I Am Alone

Chapter 11: Castle of Logs

Wood.

Never realized how heavy it was till now.

My back aches, my fingers hurt, my hands have blisters and splinters, my feet are sore, my legs feel like breaking in half.

But, we now had a building, it was two stories, made completely out of wood, except for the roof, that was made of thatch, it had several windows on each floor, somehow, I managed to create a hinge to make a flap for the windows.

Aphmau had made a somewhat grand fireplace out of stone cobbled together with clay, it kept the entire first floor lit, and warm, though the second floor, the loft, was only lit by candles and windows.

Fang and Crimson did their own thing most of the time now, Fang didn't go far, and whenever he was going out he pawed at my head until I paid attention to him.

Crimson, loyal to a cat, she just did what she wanted. And we really couldn't stop her, she was the kind of cat that would knock over glassware while maintaining eye contact.

I'm attempting to make a double bed in the loft when I feel a gloved hand rest on my shoulder, trying to get my attention.

Without turning around, I say, "What's up Aph?" I hear a slight chuckle and she flops something warm and wet on my face.

It takes me a second to process what the hell just happened, but once I do, I pull off the wet, brown cloth and fling it at her. She rolls out of the way, and picks it up off the floor.

"I'm saying you need a bath. Your getting kinda grimy." She shoves the wet towel in my hand again and pulls me up.

"I'll finish the bed, go bathe yourself." I roll my eyes but I agree that I'm starting to feel muddy, besides, my beard, that started out as a goatee, was starting to get out of hand, and I needed a shave. And a haircut for that matter.

"Fine, I'll be back, keep the fire warm for me." I walk outside and jump into the frigid water, after I strip into just my boxers, I rub the cloth on me, and I see something moving in the deeper part of the water.

Curious, I hold my breath and dip my head into the water.

I would've let out a scream had I not been submerged, a huge, purple, and angry looking shark was way to close for comfort, although it seemed uninterested in me, it didn't negate the fact that it was terrifying.

Calming myself down, as it was too big to get me in the shallows, I finish washing and start trimming my unruly beard and hair, until I have my goatee back, and my short, bed head hair.

I step out of the water, blue, and everything an ice cube, I slip back Into my warm clothes and step back into the the house, were I am greeted warmly by the cracklings of the fireplace.

"Well. There was a man under all that hair." Aphmau snickers from the ladder to the loft, looking down on me from the hatch.

"But is there a lady under all that sass? Hmm?" She gives me a truthful nod and moves as I climb up the ladder into the loft, and she has finished the bed.

I notice immediately an absence of another bed, I grin inwardly, looks like we're sleeping together.

Don't get any ideas Lycan.

Shut up, I'm not going to try anything. Jeeze, I'm not that much of a jerk.

In the next few days, the house fills out with hand made furniture, a back room housed a workshop with tools to tinker with, and the main, front room held a dining table, chairs on one side. And a bug squishy couch in front of the fireplace, with a rug made of hide.

In our bedroom, yes, our bedroom, a dresser for clothes and a side table that usually held a candle or two, and a small little drawer to hold the book and various other objects.

We could live here for the rest of our lives and I seriously wouldn't mind. It is homely, warm, and inviting, It would be better with electricity, but, that is out of the picture.

The cave had been redone into Fang's and Crimson's little place, they didn't seem to like the house much, and they both had trouble getting through the door.

"Just a week ago we were living like cavemen, now, we're living like royalty." I say to Aphmau as we sit on the couch after a long day of making all this furniture. She's reading over a book that she had started writing herself.

"Not exactly royalty, but better than I ever thought we would." She looks over her book but doesn't stop writing. She stops, and scribbles out a line of text.

"I need to start working on that bola gun soon. I don't know how I'm going to get the material though." I sit up on the couch slightly and stare into the fireplace, Fang had managed to get inside, and is laying on the rug in front of the fire, snoring deeply.

"Metal? We should start small, like a crossbow, or a sword, before we start making guns. As for the metal, there is a cave other than ours a few miles from here. I saw it before you found me, I didn't go in because it was dark and wet." She splats a period on her page. And then thinks for a minute.

"Hmm.... What should I write?" I've got a character that's stuck in a flat with no money, a rent creeping up on her, and an abusive boyfriend." She asks, and I don't have to rack my brain for an answer.

" Her best friend comes and let's her live with him in his place, the boyfriend gets serious comeuppance and the best friend and the girl fall in love. Eventually getting married." She grins and nods.

"Yup. I could write about that."