Chapter 40

The Mountain Seasons

Sonja had learned that winter showed Ravenshade honestly.

It showed which roads were safe.

Which bridges needed attention.

Which homes had enough firewood.

Which families had prepared their food stores.

Which animals were strong enough for difficult travel.

But winter was only one part of the mountain's story.

To understand Ravenshade, Sonja needed to understand all four seasons.

The following morning, she returned to the mountain settlement with a notebook tucked safely inside her cloak.

Her first conversation was with Elspeth Rowan, the shopkeeper she had met the previous day.

"Winter is the easiest season to understand," Elspeth said while arranging supplies. "Spring is when people discover whether they prepared properly."

Sonja smiled.

"What happens then?"

"Everything melts."

Elspeth said it so seriously that Sonja laughed.

Then she explained.

Snowmelt could turn mountain paths into mud. Streams rose quickly. Bridges became important. Wagons travelled more slowly, and some routes became temporarily unusable.

Farmers prepared their fields.

Gardens were uncovered.

Seeds were planted.

Animals returned to pasture.

The mountain began waking again.

"Summer is different," Elspeth continued.

"Longer days. More visitors. More farming. More trading."

Sonja wrote that down.

Summer meant berries, vegetables, herbs, flowers, fresh milk, eggs, and other goods.

It also meant longer travel hours.

People could leave earlier and return later because there was more daylight.

Boats became more useful on suitable waterways.

Wagons travelled more easily when the roads were dry.

Footpaths opened again.

And the mountain seemed to breathe.

Then came autumn.

Harvest.

Preserving.

Stacking firewood.

Repairing roofs.

Checking fences.

Preparing barns.

Storing grain.

Drying herbs.

Smoking meat.

Filling root cellars.

Everyone began preparing for winter long before the first snowflake appeared.

Sonja listened carefully.

Her thoughts returned to her own work.

Her natural creations, herbs, and essential oils would have to follow the same rhythm.

A winter shop could not operate exactly like a summer shop.

Some herbs would be gathered fresh.

Others would need to be dried and stored.

Some plants would only be available during certain months.

Supplies would have to be purchased ahead of time.

Containers, cloth, oils, candles, packaging, and other necessities would need storage.

And customers would have different needs depending upon the season.

Sonja closed her notebook.

"I think I need a shop."

Elspeth looked at her.

"I thought you already had one."

"Not here."

"Ah."

The shopkeeper smiled.

"Then you have more work ahead of you."

"I know."

Sonja smiled back.

Outside, a horse-drawn sleigh passed along the road.

The runners made a soft scraping sound over the packed snow.

Farther away, a mountain sled team moved steadily toward another settlement.

Sonja watched them disappear between the trees.

Travel changed with the seasons too.

Winter brought sleds and sleighs.

Spring brought mud and swollen streams.

Summer opened roads, trails, and waterways.

Autumn brought harvest wagons and preparations for the coming cold.

Nothing remained exactly the same.

That afternoon, Sonja walked farther into the settlement.

She studied possible locations for her future shop.

It needed to be accessible.

Near enough to a travelled road.

Close enough to other businesses that people would naturally pass by.

But it also needed storage space.

A small work area.

Shelving.

A place for herbs to dry.

Somewhere safe for oils and natural preparations.

And room to receive deliveries.

She made another list.

By the time she returned toward Aethelward, the afternoon light had begun to fade.

She stopped once beside a stone wall overlooking the valley.

Below her, smoke rose from chimneys.

Beyond the homes were farms.

Beyond the farms were forests.

And beyond the forests stood the mountains.

Sonja thought about how different everything would look when spring arrived.

The snow would disappear.

Streams would swell.

Birds would return.

Plants would emerge.

Farmers would begin planting.

Children would spend more time outdoors.

Then summer would arrive.

Then autumn.

Then winter would return.

The mountain would change.

But the people would remain.

They would simply change their work with it.

Sonja understood something now.

Ravenshade did not have four separate lives.

It had one life that moved through four seasons.

Aethelward would need to do the same.

Her garden would need spring planting, summer growth, autumn harvest, and winter preparation.

Her animals would need care throughout the year.

Her workers would need changing duties.

Her supplies would need careful planning.

And her shop would need to become part of that same rhythm.

Sonja turned toward home.

There was still much to learn.

But now she had a new task waiting for her.

Before long, she would have to decide exactly where her shop would stand.

And once that decision was made, Ravenshade would begin to know her not simply as a visitor.

But as one of its working neighbours.