# Stonecross Directive — Late Summer, Year 1 **From:** Roadwarden of Stonecross **To:** Officers, Council, Work Crews, and the People of Stonecross --- ### I. Terrace Harvest & Community Food Security As late summer ripens our terrace crops, community labor must pivot decisively toward harvest and preservation. Our food security for the coming winter depends on disciplined execution across our steep plots and newly prepared processing floors. 1. **Terrace Reaping & Hand Hauling:** - Mobilize all available community hands for phased reaping across the terraced hillside. Prioritize mature plots vulnerable to late-summer hail or early autumn storms. - Because our steep terrain naturally precludes draft animals, all cutting, bundling, and carrying down from the terraces to base collection points must be handled strictly by hand-carry teams and barrows. - Utilize the split-reed utility baskets gifted by Reedhaven travelers for gathering, sorting, and carrying grain ears and field produce efficiently. 2. **Threshing, Winnowing, and Granary Storage:** - **Tovin (Stoneworker):** Oversee processing operations on the newly repointed stone threshing and drying floors. Ensure surfaces are swept clean daily between batches to prevent grit contamination. - Dry grain thoroughly under the late-summer sun before bagging and barreling. - Transfer processed grain directly into the lime-washed stone granary bins. Inspect bin footings and wooden seals to ensure no dampness or vermin can breach our primary reserves. - Set aside certified seed-grain for next spring's planting in sealed, elevated stone niches. --- ### II. Waystation Upkeep & Regional Transit The generosity of travelers from Reedhaven and Hearthmere demonstrates the profound value of our roadside waystation. Late summer brings increased travel as harvest exchanges stir throughout the valley, and our post must remain a beacon of order, hospitality, and intelligence. 1. **Waystation Facility Upgrades:** - Install the two large Hearthmere ceramic water cisterns into the shaded arbor, connecting them to the piped upland spring line to provide ample, cool gravity-fed water for travelers and pack animals. - Use the gifted Hearthmere roof tiles to reinforce and weatherproof vulnerable seams and chimney flashing on the shelter's roof before the autumn rains arrive. - Position the gifted braziers inside the common room and under the arbor, stocking them with dry split kindling for late-summer evenings when mountain drafts turn cool. 2. **Staffing, Hospitality & Intelligence:** - Maintain the regular two-person rotating watch (Shelter Warden and apprentice) on five-day shifts. - Keep hearth supplies stocked: clean spring water, dry split fuel, bedding straw, salt, and emergency provisions (dried greens, roasted parched grain cakes). - **Transit Registry:** Continue meticulous logging of all parties passing through: numbers, affiliations, cargoes (especially movements of Barleybank grain, Hearthmere ceramic jars, and Reedhaven wicker), and road reports from the lowlands. - Maintain a courteous, welcoming posture toward all clan travelers, reinforcing Stonecross’s reputation as an impartial and dependable partner. --- ### III. Draft Animal Deployment & Hauling Discipline With our oxen rested, hooves restored, and stamina rebuilt across sweetgrass pastures in midsummer, we can now selectively employ draft power without risking exhaustion or injury. 1. **Controlled Cartage:** - **Vann (Ox Keeper):** Assign draft teams strictly to level and established roadway routes. Ox carts are to be used exclusively for hauling bagged, dried grain from lower collection staging platforms up to the central granaries, sparing human backs from heavy uphill portage. - In secondary rotations during dry spells, deploy ox carts to haul seasoned firewood cut from lower clearings up to community woodstores and the roadside shelter. 2. **Draft Health Protocols:** - Continue strict pacing: draft animals work no more than two cartage shifts in any four-day window, restricted to the cool early morning and evening hours. - Ensure oxen receive supplemental grain mash and clean water after work shifts, and maintain their pasture access during mid-day rest. --- ### IV. Infrastructure Vigilance & Road Maintenance With heavy construction on the retaining wall completed and capped in midsummer, our focus shifts to long-term structural monitoring and corridor maintenance before autumn weather sets in. 1. **Retaining Wall Datum Inspection:** - **Una (Road Forewoman):** Conduct the first scheduled monthly plumb-line inspection against the datum pins established across the retaining wall face and bedrock flanks. - Document all measurements in the road log to establish our post-construction baseline. Verify that gravel backfill weep channels remain open and clear of debris, and check the upper diversion berm for any signs of silt blockage. 2. **Corridor Maintenance & Ditch Clearance:** - Una’s maintenance crews will sweep the upland road down to the valley junction: - Clear loose shale, fallen scree, and summer dust accumulations from cart ruts. - Scrape and clean all roadside culverts and drainage ditches so they can absorb runoff from impending autumn downpours without washing out the road shoulders. --- ### V. Trade, Stonework & Measure House Liaison As the agricultural season peaks, neighboring communities will face high demands for grain processing, storage, and exchange. Stonecross’s stoneworking craft is uniquely positioned to supply these seasonal needs. 1. **Quarry Production & Portable Goods:** - **Tovin:** Direct stoneworkers to continue dressing portable, high-utility tools: rotary quern-stones, grinding slabs, mortar sets, whetstones, and squared hearth flags. - Maintain a curated selection of these items at the roadside shelter and in the settlement store, available for immediate barter. 2. **Measure House Liaison & Trade Diplomacy:** - **Willa (Exchange Witness):** Travel down to Measure House with a small foot escort to liaise with Belen, Sella, and Oren. - **Administrative Review:** Check our community tallies against Sella’s duplicate registers, confirming all Stonecross accounts remain balanced. Inquire into the operational flow of the restitution jars, Barleybank’s harvest credits, and the schedule for autumn harvest weighing. - **Barter Opportunities:** Present sample whetstones and quern-stone specifications to trade agents from Barleybank (who may need millstones and querns for grain processing) and Hearthmere (who may need stone mortars and pestles for clay and glaze preparation). Offer to trade dressed stonework for forward winter staples: grain stores, salted river fish, or quality oil. --- ### VI. Reference Custody & Internal Routine 1. **Reference Stone Vault Inspection:** - **Ressa (Reference Custodian):** In the presence of myself and Tovin, conduct the routine monthly verification of the locked chest in our dry storehouse vault. - Confirm that the multi-clan wax seals and cord remain intact, unbroken, and unaffected by temperature or humidity. Sign and date the custodial ledger. 2. **Community Welfare & Harmony:** - Organize community shifts to support elderly and young families during peak harvest days. - Keep settlement water cisterns covered and clean, and prepare community hearths for the harvest gathering at the end of the month to celebrate the safe gathering of our crops.