The following day consisted of the new arrivals getting adjusted to their homes and finding where they’d be working. The trade supplies were unloaded into the new warehouse, and the ore and leather was packed onto the wagons to haul back.

John stood on the southern tower with Travis, one of the new guards. He wasn’t watching out; he instead watched the villagers move about the quickly forming town.

“What do you think? Did your family come to River’s End?” John leaned against the railing of the tower.

“No sir. I don’t have one, at least none that were in Innsbruck that wished to come,” replied the young man.

“Hmm, well, if they ever make their way here, they are more than welcome.” John smiled and watched as people came in from the fields and sawmill. The day had gone by quickly, and a lot of work was completed.

He turned to Travis and bid him good night and climbed down the ladder.

John went into the commonhall where a majority of the people still ate supper. A few decided to eat in their apartments now that they had a way to cook, but most of the people still enjoyed eating in a large group.

He quickly grabbed a bowl of stew, some bread, and an ale and found a spot at one of the outer tables to continue to watch the villagers interact. It was fascinating to him how people of such varied backgrounds could come together and make something like what they’d done. There had been a few minor disagreements but nothing that some compromising couldn’t fix.

He watched as Michael and Melissa came in. They saw him sitting by himself and walked over to him.

“Good evening John. May we join you?” asked Michael.

“Absolutely. Sit. I’ll get us a couple ales and some juice for your daughter.” He nodded, excused himself, and quickly returned with filled cups.

“Thank you,” Michael replied, accepting his cup. “It is remarkable how much you have accomplished out here so quickly. You have quite the resilient populace that joined you.”

John smiled wide. “Yea. Everyone has put in 110 percent. And when we ran into a little trouble here and there, they all jumped into help. Sure there was some grumbling, but they all knew what needed to be done,” he responded.

“I see that.” Michael looked at Melissa, then back to John and smiled. “That’s why I, no, we have a request for you.”

“I would like to remain here for the time being. Maybe only until the next caravan arrives. Father thinks some worldly experience would do me well, and I agree. Baron Danielson is a family friend, but he’s not as hands on as you have been. I’d like to stay and get some experience in whatever I can. If you will have me,” she added, her eyes hopeful.

John thought about it, then replied. “I will agree to you staying here, but as you know from what you’ve heard, it isn’t without danger. We’ll do our best to protect her, but in no way can I promise something won’t happen. If you still agree, then yes you can stay.”

Melissa smiled and looked at her dad. “We are used to danger. We are Merchants; it comes with the job. Every time we leave a city in a caravan there’s a chance to be robbed or even murdered. I can be father’s liaison when he travels back to Innsbruck and beyond.”

Michael interjected. “We understand the risks, but even still, two of my caravan guards will remain. They will help defend your village if needed, but their primary goal will be for her protection. They are quite capable fighters, probably my best. I’m sure they’d be willing to help your fighters grow.”

John smiled again. “Then welcome to River’s End Melissa. Glad to have you for however long you stay.” He held up his mug of ale and Michael and Melissa both raised theirs.

John added. “We will have another set of apartments done soon, but unfortunately we don’t have one available for you right now. You’re more than welcome to stay in mine until one is finished.”

Melissa replied, somewhat red in the face. “I. I thank you John, but I’ll make do. We always bring tents. If you’ll excuse me.” She got up from the table.

Michael laughed as he watched her go. “Still so shy around men.” John shrugged. “They’ll be fine until you get a home made for her. Thank you for allowing her to stay. I’d like to add that she’s the one who insisted. I was a little more reluctant, but she eventually convinced me when she suggested a couple guards remain.”

“I’m not sure what she’ll learn out here, but we’ll do our best to protect her.” John took the last drink of his ale. “Another?”

Michael put up his hands. “No. Thank you. We are leaving at first light, and traveling with a hangover is not fun. Thank you again for your hospitality. And also for agreeing to the trade. The iron is much needed.” He leaned forward. “I worry that the situation will only get worse. I think the situation is much more dire than the news that is spreading. Call it intuition.”

“How bad do you think it is?” asked John, worried.

“I don’t know, but I think it’s bad enough that soon the kingdom may be forced to step in. We are lucky up here on the plateau that there aren’t many ways to access it. But it’s only a matter of time. If the refugees can find their way, so will the Orcs.” Michael took the last drink of his ale.

“Then we’ll have to use our time wisely and prepare. I hope the Baron will as well.”

“He is. And we will help him.” Michael stood. “This old man needs some rest before the journey tomorrow. I will talk with Drew and you once more before we set out. Drew is trying to decide if there’s anything else you may need on the next caravan. Good night John.”

“Night Michael. See you in the morning.” John stood as Michael left the hall.

He saw Drew in the corner writing in his notepad. He walked over and sat down.

‘What ya workin’ on?” John asked.

“Nothing much. You rubbed off on me; just making a list of things we may need. Salt and oil will go a long way to helping us out. We’re becoming self-sufficient with food and things like nails. I’ve asked for another saw blade so we can make another mill.” Drew looked up from his notepad. “The other list I’m making is building priorities. More housing and such. Nothing we can’t handle; just takes time.”

John leaned back in the chair. “Don’t I know it. But we’ve done really well here. And with these new additions, we’re going to be more like an actual town. We even have a barber now!” John smiled at that.

“I think we need to prioritize housing. Michael thinks the situation is worse than what’s being said. I have a feeling we are going to be getting more and more people here. I think with the added laborers, we need to begin on an outpost by the bridge. We had planned one long ago, but I didn’t think it was needed because the village wasn’t too far away from it.” John stopped to think, then added. “I wonder if we can somehow make the river deeper, harder to cross, more dangerous. It’ll limit movement to the bridge creating a chokepoint.”

Drew tapped his pencil on the table. “That’s not a bad idea. We can build a wall and gate on one side with a watch tower. It’ll give us more of a warning as well. It’ll be like The Twins in Game of Thrones.” He quickly jotted it down.

“Like the what?” asked John, confused.

“Ah. A show on television. Fantasy. It had dragons and such. There was a bridge that had towers on each end. Much bigger in scale though.” Drew smiled.

“Oh. Gotcha. Anyway, I think people are going to make the trek here even without the safety of the trade caravans, especially when Michael returns to Innsbruck and news spreads. It’s going to become very crowded soon. I’ll talk to Virgil and Saul and see what we can come up with.” John yawned and stretched.

“I found a small copse of trees to our southeast when I was hunting, a few hours away. I was going to keep it a secret,” he said sheepishly, “but I think it would make another good place for a look out. There’s a small pond hidden within with some fish. Unless someone went right up to it, no one would ever know there was someone hidden within.”

Drew smiled wider. “For now, we’ll keep it to ourselves. It’ll be a good place to go away if needed.” He closed his notepad. “I’ll get Vin and Dragi and a few others started on the housing immediately.” He paused. “Do you think we should hire Samuel? As odd as he was, he ended up doing a decent job. No one really complained about him other than him asking some questions that were obviously fishing for information.”

“Unfortunately, I do. But I don’t know if he will. The Baron may need him more than we do. Between him and Virgil and Saul, we could possibly even start on a new wall though.” John sighed. “I’ll find him in the morning. I saw him leave already. ”

“Ok. I’m calling it quits for tonight. I’ll see you in the morning when we talk to Michael.” Drew stood, patted John on the shoulder, and left.

John watched his friend leave. I wonder where his lady friend was tonight. I didn’t really see her though except for once with Gert earlier. John closed his eyes. Not my business. I wonder why Melissa was embarrassed about me asking her to stay with me. I guess she took it the wrong way. I probably should have mentioned I have an extra bedroom. He chuckled to himself. Oh well. Time to hit the hay. John rose and left the hall to get a good night’s rest.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

John left his apartment early. The town was already abuzz with activity. People were heading to the fields and the woods. Still others were building small shops and work areas along the path from the commonhall to to the eastern gate. John had wanted a small market district that could be used for bartering and selling goods. For now though, the makeshift buildings would suffice. But eventually they would have to be moved. The Barber had also set up a small area where he was going to give haircuts. Something John would be taking advantage of in the near future.

He made his way to the south exit where the caravan was preparing to leave. Two wagons were stacked with ore and leather, one had provisions, and the fourth was empty. Michael was gathering his guards. Drew was already there talking to him and Samuel.

Samuel was animated in the discussion, perhaps irked about being asked to stay.

John approached cautiously. “Good morning everyone,” he said, waving as he walked up to them.

“Morning John,” replied Drew with a tinge of annoyance in his voice. Michael nodded to him.

John looked at Samuel who stood with his arms crossed. “Good morning Samuel. I take it Drew has asked you to stay? I can see you haven’t received that request well.”

“No. I did not. I have already packed my meager belongings. While I appreciate what you have done here, I will stay no longer. You should have asked me sooner. Waiting until the morning we are planned to leave is just rude.” He didn’t uncross his arms.

“I’m sorry for that. I wanted to talk to you last night, but you had already retired for the evening. It’s unfortunate that you won’t remain, however. We have quite a bit of work planned now that we know about the refugees. I know they would appreciate you staying to aid us, but perhaps you are needed more in Innsbruck.” John tried to sound polite and flatter him, hoping to ease his annoyance and change his mind. “And know that we really appreciate what you’ve done here. Everything we’ve asked of you has been completed. So thank you.” John put out his hand to shake.

His mood seemed to mellow a little as he uncrossed his arms. Samuel hesitated but shook John’s hand. “Nevertheless, I will return to Innsbruck for the time being. Perhaps if the Baron doesn’t need me, I may return with the next caravan. Yes, if Orcs are coming, he will want more defenses built. And you have the mages. I will return in one month if all of my work is finished in Innsbruck.” He stood unmoving but visibly less stiff.

“Perfect. That’s all we could ask for.” John smiled as the tension seemed to lessen. He turned to Michael. He took a small letter and handed it to him. “If you would please give this to the Baron. It’s just a letter about our progress and a small thank you.” John figured he would read it anyway, so may as well tell him what it contained.

Michael accepted it. “It’s not an issue. I will take it to him as soon as we arrive in Innsbruck. I bid you good luck out here John. I worry for all of us. I worry that we will be overrun with people with no place to go. So prepare while you can.” He smiled at John and put his hand on his shoulder, then hugged him. “I will probably not return with the next caravan now that my daughter is here. She will be able to handle any details and send paperwork back. Please take good care of her”

John looked around. “Where is she this morning? I thought she would be here to see you off.”

Michael laughed. “She’s already found Bethany and is helping her. She’s serious about her tasks. I think she will be quite the asset while she remains.” A whistle from the front wagon was heard. “That’s my cue. Good luck.” With that, he turned and climbed aboard one of the wagons. Another whistle and the caravan left through the southern gate as John and Drew watched.

John clapped his hands. “Time to get to work. We have a lot to do. And with not knowing if more people will be arriving, we may not have much time to do it.”

“Agreed. I plan to work with Virgil today. I finally finished that damn book. I’m hoping he will start to teach me some spells. I kinda lost my path when we arrived here.”

“Good for you Drew. With Samuel gone, we’ll need help building roads and houses. I know learning magic was a goal for you when we first met. Now’s as good a time as any.” John smiled. “Off to work. I’ll catch you later.”

“Bye John.” Drew turned to find Virgil. The old man was probably sitting on a wall somewhere. That seemed to be his favorite spot.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Drew did indeed find Virgil on the western wall sipping some tea and smoking a pipe. He climbed the wall and sat next to him.

“Morning Virgil. How are you today?” asked Drew.

He puffed out some smoke. “I’m well young man. Thank you. I’m just enjoying the view from my favorite spot.”

Drew laughed. “I figured I’d find you here.” Drew searched in his satchel and pulled out the book. “I finally finished it. It was quite the, um, read. Let’s just say it wasn’t very exciting, but I did learn a few things.”

Virgil snorted. “Yes, quite boring wasn’t it? The point in reading it wasn’t for the knowledge gained, however.” Drew raised an eyebrow. “It was a test of sorts, to see how much you really wanted to learn. If someone is able to read that book, then they’re willing to put in the work to learn magic. Sorry to deceive you, but it’s the easiest way to weed out those who don’t truly want the knowledge.” He grinned.

Drew chortled. “I’m not mad, but damn, next time just ask me. That was tough.” He laughed harder.

“Well, Drew, it wasn’t for nothing. The book does encompass quite a bit of information about mana and how to use it. Hopefully you learned a little.”

“I did. And I’m still willing to learn, so that should tell you something.”

Virgil laughed a belly-laugh. “It does. It does. So let’s get started hmm?” He hopped off the wall with more finesse than someone his age should and beckoned Drew to follow.

“The spells themselves aren’t hard to learn, but it takes some work to master them. As you’ve seen, I can create something much faster than Saul, but that’s only because I’ve had much more practice than him. Eventually he will be able to work as fast as I do. I simply have better command of my mana and more knowledge of dirt and soil.”

“That makes sense. It’s as with anything, practice makes perfect.” Drew nodded.

“An interesting saying, but yes.” They went to an area near the blacksmith where they stopped. “I have two more books I’d like you to read. They will help you understand a little more. They’re not nearly as long. I promise.” He pointed to an area and raised his hands. “Move Ground.” Slowly, the ground began to raise up. He moved his hands in different directions. In just a few minutes, a dirt chair had been made. “Nothing to it,” Virgil said, smiling.

“If you say so,” replied Drew, humbled at the ease of which Virgil worked.

“I will teach you the spells, but it will be up to you to practice. And practice you must if you want to learn how to shape the ground. Form spheres, pyramids, any shape you can think of. It will give you a better command of the spell. Raising dirt is easy, but learning to form it into something takes time. So you will need to practice doing so.”

“I understand. I’m ready when you are.”

Virgil removed a large tome from his satchel. He turned a few pages and motioned for Drew to read. In just a few minutes, Drew learned the spell Move Ground.

“The easy part is over. Now go explore your new spell. Once you have a better grasp of it, I will teach you another. And yes, it will require a little test. Talk to Saul. He may have some insight for you. But remember young man, what I just taught you, even if it was as simple as reading a passage, usually costs quite the sum of gold. I’ll consider this one a favor for what John has done for me, but the rest will cost you. Now go. I have work to do.” The old man smiled and shooed Drew away who backed up and went about his day.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Drew spent several hours using the spell, but became frustrated as he wasn’t able to make much more than a block of ground which barely held its shape. He gained a small amount of experience with each failed attempt which would slowly add up. He knew he’d grow faster if he had more mana and regeneration so increasing his wisdom and intelligence, somehow, would be another goal.

Giving into his frustration, he quit using the spell and began to help around the village. He watched as the new villagers seamlessly integrated with the old. He had hoped to find Katelyn and talk to her; she seemed to be avoiding him since their original conversation. And while she seemed interested (Drew definitely was), he wasn’t sure of the rituals of the world. He’d have to talk to someone to get the lay of the land when it came to women. Maybe he was doing something wrong.

He ran into Virgil later in the day. He gave Drew the books he’d promised. One was about the makeup of soil and one about actually shaping it. Each only looked to be a couple hundred pages. He decided he’d read them tomorrow; his head already hurt.

He meant to talk to Virgil about creating another wall, but the old man seemed preoccupied. Once he had a better understanding, perhaps he himself could begin on it.

Drew decided to help some of the villagers who were building crude workplaces. The Cobbler already had a small lean-to up and was working on some shoes. Another thing to add to his list, a workshop where crafters could make their wares.

He helped the three people building workplaces finish up and then went to a blacksmith to find Ivan. He had a few questions and some requests.

Ivan and the new Blacksmith Nigel were hammering away. From what Drew could tell, they were continuing to make shafts and gears to replace the wooden ones in the mill. He watched with fascination as the metal was slowly shaped into what they needed. Gerard worked in the corner of the shop collecting nails that had been made in a mould.

The big man stopped for a moment to wipe sweat from his brow. He saw Drew standing in the doorway watching. “Drew. What can we do for ya today? We’re very busy as you can see. Nigel showing up has been invaluable, but there’s always more work to do.” He opened a large flask and drank heavily.

“I just have a few questions, if you have the time. And I just wanted to check on the progress of a few projects,” replied Drew, shuffling his feet.

“Aye lad. I could use a short break.” He turned to the short but gruff looking man. “Nigel. Takin’ a break. Be back in a few.” He was met with a grunt as reply.

The duo walked over to near the wall where a table and chairs had been set up, obviously a place to rest and get away from the heat.

“Out with it. You seem nervous about somethin’,” demanded Ivan, eyes squinted staring at Drew.

“It’s not what you think. I um. There’s a girl who arrived with the trade caravan. We seemed to hit it off that night, but she’s been avoiding me since. I thought maybe I’d done something wrong. Did I? Is there some kind of ritual to ask a girl out?” Drew was wringing his hands as he asked the questions.

Ivan laughed heartily. “Oh lad. No. No. You did nothing wrong. I don’t know what it’s like where ya came from, but there’s no courting dance or ritual here.” He continued to laugh. “Nah. She’s probably just shy, or maybe thought it was too fast. Who knows. But no Drew, ya just gotta go for it.” He slapped Drew on the back nearly making him fall out of his chair.

Drew cleared his throat. “Thanks, I guess. I guess I’ll just search her out and try my best,” he added, fiddling with the buttons on his vest. “Ahem. Anyway. I was wondering if you’re about finished with the bands for the gates. And I have a small request.” Drew grinned.

Ivan raised his eyebrow. “Not quite, no. The gears and shafts are breaking more often, so we want to get them replaced first or it won’t matter anyway. Once we’re finished, and we nearly are, we’ll start on the bands. What’s your request?,” he asked.

“Well. We’re going to start on a gate and tower near the bridge creating a lookout and a chokepoint. I want the gates to open out, not a drawbridge, so I want them to be sturdy. I’m going to need more bands and a large crossbar to hold it closed if needed. More work, I know. And I know we are running low on iron,” Drew stated further.

“Mmm. That we are. But we should be gettin’ some more ore soon from the Goblins. And you should talk to Stanley again. He thinks he may have found some lodes in the mountains to the south over the bridge. A few miners came along with this crew and are rarin’ to work.” Ivan stood. “I need to get back. That everything?” asked Ivan.

“Yea. And thanks for the tip about Stanley. If we can get our own operation going, that'd be great. Makes me wonder why the Baron never went north into the mountains searching for ore. Or maybe he did and he just didn’t find any. Not my problem; it works out great for us.” Drew smiled. “Thanks for the help with the lady problem too. I’ll find her and ask her out.” Ivan smiled and nodded and went back into the smithy leaving Drew to himself.

Priorities. I’ll find Stanley, check on the housing progress, and so on and so on. All in a day’s work But tonight I'll talk to Katelyn, if she's interested. Drew whistled as he headed south to find the Prospector.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

John had spent his morning training and sparring. Three of the newcomers expressed interest in learning to fight, so Vee and Willis had spent the morning testing their abilities. And while green to the gills, they did show promise. The trainees would sit on the ground, battered and bruised yet still smiling. He had watched as Vee would holler and they’d quickly stand to attention and go through the drills again. They impressed him.

Now John stood in line at the Barber. He couldn’t wait to get his mop cut. Next to the lean-to were a couple other “shops” and workplaces. Eventually, in the long list of things, a work area and market would be created. But that wasn’t the biggest priority. He turned to look behind him at the latest row of apartments that were being built. They were in various states of progress: one just a foundation, another with only walls, and a final one getting a roof. Vin worked quickly, that was for sure.

In a few minutes, John was sitting in a chair while the Barber worked his magic. “Cut it short,” John had said, and Russell didn’t disappoint. It didn’t take long before he felt like a new man.

He made his way to the eastern gate. He wanted to check the progress of the flour mill. One could see it from inside the gate, but it wasn’t functional yet as John could tell.

He rounded the corner and found that on the outside, the building was completed. It had five large sails that would turn the mechanisms inside that would grind the wheat. John entered the building to see two large grinding stones sitting in the middle, but no shafts or gears connecting them to the turbine.

“Ah. And there’s the problem. Thankfully we don’t need it just yet, but with time we’ll be ready.” He patted the large stones and exited. His next stop was the fields.

With the influx of new farmers, nearly the entire area east of the village, south of the woods, and north of the river was now cleared. There was still quite a bit of area not planted, but it wouldn’t be long before they had an abundance of different vegetables and grain.

Large piles of rocks dotted the area. “We can use these at the bridge and for the new wall. One good thing about it being so damn rocky here.” He turned and headed back into the village. He had a goal that everyone now in the village would have a place to sleep in two days so he went to help Vin meet it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

At supper that evening, Drew sat with Stanley to talk about the prospects of a mine to the south. His skills had indicated some lodes, but they were nearly five hours away. With so many unknowns at the moment, Drew didn’t think that was feasible. They didn’t yet have the manpower to guard them so far away. Drew convinced Stanley to let him try talking to the Goblins again. Maybe they’d be willing to work with them or even work for them. Stanley was nervous about that venture but still expressed interest.

Drew left the conversation hopeful that he could come up with a compromise with the Goblins at the next trade. Otherwise, he didn’t know what they’d do. They really needed the iron.

He saw John sitting with Melissa and Bethany. They had papers out on the table, so he assumed they were discussing the wares that had been brought and things that may be needed in the future.

He searched in vain for who he really wanted to talk to. He didn’t see Katelyn anywhere in the room. He plopped down on a stool at the bar and waved at Bert who brought him some wine, one of the new treats brought with the caravan. It was dark red and tasted of berries and mint; it was quite refreshing. Drew heard the door bang closed and turned to see Katelyn walking in. He smiled when she looked his way, but she made no motion to join him. Instead, she sat with some of the newest arrivals.

He turned back to the bar and slumped his shoulders in disappointment. He heard laughing behind him and then felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned quickly to see Katelyn standing next to him.

“I was going to wait ‘til you sought me out, but who knows if that day would come!” she said, smiling and playful.

“Sorry. I’m just. I’m new to this. I thought you weren’t interested.” He was red in the face. He motioned to the stool next to him. “Please sit. You have to try some of this wine. Bert, if you would.”

She sat next to him, and they struck up a conversation. “So tell me about yourself? Where ya from?” And it continued from there.

Eventually, even Bert had left. He placed a bottle of the wine on the bar for the couple to help themselves. They talked and laughed until the bottle of wine ran out, and they decided that it was best to call it an evening. Drew hugged her, and she gave him a kiss on the check. He was already red from the amount of wine they’d drank, but now he was a new shade.

He watched her leave. “My God. I’m drunk off my ass and in love!” he shouted. He looked around and saw no one was in the building. He stumbled to one of the cots that still remained and laid down. His heart beat fast, whether from the alcohol or from the girl, he didn’t know. He fell asleep the happiest he’d ever been.