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An old chalet sat abandoned set on the mountainside, north of the town of Widu and along the outskirts. Hidden among the trees, a thick forest had grown up around it. The pastures for a herder's cattle remained overgrown and empty. The fences needed repair, a couple of small windowless storage huts called mazots were locked up tight. The cobblestone steps weather-worn and rounded met a flight of wooden stairs leading to the chalet's high porch on thick stilts to hold it level on the mountain's outcrop. It was a beautiful home made of wood, with a heavy, gently sloping roof with wide, well-supported eaves set at right angles to the front of the house. An out Alpine styled remnant of a former Widu. It was not a mess only neglected by the years of abandonment when the town was closed and it's former residents, cattle herders, had left with everyone else. The trees casts a pleasant shadow over the chalet, thick enough like a safe curtain but open enough that you could see the starry sky hanging over the tops of the trees. Wooden lounge chairs left on their own looked weathered down and weary. On a path leading from behind the small house sat a fairly large hen house. The fencing was torn down and twisted away but decay. This sat comfortable with Teide. They could hire to repair the fencing and the hen house was on a lower plane than the house, close enough to see from a window of the chalet and yet far enough to not be bothered by the smell of chicken.
Teide climbed up the steps to the chalet. A few of the windows were broken but the house was rather open near the front and secure near the back. In the day the home would be full of sunlight and at night the stars would be bright for this place was tucked back in the mountains the border Widu and Cork and the far side away from the volcano where the fires could not cloud the sky most days. The house itself seemed smaller but an upstairs with an overlook so you could see into the down stairs opened up the space and tucked the bedrooms safely in the corners of the house. Threats could be seen before they could see you. Small windows around the back kept the home warmer absorbing sunlight from the south. She saw that though rather lonely, dusty and few live-in creatures that had gotten it....the wood was strong and the stone was firm....the foundation sound and the nip and tuck away had kept this home relatively undisturbed. No goblins or major threats were around save a den of foxes. Teide could turn a mazot into a place to for a hanging room to dry herbs, flowers and the like for her alchemy and the garden which sat to the southeast by the back of the home had a little stone hut she could use to conduct her business safely. Another mazot to the north near the front and another close to the hen house....good for a slaughter or meat to be kept securely from bears or thieves....but this place was so well hidden she doubted anyone knew of it without a map. They could turn any of the pasture or garden into a field if needed. The soil here was rested and rich with mulch. Out a little to the west towards the cart road where their chalet's path met was a well placed old stable and barn which could serve several uses. They must've kept the horses and cattle there. The mountains curved here giving them the right amount of cover and slope and some fruit trees grew scattered along the lower slopes in the direction of town.
Yes, she thought....this would do nicely for them. Teide wrote Genova a note and sent it by pigeon.
