Timestamp: Early Fall, 515 AV, Before Sunrise
She was restless. Sleep had eluded her lately moreso than rest had found her so Kavala began to spend odd hours wandering the grounds of her home or ranging further out afield to get something done or work off nervous energy. She'd read most of the books she owned and knew the weather would soon be keeping her indoors completely. But for now, the crisp fall night wasn't unbearable and the cycles of the tides had put the sea far off shore between late late at night and early morning, leaving it the perfect opportunity to dig clams. Being Konti, Kavala often indulged in seafood of all types.
Clams, however, were among her favorites. She'd brought all the equipment with her; a mesh basket, a rake, a small shovel, and a clam tube. The basket would hold the neatly raked up or tubed clams nicely, not allowing them to escape, while the rake would help her capture steamer and butter clams. The tube was best for razor clams, which were Kavala's favorite. She'd try for all three, knowing it was a good time with the extremely low tides hitting.
But she was early when she arrived. The water was still going out and she laughed a little at herself knowing impatience wasn't exactly a virtue. So the Konti spent time gathering up firewood - pre-dried driftwood and flotsam on the beach - and piled it together so she could practice her survival techniques. She set her claming gear aside and picked the leeward side of a huge tree that had washed ashore last winter and used her shovel to dig out a depression sheltered from the wind. Trying to judge where the fire would reflect off the huge tree and give her the most heat was difficult, but after she'd decided - making the depression not so close as to catch the huge driftwood on fire - Kavala laid the foundations for a fire.
She carefully set out a pile of small sticks near at hand she could feed into the newly made fire and then in piled the depression with a small mound of tinder. She used shredded wood - the type already rotten though dry - and then shredded dried grass she'd pulled from the dunes near the cliff. Once the tinder was laid, she carefully took her flint and steel and began to strike the flint across the steel. Sparks flew, some dipping into the tinder, some flying wide. The Konti laughed at herself, though her laughter soon grew to frustration. It wasn't as easy as it looked, and certainly not out in the wind even though where she dug the pit was slightly sheltered.
She kept trying until her fingers got tired, the fire still not catching, and then drew res into her hands, cheating slightly.
Into the pooled res she willed fire, and then in turn dumped the fire over the tinder to catch it. Once the dried grasses were burning, she fed small twigs and small chunks of driftwood into the fire until the tinder and the small fuels were burning. Then she added larger pieces and sat back admiring how she piled them in a sort of A shape in the center so lots of air could flow around them and burn. Once the fire was roaring, Kavala sat back, brushed off her hands, and checked the progress of the tide. It was only a quarter of the way out. When the tide was halfway out she'd start her claming. That way she could safely hunt until it was all the way out and backtrack with the water creeping back in.
Until then, there was nothing to do but sit back and relax, enjoying the warmth of the fire.