Adventure of Pando 1

Pando, Tessa, and Avaris arrive at the deeded Bellmarket house with their belongings and Captain Vey’s arranged supplies. The public lane opens behind them, bright with late afternoon traffic.

The house stands modestly but soundly around a small garden. Near the wall, a carpenter’s measuring cord lies beside a heavy tool chest, waiting for its first use.

Inside, the upper room tells the immediate truth: fresh water stains spread across the ceiling, warped boards buckle underfoot, and a narrow stream of daylight slips beneath damaged tiles.

Below, the supplies remain stacked beside the entry, while the garden wall catches the fading light. Tessa looks between the stained ceiling and the waiting tools; Avaris stands quietly beside her.

The house is secured, the repair materials are ready, and the carpenter’s equipment offers a practical beginning. Nothing moves until the family chooses how to inspect the damage and claim the rooms.

A closer inspection settles the question. The leak has soaked through the upper room’s floorboards, and several supports beneath them have softened beyond safe repair.

A loose board flexes under its own weight near the stained section. Beneath it, the supporting joist shows dark rot where the water has traveled downward.

The tool chest below now has a clear purpose: the roof still needs tiles and timber, but the upper room also requires new floorboards and sound supports beneath them.

The upper room remains closed for now. Their first repair has become larger than expected, but the house is still theirs, and the damaged floor has given them a definite place to begin.

Pando kneels beside the softened boards and studies the grain, gaps, and joists beneath the stained section. The rot follows the leak in a narrow, traceable line rather than spreading across the whole floor.

By lifting one loose edge without bearing weight on it, Pando finds the damage’s full boundary. Most of the floorboards can be salvaged, and the sound timber below offers firm points for temporary bracing.

The inspection gives them a precise repair plan: remove the rotten boards, replace two joist ends, and retile the leak above. The hidden dry space also lets the carpenter work from below, reducing the floor’s disruption.

Pando crosses to the entry and opens the waiting tool chest. Timber lengths, replacement boards, iron fasteners, and stacked roof tiles lie ready beside the carpenter’s cord.

He sorts the timber by grain and straightness, testing each piece against the measured span. His scraped palm protests around the boards, but the inspection stays controlled and precise.

Pando confirms the fit by laying the timber beside the exposed damage, then separates sound boards from warped ones. He finds enough usable material to reinforce both joist ends and replace the rotten section.

The repair plan is now complete: brace the sound supports, replace two joist ends and the damaged boards, then retile above. The house has everything needed to begin safely.

Pando retrieves the carpenter’s measuring cord and iron fasteners from the tool chest, then releases a thin stream of blood that hardens into a precise saw. Tessa and Avaris watch from the safe boards.

He measures the damaged span twice, marks the straight timber, and cuts away the rotten boards and two softened joist ends. The blood saw bites cleanly, though its edge consumes more blood than the cut should require.

Tessa kneels on the stable side and slides the iron fasteners within reach. Pando fits the replacement timber beneath the opening, bracing the sound supports before setting the new boards flush.

Pando drives the fasteners through the boards and into the reinforced joists. The hole disappears beneath a firm, level patch, while several prepared boards and part of the blood tool are spent.

The upper room gains a solid floor beneath the damaged roof. Pando’s scraped palm stings around the saw’s grip, so he dismisses the blood tool and wraps his hand before continuing.

Tessa glances toward Avaris, then steps carefully across the repaired boards. Avaris follows without hesitation, leaving the upper room clear for Pando and his final work.

They descend and pull the door nearly closed behind them, leaving a narrow line of light across the repaired floor. Their footsteps settle below, close enough to hear but no longer in the room.

The upper room is quiet at last. Timber, tiles, and the remaining tools wait around Pando, while the damaged roof admits one thin strip of fading daylight.

Pando releases a thin stream of blood across the repaired boards, guiding it in even lines along the grain. The blood-fire follows without flaring beyond its chosen path.

A controlled warmth passes over the wood. Moisture fades, the surface hardens, and the boards take on a smooth dark finish that deepens the grain without charring it.

He draws the fire into the remaining seams and joist joins, tempering the repaired section until it matches the older floor. The new boards settle firm and level beneath the quiet heat.

The blood-fire folds back into the thin stream and vanishes. No smoke remains, only the clean scent of warmed timber and a dark, finished floor ready to bear weight.

Beyond the nearly closed door, Tessa waits for permission to return while Avaris remains nearby. The upper room now has a sound floor and a dark finish, its last work completed safely.

Pando looks toward the door with a smile. The invitation carries clearly through the narrow opening, and the waiting presence beyond it answers without hesitation.

Tessa opens the door and steps onto the newly tempered boards, testing them with careful weight. Avaris follows close behind, her gaze moving over the finished floor and repaired joins.

Tessa walks farther in and looks toward the stained ceiling, while Avaris kneels briefly to inspect the sealed seams. The room now welcomes them both, awaiting only the roof repair above.

Pando steps to the window and studies the roofline from inside, tracing the stains upward to the damaged tiles. The leak follows one narrow run above the repaired floor.

From the garden, he checks the eaves and the visible slope. Three tiles are cracked, two have shifted, and the surrounding rafters remain dry and straight.

He follows the water’s path along the underside of the roof and finds no wider rot. The repair will need replacement tiles, fresh flashing, and careful sealing around the joint.

Pando raises his focus toward the damaged roof. A smooth stream of shadow spreads beneath the missing flashing, filling the gap and sealing the narrow leak against the fading light.

The shadow settles into a firm temporary cover, angled to shed rain away from the repaired floor. It holds without strain, leaving the sound rafters and fresh boards untouched.

Tessa gathers the carpenter’s measurements from the entry while Avaris watches the shadow seal along the roofline. The house is protected for now, and the needed materials are clear.

Pando heads toward Bellmarket’s public lane to obtain replacement tiles, flashing, and sealing pitch, leaving the upper room secured behind him.

Pando reaches Bellmarket’s public lane as evening settles. A young adult woman with a sturdy build, brown skin, and tightly braided black hair stands beneath a striped awning, surrounded by stacked tiles and coiled metal flashing.

Mira measures the flashing against Pando’s notes, wearing a deep-blue wool dress and russet apron, with a brass tile-shaped brooch at her throat, checks the pitch’s seal, and names a fair price. His explanation of the damaged roof earns her immediate trust, and she accepts the purse without haggling.

Pando leaves the stall with six replacement tiles, wrapped flashing, and a sealed pot of pitch secured against his side. The materials are paid for and ready to take back to the Bellmarket house.

The public lane remains bright behind him as he turns toward home. Tessa and Avaris are waiting with the temporary roof cover in place, and the repair can now be completed properly.

Pando summons his shadow wing and secures the tiles, wrapped flashing, and sealed pitch against his side. He rises cleanly from the lane toward the Bellmarket roof.

The wing carries him above the eaves without jarring the supplies. He settles beside the damaged section, where the temporary shadow cover seals the missing flashing below the cracked tiles.

Pando leans over the roof opening and looks through the hole into the upper room. The repaired floor lies firm beneath him, and Tessa and Avaris look up from below.

Pando waves through the opening. Tessa waves back from the finished floor, while Avaris raises a hand beside her. Evening light catches the waiting tiles and metal flashing.

Pando sets the six tiles beside the opening and unrolls the lead flashing. He lifts the cracked pieces free, keeping his weight on the sound rafters and the temporary shadow cover.

He slides the flashing beneath the intact tiles, folds its edge over the joint, and beds the new pieces into place. The sealing pitch fills every narrow gap before the remaining light fades.

Pando presses each tile until the roofline sits even, then checks the repaired run from the eave. Water now has a clean path away from the upper room and its newly finished floor.

Pando gathers the spent fragments and closes the roof opening with the final tile. Evening settles over Bellmarket, but the upper room is dry, sound, and ready to become part of their home.

Pando steps from the sound rafters and drops from the roof. He twists in the fading light, clears the eave, and lands lightly in the packed garden soil.

The landing settles beneath him without a stumble. His wrapped palm stays clear of the impact, while the repaired roof holds above the dry upper room.

Tessa steps from the doorway into the garden, looking from Pando to the even roofline. Evening traffic murmurs beyond the wall as Bellmarket begins to feel lived in.

Avaris joins them beside the garden path. Fresh pitch darkens the roof joints, the tool chest waits by the wall, and the house opens around their first completed repair.

Pando gathers Tessa and Avaris into a tight embrace in the garden. Tessa presses close at his side, while Avaris folds her arms around them both beneath the fading Bellmarket light.

The words settle warmly between them. Behind their shoulders, the repaired house stands dry and sound, its garden path opening toward the rooms they will fill together.

Tessa’s arms tighten briefly around Pando, and Avaris rests her cheek against him. The three remain joined beside the garden wall as evening gathers over their first home.

Pando looks toward the darkening sky above Bellmarket. The last light rests along the rooftops, and evening gathers softly around the garden wall.

Tessa loosens her embrace but keeps one hand in Pando’s. She glances toward the house, then back at the fading garden, reluctant only to leave the evening behind.

Avaris guides the door open while Tessa gives the garden one final look. Together they step inside, carrying the warmth of their first evening home toward the rooms upstairs.

Pando guides Tessa up the stairs with Avaris beside him. The house is quiet now, its repaired boards firm beneath their careful steps and the evening sounds softened beyond the walls.

At the upper landing, he opens the smaller room beside the repaired chamber. A narrow bed, a chest, and a window overlooking the garden wait beneath the newly dry roof.

Tessa crosses to the window and rests her hand on the sill, looking down at the garden wall and the dark path leading toward the public lane. Avaris remains near the doorway.

Tessa sets her few belongings on the chest and leaves the door open toward the landing. The room becomes hers without shutting the household away, and Avaris settles beside Pando as Tessa prepares for sleep.

Pando sits beside Tessa while she settles beneath the blanket. The small room grows quieter around them, carrying the faint scent of dry timber and evening air from the open door.

Tessa adjusts the pillow and draws the blanket to her shoulders. Her belongings rest neatly on the chest, and the open doorway leaves a clear view of Pando and Avaris on the landing.

Pando remains seated beside the bed as Tessa’s breathing slows. Beyond the open door, Avaris keeps quiet company, while the garden rests beneath the dark Bellmarket sky.

Pando offers his hand across the blanket. Tessa takes it carefully, and her fingers settle around his while the open doorway keeps Avaris nearby.

Tessa’s grip relaxes as her breathing grows slow and even. Pando remains beside the bed, his offered hand steady while the house settles into its first quiet night.

Her eyes close at last. Avaris watches from the landing without disturbing the quiet, and Tessa falls asleep still holding Pando’s hand.

Avaris’s answer passes through the bond as softly as the house settling around them. Tessa sleeps undisturbed, still holding Pando’s hand beneath the blanket.

Beyond the open door, moonlight lays a pale path across the landing. The repaired boards hold firm, and faint market sounds drift through the window toward the sleeping garden.

Avaris remains beside Pando on the landing, keeping her presence gentle and unintrusive. Inside the small room, Tessa’s breathing stays slow while the new home holds them all.

Pando gently guides Tessa’s hand down to her side, easing his fingers free without disturbing her steady sleep. Her breathing remains slow and peaceful.

He rises from the bedside and crosses the small room on silent feet. The open door gives him a clear path to the landing.

Avaris withdraws from the doorway just enough for Pando to pass. Together, they leave Tessa’s door open and step onto the moonlit landing.

The door remains ajar behind them, framing Tessa’s sleeping room. Moonlight rests across the repaired boards as Pando and Avaris move softly toward the stairs.

Avaris answers through the bond, and the quiet agreement makes the landing feel warmer. She turns toward the larger repaired room while keeping her steps silent.

They cross the moonlit landing and enter their room. The dry boards hold beneath them, and the window overlooks the garden, where the first Bellmarket night lies undisturbed.

Avaris closes the door until only a narrow line of moonlight remains. The extra privacy gives them the room entirely to themselves, a small unasked-for gift in their first home.

Pando lets his gaze travel across the larger room. The repaired boards lie level beneath the moonlight, while the bed, chest, and simple washstand wait in quiet order.

The window overlooks the small garden and the wall beyond it. Moonlight catches the roof’s fresh pitch through the glass, and the room carries the clean scent of dry timber.

Avaris moves slowly around the room, examining the open shelves, the folded blankets, and the faint marks left by the carpenter’s work. She touches nothing, leaving each choice for them to make together.

Pando sits on the bed, letting its solid frame take his weight. The repaired boards remain quiet beneath him, and the room holds its calm around the choice to stop for the night.

Avaris settles beside him without crowding him. Moonlight lies across the chest and washstand, while the garden beyond the window rests behind its quiet wall.

The house gives no demand in return. From the next room comes only the faint, even rhythm of Tessa’s sleep, and the quiet deepens around Pando and Avaris.

Pando eases himself onto the bed, lowering his weight onto the firm mattress without disturbing the quiet room. The repaired boards remain still beneath the bed.

Avaris settles beside him, leaving him room to rest. Moonlight crosses the washstand and the closed chest, while the garden lies quiet beyond the window.

From the adjoining room, Tessa’s breathing remains slow and even. Her open door leaves a thin band of darkness across the landing, connecting the quiet rooms.

The house settles around Pando and Avaris with small wooden creaks. Nothing demands an answer, and the bed holds him safely as the night deepens.

Before dawn, Pando rises quietly and prepares a warm breakfast from their provisions. He sets fresh bread, fruit, and spiced tea on the kitchen table, then adds a small wrapped parcel beside Tessa’s place.

Avaris helps arrange the table without disturbing the sleeping room. Beside the parcel, Pando leaves a simple hand-drawn plan for the garden and future training yard, marked with room for Tessa’s choices.

Morning light reaches the upper landing. Tessa wakes, follows the scent downstairs, and stops at the kitchen threshold when she sees the breakfast waiting beneath the first Bellmarket sun.

Tessa opens the parcel and finds a sturdy set of garden gloves and a small measuring cord, useful for choosing the training yard without deciding its shape in advance. Her face brightens.

Pando reaches toward the bread, but the plate is already empty. Tessa has taken the last piece, leaving only crumbs beside the fruit and tea.

Tessa breaks her piece in two and sets half on the table between them, but Pando’s reaching hand meets only the empty plate. The missing bread turns breakfast into a small lesson in sharing what remains.

Avaris indicates the fruit bowl and steaming tea. The bread is gone for now, but breakfast still offers Pando a clear choice: accept Tessa’s half, or share the remaining food differently.

Pando reaches past the empty plate and takes a firm red apple and the steaming tea. Tessa watches him, still holding her half of the bread.

Tessa takes a bite and relaxes at once. Pando lifts the apple and tea, while morning light brightens the garden plan beside his plate.

The small agreement settles breakfast peacefully. Tessa finishes her bread, Pando has the apple and tea, and the baker’s shop becomes their first Bellmarket errand.

Tessa gathers the garden gloves and measuring cord while Avaris clears the breakfast things. They leave through the public lane, giving Pando the garden and its unfinished choices.

The door closes behind them. Pando measures from the garden wall to the house, marking a level rectangle that leaves room for footwork, safe retreats, and a clear path to the kitchen.

He sets the measuring cord along the boundary and drives short stakes into the soil, then uses the gloves to clear stones and stubborn roots without disturbing the garden beds.

By the time the lane quiets, the training yard is laid out: level ground, marked edges, a rack position, and enough open space for Tessa to shape the lessons herself.

Pando surveys the marked yard and chooses a place beyond the footwork lanes, where a practice figure will not obstruct retreats or the path to the kitchen.

He gathers straight scrap timber from the repair supplies and arranges a stable post with a crossbar, giving the figure shoulders, a centerline, and room for safe practice strikes.

Careful joints hold the frame upright in the packed soil. Pando adds a padded outer shape from spare cloth and straw, keeping the surface firm enough to receive a wooden blade without becoming harsh.

He marks simple targets across the chest and limbs, then leaves the surrounding ground clear so Tessa can practice approach, recovery, and retreat without the dummy deciding anything for her.

The finished training figure stands at the yard’s edge, steady beneath the late morning light. It waits for Tessa’s judgment and can be adjusted whenever she chooses a different lesson.

Pando steps into the marked yard and tests the figure’s joints with a firm shove. The post holds, its packed footing barely shifting beneath the pressure.

He drives one controlled punch into the padded chest, then follows with a second strike across the marked shoulder. Straw compresses, cloth tightens, and the timber gives a blunt thud without splitting.

The figure rocks once and settles upright. Its joints remain firm, the post stays rooted, and the padded surface shows only two shallow dents where Pando struck.

From the house, the new dummy stands ready at the yard’s edge, sturdy enough for Tessa’s first unsupervised drills and simple enough to repair or reshape with her consent.

Pando lifts his hand to his eye and reaches through their bond. The yard, the sturdy training figure, and the waiting house sharpen within their shared sight.

Avaris’s awareness settles beside his own, not replacing what he sees but opening the same view to her. The packed soil, marked yard, and padded target become common ground.

The shared sight remains gentle and steady. Avaris sees the dummy as Pando does, while the house and quiet garden stay present at the edge of their awareness, ready for Tessa’s return.

Pando steps back inside the house, leaving the training yard and sturdy dummy in the morning light. The repaired boards hold firm beneath his feet.

Avaris’s answer arrives clearly through the bond, carrying the easy rhythm of a peaceful errand. No alarm touches her voice, and Bellmarket’s lane remains safe.

The house settles around Pando, bright with the promise of breakfast and returning footsteps. Outside, the marked yard waits for Tessa’s judgment when she comes home.

Pando lays out bread, sliced cheese, greens, and preserved meat, arranging sandwiches across the kitchen table while morning light reaches through the window.

Through the bond, Avaris turns her attention toward the lane and the baker’s shop. Pando finishes the sandwiches, leaving space on the table for Tessa’s answer.

The sandwiches are ready beneath a clean cloth, and Tessa’s answer reaches the kitchen without hesitation: the idea is welcome, but the choice and responsibility belong to the family together.

Pando pours juice into a cup and sets it beside the sandwiches. Through the bond, Avaris carries his question to Tessa, but the answer does not come easily.

The question produces no clear favorite. Tessa studies the sandwiches instead, realizing that liking an animal is not the same as knowing what care it will need.

Pando’s question crosses the bond while the sandwiches wait on the table. Avaris carries it plainly, without turning the suggestion into a decision already made.

Tessa’s answer opens the possibility but places responsibility beside it. She looks toward the public lane, already imagining a visit where the animal, not the household’s excitement, sets the terms.

Pando looks through the kitchen window toward Bellmarket’s lane. The morning light catches passing figures, while the sandwiches wait beneath their cloth.

Through the bond, Avaris shares the view of Tessa approaching with a wrapped loaf tucked against her chest. The errand has gone safely, but the baker has clearly heard about the wolf.

Footsteps approach along the lane. Tessa and Avaris will be home within moments, carrying fresh bread and a new obligation: the wolf must be met on its keeper’s terms before anyone decides its future.

The lane brightens as Tessa and Avaris reach the garden gate. Tessa carries the wrapped loaf carefully, while Avaris’s quiet presence confirms that Pando’s reassurance has settled the question.

Tessa steps into the garden and offers Pando the loaf, her expression bright with relieved anticipation. Avaris follows, closing the gate against the busy lane.

The fresh bread joins the sandwiches on the kitchen table. With the visit agreed for today and no decision forced, the household gathers around breakfast to plan their first Bellmarket outing.

Tessa sets down her breakfast and steps into the garden, measuring cord in hand. She studies the marked yard, the clear retreat lanes, and the padded training figure from every angle.

Tessa walks the boundary, checks the distance from the garden beds to the kitchen path, and shifts two stakes outward. The yard now leaves room for footwork without crowding the house.

Tessa raises her practice knife and approaches the padded figure. She feints toward its shoulder, recovers her footing, then strikes the marked centerline and steps cleanly back.

Tessa returns the practice knife to the rack and leaves the altered stakes in place. The training area has passed her inspection, ready for further lessons after their Bellmarket outing.

Pando pats Tessa’s head, and she leans briefly into the touch before glancing back at the altered stakes and the padded training figure.

Tessa checks the garden path once more, then returns the measuring cord to the table. The practice yard remains open, leaving a clear route from the house to the waiting lane.

Tessa takes Pando’s hand and starts toward the house, while Avaris follows beside them. Fresh bread, the baker’s directions, and the promised visit wait beyond the garden gate.

Pando’s question travels gently through the bond as he and Tessa reach the house. Avaris pauses beside the garden gate, considering the rooms and the life taking shape within them.

Avaris’s answer settles into the bond with quiet certainty. She looks toward the unused side room beneath the stairs, then to the garden path beyond the open gate.

Tessa steps closer, listening with bright interest. The side room, garden-facing table, and simple bell become the first additions named for the house, each preserving welcome and choice.

Pando turns toward Avaris with a sly smirk, keeping the promise deliberately vague. The garden gate stands open behind him, and the unfinished house waits beyond it.

Avaris’s amusement warms the bond without pressing into Pando’s thoughts. She glances toward the side room beneath the stairs, then deliberately looks away from it.

Tessa’s smile joins the teasing as she carries the fresh bread toward the kitchen. The house gains its first hidden plan, while the reading room remains a promise waiting to take shape.

Pando boops Tessa’s nose before she can escape toward the kitchen. She blinks up at him, bread tucked safely against her side, then breaks into a grin.

Tessa taps one finger against her chin with exaggerated seriousness, then carries the loaf into the kitchen. The open side room remains innocent beneath the stairs.

Tessa sets the bread beside the sandwiches and glances toward the side room, visibly fighting a smile. The secret remains yours for now, while the house waits to see what it becomes.

Pando retrieves the sandwiches from the kitchen table and turns toward Avaris and Tessa. His hip catches the table corner, leaving a sharp bruise, but he keeps both meals steady.

Pando hands one sandwich to Avaris and one to Tessa, completing the offer despite the bruise blooming along his hip.

The three gather around the kitchen table with their sandwiches. Morning light falls across the garden plan, while the planned visit and the keeper’s answers wait beyond breakfast.

Pando reaches for his sandwich, but the place before him is empty. He checks beside the plate and beneath the table’s edge; only crumbs remain.

Tessa lifts her sandwich, revealing the wrapped loaf she brought from the baker beneath it. The remaining bread is enough to make Pando another meal, though not the sandwich he reached for.

The missing sandwich turns breakfast into a small resupply choice rather than a finished meal. The loaf, cheese, and greens remain within reach, offering a clear way to eat without taking Tessa’s portion.

Tessa pauses with the loaf in hand, then glances toward the garden and the practice yard. The joke lands, turning the missing sandwich into a possible lesson.

Tessa accepts the idea, but points the bread at Pando with a warning smile. The successful joke earns him a concrete obligation before training begins.

Pando leads Tessa and Avaris through the garden gate and along Bellmarket’s bright lane. Their breakfast errand becomes a quick visit, with the fresh bread still safely set aside at home.

Mira’s striped awning appears around the corner, sheltering stacked tiles and coiled flashing. She looks up as the family approaches, recognizing Pando before he reaches the stall.

Mira gives Tessa the directions and repeats the keeper’s name so there is no confusion. The route and invitation are clear, and the north lane opens ahead toward an honest meeting.

Mira’s smile turns genuine as she folds the route into Tessa’s hands. The north lane opens beyond the stall, bright between the old bell tower and the meadow road.

Tessa tucks the directions safely into her pocket and reaches for Pando’s hand. Avaris walks beside them as they leave the awning and turn into Bellmarket’s north lane.

The old bell tower rises ahead, its weathered stones pale in the afternoon sun. Beyond it, a meadow fence leads toward a green-painted cottage and the promised meeting.