Abandoned - Bricks & Mortar - Story 18 NWS

[Abandoned]

Chapter 15


  We began paving a road to the far cave that still was home to one family of 5.  We set up a small market stand on that road by the forest center; they would have food and supplies close by.





  We were surprised when Mettina, the general goods merchant, came to the trading post in late winter; he said he was running way behind schedule.  He was first on his way to Riverboat Depot so did not know if Morrie, the food merchant, had been there or not.  He had no wool, only some seeds and pumpkins left, but he took our order for wool, ale, and fruit jam.  He was sure he could get the wool now that there were more textiles available, and probably some barrels of ale but if we planned on building a tavern we shouldn't count on getting any pitchers or jugs for the same reason he probably won't get any fruit jam; pottery was in short supply. 

 Mettina continued to say he would accept a small amount of building materials in trade; there was less demand now that the weather had improved.  He knew nothing about the barge schedule.  We might want to consider using our clay for making jugs and jars instead of building materials; any merchant will be happy to trade for pottery.

Well, that was something to think about.

[Abandoned]

Chapter 16


  We thought we were doing okay; both forest areas had new trees growing and old ones to be cut.  Our log supply had improved; firewood was now being chopped in the old village.  We had a good supply of coats and hides, and iron and tools.  We had building materials at the trading post and on the stockpiles. 





  By early spring of year 5, our food supply and variety were still good.  The market stand was well stocked, and the vendor stopped work so that enough food would remain in the storage cave, barn, and small shed.  There was no reason we shouldn't make some pottery, so we did.

  By summer of that 5th year, we had a tiny pottery workshop built next to our tiny clay pit.  We were soon taking honey pots, jam jars, and clay pitcher to the trading post.





 It was a beautiful summer with plenty of sunshine and an occasional light rain to water our hedgerows and farmyards.   There were wash lines with clothes drying in sun and gentle breezes.  There were more wildflowers and sunflowers blooming than ever before.  By autumn, there was mushroom soup simmering in the pot at the market soup stand in town and venison roasting on the big spit by the forest center.  By late autumn, we brought out the big cook pot they gave us back in Barnyards.  We set it up by the storage barn in the old village and there was soon venison stew with potatoes and herbs simmering on a cold snowy day.  No, eager explorer, no chicken in the pot this time.

[Abandoned]

Chapter 17




  Tuckery became our new potter.  He originally came from Newburg before moving to Riverboat Depot, so he knew something about pottery.  He and his family move to a tiny house that was built behind the tiny pottery workshop.  His wife, Nelleen, took over as trader for as long as there would only be pottery to lift and carry rather than heavy building materials.  No barge or resource merchant had been here yet.

   Rudolfo, the young builder who lived with his parents in the far cave, saw that there were a lot of building materials still on the stockpiles.  He wanted to build some of the newer houses that used those materials; however, the first house he built did not use bricks or roof tiles, only glass.  It also required lumber which we did not have, so a lumber mill was built halfway between the stockpile by the sand pit and the one by the forest districts.  We soon had lumber, and the materials needed were taken to the building site next to the market stand.   It was a very nice-looking 1st floor house, and he wanted his parents and siblings to move into it.  He was happy to stay alone in the shelter cave for the time being.







  We thought it best not to start another house right away; we still had not heard anything about a barge coming to pick up our building materials.

[Abandoned]

Chapter 18


  In late summer, Mettina, the general goods merchants, returned.  He had wool and ale but could not get the fruit jam we ordered.  He was happy to see we had 100 pieces of pottery; he would take them all plus 20 of the clay.  We took 40 ale and 30 wool in trade.  There was still no word on when a barge would be available to make the run but the boatmen were told they could take some materials in trade without being overloaded.  There was a big demand for the pots and jars.  We ordered more wool and ale, and again the fruit jam.  He was sure more jam would be available now that there were pots and jars to be had.

  The wool was taken to the tiny workshop in the old village and there were soon warm coats in the storage barn and cave.  In early autumn, an ale stand to serve the ale was built by the roasting spit.; what a treat.  The ale was gone almost as soon as it was delivered from the trading post. We all hoped Mettina would return soon.  It was sure nice to have warm coats that winter.





  By early spring of year 7, we were thinking of building more houses, our forests had grown, and our supply of logs had improved.  We decided we would make more bricks, roof tiles, and glass rather than remove any from the trading post; our stockpiles contained mostly stone and iron.  Mettina returned and again took all 100 pieces of pottery we had plus 5 pieces of glass.  We traded for 42 ale and 20 wool; we did not take any of the fruit jam he brought this time.  Our food surplus was very good, and we thought to leave the jam for those who needed it more.  Our pots and jars were a very hot item on the trade route now; the river boatmen were getting a lot of orders and complements on the quality of the pottery.  We were very pleased to hear that.

[Abandoned]

Chapter 19




  By spring we realized that we had only 22 houses for 42 families, but half of those families were young singles still living with their parents, and few of those singles were of marriageable age.  Bricks & Mortar did recently have 2 newlywed couples.  Rudolfo in the far cave took a bride and they just had a newborn daughter.  17-year-old Chary married and moved in with Bessika, one of the single young adult girls who lived in the old village.  Bricks & Mortar had a population of 82, 61 adults and 21 children.  With several young adults about to reach marriageable age, we expected our population to grow even more.

  Our population grew much more than we expected when 19 adults with 8 children arrived from Riverboat Depot.  There was such a demand for our pottery that the depot asked for volunteers to come help make more if we would have them.  We said they were welcome if they didn't mind living in caves until houses were built.  Bricks & Mortar's population grew to 109 that spring.



  By early summer, the families were settled into the dwelling and shelter caves across the river.  A tiny house was built by the forester.  There was plenty of firewood in the storage bin there.  A market stand was built in the old village where the ruin by the bridge had been.  There was soon a nice selection of foods for the newcomers to sample.

[Abandoned]

Chapter 20




  With the arrival of more workers, we got right to work to increase our pottery production.  Not far from the tiny clay pit we dug a much larger one.  Across from it a kiln was built to make bricks and roof tiles.  A large pottery shop was built across from that on the road leading to the bridge and the old village.  A little house was built by the clay pit and Rudolfo and his family from the far cave moved into it; both he and his wife went to work at the new clay pit.



  Next, we began building new houses using the building materials we had on the stockpiles.  Two first level houses were built near the ale stand and big spit.  It was a central location convenient for workers and laborers.  A third foundation was laid there and another across the river by the tiny forester, but we needed more bricks for both houses.  Another foundation was laid further to the east and yet another two in the old village.  We needed more clay to make the bricks and roof tiles. More workers were assigned to the big clay pit.





  It was late spring before the 3rd house by the ale stand was completed and work began on the other houses whose foundations had been laid.

In late summer of year 8, Vassidy came running back to town from the fishing pier to say she saw a depot barge coming down the river. 
 

[Abandoned]

Chapter 21

  It was Grantley, the resource merchant, who finally made it to our port with one of the barges.  He had been busy delivering stone, iron, and logs.  He did not have much room on the barge unless we took some of the logs in trade.  He gave us 65 logs in exchange for 20 lumber and 10 roof tiles.  There was less of a demand now that the bad spell of rainy weather had passed but there were still requests for clay mortar, bricks, glass, lumber, and roof tiles.  Hopefully, it will not be too long before he can return for more materials; more boats were being built.



  We were happy to hear that, eager explorer; it had been 8 years since we came here to make building materials for the Depot.  Morrie, the food merchant had not returned; we were told he was doing shorter runs with perishable fresh fruit.  We were still waiting for Mettina, the general goods merchant, to return with fruit jam and more ale and wool.  A seed merchant had been here a few years before, but we needed no seeds; our farmyards are only doing good because of the compost we were given back in Barnyards.  We know the delays were not the boatmen's fault; and actually, we hoped Grantley would not return too soon for more building materials because, after he left, we took bricks and roof tiles out of the trading post to finish some of the houses we had started. 

  Two houses were completed in the old village; one had a 2nd level and housed 2 families.  The other was only one level and had a nice view of the river.  The families moved in just before the first snowfall.





  By late spring of year 9, we still needed more materials to finish the other houses; clay and bricks were causing a holdup.  We added more workers to the clay pits.  The tiny one now had 4 workers and the big pit had 6.  Pottery making was temporarily halted.  Another kiln for making bricks was built across from the tiny clay pit near the stockpile.  Another new house had been built on the other side of the new kiln.

[Abandoned]

Chapter 22



  Just before you got here, eager explorer, a little house across the river that had been waiting for bricks was finally finished, and so was the 2nd level that was added to a house with the same kind of bricks in the main part of town near the mill.  The extra clay pit workers and the new kiln really helped.  The potters have gone back to making clay pots, jars, and jugs. 





  We still have more houses to build; we have only 36 homes for 65 families.  Bricks & Mortar has 122 citizens, 92 adults and 30 children, many of those children are young adults living at home, like our 2 who are now 8 and 10 years old. There are still families living in the shelter caves and three families, including my own, live in dwelling caves and are all happy to stay where we are.  In fact, all of our citizens are happy and healthy, even our cats and those folks living in the shelter caves.





  Before we start building more houses, we are restocking the trading post with building supplies.  We are hoping Mettina will be here with the ale and wool soon, we have plenty of pottery for him to pick up.

[Abandoned]

Chapter 23


  Yes, eager explorer, we are quite pleased with our town of Bricks & Mortar; we weather the storms of those early years here in the muddy flats quite well.  Our original settlement is still producing most of the food, with the help of scattered hedgerows and the forest gatherer.





  We restored the old building in the abandoned village and build some new ones where ruins had been.
 




  We build a forest center with a forester, woodcutter, gatherer, and hunter district.

  Our production center produces building materials and pottery for ourselves and others.





  We pretty much have everything we need, oh, except for soup, stew, and roast meat; summer here is at its end and it's time to get cooking.  I can offer you a clay plate or bowl of food before you go, sorry there is no ale.  The riverboat hasn't been here yet.


The End

[Abandoned]

Kid House Boats has been updated with more deco house boats:

https://worldofbanished.com/index.php?action=downloads;sa=view;id=308


Kid Tiny Builders had been updated with pottery

https://worldofbanished.com/index.php?action=downloads;sa=view;id=538