Chapter 2

Asher was escorted to the commons by the young guard with all the pockets posted outside of Ren’s study whose name she learned was Midge. Asher had also learned that Midge was gifted in reading the intentions of others. Midge appeared quite proud of being granted a position of such importance given their young age. Asher asked how the ability had been discovered and Midge shrugged and explained that they’d just always had it.

They walked along a paved road that had been flooded and dried repeatedly. There were large patches of dirt and brush filling the low spots. In some areas the road could not be seen at all. In the distance, all that could be made out against the deep blue sky of the late evening were silhouettes of the nearby trees. In a few minutes time, they would be enveloped in darkness.

Midge led Asher to a small building that looked like it served as a restaurant in the time before. There were several iron benches lining the walkway outside leading to a set of double doors. The long door handles were shaped like an oversized fork and spoon. The building’s windows were illuminated, and Asher could see shadows of people sitting at tables inside. As they got closer, she could hear the faint sound of a guitar strumming.

“Busy night.” Midge said.

“Oh yeah?” Asher didn’t normally spend time socializing when she visited Main. The work was her focus. “How many of us are living here now?”

“Um, I don’t know exactly. Maybe 130? Ren says we can’t take in too many more. He says 150 is the max.” Midge grabbed hold of the giant spoon and held the door open for Asher. “After you!”

Asher gave a small curtsy as she passed through. The smell of alcohol was in the air. There were about 30 people, on Asher’s estimate, talking and laughing easily with each other. A band was setting up instruments on a small wooden stage. Midge led Asher to the bar in the center of the restaurant.

“Wine or mead?” Midge asked.

“Wine.” Asher answered. Midge lifted her eyebrows as if she was surprised by the choice. She waved her hand to get the bartenders attention. Asher took a few moments to take in the scene around her. She noticed that most conversations included a wide range of ages. There was a friendly debate at a table near the door. A man and woman were arguing animatedly about the difference between the mind and the soul while others listened, occasionally goading them on. Asher felt surprised when she noticed Will was one of the onlookers. It had been months since she had seen him. He looked good. Happy.

“Here you go.” Midge handed Asher her glass of red wine.

“Thanks.” Asher said. She took it and hovered her nose over the glass before taking a sip.

“I want to say hi to some friends. You’ll be okay on your own, right?” Midge asked. Asher nodded. She watched Midge walk to a table next to the stage. A tall, blond stood up and greeted Midge boisterously with a hug and a rather involved handshake. Midge smiled broadly as they took their seat. They gestured in Asher’s direction and the others at the table looked over. One of them waved. Asher nodded and raised her glass slightly. She took another long sip and walked over to where Will was sitting.

“Hi.” She said. Everyone at the table turned to look at her.

“Asher? Hey!” Will’s face lit up at the sight of her.  “When did you get here?” He stood and walked around the table engulfing her small frame in a bear hug.

“Just now.” She said. “I mean, I got to Main this morning. I’ve been reviewing logs with Ren.”

“Well, it’s good to see you! I see you already have your drink. Come, sit with us. These two are keeping us entertained until the band starts.” Will pulled a wooden chair from the empty table next to them and patted it as an invitation. Asher sat and greeted the rest of the group. She knew most of them already. She was introduced to a new couple who had arrived to Main about a month ago. She briefly explained her role as a scribe and the general direction of her camp. She learned the couple, Walter and Sam, had been surviving in the mountains on their own until a forest fire scorched their cabin and most of their land. They ran into a survey team from Main while they were out looking for new fields to grow food. Walter and Sam had agreed to come and share their methods identifying rich soil and planting schedules in exchange for room and board for a few weeks. Sam was invited to stay to teach the younger ones techniques for growing symbiotic vegetable gardens to save on resources and so they did. Walter proudly touted Sam’s ability with the kids to Asher, making Sam blush. 

The atmosphere in the commons was friendly and energetic. People flitted around from one group to the next. Will took Asher around to meet a few other recent additions to the community and she learned the basics of the projects everyone was working on. It became clear to her after asking a few questions, that people did not come to the commons to talk shop. They were here to relax and enjoy each other’s company. Asher was a bit frustrated at the lack of information she was able to gather but after another glass of wine she relaxed into the atmosphere of the bar.

The band started to play and the crowd cheered and shifted in their seats. A few people jumped up to dance in front of the small wooden stage. Midge joined the dancers alongside the tall blond. They clapped and sang along with the folksy lyrics. It was obvious to Asher the band was familiar and well-loved. The music moved her in a way she hadn’t felt in a long time. She felt light and clear. Will offered his arm for a dance, a bright sparkle in his eye. Asher politely refused. He shrugged and joined the small crowd on the floor, making a show of slapping his knee and hooking arms with another dancer. Asher noticed the guitarist laugh. She was happy to sit quietly by herself for a moment. She preferred to enjoy the spectacle as an observer rather than a participant.

After a few hours of music and friendly conversations, Asher stood and announced she was beat after a long day. She was heading back to the dormitories for the night. Walter shook her hand and said how nice it was to meet her and that he hoped he’d have the chance to speak with her again before she left for her camp. Asher politely agreed and waved to the rest of the group.

“I’ll walk with you.” Will said.

“I’m fine.” Asher felt embarrassed by his show of chivalry. She was more than fine on her own. She knew he would be following her out the door.

“I’m done for the night, anyway.” Will said. He swallowed the last of his glass of mead and waved to the bartender, who waved back. “Goodnight, friends.” He nodded to the table and smiled.

Asher’s ears rang as they entered the cool night air outside the commons. She hadn’t realized how tense the constant noise had made her. She stopped to take a long, deep breath and sighed out. She felt Will’s eyes on her.

“Not used to this much commotion, huh?” He said.

“Nope.” She answered simply.

They walked along in silence for a few minutes. Asher relaxed further as the music of the commons was replaced with the quiet buzz of nearby insects and pebbles crunching beneath their feet. She felt at ease with Will beside her and she was glad to walk with him.

“How are you, Will?” She turned her face to him. His form just barely visible in the moonlight. He was a few inches taller than her. His lean body was strong, and he stepped forward assuredly, shoulders back and head high. She could see the moonlight glinting off the shocks of gray that ran through his otherwise dark hair. She remembered a time when they had not been there at all. He had been such a comfort to her when they had arrived at Main. They had been a comfort to each other.

“I’m good.” He answered. “I’ve been working on the new settlement. It’s about 30 miles from here. North of your camp. We’re getting it set with supplies and infrastructure. Scouting existing buildings and shoring up the ones that are usable. Ren’s been looking for volunteers for the seed group up there. I’m considering it.” He paused. “There hasn’t been much use for me here.”

Asher could hear the disappointment in his voice. She knew nothing bothered Will more than the idea of not being useful. He was involved in every project in some way it seemed.

“That’s a big job.” She said. The seed group for a colony was a stressful position that held a great deal of power. Each colony was set up as its own society, governed by its own set of laws and practices based on the specific needs of the land and the people it cared for. Originally, a group of five women had developed the laws for Main and the system for seed groups at other camps. An older woman named Gail had been the last member of Main’s original seed group. She stayed behind after all the other women had left to start new colonies elsewhere. Ren, her partner, had taken over as governor after Gail passed away a few years ago. Gail left volumes of writing behind about best practices and theories that might work in different climates and habitats. She believed that small communities of less than 150 people was the only way to hear and fulfill the needs of all who lived there. Each time Main got close to this number a new camp was formed and a group from Main would go and start anew. So far there had only been one failure, but that was attributed to a flood a few weeks after the initial settlement devastated the camp’s food stores before they had been there long enough to grow anything. People become desperate when hungry.

“I need something new.” Will said. “I’ve been sitting on my hands here for too long.”

Asher knew this was not the truth. No one would describe Will as someone who ‘sat on his hands.’ She also knew him to be restless and bored without a big problem for his mind to chew on. They walked along together silently, and Asher turned the idea over in her mind a few times. Will would do well as a leader if his earnest nature and tendency to give the benefit of the doubt didn’t get the better of him.

“Would you make any changes?” Asher asked. She had thought about the responsibility of leadership herself a few times in the past, but decided she enjoyed solitude too much to take on the role. Other people made life complicated.

“A few.” Will seemed to be holding back now. Asher knew him to be extremely careful with his words, especially when he disagreed. She was intrigued.

“Care to share?” She playfully nudged her shoulder against his, hoping to keep the conversation lighthearted.

Will turned and studied her for a moment. He looked ready to speak and then stopped again. Asher’s curiosity grew, but she stayed silent. Waiting.

“Well, for a start, I wouldn’t keep the library locked up and protected by guards.” Will said. He folded his arms across his chest and kept his gaze forward. Asher had not expected this. As a storyteller, Will had unlimited access to the library. He only had to make the request and any book or log would be available to him for however long he liked. It was true that this was a privilege that was no longer available to everyone in the community. The library was considered sacred. Newcomers and younger generations were not granted access to the full collection. They had to prove themselves trustworthy first, a process that could potentially come years after a member’s dedication to the settlement.

“Makes sense.” Asher said simply. There were changes when Ren took over as the governor, he restricted access to the library after a book on animal husbandry had gone missing. Most believed that a child had likely taken it to look at the pictures and misplaced it, but Ren could not be convinced and insisted the entire library be moved to his study. Will was furious at the change. Free and self-directed education had been one of the cornerstones of Gail’s social theories. Asher remembered Will flush with anger, accusing Ren of spitting on her grave. Will had grieved deeply after Gail’s death and his rift with Ren over the library had never fully healed.

The dormitories, a building that had previously been storage units, appeared after bend in the road around an old oak. Many of the exterior windows had shattered in severe storms over the years and were replaced with railings assembled out whatever could be found; wooden boards, pieces of plywood, or sheets of corrugated metal. An effort was made to decorate some of the units. The silhouette of a pair hanging plants could be seen in front of a unit still illuminated by flickering candlelight. The dorms were quiet this late in the evening. Once the sunlight was gone there wasn’t much to do but sleep. Will escorted Asher to a vacant unit on the second floor that was set up to accommodate visitors. “This one faces east. If you need anything I’m in 6E.” Will said and he gave he a quick hug. “See you in the morning.” Asher thanked him and tossed her pack on the low bed.

“Goodnight, Will.” Asher said. She watched him walk to the corner of the hall and start up the stairs. She removed her jacket and shoes and collapsed onto the bed.