It was still midday, but the clouds had started gathering in the sky that was clear just a few minutes ago and the wind had started picking pace.
The grounds between Hillford and Lowmere were alive with movement once again, ropes pulled taut, poles adjusted, markings redrawn where needed. The earlier awkwardness between the two villages had not disappeared, but it had settled into something manageable, something that no longer threatened to break apart at every misstep.
Eric knelt near one of the marked lanes, adjusting the boundary line with careful precision as Lysanne stood beside him, holding the measuring cord steady.
"A little more to the left," he said, glancing up briefly. "If it curves inward, it'll throw off the alignment."
Lysanne nodded, shifting her grip slightly. "Here?"
"Mm… yes, that should-"
He stopped.
Not because of the line.
