"It's a nice place to grow up," Annie said after King had said her home was nice. "The ocean, the mountains ... good, loyal, friendly, hardworking people. What's not to love?"

King had seen a lot of places in his life, more even than he'd told Bran in [url=https://www.roleplayerguild.com/posts/5550729]an earlier conversation[/url]. He seen both the good and the horrific of what a post-apocalyptic world had to offer.
  
As her father climbed the trail toward their position, Annie called out, "Papa, hvorfor klatrer du op ad denne bakke?"

The primary languages of the village were Danish and English. The former was a remnant of tiny Denmark having once owned the much larger Greenland; the latter had resulted from the simple fact that many of the village's original inhabitants had spoken English, either as a first or second language. There were other languages spoken here, too, according to a conversation with Bran. King didn't know what they were, though, he thought he'd heard German and an Inuit dialect as he was passing through the village.

"I'm climbing this hill," Bran translated, for King's benefit, "to tell you that you have chores. I'll keep King company."

Annie was reluctant to leave, playing the hurt little girl role, at least until she caught King watching her with a smirk. She left, promising to see King soon.

"Can't wait, he said, chuckling. To himself, he murmured, "Can't wait to see [i]much[/i] more of you."

As King and Bran began their walk across the mountainside, they spoke about the former's desire to see what was on the other side of the pass. King had seen the ocean and the shore already; he wanted to see what remained of the interior of the island of Greenland.  Bran said he'd take it up with the Council. 

Then, regarding providing King some extra freedom -- and company -- during quarantine, Bran opined, "I'm sure that Annie would be willing to keep you company."

"I'd like the company," King said, trying not to sound too overly excited about the offer. He added for the benefit of the Elder [i]and[/i] father, "I'll remember to keep my distance."

King joined Bran in checking snares placed all along the mountainside. He was impressed with how well they made out, returning to the village with a trio of nice sized hares. King sat at a safe distance to watch a woman and her daughter gut, skin, and cut up the animals before tossing them into stew pot. 

King could see in the faces of some of the villagers a desire to speak with him, but they'd all been warned to keep their distance. At one point, a toddler rushed King's way, only to be intercepted by his mother. King laughed as the child struggled for his freedom. Bran was nearby, talking to some of his community members. 

"I should get in that bath," King told him. More than anything, King just thought he should isolate himself again before the nature of the quarantine was violated.

Back at the hut, King found everything he needed to take a bath. He heated water over a larger than normal fire, poured it into a large, old, dented tub, stripped down, and slipped into the water. He moaned at the feeling, thinking [i]better than sex[/i]. His mind went to Annie again, imagining her sitting in the water with him. He scrubbed himself almost raw, leaving the surface of the water filthy. He would rinse himself with clean water, but not before he [i]relieved[/i] himself at more mental images of a naked Annie.

King donned a new set of clothes he'd been provided. They were a bit large, a bit loose, but they were of surprisingly good quality, a combination of wool, fur, and hide. He would have expected these materials up here in the north; down in Caroline, they were harvesting and processing cotton, using 19th century processes to make cloth for clothing, ship sails, and other uses.

Dressed, clean, and even smelling good, King went outside to sit in the sun. From his temporary home, he watched the villagers as they went through their day.