Chapter 131: Play Area

Anaria woke to an empty shelter.

She reached across the bedding out of habit, but her hand met only the rumpled blanket where Rylan had been. He must have left early. Considering how close the elders’ shelter was to completion, she supposed he had gone to help with the construction.

She sat up slowly, waiting for the familiar ache in her leg to settle. Her body was still sore from the previous night, but the pain was no longer as bad as before. After carefully dressing, she adjusted the wrap around her injured leg and stepped outside.

The settlement was already awake.

Villagers moved between the shelters, some carrying baskets while others headed toward the cooking area. A little farther away, the sound of wood being hammered together came from the elders’ shelter.

Anaria spotted Rylan, Kenai, and Kai among the workers. They were occupied with the construction, so she decided not to disturb them. There was something she needed to take care of herself.

"System, task update."

A familiar panel appeared before her.

[Task: Improve the well-being of the settlement.]

[Current Objective: Establish a safe play area for the children.]

Anaria nodded.

She had been thinking about this task since the previous day. The settlement was gradually becoming more organized, but the children still had nowhere suitable to play. They ran around wherever they pleased, often wandering close to cooking fires or the areas where the adults worked.

With the settlement growing, that could easily become a problem.

She followed the path toward an open space near the center of the settlement. The area was wide enough to accommodate several children, but it was little more than bare earth scattered with rocks and dry branches.

Anaria stopped in the middle and looked around.

"This will do."

It would need some work, of course. The ground had to be cleared, and the larger stones removed. They would also need wood for a simple climbing structure and a fence to keep the younger children from wandering too far.

She could already imagine the children playing there.

The thought brought a small smile to her face.

Anaria turned toward the nearby shelters and called for the villagers. It did not take long for a few curious faces to appear. Some approached immediately, while others finished their tasks before joining her.

When enough people had gathered, she explained what she wanted to do.

"I want us to turn this space into a play area for the children."

A few villagers exchanged glances.

"A place for them to play?" one woman asked.

Anaria nodded. "Yes. Somewhere they can run around without getting in the way of the cooking or construction. We can clear the ground, remove the rocks, and spread softer material over the surface. Then we can build a small climbing structure and put up a fence around the area."

One of the older men looked around thoughtfully.

"It is a good idea. The little ones are always underfoot when we work."

"Exactly." Anaria smiled. "And some of them are still too young to understand when something is dangerous. A proper play area would make things easier for everyone."

The woman who had spoken first nodded in agreement.

"Then we should begin before the sun gets too hot."

That was all the encouragement Anaria needed.

She divided the work among the villagers. Some would clear the ground, others would collect wood, and a few could gather dry grass and other soft materials to spread over the cleared earth. The stronger men could handle the heavier work while the women helped organize the materials and keep the children away from the construction.

Soon, the quiet space was filled with activity.

Anaria rolled up her sleeves and joined the others, carefully moving smaller stones out of the way. She could not do as much heavy work as she wanted because of her leg, but there was still plenty she could manage.

Whenever someone was unsure about where something should go, she explained her plan. She wanted the climbing structure positioned near the middle, with enough space around it for the children to run without bumping into one another. The fence would surround the entire area, leaving a small entrance that adults could easily monitor.

It was simple, but it would serve its purpose.

As the villagers worked, a small boy came running toward her.

Tiku stopped in front of her, his curious eyes moving between the piles of wood and the adults digging into the earth.

"What are you building?"

Anaria crouched slightly to meet his gaze, careful not to put too much pressure on her injured leg.

"A place for you to play."

His eyes widened.

"For me?"

"For you and all the other children."

Tiku looked at the cleared patch of earth, then at the wood stacked nearby.

"Can I climb it?"

Anaria laughed softly at his eagerness.

"Once we finish building it, yes. But you have to be careful and listen when the adults tell you something is dangerous."

"I will!"

He ran off before she could say anything else, already shouting to the other children about their new play area.

Anaria watched him go with an amused smile.

At least someone was excited about the project.

Behind her, a familiar voice spoke.

"Where do you want these?"

She turned to find Kai carrying a large bundle of wood.

"Over there, near the climbing structure. We’ll need the thicker pieces for the frame."

Kai followed her gesture and dropped the wood in the indicated spot.

"All right. Anything else, chief?"

Anaria gave him a look.

"Since you’re already here, you can help them clear the rest of those rocks."

Kai placed a hand over his chest as though deeply wounded.

"I bring you wood, and you immediately give me more work?"

"Would you prefer that I ask someone else?"

"No, no. I was only appreciating your leadership."

He grinned and headed toward the group clearing the ground.

Anaria shook her head, smiling despite herself