The dusk settled in pretty quickly and Eric after dinner went straight to the library, he still had to write his report and also work out the plan for the next day. The dredging was going at a rapid pace thanks to the work from both the towns. Now all he needed was one thing that would act as a tension breaker between the two towns, but what could it be?

Eric sat in the chair for a long time after he had finished his report and then sighed deeply.

He then reached out and touched the brooch on his tunic. He had kept it on him all the time but now that he was in silence, he couldn’t help but want to get Ocean’s advice. But he knew he couldn’t outright ask him for an answer. Ocean wouldn’t help him cheat after he had trained and educated him so much.

Eric pondered over it for a long time before he sighed and then heard the door of the library open, Drac poked his head in.

"Why are you still up?" Drac asked.

Eric sighed, "I can’t seem to find a way to fix this."

Drac walked in and stood facing the chess game that Eric had laid out before him.

"I thought of a few ways but it still feels like it will cause the trouble to be back again..." Eric mumbled as he rested his elbows over his thighs and placed his chin in his cupped palms.

Drac watched the game carefully before he looked at Eric.

"Why do you need chess for that?" He asked and Eric looked at him.

"Master uses it to explain plans, but it’s not necessary that it will help your cause too." Drac said and Eric stared at him for a moment.

He then glanced at the game he had carefully laid out before he sighed deeply.

"What else could I use?" Eric wondered aloud.

Drac shrugged, "Anything."

Eric rolled his eyes, "You’re some real help, my friend."

Drac didn’t comment on that but he noticed how tired Eric looked.

"Go and sleep now, you still have to work more tomorrow."

Eric narrowed his eyes at Drac who didn’t look even a little bit tired even though he had worked even more harder than the others.

"Must be good, being a Dragon." Eric mumbled as he got to his feet and gathered his stuff before the two walked back to their rooms.

The next morning, before the dawn broke, Eric and Drac were out of the mansion getting ready to leave when they saw three more horses along with their usual group there.

"Who are these for?" Eric asked.

"Us!" The duo turned and saw the twins running down the stairs before launching at Drac who scooped them up with ease.

Lysanne walked behind them along with Thaddeus. They were dressed in tunics and trousers with long boots.

"Why are you all going along so early?" Eric asked.

"We’re going to dig too!" Nico shouted.

"What?" Eric blinked.

"It’s our territory and my people are all working, it doesn’t sit right with me if we’re not working with them." Thaddeus said.

Eric smiled before he got on his horse.

"Let’s head to the river then." He announced earning a cheer from the gathered people.

The farmers and more of the villagers had gathered near the section of the river where the dredging was to begin.

Shovels, baskets, ropes, and wooden poles lay scattered along the banks. Some men had already rolled up their sleeves while others stood in small clusters, eyeing the opposite side cautiously.

Surprisingly enough, Reggie and several of the other young men from Hillford had also arrived.

They lingered near the back, leaning against the cart that carried the tools, speaking among themselves.

Soon the sound of horses approached along the dirt path.

Eric arrived with Drac, Lysanne, and the supervising panel. A few of the Castermere guards trailed behind them.

Eric slowed his horse when he saw the crowd.

There were far more people here than he had expected.

He quickly dismounted, landing lightly on the ground before looking around with visible surprise.

"You’re all early," he said with a warm smile.

A few farmers nodded awkwardly. Some simply shifted where they stood.

Eric’s eyes moved across the gathered crowd, taking in both the Hillford and Lowmere villagers standing in uneasy proximity.

Good, he thought quietly. At least they came.

He clapped his hands once, "Then let’s get to work."

A few hesitant chuckles broke out before the villagers began moving.

The work started slowly.

Eric divided them into small groups along the narrowed bend of the river. Some were assigned to dig out the thick silt from the choke point. Others carried the mud away in baskets to pile it further downstream where the bank could be reinforced.

Drac stepped into the river first, driving a shovel into the thick layer of sediment.

That alone made several of the farmers exchange looks before they followed.

Soon the riverbank filled with movement with shovels striking the mud and, baskets were filled and carried away.

But the tension between the two towns had not vanished.

A Lowmere farmer dumped a heavy basket of mud near the bank just as two Hillford youths walked past.

"Watch where you’re throwing that," one of them snapped.

"Then don’t walk where people are working," the farmer shot back.

Another Hillford boy muttered something under his breath.

One of the Lowmere men stepped forward immediately, "What did you say?"

The air thickened instantly.

Several of Reggie’s friends were already squaring their shoulders when Lysanne stepped forward.

"That’s enough." Her voice wasn’t loud.

But it cut through the growing argument making everyone pause.

Lysanne stood near the riverbank, one hand resting lightly on the handle of the shovel she had been using.

"If you came here to fight," she said calmly, "then leave."

Her eyes moved slowly across the young men from Hillford.

"We are fixing the river."

One of the Lowmere men grumbled but stepped back.

Before the argument could spark again, another voice cut in sharply.

"Cut it out!"

Reggie pushed himself off the cart and walked forward.

He glared at the boys standing beside him, "You idiots came here to work, didn’t you?"

One of them scoffed, "Reggie-"

"Then grab a shovel." Reggie’s tone carried none of the casual arrogance he usually showed.

"If you want to act like children, go home."

The boys muttered but eventually bent down to pick up the tools.

The tension didn’t disappear, but the work resumed.

Eric, who had been watching the entire exchange from the river, said nothing. He simply drove his shovel deeper into the silt and lifted another heavy clump of mud from the riverbed.

After a moment, the others followed.

And slowly, the riverbank filled once more with the steady rhythm of work.

Lunch passed quietly.

Much like the day before, the two towns did not sit together entirely, but the distance between them had shrunk. Baskets of bread, bowls of stew, and slices of fruit had once again gathered near the middle of the riverbank.

People still kept to their own circles, but the food moved freely between them.

Eric ate beneath the shade with Drac and Lysanne while the supervising panel rested nearby, carefully cleaning mud from their boots.

Soon enough, the break ended.

The farmers returned to the river, lifting shovels and baskets once more as the afternoon work resumed.

By late afternoon the dredged bend had begun to take shape. The thick layer of sediment had been cut away from the center of the river, and the water was beginning to move a little more freely through the narrowed section.

Boots squelched through wet sludge as baskets of mud were hauled to the banks.

It was slow, exhausting work.

Which was exactly how the trouble began.

Near the shallower section of the river, Nico and Leo had been helping carry mud baskets to the shore.

The twins were determined to prove they could work just as hard as the adults.

Unfortunately, the riverbed had other plans.

Leo’s foot slid first.

The soft sludge beneath the water shifted suddenly, and in the next second both brothers lost their footing.

With a loud splash they disappeared into the muddy water.

A wave of thick brown sludge burst upward as the twins resurfaced, coughing and sputtering.

Their clothes were completely soaked, hair plastered to their faces and they were covered in mud from head to toe.

A few of the Hillford youths nearby burst into laughter. Reggie’s friends stood near the bank, watching the disaster with open amusement.

"You two should’ve stayed on shore!" One of them shouted.

"Yeah!"

"At this rate you’ll be washed away before the river even fills!"

More laughter followed.

Leo wiped mud from his face, glaring furiously, Nico looked equally offended.

Without a word, Leo scooped up a thick handful of river sludge.

The next second.

SPLAT.

The mud hit one of the laughing boys square across the face.

For a moment everyone froze.

"Nice shot, Leo!" Nico cheered.

The boy coughed and gagged throwing up the mud that

"You little-"

He grabbed his own handful of mud and hurled it back.

That was all it took.

Within seconds the entire riverbank exploded into chaos.

Mud flew through the air in every direction.

Farmers who had been working moments earlier were suddenly ducking, cursing, laughing, and retaliating.

Someone slipped again.

Another splash followed.

Soon the shallow stretch of river had turned into a full battlefield of mud and water.

The supervising panel watched in horror.

"What is happening?!"

"Protect the documents!"

One of them grabbed the ledger and fled behind a cart while another ducked behind a tree to avoid the flying sludge.

Further down the bank, Earl Thaddeus looked utterly aghast.

"Nico! Leo!"

He waded into the river, trying to catch hold of his sons.

"Stop this at once!"

Unfortunately, the twins were already sprinting through the sludge and Lysanne was right behind them.

"Get back here!"

She chased them through the river, splashing through the mud as the twins shrieked with laughter and dodged her attempts to grab them.

Her own boots slipped more than once, only adding to the chaos.

Several farmers were now laughing openly.

Even some of the Hillford youths had stopped arguing and joined the ridiculous battle.

Mud flew everywhere.

Tools were abandoned.

The entire riverbank had descended into noisy, muddy disorder.

Meanwhile, Eric stood quietly on the shore. He had stepped back early when the mud started flying and now he watched the spectacle unfold.

Drac stood beside him, arms crossed, observing the chaos with mild curiosity.

A shot flew towards Eric and Drac’s arm moved at blinding speed slapping it away from Eric. Another lump of mud sailed past them and splattered harmlessly against a nearby rock.

Eric blinked once.

Then slowly, a smile appeared on his face as he watched the villagers chasing one another through the mud.

Hillford and Lowmere.

Laughing and arguing, throwing mud without thinking about which town the other belonged to.

And suddenly, an idea formed.

Eric’s eyes lit up, "Oh."

Drac glanced at him, "You found a way."

Eric nodded slowly, still watching the chaos, "Yes."

His smile widened slightly, "I did."