# Hearthwarden's Directives: Early Spring, Year 1

The rain over Hearthmere reminds us of what sustains us and what threatens us. Our clay and our kilns are our livelihood, but wet fuel, leaking thatch, and empty bellies will break our back if we do not order our work with foresight. This month, we secure our hearths, protect our shelters, advance our craft, and quietly examine our obligations before the public reweighing in late spring.

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### I. Infrastructure, Labor, and Fuel Management

1. **Flue Repair and Oven Safety (Kira):**
   - Kira is given authority to direct the repair of the communal oven flue before any high-heat firings resume. Use our best refractory clay and experienced hands to inspect the masonry, clear obstructions, and repair structural cracking.
   - While the flue is being rebuilt, communal baking will operate on reduced, low-draft batches or outdoor hearth-plates under cover to conserve fuel and avoid smoke hazards.

2. **Fuel Shelter & Drying (Noll):**
   - Noll will oversee the immediate reorganization of the fuel yard. We cannot afford to burn wet wood or lose stacked brush to rot. 
   - Construct a temporary ventilated drying rack and lean-to shelter beside the existing storage, elevating wood off the damp clay soil and using crib-stacking to maximize airflow.
   - Balance labor between fuel handling and thatch/roof repairs: assign an alternating shift so that during dry clear spells, half the crew patches leaking roofs over living quarters and grain stores, while the other half fells and hauls. No crew is to be worked past exhaustion in the rain.

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### II. Production & Craft: Sealed Grain Jars (Lorn)

- Commission Lorn and the potters to develop and test prototypes of durable, sealed ceramic grain storage jars. 
- Specifications:
  - Standardized sizing (easy to lift, tally, and inspect).
  - Tight-fitting ceramic lids designed to be sealed with beeswax, resin, or fine clay slip to protect against weevils, damp air, and rodents.
  - Clean, unglazed or lightly burnished interiors, thoroughly fired to prevent moisture retention.
- Rationale: Since Hearthmere's local soil yields thin grain, our future food security depends on turning our specialized clay craft into Valley-wide necessities. If we can prove to Barleybank and Measure House that our jars cut grain loss during storage, our pottery becomes as good as grain in the ground.

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### III. Community Care and Internal Tallies (Mela & Pia)

1. **Dignity for Dependent Households (Mela):**
   - Meet with Mela in private. The eighteen households that received emergency grain through Keeper Oren’s arrangements last winter must not be singled out, burdened with shame, or made to feel like a liability.
   - Ensure these households have dry shelter and sufficient communal rations from the oven. Their labor contribution should be integrated naturally into light pottery prep, thatch weaving, and fuel shelter maintenance as they are able.

2. **Internal Ledger Review (Pia):**
   - Sit down with Pia to review all internal records, tokens, and delivery slips kept by Hearthmere regarding the emergency grain delivered last winter.
   - We need clear clarity on our own ledgers: How much was delivered? What receipts or marks were issued? Was it recorded as a loan, a gift, an exchange against future pottery, or unallocated relief?
   - Prepare Pia for Month 2's tally-copying at Measure House. She is instructed to remain calm, observant, and respectful of Keeper Oren’s long record of service, while keeping meticulous track of Hearthmere’s documented receipts. We do not cast accusations, nor do we assume unrecorded debts.

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### IV. External Relations & Measure House

- Send a formal, courteous greeting to Measure House addressed to Keeper Oren, copied to Belen and Sella:
  - Express Hearthmere’s continued gratitude for the relief organized during the hard winter months.
  - Inform them that Hearthmere is preparing its routine delegation and receipts for the upcoming spring verification, as is customary.
  - Inquire whether Measure House or any neighboring settlement has need of ceramic grain jars, tiles, or storage vessels as the season opens, offering to bring sample vessels for inspection when the roads firm up.