I Vey

I Vey is in many ways the opposite to Ernie - lean, quick-witted and friendly, lives on the other side of Ram in a narrow, ivy-wrapped cottage beside the old plank bridge. Tall for the village and always in a patched waistcoat, I Vey runs the cobbler’s stall where he mends everything from boots to broken brooms. He speaks in clipped, cheerful sentences and has a laugh that flattens the gloomiest scowl, sometimes even Ernie’s. Their friendship is practical and unfussy: I Vey swaps leather patches for Ernie’s spare peat, helps grease broom when needed. They share rituals—a Tuesday sunset bowl, an after-match smoke of bitter twig, and the annual trade of a small charm for good luck. I Vey is the one who taught Ernie to tie a proper knot and once stayed up all night repairing Nira’s tiny harness after she slipped it chasing a sparrow. Despite different temperaments they read each other well. I Vey knows when to prod with a joke and when to carry silence like a blanket. When Nira went missing, I Vey was the first to take the far lane and call out until the boy at the market appeared. He’s the friend who keeps the village rooted: practical, loyal, and warm in a way that nudges Ernie’s scowl into something softer.