The afternoon sun slowly climbed higher until it stood directly above the valley, its warm light pouring over the busy construction site. By then, not a single person had stopped working except to wipe the sweat from their faces.
The steady rhythm of sharp claws shaping wood, bamboo being split, vines being woven, and ropes being pulled tightly across wooden frames had continued for hours without interruption. One bed after another slowly took shape beneath dozens of hardworking hands.
Under Aurora's guidance, even those who struggled in the beginning had gradually learned the techniques. Every mistake became a lesson, and every completed bed made the next one easier to build.
By the time noon arrived, seventeen fully completed rope beds stood neatly in a long row beside the unfinished longhouse. The tightly woven rope still needed a few more hours beneath the sun before it reached its full strength, but otherwise they were finished.
