumulated under my claws uncomfortably. After think about it I decided a dirt floor would have to do for now.  Not having time, help, and tools was difficult when building the house.

Usually when a home was being built it was a task for the owner but even then I could at least be able to expect help with the roof. But sadly my first home was not built with my family by my side in preperation for a bonding but instead a baby that they would never meet.

It was hungry work, digging. I took a break to fill my stomach with nearby spring water. The water sloshed uncomfortably in my stomach. It was to cold and made me want to lie down. The one in my stomach moved around in protest. Spoiled already from the big meals Roka brought. I could tell even woth all the swimming I had put on weight. The dress was already to short as it is. Hunting something big should be the priority after building, not just for the meat but for clothing. Standing up, I stretched. My tail flicked lazily behind me. Time to get back to work. Getting the frame up todays was the goal. It wouldn’t be the best house but it would be sturdy.

Thick logs slightly shorter than my height in length and as round as my thigh went into the holes I had dug. They were a little uneven. The trees had to be kicked down and their branches removed before putting them in. I made a stack of the evergreen branches to use for roofing later.

Everything around me was supplies. Over a three day period I did nothing but build, eat and sleep. Small sapling were pulled up by the roots and tightly  woven between the logs and corner post trees like a basket to make the walls. Mud was plastered over them to keep out the wind and an ash wash to seal it.

The tops of the four corner trees were cut off and their trunks hollowed out a little so the logs that formed the rectangular base of the roof could wedge in tightly with only a little give. While there was no roof,  I tied split logs flat side down across the top of the open rectangular frame leaving palm sized gaps. This would make a good attic for storage later. I could also dry things from the rafters like the Orcs did.

The roof itself was an A frame. Made from smaller, less heavy logs. I weaved springy saplings throught them creating a grid. The houses in my valley came in lots of different kinds but the best were tiled. Not everyone wanted to gather clay and make tiny shingles but it was the most durable but not the most insulated. Some houses had wooden shingles. It was a mater of preference and skill. I unfortunatly used a branch roof.

With how wet the environment was it stood to reason that it would be rainy. Which meant that the roof needed to be on quickly. I'd think about tiled roofs layer on after living here awhile. Branches were tide down in bunches and layed in layers upon layers. Since the roof was an a frame made of logs that went all the way to the ground there was a long narrow space between the roof logs and the inside wall. I decided to line the floor with rocks and use it to store fire wood, it would stay more dry under a cover than out in the open.

Damp dirt and wood pieces clung all over me but after the build I didn't even have time to relax. There was still so many things to make. In a frenzy I kept making. I planted another grandpa seedling  next to the house of course I knew where to get actual water this time. I collected reeds from the marshes that were a little distance away and dryed them to make baskets and plates and mats for sitting.  A smoker my size built out of wood and clay to preserve meats.

Hunting rabbits was easy. I ate their meat and kept their furs in a basket to make baby things later. Constantly i collected read plants and dried them and filled the attic space above with them. I hunted lots of animals even when I wasn't extreamly hungry. Nothing was wasted. Tanning hides. Keeping antlers of the wild herbivors I hadn't seen before to use as a craft later. Making clothes from the furs and leather. I didn't sleep well because my mind was constantly running. I made a stone ax to chop fallen logs in to fire wood and stacked it in the crawl space. Time passed easily and to quickly.

When I found my first brown bear I  was suprized. I hadn't seen one since I left green mountain and that place is a long ways off. It was not as difficult to kill as I had remembered. I threw a spear at it and It went right through it. My intention was to kill it but not skewer it. Instead of a warm blanket it ended up becoming my coat due to the entrance and exit holes.

I really thought my simple days would continue like that but they didn't.