Brom looked at the foolish bard with wide eyes as he came to a horrifying realization. Oh Mother Mountain's beard, he has stupidity stuck between his ears. No matter what Brom said, no matter what he did this man was never going to listen. In fact, this was the sort of man that went by the beat of his own drum, or in this case, went by his own tune regardless of how he effected the others around him. In short, the worst kind of person to have in a kitchen let alone a little community trying to bring life back to this ill begotten town.

It took all Brom had not to push the bard's hand off his shoulder. They must live in peace; he could not contribute to any tension within this band of people. He had to be civil, polite, and courteous even if the fool in front of him kept prancing around like a peacock in heat parading his feathers for any potential, dissatisfied potential mates to appear. However, not even he could maintain his cheery smile as he listened to the peacock prattle on and on. Gods above did the man love the sound of his voice or what.

"Don't make yourself the final verse," Brom muttered to himself though lo and behold the seemingly immovable object met a greater unstoppable force. Adrilla led him away with an arm around his shoulder and honeyed words coming from her lips not before she flashed Brom a grin and wink.

The dwarf returned with a satisfied mischievous grin and a thumbs up. "Oh we know when we aren't wanted!" He said with a hardy chuckle. His attention though turned to the Myrr and for a split second he thought he heard her give him his thanks. His grin softened into a warm smile of acknowledgement and a nod before he focused onto the matters at hand. So, they had a blacksmith, a herbalist, and a farmer, and at least some of them had combat abilities. He wasn't sure on the farmer though.

"I know my way around a sword," chimed in Brom. "If possible, I would like to try and find some wood for smoking as one method to preserve food. Hard woods like alder, hickory, oak, and so on." If they were going to be okay in the future, then they needed to stockpile on resources that would help extend the shelf life of food though whether or not they could lug back both wood for firewood and for smoking awaited to be seen.

However, a new problem arose; it appeared that he had accidentally discouraged the farmer from looking at the plains completely.

With a shrug Brom said, "Come along anyway. Worst case scenario is that if we don't have time to look then we have an extra pair of hands to help bring wood and food back. Besides, you'd be safer in the forest with a bear than with him anyway." He briefly glanced over in the direction of the bard.

He made sure the straps of his backpack were tightly secured around his shoulders, pots and pans gently clanged against each other. "But we are burning daylight, I'm with Myrr and that we should leave now."

@Rune_Alchemist@Dragonydas@Zeroth@LupusIntus

A farmer and a blacksmith. A strong combination, though any farmer she’d ever met was much bolder. The woman in question was timid, maybe even afraid. Poor thing. Unfortunately, the things the young lady farmer had with her would not help with their rickety old well. Food plants did tend to either be very small or rather too brittle, not hardy at all. None of the plants the young lady listed had the qualities she would need to encourage from a seedling. Wheat had some potential, but Niara was unsure if she could mutate the brittleness of the stalk away, or make the plant last long enough to have any utility. No, they would need some kind of vine or other, more fibrous plant.

The group seemed to be organizing itself quite well - a party for firewood and scouting, not a bad idea - when another joined their midst. Someone with rather too many compliments on his tongue, and no few for himself. With a roll of her eyes, Niara turned back to the well in front of her. Though she made great statements about the thing, she hesitated. Already, she’d managed to get some parts free, but as she looked at the rest of it, she pursed her lips and frowned. Replacing the rope and bucket would be easy enough, but to work on the rest of the thing might be impossible, her original words seemed correct. Much of the assembly was rusted through, the magic she used for hearing the earth could tell her that much. If she took it apart, it would likely crumble and be nothing more than scrap. Working on this well, as it was, was pointless.

The technically skilled elf turned to the farmer girl, “Yingmei, was it? Did you catch mine? Niara.” She popped this part and that back into place before leaving the decayed contraption, and gathering her tools back onto her person. “I can go with you, to investigate your field. Think you can help me find a nice, sturdy replacement rope growing somewhere, while we’re on the way?” Niara grinned, bundling up her tarp and sticking it into the pouch on her back.

“You’re right, though. There might be monsters. I’ve got a couple things for that, at least,” she pat the buckler and dagger sitting together on her hip, “I’ll be able to fend off anything that’s reasonably sized. No bears.” She smiled at Brom and motioned to his suggestion with a wave of her hand, "or we all go together. Hehe, I think I'd rather not wander around alone."

---

---

The bard apparently had a rapier to flourish, but before he could do so the elven woman called Adrila suddenly entwined her arm with his. She seemed so certain of his sophisticated background Akitsugu was a little taken aback, but then again bards tended to have reputations as ladykillers for a reason, he supposed. In any case, it kept the man from bothering the other elf girl who was clearly uncomfortable with his advance.

Myrr seemed to quietly speak to Brom, before she answered the blacksmith's question. She apparently didn't have much in the way of weaponry, but could use two different kinds of magic. To Akitsugu, being able to affect an enemy's footing was good enough---he certainly couldn't do magic himself, so that fact alone was impressive.

"Keeping a sharp eye out will certainly be appreciated." he said, though as the woman began to mutter to herself and jot her thoughts down in a notebook, the blacksmith remained politely silent. Clearly, she was a bit like himself---he tended to think silently, but was also a note taker when needed. He knew that in his case, voicing one's thoughts aloud or whispering to one self was like imagining a conversation with another part of the brain---what if this, how about that? To evaluate thoughts as they occurred, and come to a conclusion only after considering both positive and negative aspects of an idea.

Brom chimed in that he was also familiar with swords, to which Akitsugu nodded with a positive "Mmh." Yingmei's grumble, however, caught his ear next and he turned to the girl with a look of concern. She declined his offer of an escort, which brought a slight frown to his lips, but he nodded in understanding. Best not to try and force his presence on anyone, especially when they seemed the naturally timid sort, and when he had only met them mere moments previously.

Although...what was that she'd said? Something about a divine beast? Again, the same way he allowed Myrr's thoughts to run uninterrupted, he merely blinked and did not draw attention to Yingmei's nervous stammers.

Brom, however, tried to encourage the girl into coming along with them anyway---to which Akitsugu held up an empty palm.

"I disagree, Brom-dono. If Miss Yingmei's specialties lie elsewhere, let her put them to the use she deems best. I trust her judgment. The three of us will be enough."

Myrr and the dwarf both seemed ready to go, so Akitsugu gave Yingmei another soft smile and a pat on the shoulder, before turning away and walking in the direction of the Springwood Forest. Best to take the lead and let those who would follow do as they willed---and leave those who did not wish to follow to their own devices, without making the situation more awkward. He did, however, hear Niara offering to accompany Yingmei, which brought a smile to his face despite not turning back.

---

The wild grass, dotted with shrubs and patches of flowers, was tall but not impedingly so. Aside from the occasional rabbit or bird, the most fearsome beasts out here seemed to be the trundling, membranous masses that Akitsugu knew to be called "Slimes" in this land's tongue. He wasn't even sure if the creatures were sentient---they simply rolled about, in their ponderous way, eating at bits of already dead or decaying things. Personally he only saw one; a blue specimen in the distance, tumbling down a gentle slope until it hit a particularly thick patch of grass, which formed into a ramp beneath its gelatinous body and launched it perhaps a foot in the air. It disappeared into the brush with a sound like manure being dumped out of a bucket.

There weren't really any noticeable landmarks, but the way was clear enough--entirely one-dimensional, in fact. Within less than half an hour they came to a line of thin and short trees, which thickened past their line of sight but never came close enough to shut out the sunlight. The day was warm and pleasant, and the canopy rustled every so often with a pleasant breeze. Akitsugu turned to Myrr first.

"If you have any idea what types of trees these are, have Brom-dono--ah...Sir Brom, mark the ones he wishes to use for smoking. I'm going to look for deadwood first." So saying, he pulled the hatchet from his pack once more, and began to search for twigs, tree limbs, fallen logs, or anything else that would be dry-but-not-rotten, flammable, and most importantly, within easy reach on the ground.

---

---

Another stunning beauty was at Rinn’s side in a moment and he nearly blushed at the way she took charge, guiding him through the square. “My lady, you speak only the truth as I see it and I would, of course, be honored to aid you with any task you might desire.” Rinn flashed her a brilliant, ernest, smile. “I do so wonder what stories YOU will create in this land of opportunity!” Before he was passed off again! It was, of course, not unexpected to be the most popular person in any space.

He simply had that effect on people.

“I am at your service, my lady, though I’m afraid I can weave a tale only half as well as you weave a blanket.” He marveled a moment at her current project and the way her fingers flew through the work with nary an instant of hesitation. “Many a heart kept warm by her touch, shared through-“ He stopped suddenly as Deryl entered the room, large muscles bulging beneath his tight shirt as they strained beneath of a crate full of metal tools. “This village has done nothing but amaze.” He said softly, mind already spinning through a rather raunchy limerick about a blacksmith who could handle every tool.

“Good ser,” He began with a slight bow, looking to both Sheryl and Deryl, where his eyes lingered a bit longer. Absently, his fingers flicked lightly at the strings of his instrument in a relaxing improvised melody. “I am Rinn Arniman, teller of tales and seeker of stories. It seems we’re to be neighbors in this endeavor! How might I assist you and this burgeoning community?”

Time of Day: Late Morning (10:00 AM~)
People of Interest: @Zeroth Yasunami Akitsugu, [@Dragonydas} Myrravel Velasien, @Remram Brom Stronghammer,

Those who took to the road and left the village behind in search of firewood would travel eastward, towards the Springwood Forest. While the trip there would msot likely be uneventful and mundane, with little to stop and gawk at along the way, the trip would give those walking there a peaceful and pleasant stroll, and a moment to talk amongst themselves and get to know one another a little better - if they so chose. The walk itself would take about half an hour, if they kept a steady, regular pace and didn't stop or take any detours along the road. Speakng of, there weren't any actual roads or paths leading to the forest per se. Instead, those travelling there would have to rely on not but choosing a general direction and heading that way.

Upon arriiving on the outskirts of the forest though, they'd be greeted by the fresh scent of woodlands. Bark, leaves, moss, grass and dew all mixed together in the air to form a familir and well-known smell to all, or well at least those who frequented the outdoors. As one looked around, it became clear that the forest divided into layers of a kind, with the outer-most one at which they were now was home to mostly thin trunked trees. But the deeper you wandered into the acual woods, the thicker and larger the trees started to get. Additionally, one's who knew where, how and what to look for, would soon realize that there were more useful plants, bushes and resources further in.

In the outer-most section of the forest there seemed to be mostly thin trees and basic ferns or other leafy plants, but if one kept going, they'd soon stumble upon things like wild vegetables and berry bushes, further still and you may come across nut or fruit-bearing trees. But, as with all things, the deeper one went, the more potential danger may appear. While the forest would certainly offer plenty of dry branches, fallen logs and ingiting sources, it also held the residents of the woods - and some of them may not be too friendly... Or they might just be hungry.

But it was still midday and fairly early. The sun was high and there was plenty of light. The green and brown of the forest beckoned, inviting the travellers in to forage and explore.

What would they do next? Where would they go? What, or who, would they find?

---

@Lupusintus Rinn Arniman, @BunniesOfDoom Adrila Jaaxa

Sheryl only glanced up momentarily from her work when she heard the elf's voice. She cocked ehr head sideways when the other woman flashed her an pologetic smile and then quickly dumped the string-spinning fop at her doorstep. Only when the man opened his mouth and began to babble did she realize why.

"Ah... ha.... Very, uh, nice to meet you too, young man." She said, a streined smile on her face.

Fortunately, her ox of a husband came barging into the stone house soon after, placing down a big crate full of tools and utilities. When he spotted Rinn and heard the lad ask what he could do, the big oaf laughed heartily and wandered himself on over to the yuonger man. With a firm, repetetive thumps on the youth's shoulder, the man spoke in a friendly tone.

"Perfect! It was gonna take a while to unload the cart all by myself, but with you here we'll get it done in no time! Wahaha!" Daryl said in an excited tone, completely missing the fact that the bard's physique wasn't exactly... Otpimized... For carrying large and heavy containers with who-knows-what inside of them.

"Let him carry the lighter things, dear." Fortunately, the red-headed woman had a good head on her shoulders.

Laughing again, the big carpenter clasped onto Rinn's shoulder and pulled him along out to the couple's wagon. Upon arriving, the bard would find that there was no small stock of things in the cart left. Many barrels and large, heavy-looking boxes were still there, but there were also smaller sacks and less burdensome-appearing crates and containers too.

"Well, you heard the wife! You take the small stuff and leave the heavy things to me, alright boy?" Daryl said with a big old goofy grin, before leaning over the side of the wagon and grabbing a barrel, which he then proceeded to hoist onto his own shoulder and start carrying off, as if it were not but a wee child playfully getting a ride on the big man's broad, muscular shoulders.

Rinn would find that Daryl was a chatty fellow, happy to share tales of how he and Sheryl had first met, where they used to live, where they'd come from and what road they'd traveled. All while moving back and forth between the cart and the building, never stopping to rest of take a breather. The man was a machine!

Meanwhile, a certain administrative-focused elf would find herself with a quickly diminishing roster of people to boss around as people set off to take care of whatever tasks or personal matters they had decided upon. Alone in the town square now, she'd find herself sandwiched between the wooden lopg house, the stone building where Sheryl, Daryl and Rinn were pre-occupied with, and the strange, star-like statue at the very central-most point of the village.

What would she do next?

---

@ERode MacKinnon

The little scamp would come into the northeast part of the ruined settlement and find... More of the same. Like, really, there wasn't any actual difference between the ruined buildings here and the ones she'd just scoured back at the heart of the town. Sure, some of the structures may have looked different or been of varying shapes and sizes, but all in all they were just more abandoned, rickety, falling-apart-dye-to-lack-of-maintenance buildings.

But, these were also places she hadn't explored and pillaged yet! Who knew what kind of treasures, trinkets or other items were left behind? Maybe none? Maybe a ton!? Maybe there was a diamoned-encrusted flagon that'd been enchanted to always keep its contents cool? OR perhaps a bear-skin rug? What about a complete collection of some ancient scolar's enyclopedias on various sciences and topics? ... Well... Maybe none of that, but you never knew! The ruins were, as they say, her proverbial oyster, ready to be violently pried open to see what was inside!

---

@CitrusArms Niara Rootwick, @Rune_Alchemist Yingmei Okudaira

Those who left for the south-west of the village would find a small dirt path leading out of the town. Of course, not long after you exited the settlement, the 'road' was gone, completely swallowed and overgrown by nature that had reclaimed it. But, it didn't take long to spot something interesting.

In the distance, a small ways away, were the remnants of a fence, or perhaps a low wall? Bits of it was made of wood, and other bits of stone, but all of it either crumbling or ruined by now, thanks to age and weather. But, beyond this sad display of a barrier, lay what was truly intriguing. The remains of... A field? A crop field?!

Yes, although largely grown over and reclaimed, it was clear as day to anyone with any sort of knowledge about agricultrure that this was, or at least had been, a field for growing food in at some point. And while indeed most of it had been consumed by nature, there were still bits and pieces that looked as if it could be worked right away, with only a little bit of effort involved in clearing and fixing it up! Moreover, there seemed to be some sort of shack or small building at the very far end on the opposite side of the village.

... And, there was something... Small... And white... Leisurely waddling about in the field-area...

//Northwestern Village > Western Village
_@Xaltwind

“One man’s trash is another man’s treasure. One man’s pain, another man’s PLEASURE!”

The pickaxe swung hard, a tip polished and sharpened by piercing stone now piercing deep into the front wall of yet another abandoned, dilapidated structure, before MacKinnon pushed her body weight against the haft of her trusty partner and dragged it further down, creating an eye-catching ‘i’ in the building.

Was she mad about something? Nope, sweat beaded over her forehead but her smile was as cherubically greedy as ever.
Was she trying to get into something? Nope, the door worked (because it had already fallen off the rusty hingers) and she had already ducked her head into the building.

Instead, MacKinnon had simply done this to mark the buildings for others to take a look in later. Sure, a common wage-slave would see broken and rotten furniture and think they were too good for it, but when the nearest forest was still far away, wouldn’t the best firewood be chairs that could no longer be chairs, tables that could no longer be tables? Certainly, she wasn’t a lumberjack and had no intention of bringing those bits and bobs of dry wood back herself, but the jovial treasure hunter was always willing to mark where her trash was, in case others saw it as treasure.

And oh, the treasure she did find!

A vase with a pretty picture painted on it that’d definitely be a winner once she washed it off by the well! A grimy carpet that just needed a nice beating to reveal the artisanal patterns and historical value that it inherently possessed! Those were what she placed in her rucksack, carefully using the carpet itself as cushioning for her more brittle discoveries as she continued to stick her head in, mark buildings with free furniture/firewood, and…

MacKinnon’s head lifted up as a cold draft blew against her back, her hair billowing in response. Her green eyes followed the direction of the wind. At the outskirts of the northwestern parts of the village, she could just make out the holes in the earth, the caves that promised safety and profit, security and familiarity. It drew her in, as certain as gravity.

But she blinked instead. Shook her head. Spun on her heel. Headed down to the western section of the Village instead, continuing the cheery little work shanty that spun itself into being upon her lips.

“One man’s trash is another man’s treasure. One man’s pain, another man’s pleasure!”

@Xaltwind@CitrusArms

---

"O-oh!" She had been fully prepared to go alone, and in some manner that would have made things easier. At least, mentally, but she was also glad that it seemed like someone had decided to actually take her up on the offer. "N-niara. Yes I heard your name. Nice to meet you. Uhm, yes, I can help you find a rope, probably! If one is around...might be able to make a decent one from plant fiber if we find enough, though." She glanced towards Brom, shaking her head. "U-uhm, no its fine. I've had enough excitement for one day and w-well..." Her voice trailed off, frowning as she'd refrain from stating that she'd only get in the way again as she'd start walking towards the fields.

So following an old dirt road, Yingmei would walk towards the edge of the village. It was rather nice, all things considered. Peaceful and getting a good look around...well, not that there was much to see. The land seemed to be mostly entirely flat. Not even any rolling hills or plains to speak of. Just flat prairie and grasses, long since having overtaken any paths that may be here. The only real noticeable landmarks were the stone and wood posts littering the landscape occasionally. The remains of fences, likely marking land ownership having long since decayed into nothing and overtaken by nature once again. They may be able to reuse some of them if they found any that weren't too bad. Not permanently, at least, but maybe for firewood or something...

The only good thing she could see was the fact that there were still usable plots of land! Well, mostly. She'd need to trim and likely find a way to deal with any pests. She'd have taken time to thank the gods for a stroke of good fortune had it not been for a teensy, tiny, problem.

"Erm...Miss Niara...did...I did see something moving out there, didn't I?" Yingmei would ask, though she would very much know the answer. She could see it moving off in the distance, between the two of them and a small building. "D-do you think we should approach?" Well, they would need to see what it was regardless, wouldn't they? If it was some sort of monster they would need to know what it was living here so the others could deal with it.

She unconsciously gripped her hoe hard again.

"R-right, ok. Uhm. You know what? I'll go see what it is. If I scream, then...well, honestly I might do that even if its nothing, ahaha..." She'd chuckle in a self deprecating manner. She'd walk closer to this mysterious creature, keeping her steps as light as possible as she'd walk past the overgrown grasses and shrubs. It wasn't long before the creature came into view.

A fat, small, white feathered creature. On its head rested a feather that was disproportionately large compared to the rest of its body. The rest of its feathers seemed smooth, and...honestly she kind of very much wanted to pet it. It was idly waddling around on its two clawed feet, and it seemed she had stumbled upon it mid snack as it pulled a bug of some sort off the ground.

"Uhm...H-hello? You...wouldn't happen to be friendly would you?"

---

The morning sun filtered through the slender trees as Myrravel walked alongside Brom and Akitsugu, her eyes constantly scanning the path they were taking for any kind of plants she could use. She kept a close distance to her companions, still a bit reserved with the strangers, but feeling secure in the company. She watched as a monster she was familiar with, a slime, blue in color, appeared in the distance. This brought back memories of when she was learning her trade with her grandmother.

"You know," she said, looking carefully at the slime, "even creatures like slimes can be quite useful in alchemy. Their residue, when properly processed, creates an excellent binding agent for certain pot-"

She stopped mid-sentence, her eyes widening as she spotted something among the undergrowth. "Oh! Stinging nettle!" Already reaching for her satchel, she took a few eager steps toward the patch of tall, serrated-leaf plants. "This is perfect - it's excellent for reducing inflammation and the young leaves can be used for tea. Though we'll need gloves to harvest it properly..."

As Akitsugu turned to her, she immediately started studying the trees around them with a practiced eye. "These are all birch trees. We can use them for smoking, but they'll need to be treated properly first. If we go deeper into the forest, we might find oak or cherry wood that would be better suited and-"

Her professional explanation cut off abruptly as something caught her eye. "Dandelion!" She was already moving toward the cluster of familiar leaves, her earlier train of thought completely forgotten in her excitement. "The roots can be roasted for tea, and they're wonderful for liver health. And the leaves are edible too..."

Catching herself mid-ramble, her ears pinked slightly as she again remembered why they were actually here. "Oh! I'm sorry," she said, turning back to Brom with an apologetic smile. "Here, let me help you gather some branches for now, and we can look for better smoking wood once we go deeper into the forest. I’ll get the herbs on the way back."

---

---

Myrr seemed to know her stuff when it came to the various flora on the forest floor---and also seemed to be much more excitable when she was actually in her element. It reminded Akitsugu of himself in some ways, though his own subjects of expertise were quite different.

"I'm quite fond of tea, actually---and if it's edible, all the better." he called, as she gushed over the many uses of the dandelion. "I'll keep a lookout for it myself."

While she and Brom examined the living trees, Akitsugu focused on the dead ones, or at least the boughs that had long been shed in previous seasons. He meandered some distance from the other two, keeping them within the limits of sight but soon losing the sound of their conversation. With the tarnished yet sharp copper axe in hand, he searched until he found dry wood that hadn't rotted too badly from exposure to the elements. He soon found an armful of smaller branches and limbs, easily broken over his knee or against the trunk of another tree. A dead log with a big patch of moss on it was rolled into position by bracing himself against the ground and pushing with his feet, then Akitsugu began stripping it of the rotted sections of bark and cutting off the forked, jagged branches from the main body.

"_{Are you sure it's wise to trust all these people?}" whispered Miyusahime.

"_{Shh. If you don't trust them, don't reveal yourself.}" The loud crack and snap of a branch echoed through the forest, before Akitsugu tossed it into his pile.

"_{I'm not, dummy! If they can hear us from here, they'd have to have ears like rabbits!}"

"_{Well, several of them are elves...}" The sword gave a "hmph!" and clicked in her sheath.

The blacksmith took a step back from the now branchless log to eyeball its length, and then scored its now stripped surface with the tip of the axe. He glanced over at the pile of bark he'd torn away from the wood, and thought it would probably make good kindling if it were crumbled up some more, or if the fibrous layers could be stripped off the undersides. Then he began to cut a V-shaped wedge along each of the lines he'd marked, so that the log's length would be broken into more manageable pieces. This was where the real effort and manpower came in. After a few strokes, he removed his mantle and hung it on the branch of another tree nearby, then used a piece of string from a pocket to tie back the long sleeves of his robe-like shirt. Doing so revealed surprisingly built biceps and triceps, which brought the axe up and down in vigorous strokes. However, he didn't cut any of the wedges all the way through the log.

Once he felt a section had been carved deeply enough, he found another log and once again levered the one he'd been working on around until he managed to stand it upright. Taking aim, he positioned it at an angle to the one on the ground, and then let gravity do the work. The sound of the two dead trees hitting each other was like that of a great drum. Bark flew from the unstripped log, while the one Akitsugu had been cutting broke over its companion, right in the weakened area. Rolling that newly made chunk of firewood out of the way, the red head proceeded to grunt and heave with effort until he had the log upright again, and repeated the process.

It only worked twice more, however, before the wedged log was too short to generate enough force in its fall. Still, Akitsugu was now able to flip it over with his foot, and went back to chopping with his hatchet.

He would definitely need better tools soon, and more people if he planned for this to be a long term activity. And, it would have to be, if he had finally found the source of his calling...if he was going to stay in this village. Firewood was needed, of course, for heat and for cooking and for building. But it was also needed to make charcoal, which would be needed to get a furnace up to temperatures that could actually work with metal. Akitsugu had only made it himself a few times, in some of the villages he'd passed through while looking for work, but he'd also read about it and remembered enough that he felt confident repeating the process. He would need quite a lot of wood, and kindling as well. Once these were piled up, packed tightly together with the smallest sticks on the inside and the largest towards the outside, with the kindling over top of that, then he would need to mix some water and mud to get clay (which was why he hoped Niara would soon be able to fix the well). After starting a small fire on top of the wood pile, he would need to cover it in the mud while leaving a few airholes---once the entire pile was alight, those would be plugged in turn. The pile had to be left to cook, and then to cool, for quite some time, but if he did it right the result would be shiny black chunks of carbonized matter, perfect for use in a forge.

Of course, his thoughts were getting ahead of his actions. First he had to cut enough wood to get himself and his companions through this first night. Then he needed to build or borrow some form of transportation for it---just lashing it with vines might work for today, but he needed a basket or cart to carry much, much more. And he would probably need a better axe before he could really thin out this forest.

That, he realized, was also a bit of an issue. This forest seemed to be large, for sure, but so far he had seen...at least ten, maybe a dozen people, in the village? If he needed a constant supply of wood for his charcoal---which Brom might also need for his cooking stoves---and everyone else also needed wood for cooking and for repairing the houses, then how long would this forest support them? And what if the population continued to grow? The blacksmith made a mental note to ask Myrr about collecting saplings and seeds, so that they could be sure to replant enough trees to remain sustainable.

"_{Then again... I suppose that's thinking too far ahead, isn't it? Might not even live to see it...}"

"_{What? What are you talking about, Aki-tan?}"

"Nothing. Just thinking out loud." he told his sword.

While he had been thinking to himself, another set of Vs were carved in on the opposite side of his log. Then the log was flipped again. Chop, flip, and chop again---the last three sections soon came apart.

The blacksmith wiped at his sweaty brow, then turned to look for his companions. Hopefully they hadn't wandered too far away...

---

---

HARVESTED: WOODEN STICKS
HARVESTED: WOODEN LOGS
HARVESTED: KINDLING

---

---

It seemed things were flowing along smoothly. Many of the people had scattered and went about their way to gather things. Adrila had even deposited the bard onto the lovely couple that quickly put him to work. Things seemed to be flowing remarkably smoothly. As she peered into the cart at the food she could see, she marked down the few items in the bottom corner of her sheet. She spotted jams and spreads with some bread but that seemed to be the only obvious things she could find without actively digging in their supplies and opening things up and even though they were kind and generous to the bard and shared their bread with him, she would not be taking their food without their permission, no matter how much her rumbling stomach wanted her to.

She quickly stepped away from the cart so as to not be tempted and walked over to the barrels the older gentleman was hauling out of his cart. She took note of the vast amounts of tools and items located within and smiled. It seemed the man was a carpenter or something of the type. That would be quite useful when they had to start rebuilding the town again. Hell, he could even split the wood properly for them to fix up the well. She slowly nodded to herself before she stepped out of their way and further into the center of the area. She peered around until her eyes fell on the only other building in one piece besides the stone building Sheryl and Daryl had already claimed, the wooden longhouse.

She stepped into it and peered in. It was filthy but there were cots scattered about, some flipped on their sides or upside down completely. She got to work on sorting the cots upright and against the wall before she went out to get a branch with many leaves still on it. Using said branch as a broom, she began to sweep the floor and get as much of the dirt out of the building as she could. It took a long time. A branch was not an ideal broom but it eventually got the job done, leaving Adrila with a sweaty brow but a broad grin on her face.

Well, the blacksmith was certainly pushy, but he was not wrong either. "Very well, if that is what she wishes," he said with a shrug. It was better for the farmer to find a suitable plot of land as soon as possible, but he would've liked to have more hands-on deck, but it was what it was. With that they headed off... in the same direction that he just came from only mere moments ago.

I really should've paid more attention when I was passing through. Brom thought to himself with a blank expression of disappointment in himself. It was what it was, but did he ever feel silly not to check the woods for anything when he hiked through them earlier.

The late morning late painted the vale with a gentle light, the wildflowers swayed back and forth among the tall grass. The air was perfumed by the gentle scent of flowers, grass, and sea salt far off from where he assumed to be a beach. Brom walked in step with his newfound comrades though it was quite a task for someone of the shorter persuasion to keep up with the taller races with his stubby legs. Unlike the herbalist, Brom held no reservations being around strangers; he just walked around with a grin on his face and a clattering of pots and pans from his bag.

Eventually, they were just on the outer permitter of the forest. There were mainly, if only birch trees, and while it was an acceptable wood for smoking it was not what he was looking for exactly. While it does impart a delicious flavor, the bark had to be peeled off due to high amounts of resin found in it and the wood itself burns hot and fast, which is typically not conducive for smoking food unless it was mixed with another kind of wood.

Brom frowned to himself until he saw a slime off in the distance. He watched as the blue blob rolled thoughtlessly around, unbothered before it vaulted itself into the air before landing off in the distance with a thud like a sack of potatoes. Well, that happened.

His ears perked up when Myrr mentioned useful properties of slimes. The uses were actually quite similar for when, in a pinch, one could use slimes as thickening agents in foods like stews, sauces, and so on once they were properly cooked. Before he could chime in, Myrr had already dashed off and for good reason.

Brom rushed after her to take a good look of the plant himself. There were no flowering bulbs, which meant that this was still a young plant they could actually harvest. "Stinging nettles are actually quite edible. Blanche and drain them, then you have a wonderful product that's like spinach."

However, his attention was pulled away nature's bounty by the one leading their little expedition. Did he really just call him sir? The dwarf certainly was no knight and had no stature in high society. A chortle escaped from his lips as he shook his head. "Just Brom is fine. I am no sir, just a humble chef out in the middle of nowhere." He said as he watched as Myrr excitedly went to examine a patch of dandelions.

"She is right though. We do need to go into the woods if we want to find-" His nose twitched for a moment as a family sharp scent wafted through the air and as if his head was on a swivel, he turned to look at the source. Did his eyes deceive him? Between the flowers and grass, there were peculiar weeds strewn about, green grass with a long, hollow leaf. With pep in his step, he went to examine the plant and knelt down to get a closer look. Gently, he took a piece off the tip and held it up to his nose and took a whiff. This was garlic, wild garlic! A foundational ingredient in the cuisine of so many cultures!

Why was there garlic here? Were they near any wetlands? Oh, it didn't matter! Brom's face was lit up with a giddy excitement that he had something so important to cooking though he couldn't dig it up yet since he lacked a spade.

However, due to his excitement he forgot why they were actually there. Brom turned back to Myrr and while his beard did partly obscure his face, one could make out a faint red glowing from his cheeks and his ears. The dwarf chuckled sheepishly and said, "I, uh, haven't done much either. Got a bit distracted myself too. How about we just call it even and collect the sticks together?"

---

---

Rinn's legs shook with each blow from the hand as he was forced slightly lower with each clap, though he somehow maintained his friendly smile while his teeth rattled in his skull. "O-of course, good ser." He finally managed to squeak as Daryl wrapped him around the shoulders and practically carried him outside like he had the barrel of tools just minutes ago. "Y-You're lovely wife-" the bard said as Daryl set him down and began pulling things from the cart bed seemingly at random. "How- *oof* -did you- *uff* -meet?" The 'small' bags were piled into his arms like he was a packhorse and it took all his strength and will just to make his words intelligable as he turned and began inching back towards the house. "Quite... a ways... to go... for a home?"

Despite Rinn's fopish appearance, he was in relatively good shape but just two trips with Daryl had him dripping sweat and breathing heavily. Not a drop of sweat stained the other man's head, however, even after carrying the brunt of the materials and his delightfully cheery attitude never wavered. Sharyl, for her credit, never ceased in her own work and every time Rinn came back into the house another blanket was well on its way to completion.

On the fifth trip, just before Rinn's body gave out to exhaustion, he was finally allowed to fall into an old chair that thankfully held despite creaking ominously. He slumped forward onto the table, his sweat-covered cheek picking up more than a little dust, though he was too tired to care. Within an instant Sheryl had a cup of tea set before him. "Thank... you..." Was all he managed to choke out.

”If we can find the seeds of a suitable plant, that would be good, too. I'm especially skilled with seeds.”

The trek past the limits of the hamlet had been uneventful. After the path had disappeared visually, Niara used her magic to hear the earth and help lead them, but that only go them so far. After a point, they had to go by instinct. Eventually, however, they did come to a clearing. Things were mostly flat, a feature Niara was fairly familiar with. There weren’t a ton of hills on the islands, though there were some mountains on some of the larger ones. They were old mountains, worn by ages and ages of wind and rain, without any tectonic activity to give new edges. Not that Niara knew what a tectonic plate was. Maybe she’d heard something of it in her earth magic studies, but that would have been it.

The Root Elf had just been examining the new grounds they’d found, taking stock of what the earth had to say, when Yingmei said she’d seen something. “Something moved?” She shared a glance with Mei before the other decided she would go forth to investigate, even by herself. Nooo, no no. Bad idea. ”I’ll be right behind you, sweetie.” She made sure her sword and shield would be ready to grab, should she need it, and followed behind the farmer girl.

Her heart was thumping and her adrenaline beginning to spike before she finally got to see what it was that had spooked the both of them. Some small, white, feathered thing, muddling about and pecking for some food. ”Huh…” It didn’t seem aggressive, and seemed interested in Mei as she called to it. ”Hey, there, fella.” Niara stepped slowly from the tall grass she’d been hiding in and knelt down, making soft clicking and cooing nose to the creature. It looked at her for a moment before waddling up to her and looking at her expectantly. She chuckled softly and pet the thing, ”oooh, how’s a thing like you surviving out here, hm? Nothing out here to eat you, huh?” She took a look around, before looking at Yingmei, ”Sweet little thing. Probably descended from whatever animals used to be kept here.”

She stood and pointed to the field they’d just stepped away from, investigating the bird, ”this was probably a farm field. The ground seems like it had been worked, once. It’s fertile, at any rate.” She looked at the bird, then, rubbing her face a bit in thought, ”what do you eat, then. Bugs? Plants? Not picky?”

@Zeroth Yasunami Akitsugu, @Dragonydas Myrravel Velasien, @Remram Brom Stronghammer,

The forest was kind to its new arrivals, offering no resistance to their poking and prodding and gathering or gawking. A few curious birds sat upon their branches and watched the unfamiliar creatures who'd stumbled into their domain set about their various tasks, but other than that there was no interference or hindrance. It appeared that, this bare incursion into the forest perimeter was not enough to rile any of the local fauna into any sort of action or state of wariness.

Brom and Myrr would find however that their patch of wild garlic and nettles weren't nearly as common a sight as they may be led to believe. In fact, the chances of these natural resources appearing this far out into the outskirts of the woodlands was a rare occurrence indeed. If they wanted to find more of these useful plants, they'd surely have to go a little deeper into the undergrowth, into the forest proper.

Meanwhile, attempts at gathering dry wood, logs, branches and bark would prove fairly easy, as there was no shortage of it lying strewn across the woodland ground. Mostly thin and small pieces though, as there were no thick or larger trees standing about in the early outer circle of the forest region. But then again, how much wood could three people, even with backpacks, possibly haul back by hand? Perhaps gathering enough for a day or two was good enough? Otherwise, if they wanted larger pieces of burnable fuel, they'd have to press on further to find them.

---

@Lupusintus Rinn Arniman, @BunniesOfDoom Adrila Jaaxa

"Ah, it's a great story, lemme tell you, boy!" Daryl bellowed in a roar of enthused laughter, as the unfortunate bard asked the fatal question of how the large, broad-shouldered man had met his much daintier wife.

And so began a grand tale from back in the years of their collective childhood, told by a burly fellow with about as much talent in retelling a tale as a rock had a talent for being used as a pillow. It worked, if you really, really, really tried hard enough... But it was hardly comfortable. ANd that was something Daryl's story-telling shared. If the bard had hoped for an eloquent and romantic re-telling of their fated union, then he was going to be sorely disappointed... For it was a dry and undescriptive tale, which was only kept afloat by Daryl's own enthusiasm in telling it.

When the foppish fool finally had done enough running back and forth, and was taken to have a little break along with Sheryl, the woman gave him a quick sideways glance, before returning to her blanketeering.

"Not much stamina in you? That's alright, trying to keep pace with taht ox of a man I call husband isn't easy for anyone." She said with a bit of a sting, though if it was meant for the unatheltic boy with the lacking vigor, or her happy-go-lucky hubby was a question nobody could really answer.

After a fair bit of work though, Sherly had finally felt like she'd been sitting long enough. Standing up, arching her back... Well, backwards... with her arms raised above her head to stretch, she let out a mild 'hmmmmnnnn' sound. The human woman then proceeded across the street, without a word, exiting the stone building and popping into the wooden longhouse. Where, surprise, surprised, the elven woman who'd stayed behind was currently milling about, apparently set on rearranging and moving the cots inside around. The red head called out.

"Hey there! I'm about halfway done with the blankets for this place. Could you be a dear and check how they feel when lying on one of these... beds." Sheryl's inflection on the last word was quite clearly a strain on the woman. She was, given that her spouse was a carpenter, probably used to sleeping on something a bit more comfortable than these old, hard, prison-adjacent-bed-like thingies...

With that, the seamstress returned, just in time to watch her husband carry in and dump a large box on the floor, right behind where Rinn was seated.

"Is that the box with our dining ware?"
"tUh, thinks o? It sounded all clicky and clonky when I carried it."
"Y... You didn't just grab and swing it around di you? You didn't hear any cracking or shattering, did you!?"
"Relaaaaaax dear, I didn't hear nothin'! 'Sides, what would it matter if a few plates or bowls break, huh?"
"I'll tell you why it matters, bub! What're we gonna eat on or out of if all our porcelain's beenn turned into iddy-biddy bits because you didn't think to be more careful, huh?"
"Well... We could just use our hands or a wooden branch as a sp-"
"Open. That. Crate. NOW!"
_{"Yes, dearest..."}

Daryl produced a crowbar-like instrument from the open crate with the many tools in it that was conveniently nearby. With a practiced arm and motion, he quickly undid the sealed lid. Thankfully, to Sheryl's relief, it appeared that, at least the top-most, collection of plates, saucers, bowls and platters were still intact.

---

@ERode MacKinnon

While defacing property that wasn't hers and further reducing the structural integrity of already crumbling buildings, the young miner-girl continued her quest into another part of the abandoned village. However, in this particular section of the settlement, the young one would make a startling discovery. This area seemed far more well-cleaned out and thoroughly vacated than the previous locations she'd been to.

In fact, there weren't even rotten or destroyed furniture remains in most of the buildings she'd visit. Just empty interirors, with bits of collapsed roof and ceiling or warped, cracked or rotting floors. It was perhaps a result of those who had lived in these buildings in the past had been in possession of far less items than the rest of the village? Or perhaps it was the obivous, and due to their wealth they'd been able to leave with all of their possessions, rather than leave any behind? It was rather impossible to say, really.

What the girl did find, when she eventually found something though, was a building with a wall-mounted fireplace made from solid, grey stone bricks. However, it was ... Strange... Something was off about it. For one thing, there were no ashes or soot inside the chamber, almost as if it'd never been used to, y'know, actually light a fire inside of it.

Secondly, there was... Well... No chimney. The fireplace looked all proper and such, but there was no way that that if you lit it, the smoke wouldn't just flood back into the building's interior. How peculiar...

---

@CitrusArms Niara Rootwick, @Rune_Alchemist Yingmei Okudaira

As the two women approached and called out for the little bird, it came waddling over almost immediately. As they spoke to it, the creature merely looked at them, expectantly, making soft, low 'bawk' and 'bok' sounds. When a hand was stretched out to it, it gazed at the appendage for a moment, then approached and nuzzled its head against it in a gentle, stroking fashion - similar to how a cat might rub up against its favorite ownner or family member. Whatever this creature was, it appeared to be very friendly and gentle if nothing else.

When asked its dietary habits though... The creature looked up and quickly waddled over to Niera. Apparently the mere mention of 'food' was enough to garner the beasts' attention. Either it was endearing in its ability to recognize the word for eating, or amusingly simple in its single-minded focus at the prospect of eating.

Still, when no food was offered, the creature returned soon to pecking at the ground. At one point, it pulled out a nice, juicy earthworm and ate it without hesitating. Later still, it wandered over to the fields that were largely overgrown, and used its chicken-y feet to scratch at the gorund, uncovering some kind of small seed of some kind... Which it then greedily gobbled in a great gulp. It appeared this thing was happy to eat basically anyhting as long as it fit into its beak.

But what about the rest of the area? What about the shack-looking building of to the side? What about the fields? Would they try to tend and restore them? Would they eat the chicken-looking bird-thing? Take it as a pet? Leave it alone? Who knew?

//Western Village > Eastern Village
_{@Xaltwind@LupusIntus}

Huh, so why was it only the west that was like this?

While the crumbling buildings in the western part of the village were almost fastidiously clean of anything at all, leaving naught but empty space in its wake, MacKinnon honestly couldn’t figure out if it was a sign of wealth or anything. After all, the buildings were still basically the same size as any other building, and they were just as ruined and rotten as the rest, so it didn’t feel like they were even built all that different. Was it the case that it was filled with people who had few possessions? Was it the case that it was filled with people who were rich enough to have the manpower to pack everything up and then just skip town, just like that?

Or was this part of the village never occupied to begin with?

MacKinnon mulled over all of this as she laid there within the sootless, chimneyless cubby hole, her legs tucked into her chest in order to get herself to fit. It made for a comfortable enough resting spot as she puzzled over the village. There still weren’t any signs of why the village was abandoned, after all. It had to have been a pretty populated place, if there were so many buildings. Yet no signs of anything that caused people to leave. She didn’t get the sense that this was abandoned due to becoming impoverished, because then she’d see a lot more old trash. And of course, there were no bloodstains or charred buildings, as there would be from a violent invasion or a crippling fire. Hadn’t come across any gravesite that looked overtly populated too, in the case that a plague may have caused. It was as if people just left! As if something had just removed them!

“Guehehehe…” A creepy laugh slipped out of the weird kid who couldn’t help but fit herself into small spaces when she saw one. Who couldn’t help but laugh when something interesting was in place. After all, a mystery was the same as a lottery! Only one person can solve it, and only one person can reap all the rewards!

The treasure hunter swung herself out of the suspiciously-clean, semi-non-functional fireplace, picked her rucksack off the ground, and cracked her neck in at least five different places. This place was a bust, so onto the next!

…

Ah, but first!

Swift as a coursing river, sudden as a clap of thunder, MacKinnon sped past the village center on her way to the Eastern section of the village, only pausing for a short moment beside the lovely couple and the third wheel.

“Hey hey,” she called out, not minding the new scrapes and scratches on her knees and elbows that had been caused by crawling in and out of an unnaturally clean but also kinda worthless fireplace, “Dunno if anyone’s looking for wood n all, but I’m marking all the buildings with furniture as I go. Let ‘em know to keep an eye out for the ‘i’, eh?”

And then she was off once more, rucksack bouncing against her back, pickaxe balanced upon her shoulder, as the treasure hunting adventure continued.

@Xaltwind@CitrusArms

---

Yingmei curiously watched the little bird waddled over to the two of them. Her heartrate started slowing down, a relieved sigh escaping as it seemed to be just a curious little bird of some sort and not some super predator that ate people named Yingmei. She was a little disappointed that it seemed to go right for Niara to receive pets, but talk of farming pulled her back to the present as she'd nod.

"Mhm. I thought the same. Its overgrown a lot, and its going to take a bit of work to clear it, but I can probably get it up and in decent shape in a few days...less with help." Her eyes were drawn back to the chicken creature as it scratched at the ground. Maybe this was her moment? A shining chance to make a new friend? She didn't know a thing about animal husbandry but it couldn't be too hard, right? Right. Definitely.

"Uhm...are you...hungry little guy? Girl? Do you lay eggs...?" She'd curiously muse to herself as she'd rifle through her bags for a few moments before pulling out some of her wheat seeds, just a few. Enough to maybe get the creatures attention as she'd kneel to the ground and place them on the ground in front of her. "Maybe we could check that shack next. If this was a farm, it might be something useful we could use."

---

---

Akitsugu had two separate piles of wood before long. One had sticks no thicker than his forearm at the most, while the majority in the pile were perhaps two or three finger-widths. The other had the bigger logs he had cut down into sections no longer than from his hand to his elbow, using the same v-wedging technique from before. Doing it to two more fallen trees had taken quite a bit of effort, and his arms were already tiring as sweat darkened his robes. But, both piles soon constituted a "double arm load." So now he needed a way to actually carry them back in one trip.

Looking around the rest of the forest, Akitsugu continued to keep an eye on Brom and Myrr just to make sure the three of them didn't get separated from one another. He circled in a wide arc, wandering in a somewhat meandering pattern between trees, until he found what he was looking for. A woody vine curled its way up one of the more lively looking trees---likely the kind of parasite that used a stronger plant to support itself. Akitsugu bent down to chop at its roots first, and then began a laborious process of unwinding it from the tree's trunk and canopy. It took a lot of jerking, and pulling, and at one point he had to jump and cling to the vine like a baby monkey so that his weight would yank it free of the tangling branches up above. There was a lot of rustling and grunting during this time, followed by a rather loud THUMP as his backside hit the ground.

"Oi! You almost sat on me!" Miyusahime hissed.

"SHH!" Akitsugu scrambled to his feet, adjusting the sword at his hip before glancing around nervously. "_{I haven't told anyone about you, yet! We don't know if someone might try to steal you!}"

He rubbed his aching rear while grumbling, and threw the loops of vine over his shoulder before marching back to his wood piles. A few more swings of his axe split the woody lengths down their middles, so that they would bend more easily as the green, fibrous material inside was exposed. He then tied two loops around each pile to hold them together, respectively, then put a third and a sixth loop between each pair to serve as a handle. Once this was done, he found a longer, sturdier branch on a still growing tree, and chopped it away from the base. This fresh bough wouldn't be used as firewood, but as a pole to put through the handle-loops. Then, after returning his tool to his backpack, Akitsugu squatted under the center of the pole. With a short "Ki-ai!" and a great heave, he managed to lift the firewood from his shoulders like a milkmaid would carry buckets of cream.

He walked back towards Brom and Myrr now, cheeks slightly red from exertion.

"I don't know if this is enough firewood to last us the whole night," he called, "but maybe if we hurry we could make a second trip before sundown. Sir Brom, I hope you won't mind switching with me at some point on the way back?"

---

---

HARVESTED: MORE WOODEN STICKS
HARVESTED: MORE WOODEN LOGS
HARVESTED: VINES
HARVESTED: WOODEN POLE

---

---

@Rune_Alchemist

A farmer, indeed. Came with seeds all ready to be planted, even. She was awfully quick to offer them up to the bird, even if it was just a few. Well, she must have plenty more, then, right? That aughta be fine, then. ”Ooh, I don’t think you’ll have too much trouble wrangling up a hand or two to help you out. I’d love to get a few plants going, myself.”

She approached with the little bird and inspected the seeds as it ate them up, the cute little fluff. She pushed that one single feather on its head around a bit, ”I hope it lays eggs, how big do you think they are? I dunno if we’ll need to find a boy or girl friend for it, or how fast their grow, either. There’s a few of us, so we’ll probably want more, whatever the case.”

She pat the bird’s head, ”was that wheat? Hm.. we’d need a mill, wouldn’t we?” She looked up and around before her eyes landed on the building nearby. ”That would be convenient.. In case that building isn’t the mill we need, did you bring any other seeds, deary?” Niara gave the bird a scritch or two before she started to head toward the shack. Whether they had other seeds or not, they had wheat. That would mean bread and baked goods.

”Whatever it is, it’s not in great shape.” Whether calling back over her shoulder or speaking to a Yingmei that came with her, Niara noted to herself, “not that I expected much else, honestly.”

---

---

TRIGGER WARNING - Parental abuse in the second paragraph.

"I can... assure you... m'lady..." Rinn panted through the bitter ache in joints he didnt even know he had. "My stamina... is far better suited... for other tasks." He might have even put a wink on the statement if he wasn't too tired to blink. When the rather fiery wife departed and the oxen husband stepped outside, the foppish bard let out a long, agonized groan while the wooden table left deep (and rather comical) furrows in his forehead. For the briefest moment, in the near-ruins of a long forgotten home, the charade slipped and Rinn was forced to wonder what the hell he was doing here at the edge of the world surrounded by a rag-tag bunch of strangers and outcasts. He wasn't a settler, certainly not a homesteader, yet his blasted feet had brought him all this way for... something?

"Your mother and I have given you EVERYTHING, you ungrateful worm!" Spittle flew from his fathers mouth as he struck him again, the ornate ring on his hand leaving a bloody gash on the side of the boy's face. "We ask only that you REPAY our kindness by marrying the youngest De'Torant and yet you have the AUDACITY to balk at such fortune!" Rinn looked up at his father from where he lay sprawled on the wooden floor. These had been the most words his father had spoken to him in neary 5 years yet the sheer magnitude of contempt in that cold gaze still managed to cut something deep inside. "You will do as I say or I will see you in the gutter by sundown, mark my words boy." For a moment, Rinn thought he might be struck again but his father simply turned back to the desk and waved a dismissive hand. "Now you will thank me for dedicating such efforts to you and then... you will get out of my sight."

Rinn replayed the memory for the umpteeth time, one delicate hand tracing the cheek where the wound had been. In his mind's eye he tried out a new reply, this time a string of colorful curses that exposed his father for the hypocrite that he was while drawing a rather apt comparison to the rear end of a boar. It was, of course, just a hollow fantasy as the words 'Thank you, father' still burned on his lips all these weeks later.

The couple swept back into the room and Rinn folded the memory back into the recesses of his mind. The box of dishware was safe and sound and a surely terrifying Sheryl had been narrowly avoided by the cowed husband whose honest and timid smile somehow made him even more attractive in comparison to his massive frame. A third individual nearly sprinted past, a human girl who appeared to be a few years younger than he was, and Rinn summoned what little energy he had and forced himself to only slightly-shaking feet. His brilliant smile betrayed not the hint of weariness or distress as he slung the vielle over his shoulder. "Your hospitality has been a ray of sunlight on a dreary day, but I'm afraid I simply must step out and stretch these aching muscles!" He walked quickly to the door and was out, taking only a moment to close his eyes and feel the sunlight on his face before speeding after the girl who was already several meters ahead. He came up beside her, narrowly ducking beneath the swinging pickaxe head as she seemed to observe the nearby structures. "Have you, by chance, found any clues as to what happened to the... previous residents of this fine village?"

Brom turned his head towards the sound of wood clunking together as it was heaved over and was greeted by the flushed cheeks of Akigatsu who had been working up a sweat collecting wood while Brom and Myrr were being idle. It was certainly quite a load too, but the blacksmith was correct in his observation that this amount of fire wood would certainly not last the night. Not only were they going to need firewood to keep warm, but they would need it for chores, cooking, and even just light so they can see their surroundings at night to keep watch for monsters.

The dwarf gave him an apologetic smile for not helping as much as he should. "Of course, that would be fair. Also, again, just Brom is fine." It seemed like the blacksmith was certainly set on calling him sir even though by all accounts, he certainly was not a knight of the kingdom. By comparison, Akigatsu seemed much more knightly than he himself could hope to be with his polite manner of speech and rather noble countenance that betrayed his chosen profession.

"We're probably going to need to go a bit deeper if we want more wood and find more food. While we are back in town we can borrow some tools to make it easier on ourselves." Brom thought about the tools that the carpenter back in town must've had and he was quite a jolly fellow so perhaps he would not be against them borrowing. Still, it did not sit right with him to borrow someone else's tools; they were extensions of themselves so they must be treated with the utmost care. However, given the situation it could not be helped.

Whether or not they moved back to the village, Brom would ask his two companions, "So, just for future reference do you two have any favorite foods or foods you dislike?" Given Akigatsu's manner of dress, Brom could infer that he hailed from the eastern countries. He had very limited experience with working with eastern ingredients and the ones he did manage to procure were always expensive, especially the spices.