Chapter 1: The Bell That Rings First

Wenna woke before the orchard's other residents and went outside to watch the mist. She descended through the trees to the entrance, where she studied the small bronze bell that she valued above everything else in the orchard. The bell welcomed travellers with a pair of rope pulls and two closely sounding tones. Wenna loved those tones but had received only an unsatisfying answer when she asked an elder why the bell had two voices. After returning to work, Wenna received gate duty from Maren, with permission to greet an expected boy bringing supplies. She treated the assignment seriously, positioning herself inside the posts and rehearsing when she would ring.

No one appeared during a lengthy wait, but the bell suddenly sounded without Wenna's intervention. Its rope was still, her hands were together, and the air was motionless while the bell's familiar sounds faded. The bend below remained empty until an unfamiliar woman appeared and climbed toward the entrance. Wenna refrained from another ringing, and the woman thanked her, believing she had been noticed while still far down the road. Wenna welcomed the visitor and escorted her to the elders, who offered food and conversation. Their ordinary reception left Wenna's account of the early ringing unasked, and work continued with the expected supplies still outstanding.

Alone with Maren later, Wenna described the event and denied the ordinary explanations the elder suggested. Maren advised accepting an unexplained kindness, and Wenna stopped arguing while continuing to help with the fruit racks. Wenna returned to the gate after work and deliberately used the rope, testing a possibility she had considered. She waited into the cold night without an arrival and decided the bell's ringing did not bring travellers. She instead believed it had recognized the woman's approach before any sign reached her. Her uncertainty did not frighten her, and she privately resolved to observe later ringing and arrivals until she understood the bell's knowledge.

Before leaving, she touched the bell's green rim and returned uphill toward supper, her sister, and lit windows. She carried her unanswered question with her and thought that she would listen for whatever came next.