"Peter, how are things?"
Uncle Tessi stood at the foot of the wooden ladder and called up to his son.
"Our house is safe for now. I'll go up and take a look."
Hearing Peter's words, Tessi and the rest of the family looked worried.
"Don't worry. I'll just check the window and come right back." Peter reassured his family, then carefully opened the hatch and climbed up.
He cautiously made his way to the window and saw that it still hadn't started snowing outside. A flicker of disappointment crossed his mind.
Then he looked toward the Fruit Orchard and suddenly froze. The trees were still laden with unripe fruit.
Of course, after so many days, some of the fruit looked ripe and ready for another harvest.
"Have the monsters still not found their way here?"
Peter found it hard to believe. Their village was very close to the Black Forest, and every time monsters invaded, they were always among the first to be hit.
Back in the cellar, Peter told his family what he'd seen. Everyone wore much the same expression.
"Maybe there hasn't been a monster invasion of the territory this time?" Tessi said uncertainly. "Or perhaps the lord stopped them all."
"Could that be? If so, surely someone would have told us," Peter's younger sister chimed in.
Peter thought it over, then said, "If there's still no danger in a few days, I'll go out and take a look."
Tessi and the rest of the family nodded. In such unusual circumstances, they felt uneasy too.
Just like Peter, the other villagers in Orange Fruit Village were also starting to feel that something was wrong.
Simon's orchard was on the easternmost edge of Orange Fruit Village. Under normal circumstances, it was the most likely to come under attack.