The party leaves the loft and crosses Cooper’s Lane into the cooper’s yard. Cedar scent hangs beneath the open shed roof, mingling with rain-dark earth, shavings, and the clean bite of fresh-cut wood.
Serren carries the shelf measurements against their chest. The Boatman, Net-Mender, and Wharf Cook follow with the gathered tools and cord, turning the short walk into a small procession from home to workshop.
The Cooper
These are the seasoned boards. This one has the least warping, and this one came from an older Bellmere household.
The Cooper lays the boards across trestles. One bears a faded maker’s sign, nearly lost beneath years of planing, its worn grain warm as old honey.
Serren Vale
That board feels right for the shelf. It has already held something worth keeping.
Wood dust settles over the trestles as the board is turned toward the light. Together, the group studies its knots and straight edges, choosing the surface that will protect Carciel’s compact and his mother’s picture for years to come.
“I approve this board for our shelf”
Carciel
“I approve this board for our shelf.”
The Cooper taps the board’s faded maker’s sign, then marks its chosen face with a carpenter’s pencil. Serren folds the measurements open across the trestle, and the shelf’s foundation is set in Bellmere wood.
✓ Quest Accepted
Set the chosen board as the shelf’s durable foundation
“I hold the board steady while Serren checks the measurements.”
Carciel’s steady hands keep the board firm while Serren checks each measurement against its edge. The marks align cleanly, and the salvaged wood proves sound enough to carry the shelf and the memories it will hold.
Quest Complete
Set the chosen board as the shelf’s durable foundation