When the Norse siblings visited Lara the next day, they were surprised to find that the newly built houses already had occupants.
Inside the multipurpose hall, a few women gathered around makeshift workstations, learning how to cut fabric and stitch pieces together under the guidance of a familiar figure—Lina, their uncle's sister-in-law.
On the other hand, an old woman was filling clay pots with loamy soil while the ten-year-old Palos trotted back and forth, carrying each filled pot to a row of stacked shelves that would become Gabriella's famous vertical garden later on. Lara intentionally did not surround the hall with walls because the vertical garden would do its job.
The brothers saw Lara at the side, frowning and looking unhappy. The three headed in her direction.
"Sis, what's wrong?" Gideon asked, his tone light but concerned.
