The gate

The bronze bell was small enough for an adult steward to hold between cupped hands. Its weathered edge was green, and during a quiet stretch of Wenna's watch that edge reflected the light.

Wenna took her watch on the inner side of the posts, with her hands together and her gaze on the road. She watched the nearby bend where climbing visitors first became visible. The bell sounded above Wenna without her touching the rope, before a woman appeared below. The visitor later passed beneath the beam and entered the orchard, telling Wenna that she had heard the earlier welcome. At dusk, Wenna returned beneath the bell and rang it deliberately, then watched without any arrival. Before leaving, she lightly touched its rim, and she thought of the open gate and waiting bell behind her.