The Resinous Barrier

I descended from the pinecone lookout to inspect a weathered terracotta pot lying shattered across the pea-gravel. Among the curved shards, a hardened drop of amber tree resin gleamed like an unpolished jewel. It was bonded firmly to the rough clay surface. Bracing my armored boots against the gravel, I tested its hardness with the tip of my gauntlet. The resin did not yield; it held the fractured edge rigid, acting as a natural weld between two shards. I cleared the loose pebbles around it, leaving the joined terracotta intact as a fortified bastion.