Around the Sea, the snowy forest gave way to a vast snowfield. Refined new houses stood along broad, straight streets, their sloping roofs dusted with snow from the night before.
Children played on the frozen Sea during the warmest part of the day, while adults farther off cleared Territory along the snowy forest and built houses.
How bustling this seaside Town would be when spring arrived and everything came back to life.
Was it too late to ask Andrew Luna for more money?
Cavalry patrolling the outskirts of Star-Moon Bay spotted them, and the Personal Guards Captain led a small squad over.
"Uncle Blom."
"Long time no see, Sven. You too, lads."
Blom greeted them warmly, then told Annan, "He's my nephew."
Annan wasn't surprised. Blom and Sven looked alike when they stood together.
The carriage headed into Town, but the beauty they had seen from afar lost its luster as they drew closer—the wide, level streets were still rough gravel foundations, the empty houses lining them had no life in them, and the old camp hidden behind the Town came back into view.
"What the hell are you doing!"
A rough shriek cut through the empty Town. The Stout Dwarf Craftsman, built like a tree stump, charged toward the group like a rolling stone, distraught over his freshly laid roadbed.
“Uh... sorry. But the Alchemy of the Cement is almost finished.”
"That Cement stuff had better work! Now get off my roadbed!"
Annan obediently complied. The Stout Dwarf Craftsman deserved much of the credit for turning Star-Moon Bay from a camp into a new Town while Annan was away.
Back at the camp, the familiar, ugly Big House came into view. Annan marveled that he had grown so used to the Big House that he no longer found it