Chapter 22 - Changes

Days passed by and turned into weeks and weeks turned into two months. In the first month, the once-lush green foliage of the trees began to metamorphose into a breathtaking tapestry of fiery reds, burnt oranges, and deep yellows. The air carried a crispness that hinted at the approaching change. Leaves gracefully detached themselves from their branches, swirling and twirling in the gentle breeze before finally descending to the ground, creating a vibrant carpet of color. 

As the days grew shorter, the sun's warmth waned, casting longer shadows upon the earth. The mornings greeted the world with a delicate chill, causing the dewdrops to glisten like scattered diamonds on the grass. The symphony of nature played on as birds, sensing the shifting seasons, embarked on their migratory journeys, leaving behind an eerie silence. 

In the second month, a sense of anticipation lingered in the air as winter approached with its icy grip. The once fiery foliage had now surrendered to the inevitable, leaving the branches bare and exposed, reaching towards the gray heavens. The wind whispered mournfully through the barren trees, carrying with it the scent of decay. 

The temperature plummeted further, and a blanket of frost settled upon the landscape, transforming it into a glistening wonderland. Each delicate snowflake that fell from the heavens added to the ethereal beauty of the scene. The once vibrant colors had surrendered to the monochromatic palette of winter, as if nature had taken a momentary pause before the burst of life that spring would bring. 

Throughout these two months of seasonal change, the House of Snow was bustling with activity. The fish farms were finished in the first month and it worked for the little time they had before winter came, but the prospect of having some fish to rear when the summer came around lightened their mood. The Norfolk four-course system was implemented after their first harvest of crops, the House was relatively poor in the types of crops they could grow but the system was ready for use when summer came around. 

They had harvested about 2 kg of wheat and barley each, which was not immense but for the group, it would suffice. The food storage had to be expanded once more and now the whole storage was full of meat, which could last them the whole winter even if they ate extravagantly. 

During the two months of preparation for winter, the House had a look overhauled, the foundation was made up of stone, the boulders and stones were mixed togethers and with various techniques such as stone construction and timber construction. The huge walls were made up of timber oaks and it blended in perfectly with the white snow and ice of the surroundings. Two banners of white were hung on each side of the House doors, both of which had the Sigil of the house on them. 

The interior was finally decorated, although only to the extent of which they could, seeing as there was not a huge number of different resources to use. Nonetheless, the bedrooms were filled with wooden beds and straw and fur for comfort. In the main hall the huge table had finally had its compatriots- the chairs joining it. The number of chairs was enough for 50 people to sit around the table. The main hall was also decorated in a winter style with fur and the banners of the house hanging on the walls. 

Thus, that concluded the House overhaul, now in the past two months the armory was filled with all types of weapons, the weapons were abundant, there were 35 [Knight Broadswords], 15 [Snowflakes], 20 [Winters Reach] and 40 [Winters Grace] armors could be seen neatly shelfed and arranged. The first time Eldric saw the amount he almost fainted in shock. He remembered that the strongest weapons the Balmores had were only mid stage rank 1 weapons with standard unranked armor, now here he could see around 70 rank 1 weapons and 40 rank 2 armor- of which in the Balmore House only his father could wear. 

The armory was prepared for any newcomers that would join them in the future as the other me already had their corresponding armor and weapons. Now the people who became Man-at-arms were given the armor and weapon. Now when one strolled about in the area one would see men in silver sapphire armor with engravings and beautiful patters on the armors. The sigil of the House was also carved onto the left torso of the armor symbolizing House Snow. The brown and white fur coats gave them a sense of beauty when they walked through the snow. As if they were meant to be men of winter. 

And lastly, the clothes which had been a sore spot in the House were finally taken care of. Evey person would get a set of clothes made out of leather and fur from the animals and beasts that were hunted. Now the House of Snow had finally begun to look like a proper Knight Household. They now had a feeling to them, like they were born and raised in the Winterland's and are perfectly suited to their environment. 

Speaking of a proper Knight Household. During the last two months of rapid development, the strength of the Knights had risen quite drastically. In the last two months they had hunted all the dire beasts and wild animals in the outer reaches and had also started to hunt in the inner reaches, the clothing for the people was also thanks to the dire beasts they had hunted. They had even found a group of bears- normal wild beasts that they killed for their fur in the edges of the basin. 

---------

Guys, any comments would be extremely helpful.

Any suggestions for future plot?

Follow my discord for more, in the synopsis