Having to work through spring was a bit difficult. The mercenary companies were protecting us. The builders and carpenters helped us with making wooden tents for the winter. The tents we had were fine, but it was not as cool or as big as the ones made of wood. Clearing the woods was part of our mission, so it was not really a waste. It was something that higher ranking people could live in. I was an attendant knight, so I got one. I made sure the builders could all get one. They were the ones making them. It endeared me to them. Along with the spring season came the centaurs' heats. That was where the female centaur got to shine. She was able to mount all 4 of them and get them pregnant. It was something that gave her great pleasure and joy. Her name was Argaia. I was not sure how to deal with my friends being pregnant. All that I could do was affirm that I would be there for them should they need me. Their friendship meant a lot to me. Cutting down trees needed to be done by our laborers. I watched them work. After that, we had to get some snazzy designs down.
As this was supposed to be a good job, it had to have a certain level of quality. We needed to make sure there was a clear road, a resort worthy of royalty, lodging for the staff and guests, a temple to pray for success, and basically a small attached village to help sustain the place. I had the ear of the builders, so I asked if it was possible to make a large bathhouse and sauna. They had heard of bathhouses but not of saunas. Once I explained it to them, they seemed skeptical it was even possible. I had to do an example with rain water and heated rocks on a firepit. Watching the steam rise made them look in amazement. "Saunas like these are really good. It lets you sweat out minor toxins, opens your airways, relaxes you and it's even good for your heart muscles if you use them regularly." I pitched. They were sold. Still, it was at a much lower priority than everything else that had to get done for the royal inspections. I was not a laborer. I needed to make sure everything ran smoothly among the builders and carpenters. The Whites sent periodic caravans to us. I was so happy.
It took less than a year to get a small village going. We were still getting ourselves set up. Clearing the woods for the foundation of the resort was done first. That was all we put towards it though. Hunting and foraging provided a fair bit of food for us to eat. The village of free folk were good neighbors, although nosy. Their children and elderly would often wander over to see what they were doing. The freefolk were humanoids that did not live on land leased to them by a lord. That meant that they were free to do as they pleased. We they showed up, either I or any of the mercenaries would scold them before bringing them back to their village. It was random. They did not look like they were going to stop it. Gossiping about us seemed to be a test of courage. Investigating a new group of people could be dangerous. It fell a little flat seeing as we never hit them. Watching them in their own village, they spoke a mixture of Elvish and Common. There were humans, half elves and elves. There were some dwarves and beastkin as well. The Swifthearts had no interest in it.
