Up In Smoke with Fresh Bread

Our town got back to business as usual after the departure of our first lumberjack and his family fairly fast. Charles was doing a great job keeping a healthy supply of the valuable oak wood for us. I was searching for a new project when Steven called a town meeting. He had been talking with one of our newest town's citizens, and he was interested in taking on a larger part in the town. His name was Christopher White, and he had some experience as a baker. He was a modest kind of guy, stating that he really just fiddled around, but most of the townsfolk knew that his bread was the best. It was put to a vote, and it was unanimous: Christopher White would be our baker. He preferred to be called White to prevent confusion. He was an affable and comfortable type of person, and he was already well liked in the community. Christopher started planning the bakery right away. Everything seemed to be going well... until I accidentally set fire to our ship.

The ship that had carried us to new hope and possibly a better life was just a few bits of wood and chests after my accident. I had gone to the ship to put some stuff in my personal chests and to get a few items there. I fumbled with the flint and steel, forgetting how sensitive this one was. All of a sudden, everything, including myself, was on fire. I panicked a little, and I didn't see the bucket at my feet at first. More could have been saved if I had seen it sooner. I tried smothering the fire at first, but there was just too much. The smoke got to me, and I had to put myself out several times. I concentrated on saving the chests, the beds, and the bookshelves. I saved most of the chests, 1 bed and 1 bookshelf. Christopher and Steven tried to come help once they saw what was happening, but I had most of the fire out by that time. I got back to shore, looked back, and started to cry. It had been a home to me, and I did not want to see my friends' faces when I explained what happened. They were mostly just glad that I was okay. It was Karen who helped the most. She looked out at the wreckage, took a deep breath, stood up tall, and said, "Good riddance. It might have brought us to our home, but it was a constant reminder of the past and all we have lost. It is fitting that it went up in flames. Now, we are free. Cheer up, my friends, and take this as a good sign."

Karen then forced me to go the the Healer House with her. She was worried about my minor burns and the seawater. She gave me some herbal concoction to help me breathe easier, and she put something wonderfully soothing on my burns. I would hurt for awhile, but I was okay. The next day, I went back to the shore to see what was left. It wasn't pretty, but I had a new sense of relief. I would have to build myself a house for my new project. As I strolled back towards town, I saw that Christopher had started building the bakery. White was excited and already had on his baker uniform. I smiled as I went by, and he smiled back. Yesterday had been bad, but tomorrow held the promise of fresh bread and a true home.