Morning over terraced orchards above a sea of cloud. An old bronze bell hangs from a beam between two stone gateposts, and a dirt road winds away beside a dry-stone wall.

Cloud Orchard

The valley supplied cloud that rose through the orchard every morning. Wenna knew nobody who had visited that valley, and she listened to the rising cloud while other inhabitants remained asleep beneath quilts. The terrace construction lay beyond anyone's memory, and the elders described the planted rows as having always existed. The trees carried foliage and immature fruit expected to become larger and softer before harvest.

Look and land

1

Before the residents woke, mist spread across the trees and enveloped the orchard. Damp foliage, chilled stone, and a faint trace of the previous night's wood fire contributed to the morning smell. A worn path descended among the planted rows to the gate at the orchard's bottom edge. Beyond the entrance, a lengthy mountain road curved down into cloud toward the valley. The entrance's bell hung beneath a crossbeam supported by grey posts, overlooking the road. Its bronze surface was dark, and weather over centuries had left green colouring around the rim.

By the later morning, cloud had thinned enough for Wenna to see the descending orchard clearly. At dusk, shadow filled the valley, and eventually stars appeared while cold moved uphill through the terraces.

Life and customs

1

The greeting practice was described as predating the terraces themselves. A steward rang when a visitor appeared below the gate, using a pair of firm rope pulls to communicate recognition, welcome, and an invitation uphill. Children learned the greeting's words before learning to read, while the oldest elders continued to ring attentively. The bell was reserved for visitors, and Maren explicitly instructed Wenna against ringing it merely for amusement. The day's work included tending the upper rows and drying fruit on racks. Wenna's usual contribution involved carrying lighter baskets and safer tools, fetching objects, holding them, and waiting for further work.

A boy was expected to bring salt and thread uphill from the low market. When a different visitor arrived, the elders provided bread, conversation, and somewhere to put her pack before continuing the morning's tasks.

In Chapters 1-4

1
Chapter 1

Maren gave Wenna gate duty while the others were needed among the higher trees. Wenna waited inside the entrance and watched the bend beside a tilted grey stone for the expected supply carrier. During that watch, the bell sounded while Wenna's hands remained away from its rope and the air was windless. The visible road was empty at first, and an unfamiliar woman appeared afterward. The woman had heard the bell from below the stone and credited Wenna with seeing her from a distance. Wenna led her through the trees to the elders, who treated the arrival as an ordinary successful greeting.

In the evening, Wenna rang into an empty road and waited without receiving a visitor. She decided to keep observing the bell and future arrivals, then returned uphill toward the lit windows and supper.

See also

Categories

Sources

General notes

  1. Terraced groves above a sea of cloud, tended by steward families, with an old two-note bell at the lowest gate.

Who lives here

  • Wenna Belltrue. The youngest of the steward children, who notices what the grown-ups don't.
  • Elder Maren. Maren was an elder who worked among the orchard's drying fruit. She found Wenna at the racks during the morning and assessed her with the same affectionate attention she gave to children and fruit.
WavirionCloud Orchard
SheetD-01
RevisionB
TypeWorld
First chapterVol 1 · Ch 1