Janus was quite surprised that Alistair was working so quickly. He picked up the pace with his woodcutting so Alistair wouldn't need to wait when he needed someone to clean the debris.<br/><br/>"Sure thing. I'll try not to keep you waiting!" Janus called as he swung the tool again.<br/><br/>The innkeeper decided to check up on the fence. Janus took this as meaning she wanted all the wood cut. The pile dwindled more slowly than he would have liked, partly because he kept looking back at the house to track Alistair's progress, but even as his arm and wrist grew tired, Janus kept swinging. The bark seemed glass-like, and shattered into brittle pieces as the logs split before him. After a while, most of the wood was in the bag. Janus' only problem was carrying the absurdly heavy load back to the house. It would be a back-breaking effort alone. He hated to depend upon others, but Janus decided to trek back to ask Alistair for assistance.<br/><br/>"Alistair, I know you're busy and all, but when you--"<br/><br/>In the distance, the faint sound of screeching metal, then a crash. The sound had come from the general direction in which the innkeeper had disappeared to. Was he hearing things?<br/><br/>"That noise...did you hear it?" Janus' spine shivered as the words left his lips.