Later that week Li was walking back from another hard day working the fields. He had bypassed the village and was following the track by the river. He knew that avoiding the people in the village was not a good idea in the long term. But today he just couldn't face any of them. He had had enough of taunts and jeers for one week, if not for a lifetime.

The track did pass near the village at one point though and as he hurried along he caught the sounds of shouting. He had been walking shoulders hunched gazing at the path in front of him but now he looked up and his mouth fell open. A cloud of black smoke was coming from the village.

Breaking into a run Li ran straight towards the smoke. He ran through the woods branches catching his clothes and whipping at his face and with his breath ragged in his throat. Finally he burst out into the clearing where the village sat to see a scene of horror. His brother's workshop was ablaze.

Sheets of flame were shooting from the workshop and great roils of greasy back smoke stained the sky above it. Li ran even faster to the workshop and the mass of villagers around it.

“Zen! ZEN! My brother, have you seen him?” he shouted at the mass of people in front of the burning building.

“Li! Over here. Come help.”

Li took what felt like his first breath in hours as he saw his brother at the head of the chain bringing water buckets from the well. He ran over and inserted himself in the chain near his brother.

“What happened?”

Zen grimaced. “Don't know. I was binging a piece over to the Rafferty family when we heard a shout. Got over to discover the place already on fire. No one inside thank the One. But we couldn't get the blaze under control. It just kept getting hotter and hotter.”

“Its the dark ones touch.” said the old man next in the chain. “Your brother has done well by the Sidhe but his gifts have made the dark court jealous. This is the price that must be paid. Be thankful it is so little”

So little? Li goggled at the old man. That was his brother’s workshop. With all his tools. It would take months to rebuild everything and the goodwill of most of the village to support them while doing it. And this old fool thought it was a small price? Then a horrible thought occurred to Li.

“Zen. Shauna’s table. The grooms gift? Was it…”

Zen shook his head frowning at the ground even as his hands kept up the methodical work of passing buckets. Li felt his eyes fill with tears. That table had been Zen’s obsession for months. It was to be his gift to Shauna, his gift to the family they were to become. And it was to be his Masterwork.

“I’m so sorry Zen. We will rebuild. We can make it all again.”

Zen kept his eyes on the ground, his hands continuously moving the buckets. He said nothing.

Li looked around the crowd trying to put out the fire. there must be something they could do. Some way he could help his brother. And then he locked eyes with Simon. He stood across the square, hands in pockets talking with some of his friends. None of them were helping. And Simon, seeing Li looking at his direction, smirked and said something to his friends. They all started laughing, a hard braying laughter that had nothing to do with enjoyment and everything to do with causing others pain.

Li’s eyes darted from the group to the fire and back. They couldn't have? Not even Simon would stoop that low? Simon sneered once more at Li and then turned and left, the rest of his band following in his wake. And Li stood rooted to the spot, even forgetting to pass buckets in his shock. He had done this. Simon had burnt down the workshop. Simon was had destroyed Zen’s groom gift. And Li needed to do something.

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

A couple hours later the brothers stood in front of the ruins of the workshop. Very little remained. Li couldn't believe that a structure so big and full of memories could have burnt down to this small collection of jumbled stone and ashes.

One of the villagers, Sean Ti, came lumbering up, his puffing breath preceding him and as always seeming to roll rather walk his big bulk.

“Zen. A quick word if I may?”

Zen looked over, his dark eyes shadowed.

“Well Zen, it's a sorry mess isn't it.” said Sean, gazing at the ruins. “But listen. I’ll be having need of some new bed frames in the next few months. The kids are growing up.”

Zen blinked. “But Sean, as you can see…” he waved at the smoldering wreck behind him. “I'm not sure if I'm going to be doing any work now”.

“Nonsense, nonsense,” said the big man. “Now as it happens I have some lumber behind the house. Had been planning on using it for the new barn. But that things never going to get done. So I’d take it as a kindness if you would take it. See it put to some use. Can't have it taking up space on me any longer. Rory will be over alter today with it. And I’d appreciate you keeping him on a few days to help with the rebuilding. Lazy mite could do with some real work.”

Zen stood still and then shook his head. “Sean. I appreciate what you are trying to do. But it's going to take a lot more to rebuild and I'm not sure…”

“Nonsense, nonsense. As I said Rory will be over. And I'll be expecting you at the house before the end of the week to measure for the beds and set a price.”

With that the man turned and lumbered off.

Zen exchanged a quick confused look with Li before a second figure stepped in front of them. “Zen, you've always been good to this village and good to us. I'll be along later today as well well. Well have the place back together in no time. And I've a few old tools you can take to get you up and running again.

Looking up Li realised a line of people had formed. All from the village. All with smiling faces. Each came up and had a few quick words. Tools were pledged and strong backs. Orders were placed - Zen took more orders in an hour then he had previously had in a month.

Li looked on. This was how things should be. He saw his brothers as the others saw him. Not an outsider, one of them. A man about to get married. A member of the community that had had a bit of bad luck. But nothing that they the village wouldn't be able to overcome. He felt a choking sensation in the back of his throat and had to blink back tears. Zen seemed dazed, baffled, but as the stream of people kept on and onhis back straightened and a smile spread across his lips.

The last in the line was a smiling Shauna. Zen stiffened and looked to the ground when he saw her.

“Shauna, I'm sorry. The gift. It's going to take…”

Shana shook her head and strode up, throwing her arms around her fiance. “Now what would I care about something like that,” she said. “Listens to me Zen. You and I are getting married. We are going to have good days, we are going to have bad days. And I'm going to be there at your side for each and every one of them.

Zen looked up and met her eyes.

“I…” he gazed at her, lost in her eyes. Shauna just smiled and kissed him. A muffled cheer rang out from the crowd still milling around and the two broke apart, Shauna blushing and Zen with eyes on the ground.

“Now, now, enough of that until the wedding” said Grady from the side of the square. “Zen, the council has met and decided that your business is important for the town. As such its rebuilding will be a town project - we are all going to chip in to help. Work starts this evening. Lets try to get you up and running by the end of the week.”

Li watched his brother stumble over his thanks. He was glad his brother was happy and that things were picking up for him. He was amazed at the people of the village. But he could not get rid of the feeling that this could have been worse. What if Zen had been trapped in the building. Or someone else. And why was no one trying to figure out what had happened? Li was sure he knew. This had been Simon’s work. And if nothing changed then he would just do it again.

Li was surprised and glad at how generous people were being to help his brother rebuild. But he also knew there could be limits to that kind of generosity. If the workshop burnt down again things might be very different. Well Li would have to find Simon and make sure that didn't happen. He thought of going to Grady with his suspicions but he had no proof. No better he dealt with this himself.