Chapter 1794

Layla had brought her journal and was making notes about the rainfall.

"I want to keep track of how much water we receive during each season," she explained. "It might help us understand which crops grow best at different times."

"That’s useful," Jude said.

"We could also mark the places where water gathers," Natalie added. "Some of the lower garden beds become too wet."

"Then we should improve the drainage there," Jude replied.

Layla wrote that down.

Scarlet leaned over to look at the journal.

"You’re turning the island into a book."

"Someone should record what we learn," Layla answered.

"Then record this: rain makes people lazy."

"That’s not particularly useful."

"It is if you’re trying to understand people."

Sophie laughed into her cup.

After breakfast, the group settled into the slower rhythm of a rainy day. Some stayed inside their cabins, while others found sheltered tasks beneath the roofs.

Grace and Stella worked on clay pots near the covered area beside the firepit. They had collected clay from the riverbank several days earlier and were now shaping small containers for storing herbs and seeds.

Stella wanted the pots to be narrow and tall.

Grace preferred wider ones.

They spent several minutes comparing their designs.

"Your version will tip over easily," Grace said.

"Not if the base is wide enough."

"But then it won’t be narrow."

Stella looked at the clay in her hands.

"Perhaps we should make both."

Grace smiled. "That would be sensible."

Nearby, Emma and Susan were preparing food for the afternoon. They had decided to make a large batch of vegetable cakes, using mashed roots, herbs, and a little flour.

Rose helped knead the mixture, while Serena sliced fruit for a sweet dish.

The smell soon spread through the village.

Jude was repairing a loose wooden latch beneath the shelter when Scarlet appeared beside him.

"What are you doing?"

"Fixing this."

"Why?"

"Because it’s loose."

She examined the latch.

"Could we make it bigger?"

"Why?"

"So it looks better."

Jude turned toward her.

"It’s a latch."

"Everything can look better."

He tightened the final peg and tested it.

"There. Finished."

Scarlet pulled the latch open and closed it several times.

"It works."

"That was the idea."

She seemed to consider something.

"Do you think we could build a covered sitting area beside the firepit?"

Jude looked toward the central shelter. "We already have one."

"Not a proper one. A larger roof with benches around the sides. Somewhere everyone can sit when it rains."

He glanced at the gathering area. The current canopy was sufficient for cooking, but there wasn’t enough room for everyone to sit comfortably beneath it.

"That might actually be useful."

Scarlet looked delighted.

"I knew you’d agree."

"I’m not agreeing to build it today."

Her expression fell.

"Why does everyone keep saying that?"

"Because it’s raining."

"Rain is not an excuse to stop building."

"It’s a very good excuse when the building requires working outside."

Scarlet folded her arms.

"Fine. We’ll build it when the weather improves."

Jude smiled. "We’ll discuss it."

She walked away, apparently satisfied.

By midday, the rain began to soften. The mist still hung over the forest, but the drops falling from the trees were smaller and less frequent.

Jude decided to inspect the drainage channels around the village.

Natalie joined him, carrying a wooden spade. They followed the paths between the cabins, checking where water had gathered.

The channel near the vegetable garden was working properly, but a small section beside the western fence had become blocked with leaves and mud.

Natalie crouched to examine it.

"This is where the water is collecting."

Jude used a stick to clear the opening.

The water began flowing again, slowly at first, then more steadily.

"We should make this channel deeper," he said.

Natalie nodded. "And perhaps add another one along the fence."

They worked together, removing mud and redirecting the water toward a shallow depression farther from the cabins.

As they worked, Sophie and Serena approached carrying a basket of vegetables.

"We’ve checked the eastern beds," Sophie said. "The rain hasn’t damaged anything."

"Good," Jude replied.

Serena pointed toward the garden.

"The new vine has grown quite a lot."

Natalie smiled. "I told you it was doing well."

"It’s almost reached the top of its support."

"Then we’ll need to extend it."

Jude looked at the vine in the distance.

"Let’s wait until the ground dries. We don’t want to disturb the roots."

The four of them continued toward the western fence.

It had been one of their unfinished projects for several days. Some of the wooden posts had become loose, and the lower section needed reinforcing. The rain had made the ground too soft for proper repairs, but they could at least gather the materials.

Jude checked the posts while Natalie collected fallen branches. Sophie sorted the usable pieces, and Serena carried them toward the sheltered area.

They worked until the sky began to brighten.

Then, unexpectedly, the rain stopped.

The forest became strangely quiet.

Water continued dripping from the leaves, and the sound of the stream grew louder as the fresh rainfall flowed downhill.

Jude looked upward.

"Perhaps we can finish the fence after all."

Natalie smiled. "I was hoping you would say that."

They gathered the tools and returned to the western boundary.

The repair was straightforward. They replaced two weakened posts, tightened the rope bindings, and added a lower crosspiece to prevent smaller animals from slipping underneath.

Jude held the final post while Natalie secured it.

Sophie checked the alignment from the other side.

"It’s straight."

Serena stepped back and examined the entire section.

"It looks much stronger now."

Jude pressed against the post.

It barely moved.

"Good. That should hold."

By the time they returned to the village, the clouds had begun breaking apart. Sunlight appeared between them, and the wet leaves glittered as the breeze moved through the trees.

The flower garden looked refreshed. The stones around the planted sections were dark with rain, and the little wooden markers stood firmly in the damp soil.