As the boys had their little sparring session and the couples danced, the 10 newcomers looked at each other and then just talked amongst each other.
With that, the evening passed and soon the first rays of sunlight shone upon the valley.
"Ahh, what a nice morning! It's good to be alive!", Harkon said while coming out of his house.
Even though they just stayed up late the day before, it was a custom in the village to never let the business of yesterday interfere with the business of today.
"Ugh, how can they be so lively in the morning", one of the soldiers of the newcomers said. They were given a big room with 10 beds to sleep in, because they couldn't afford to give them several buildings due to the damage from the storm.
"Careful with that tongue, unless you want to pay for its sins.", Ilis said. He didn't wish to offend the villagers after all the trouble he went through. That being said, he couldn't be any more irritated as he himself was still tired from yesterday.
The newcomers weren't used to this strict lifestyle. The soldiers in the group could somehow bear it, but the others were tired. The man with the glasses was an appraiser the king sent with the group, and Ilis himself was a prince, so they were definitely not used to this type of lifestyle.
Still, they got up, gathered their belongings and went out.
Meeting up with Harkon, Ilis began to bid him farewell: "Although our time spent together was short, it was most meaningful. I wish you good luck with the reparations, and I will hurry to come back and continue our trading relations, as it means that much to me."
"Your words are always a pleasure to hear mister Ilis.", Harkon said. "I wish you a good journey back to your hometown, and to find your kids back in good health."
"I'm not married yet mister Harkon", Ilis laughed.
"This is our way of bidding someone farewell when they go out mister Ilis", Leigh interjected.
"How peculiar", Ilis said, with a glint in his eye.
When everything was done and finished, the newcomers packed up, got to their horses, and started to make their way back.
When they got to the foggy path, Leigh noticed how effortlessly the newcomers went through it and didn't return after a long time. This not only shocked him, it made him wonder what made them so different.
"Why can they go, but we can't?", Leigh just couldn't understand why they couldn't pass the fog.
Still thinking about it, he felt Harkon's hand on his shoulder.
"Looks like that path still lingers in your mind son, but this time I will not reprimand you. Because I myself begin to question the path that lies before us."
Leigh fell into deep thought after hearing his father, trying to think of the possible changes that the newcomers will bring along with them.
However, Harkon wasn't done speaking yet.
"Tell me, do you think we are staying in this valley because we want to, or because of something else?"
As the question flowed out his father's mouth, the surroundings seemed to slow down.
Time itself flowed slower. Not a sound could be heard, and even the wind stopped blowing, as if something important might be missed if one didn't pay attention.
"If we are not here because we wish to, then that leaves us two other options.", Leigh said effortlessly, because he said what comes next countless times to himself.
"We are either hiding here, or are trapped. I think trapped to be honest, because we tried to get out but couldn't. We don't even seem to remember why.", the boy had already theorised about it countless times, but it was the first time his father spoke so freely to him about it.
"I do not know what the answer is, but I know that whatever it was doesn't matter anymore. People came here, and went out again. There are those from the village who will ask questions, of whom I am the first. And for the first time in a long time, I don't know the answer to the questions the villagers will pose."
The wind started blowing again, and time seemed to return to normal again.
Harkon felt a headache coming, not from annoyance this time, but from fear. Yes, the chief feared what might come, not because of its hardship, but for the survival of his village against the unknown.
"Whatever questions we have will be answered with time father. We never shied away from a challenge, or did the Emrys suddenly become scaredy cats?", Leigh joked.
The boy may have even more questions than his father, but he knew that now was not the time for questions, but for silence.
"I guess we need to hurry up and repair the village, so our new friends can arrive to a welcoming sight.", Harkon said, deciding to do what he can for now.
"Festos! How are the reparations coming along?", Harkon said as he saw the head carpenter from afar, looking curiously at the foggy path as well.
"Chief Harkon, good day to you sir. We are continuing as planned, just a couple of more days and everything will be finished."
Festos was a villager coming from a carpenter family, and he was so skilled in it, that he became the head carpenter after the years of success and renown he had garnered from the villagers.
The man was always recognisable with his dirtied white shirt ,brown skin and hairy arms. Even though he worked a physically demanding job, he still succeeded in having a large belly, in which he took great pride. He would always say that it was a sign of his great health, and that it meant he would be able to work longer and better because of it.
"However chief, I am a bit afraid of falling behind on schedule because of the slacking youth these days…", Festos said, throwing a glance at Leigh.
"This sly little…", before Leigh could finish his cursing, Harkon turned to look to Leigh as well.
"Who? Leigh?! If that's the case, I can trust the head carpenter with providing extra work for him and the others. Let them compensate for the time they wasted with double the work!", Harkon laughed while talking, but his eyes locked with Leigh, and Leigh saw the sly smile in his own father's eyes as well.
As it turned out, he was set up by his own flesh and blood.
"Of course chief, I knew you would think of an acceptable solution!", Festos said happily.
Not even waiting for Leigh's opinion on the matter, he dragged the boy over to a nearby rebuilding site.
When he arrived there, lo and behold, Adamas could be seen there as well. However, he seemed to have received a smack on his head a little while ago, as Leigh could see a glaring bulge on his head.
Leigh understood immediately that a conspiracy had taken place against the 2 young men.
"You too?", Adamas asked with what looked like tears in his eyes.
"Yeah", Leigh answered.
"Mom or dad?", Adamas asked.
"Dad. You?"
"Mom"
"Seems we both got the short end of the stick this time", Leigh sighed.
"Yup"
And with that said, the boys began their assigned work for the day.