It was evening when Arwist decided that the smelting process was complete. He grabbed his tongs and began to dismantle the first smokestack, careful not to touch the red-hot bricks. He pulled them down one by one from the top and threw them aside. Those at the very bottom had to be hit with a long beam to make them come away from the metal piece.

- Get ready and grab your hammer, this metal needs to be bruised of its impurities. - said the blacksmith.

He grabbed the glowing metal piece with tongs and moved it to a nearby stump.

- Strike hard now! - he ordered.

Marus began to bruise the soft metal with a heavy wooden hammer, which gushed flame with each strike. When they finished, the blacksmith threw the heated piece into a bucket of water.

- Okay, now the next one!

They continued like this with more pieces, repeating the same steps. Before they knew it, night came. Finally, tired, they squatted on the side, looking at the remains of the smokestacks, which were still glowing.

- Well done. - The blacksmith complimented him. - Quite a bit of metal came out of it. Go home and tell your father that I will carry out his order, just as we agreed.

- What will happen to the iron now? - Marus asked curiously.

- Over the next few weeks I'll be heating them up in the furnace and reprocessing them. At least a few metal pieces will come out of it.

- Did my father place any orders?

Arwist smiled mysteriously and patted him on the shoulder.

- Go home now. I'm very tired. We'll talk some other time.

***

Marus was in no hurry to return home. He walked slowly through the village, looking up every now and then. The night sky was sparkling with stars, as there was not a single cloud on it. It was not often that he had the opportunity to see such sights, as he usually lay down at dusk to get up for work at dawn. He listened to the sounds of the night now, and the forest seemed to be alive and watching him.

When he finally arrived home, he was greeted by the barking of their dog. Marus came closer, and only then did the dog recognize him and stopped barking. Soon, the dog began wagging his tail and fawning, demanding to be petted. His father came out of the hut with his sword drawn, disturbed by the noise.

- There you are at last. - He said in relief, sheathing his sword. - It took you a long time to get here.

- We delivered a lot of ore to be smelted, so there was a lot of work. - Marus answered as he entered the hut. - I am starving. Is there anything left to eat?

- Some fish with dried mushrooms. - He said as they sat down at the table. He handed him a clay bowl. Moonlight came through the open door, illuminating the room a little.

Marus cut off a piece of boneless meat and threw it to the dog that came in behind them. That was the tradition. Only then did he begin to eat himself.

- Father, what did you order from the blacksmith? - He asked when he had finished his meal.

- Nothing like that, new bridles for horses. - He answered a bit confused and quickly changed the subject. - How did you like it?

- Hard work, but rewarding. - He said after a moment's thought.

His father nodded.

- The feast of Pergrübri, the festival of the marriage of Earth and Heaven, is approaching. We will donate a keg of beer for this celebration. Let us hope that this year will be even better than the previous one. We survived the harsh winter and another of our mares recently foaled. We are doing surprisingly well. - He said and looked at his son. - I think you should look for a wife. You're at the right age now. I'm not going to live forever.

- I will think about it, Father. - He answered evasively.

- Go to bed, we have to get up early in the morning. Think it all through. - He said, getting up from the table. - Good night.

- Good night, Father.

***

A week passed as people prepared for the upcoming festival. Finally, the awaited moment arrived and the people of the surrounding villages gathered at the home of the chief priest, who had decided to host all the residents this year. Marus and his father brought a barrel of beer, which was placed on the grass in front of the house next to another similar one. Everyone brought the best they had from home to eat. On the main table in a prominent place there was a birch cross surrounded by a wreath of young twigs with open buds. Next to it stood a symbolic bread with a baked egg, which was supposed to symbolize the rebirth of life after winter.

Once everyone had gathered, the priest tapped a cup of ale from the keg and looked around at those present. The murmur of conversation suddenly quieted as everyone fell silent.

- You, mighty god Pergrubrius, – began the priest solemnly. - You drive out the winter and give grass and leaves to every land, we ask you to command our crops to grow, and deign to destroy all weeds.

That said, he drank the entire contents in one gulp and handed the cup to the next person, who scooped beer from the keg again and followed him. Some of them, like the priest, recited a short prayer. The ritual was repeated, and finally whoever could, sat down at the table. The rest contented themselves with the stumps that had been prepared earlier. Loose and shy conversations began, but with time, along with subsequent rounds of alcoholic beverages, they became louder and more intense. People began to eat the prepared dishes. Finally, laughter and fun began.

It was the first time that his father allowed Marus to take part in the ritual, as he thought that he was mature enough for it. After a few rounds of beer, Marus became drunk and dizzy. After a while, Marus wobblyly stood up from the table, causing hoots of laughter all around. His father gave him a look from afar, but said nothing and returned to his conversation with the blacksmith.

Marus wandered off into the woods for his necessities, and as he was returning, Ayte replaced his path.

- There you are! - she was happy. - I finally found you!

- Have you been looking for me? - he was surprised. - What for?

- We have something to talk about. - she replied with a smile and suddenly shortened the distance and hugged him.

- What... are you doing? - He asked surprised, but involuntarily reciprocated the hug. He felt her softness and warmth and was suddenly ashamed of his body's natural reaction.

Ayte smiled even wider and grabbed his hand.

- Come with me. We'll look for somewhere more secluded. - she said quietly and pulled him toward the woods.