The day quickly fell into one of peaceful but productive work.

  With Gro-Lag off in the part of Ambrose’s land that was far enough away for animals to roam, it left Ambrose alone to begin to work on digging out the river into a small lake.

  He waded and swam across to the side of his land that was partitioned of from the rest by the water, having not been on this side since he was first exploring. It wasn’t very big, using the shovel which was about half the length of his body he measured the distance from the water to the edge of his land. Once he was done, he determined that it was only about ten shovels across.

  We could probably just dig out most of this. He thought.

  He looked past where the border of his land ended and then back across the river.

  What to do with what we dig up though?

  They could just dump it, but Ambrose thought that might not be the most respectful thing to do to the forest. He squatted down and using the shovel lifted some of the ground. He took a handful and pushed it through his fingers. It's felt and looked similar to the clay they had been digging.

  I guess we could sell bricks?

  He looked across the river again.

  That's going to be a problem.

  He made his way back across and headed back to the camp to pounder a solution.

  As he entered the more sparsely wooded area, he noticed Trelen with their hands on Gro-Lag and his family’s hut.

  "If you need more clay, I think we have better places to get it." He said, as he walking up to them.

  "Is this just clay then?" They asked, ignoring his joke.

  "Clay packed around a wooden frame" Ambrose answered.

  Trelen nodded. "It won't last." They said flatly.

  "Do your people have a different idea of manners?" Ambrose replied, finding himself more annoyed than he thought he would be at their comment.

  Trelen looked at him almost like they were going to make a sharp comment back but seemingly caught themselves. "I don't mean to be rude, working on metal reinforcement for building was part of my work in my village."

  Ambrose nodded, very aware of the fact this was the first time that Trelen had mentioned anything about their home since they had told him about the slave ship.

  "I don't know a lot about building, but the ones I have seen being put up didn't seem to have any metal in them?"

  "The area my people lived suffered regularly from powerful storms, eventually regularly brick building would just fall apart, so we used metal rods to strengthen them." Trelen explained.

  Ambrose looked at the shacks that they had built. The area that Bramptonburg and the forest was located did get some rather powerful storms, but it being the dry season he hadn't given it much thought. It hadn't even rained more than a drizzle since he had gotten the land.

  "We put this up quite quickly, just so Gro-Lag and his family could move in so he would be able to stay here and work. Once we have some bricks made, we can always build them something more permanent." Said Ambrose.

  Trelen considered him for a moment. "What about you?" They asked.

  Ambrose looked at them confused. "Well, I guess I could move into this once their home was finished?"

  Trelen smiled and seemingly almost laughed at him comment. "Yeah, I guess you could."

  Ambrose's look of confusion continued until the Slovèi started to walk off, gesturing him to follow.

  They made their way to the where from Ambrose could see Trelen was currently cooking the bricks. They had made quite an impressive fire and had built a tower of brick around it. They were stacked so that the maximum amount of area was exposed to the heat. To Ambrose it looked impressive but also quite tenuously balanced.

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  "Are they ok like that?" Ambrose said, a few steps behind Trelen, not wanted to get to close to the stack in case he breathed too hard on it.

  "Yeah, this is how I used to cook bricks when I was young." Trelen response.

  Before Ambrose could process the strange response Trelen walked to a small pile of earth, picked up a handful and walked back over to him. He held it up to Ambrose face, a smile forming on his.

  "Can you see what I see?" They asked, gesturing with their eyes to their hand.

  Ambrose looked at the earth and then back to Trelen. "Dirt?"

  "I mean, yes, it is but look closer at what's in the dirt." They held to clump closer to Ambrose's face, who looked down at it.

  "Bugs?" Ambrose replied.

  Trelen gave him look reminiscent of one Tyrus had given him when he had asked if the moons were made of cheese.

  "Can you see the different color specks; they are all different minerals. Normally you wash your clay before you shape it to remove these and make better quality bricks."

  Ambrose sighed. "So, are you saying the bricks we have already made are useless?"

  Trelen smiled and shook their head. "These bricks are only going to be used to build a small kiln so I can fire some hot enough to be used to build a proper one."

  Ambrose nodded "Ok good, and I guess you know how to wash clay?"

  "Yes, but that’s not the main thing I wanted to show you. Do you see the red flex here?" They said, pointing at one section of the clump they were holding.

  Ambrose looked closely and could just make out a few crimson flecks in the dirt.

  "That's iron, it seems that the ground around here is rich in it." Trelen gestured to the surroundings with the hand that held the clay. "You might want to look into starting a mine."

  Ambrose began to considered the possibility; the image of the caves he had killed the deer in quickly flashing into his head. Before he could form a response Trelen dropped the clay in his hand and pulled him to near where pile of dug clay was. When they got there Trelen picked up one of the clay bowls that Ros had made. He lifted it and brought it again close to Ambrose's face.

  "This is the main thing I wanted to show you."

  Ambrose didn't have to ask what he had been doing with the bowl. Seeing what it contained reminded him of the few other people he used to regularly see in the forest.

  "You’ve been panning?" He replied, somewhat flatly.

  Trelen screwed up their face in confusion. "What's panning?"

  "Where you take some earth from the river and slowly wash it to look for gold?" He replied slowly.

  "No, I mean, I guess it's pretty similar what I did" they said, thinking about it. "This isn't from the river, this if from me washing some of the clay."

  Ambrose's eyes shot up from the bowl and to Trelen's. "And you found gold?"

  The Slovèi smirked at him. "You might be sitting on a literal gold mine here Ambrose."

  The discussion of the possibility of building a mine was only beginning between the two, when Ros called for them to come for dinner as it was almost ready.

  “I will show you the caves at some point.” Ambrose said, as they walked

  Trelen Nodded. "Do you have somewhere I can put the gold I found. I am not sure what the price is in Medlund currently but it should earn a bit." They said, as they arrived.

  Ambrose thought for a moment but felt his answer was an obvious one. "You found it, you keep it."

  Trelen's face seemed blank as they processed what Ambrose said. It then suddenly dropped. "No. It's yours, I will leave the bowl by the rest."

  Ambrose froze for a moment, having not expected the reactions. "Oh ok, are you sure?"

  Trelen put the bowl down next to the rest that Ros had made and started walking in the direction of where they had set up to sleep.

  "Yes, let me know when dinner is served." Was all they said before they walked away.

  That call came not long later, just as the sun was starting to dip behind the tree line.

  All of them sat enjoying a stew that Gro-Lag had made once he had gotten back from hunting. The two dear he had killed currently hanging not too far from the camp to drain of their blood into bowls placed below them.

  "So, I think if we can we should start by digging out the other side of the river, it would be making best use of the space." Ambrose finished explaining.

  Gro-Lag nodded along to his comment while Ros seemed more skeptical.

  "Are we going to waste all the clay by just dumping it outside the boundaries then?" She asked.

  "That's the part I am still trying to work out." He said, looking down into his bowl.

  "Could we build a bridge, carry it over?" Gro-lag asked.

  "I considered that but-"

  "There is no point building a bridge to a piece of land you are going to dig out" Ros finished. "You could just build it up stream from where you’re planning on digging?"

  Both Ambrose and Gro-Lag stopped eating, processing the obvious answer to their issue.

  "I can see Gro how you guys survived so long in the wild, your wife has flawless problem solving skills." Ambrose said, his comment eliciting a chuckle from both goblins.

  "How did it go today with the bricks Trelen?" Gro-Lag asked

  Trelen who has been sitting quietly eating, look up, seeming almost surprising they has been addressed.

  "Umm, yeah fine, I should have a kiln built soon, and then I can fire some bricks I can use to build a proper one." They said. "We will need to make some charcoal for it though."

  "I will be heading into town in a few days; I will buy some with the coin from Arlon." Said Ambrose.

  "Why?" They asked "You could just make your own, you have plenty of wood."

  The two goblins and Ambrose looked blankly at the Slovèi who sighed. "I will show you how to make it tomorrow."

  Ros laughed at his exacerbated comment. "Once Trelen's Kiln is full up and running, we will have something to do with all the clay you two are going to dig out."

  "I know, we will have to start selling bricks." Ambrose said, also letting out a small chuckle.

  "Or…" Gro-Lag said, leadingly.

  "Or what?"

  "I mean, you are a lord and normally, a lord has a manor."