The autumn work moved forward without the open contention that had stalled the hearth. By setting aside the split log and laying out a clear division of tasks, the settlement accepted the compromise between the smokehouse and the pans.

### Work Accomplished and Food Stores

The autumn catch was secured before spoilage could take hold. Orin’s fishers brought in the catch while labor was partitioned across three preservation methods:
- The allocated dry billets kept the smokehouse running at a slow burn.
- A portion of Daro’s stored salt cakes was drawn down to dry-salt the firmer fish in baskets and containers, preserving them without demanding additional fire.
- Sava’s raised drying racks on the rise were fitted with woven thatch canopies, successfully shielding the split fish from intermittent autumn drizzle while allowing the coastal breeze to dry them cleanly.

Nearby, garden teams lifted the root crops from the low rise before mid-autumn rains could soak the soil, hauling them clean and dry into Daro's storehouse alongside the dry fish, barley, and peas.

### Shelter, Bank, and Pan Foundations

Two work crews gathered marsh reeds from the southern shore and re-thatched the two damaged roofs, making the dwellings tight against incoming storms.

At the lowest ebb of the spring tide, Fen led the inspection beneath the western pan bank. Small seepage channels were discovered cutting through the lower earth where the damp line had shown. Fen’s crew, joined by pan tenders, dug dense clay from the rise and cut turf sods, packing and tamping the lower bank firmly to stabilize the foundation before any full boiling resumes. Nessa’s pans remained cold, but the threat of a bank collapse into the brine pools was halted.

### Fuel and Seasoning

Beyond the garden rise, cutting parties coppiced willow and alder, limbing and splitting the green wood. Around the clay hollow, workers dug shallow drainage channels to carry off runoff and erected an open-sided thatched timber shelter. The fresh billets were stacked inside off the damp earth, resting on split stringers to begin seasoning. While this wood ensures fuel for winter, it remains green and unusable for current hearths.

### Northern Reconnaissance

Evi carried out a day patrol north along the shingle path to the marker beach under fair conditions. Searching the tideline flotsam, she confirmed additional worked timber offcuts bearing tool marks similar to the first notched piece. From the concealment of the dunes, she observed smoke rising across the northern creek. Obeying instructions to avoid contact or signaling, she stayed hidden, made no crossing, and returned safely to Saltmere before nightfall.

### Visible Costs and Immediate Pressures

While the immediate harvest and catch have been safeguarded without internal strife, several pressures now face Saltmere as early autumn closes:
- **Drying Fuel:** Dry billets remain scarce. The fresh wood in the hollow shelter cannot be burned clean yet, leaving fuel reserves tight.
- **Salt Stores:** Using reserve salt cakes to cure fish averted meat spoilage, but it drew down Daro’s inventory of finished salt.
- **Pans and Boiling:** The western bank has been reinforced, but boiling has not resumed. Fen and Nessa will need to determine how the packed clay holds under working heat and whether boiling can safely restart.
- **Approaching Season:** As mid-autumn approaches, weather is expected to turn wetter with stronger winds, threatening outdoor drying and boat travel on the sound.
- **Northern Presence:** The confirmed smoke and worked flotsam across the northern creek confirm an active presence within half a day's travel, though who they are and their numbers remain unknown.