Ralph was faced with a very different task, however. He began the construction of a blacksmith shop, slightly away from the main place of work. He did not work alone, but was assisted by Pran and Zuic, and aided by a dozen artisans and farmers who were skilled at working wood, stone, clay, and other building materials. Besides the blacksmith shop, they decided to build a separate house for themselves and their families. There were several reasons for this:
Ralph wanted to be near the shop, and he wasn’t especially fond of heights. Besides this, Theuli and Pran wanted to build a barn and stables, and it made sense to combine this with a blacksmith shop.
Several of the farmers had begun similar projects around the tree village, and soon there was a ring of stone buildings begun in a large circle. Some of these farmers had aided Ralph and Pran, as they would soon be needing metal objects and tools, and at present needed a temporary place for their horses and other livestock.
Theuli and Malina left the men to their work. With Rani’s assistance, their own work was in some ways more important. They transformed their rude surroundings into something that resembled home, as well as helping tend to the animals and looking after children. The work was very hard and the hours long. But in the days and weeks that followed, they saw the beginnings of their dreams taking shape.