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As the snowmelt had come down the river, it had changed the course and fortunes of the Casquette family.

Sabine had been the first to be affected. As the rivers swelled and even changed, her sub level living space had been overcome by water. The floor that led down some stair into a underwater area of peace was no longer the same. Now you couldn't even enter the room because it's entirety was underwater. This has forcefully evicted Sabine out of her living space. She for knew that after the flood waters receded that the entire landscape could be forever channged. Her peaceful little grotto could be washed away. There might not even be a floor to the room she had lived in for years.

Unable to have her privacy or a safe swimming area, Sabine was more than just grumpy. She was stomping around as the rain kept on and the waters surged higher and higher. They'd had a talk last night about what would happen if the water came above her room and started to flood other levels. Everything they put together over the years would be gone, all their careful planning and stores of items. She couldn't stand the thought of starting over again. Everything had finally begun to fall intoplace. The wh-

Sabine heard her name called and wound her way up the stair into the vestibule of the masoleum where she found her sister Bastiannna standing with water powering off her skin in great floods. She watched wordlessly as Bastianna motioned for her to follow her outside.

Bastianna was having the absolute worst day she had possibly had in her entire life. Never had she seen the likes for what waa happening now. It was kind of humerous and also downright....awful. The graveyard they had been tending for years had finally ruptured. The holes in the grounds where the bones or even the caskets lay were bursting open and pushing out everything that had once been in the holes. It was going to be a hell of a mess to clean up. They'd never figure out where all the bones went properly.Not to mention how long it would take for the grounds to dry out for them even to begin. The secrets that had been buried were some of the only ones buried within waterproof of vaulted containers. Only the deepest darkest secrets were buried in the vaults. At leas those graves wouldn't be bursting. The rest of the buried secrets were not fairing as well. Most of the waterproof containers that held them underground had popped to the surface leaving Bastianna to wade out in the water to retrieve the metal containers to hid within the masoluem attic for the time being. If the flood ever got that high, they'd bee in terrible trouble. There wouldn't be anywhere else on the grounds to go or to hide. They'd have to enter into a state of recovery and hope that they could control the damage. But they weren't there quite yet. They had a few more days at least, but they would have to start making plans and deciding things now, just in case.

Marcellus was below the masolueum checking the tunnels and caves for any leaks or fissures. He had found more than he had hoped for (none). There were two places where it looked as though the rock had possibly cracked some. But there was no water coming from those place yet. It had made him stop to think though and start calculating how much water pressure the cave sysstem could endure. There were so many factors it was difficult to give a definative answer. Most ot the cave walls were thick, thick stone that would be nearly impenatrable but there were a few sections where he did not know what lay on the other side of the rock. Was it the river? Was it a hole? Was it a series of cracks and fissures that even now were comprimising the caves they'd relied on? All of their extra supplies were down here and more importantly their route of escape if they needed one. The most concerning areas were teh places where the water had started to leak in. There were two, Neither one seemed to have any fissures or holes, but the water was coming from somewhere and there seemed to be a small puddle building under one of them. If he couldn't find the hole, he had no hope of fixing the leak. And if there was a leak, he might have no chance at fixing the hole. He'd never come across thsi problemin his life. And if the water reached the cave openings and started flowing down....

Kirke was encased safely in her greenhouse. When she'd heard of the terrible snows further north she had beeen concernced. She had along with Lovey's helped started to collect and trade for as many empty bags as she could. She'd hired a cart too and left on a short journey south where she had gone to the beaches or deserts several times. On each short trip, she filled up as many bags as possible with sand then stacked them within the cart to pull home. It was exhausting, soul-sucking work but something in her made her carry on even as it seemed to become spring in her part of the world. She kept going and going and going to new places to trade and new places for sand. Sometimes she even traded for help. When she'd finally started packing the sandbags around her greenhouse she was beyond exhausted but she kept going. She couldn't stop this close to the finish line. Mostly with grit and determination she had struggled to stack the bags five high alll the way around until the place was surrounded. By then the rains had started and the snows had begun melting. She climbed over the bags into her greenhouse with Lovey and stretched out in exhaustion. As the rain came more and more and the water rose higher and higher,Kirke knew that she and Lovey had made the right choice. The rain pattered softly against the pain as exhaustion swept them under and into sleep.

Green Thumbs -January 2026

When Bonaire Mango Tango and EIidh had chosen this piece of lan, they'd done it knowing that it was going to be a lot of work. The area they had chosen was mostly overgrown with a small patch that seemed to just grow absolutely nothing. It would have been eaiser if they chose diffferently but they wanted to make an impact. They wanted to make something beautiful and sustainable.

Bonaire Mango Tango resourced out for help. There was plenty of nuts and berries among all the overgrown vines and plants--more than they could use. Enough that it had given her an idea to ask the local raccoons, birds, squirrels and other little critters to help them clear the place. It was a simple ask--take what you need to sustain yourself and your family and help pull up the plants and disentangle the vines that were getting int he way. A small part of the cleared land would be made into a communal garden where anyone who needed something could come, no questions asked.

It didn't take long before the place was looking completely different. The raccoons last minute idea of bringing in some goat familiars had really sped the whole thing along. Goats ate nearly everything, so they had eaten their way until the area was clear. This had revealed some damaged areas of land. These were places where the sun had not been able to reach for years or where the sun had torched the ground. In these spots nothing grew. They would work on that in the long term.

The area was close-ish to a river, but it had a cave right on the edge of it. This was were the two mares planned to make their home and raise a family.. With the help of the familiars who were kind, compassionate, and greatly appreaciated the benefits of community, they were able to pull the clinging vines from the ceiling and clean the cave of any sourc of guano or other unwanted things.

The bount of the land, even after everyone took what they wanted was still enough to barter with. A distant neighbor, a bear shifter called Eisig had been more than happy to trade them several large furs. They'd required several furs to make a warm nest to sleep in. Then there had been some to hang across the entrance when it was too cold. They'd also traded for several more pieces to use the skins as canvas bags and stretched canvas.

There were piles of wood everywhere near the entrances. Cane like wood that would be bent into place and used to maked frames with. There was wood that was good for nothing but the fire. Then there were the larger pieces of wood they had reserved for trellises and making an irrigation system.


While Bonaire had been in charge of those things Eilidh had been in charge of seeds. She had traded and bartered over a large distance until she felt that she had what they needed and more than that. There were also plenty of seeds for the flower garden. She'd also traded enough to get a small wagon she could pull. When she saw them she would grab the hollowed reeds that grew next to or in the river. They would help with watering.

Eilidh got back to their new home just as planting season was beginning. There were holes dug and then trenches. Everything had to have a kind of order to it to work. This was planted there to rejuvenate the ground. while that was planted there because the soil was rich with nitrogen. Before long everything slotted in to place. From sunrise to sun-up, Eilidh and her mate worked hard--sometimes alone and sometimes with help from various critters. There was a pair of goats who had decided to make their home in a cave a short distant away. This way they could help with all the weeding and maintenance. There was plenty to share and the goats wanted to stay there not only for the beauty but also the safety of the community so they could raise kids.

It all came together. Before long the fields were dotted with tiny new sprigs of growty. Little dots of green where everywhere that could be seen. The trellises were built and as the grapes and roses came up, they wove them through the holes to give them structure.

The other flowers grew and before long there was bees to make honey. This place had been the dream of their soul. What they could not have imagined or hoped for was the community around them. Most of the neighbors soquili and critter alike were kind and helpful. Sometimes, whole days were spent somewhere else to help another build or plant. They all relied on each other and they were all better for it.

Bonaire settled down at the entrance to their cave lost in thought. They had accomplished so much in this season. There would be a harvest soon. Then there would be the time of repairs and improvements along with some small winter planting.

"Let's stay here forever," Eilidh sighed as she stood by her mate. "I think this is...home."

Bonaire looked at her mate who's eyes were filled with tears. It was a big deal for her to say that. Eilidh had never had a home before from what she knew. "Why do you think this place? Why did this place stand out above all the others?"

"Because there is love here. Because you are here," Eilidh smiled.

Bonaire knew exactly what she meant. It wasn't just their love--that was a home that they carried wherever they went. Eilidh was talking about the laughing brook, the singing birds, the little neighbors who dropped by just to say hello. It was a place that couldn't be built, only found. In her mind's eye she saw this harvest and the next. She saw the scorched area of earth starting to grow things again. She also saw tiny baskets and later small hooves.

"Forever," she said.