[center][h3]--- [i]Springwood Forest[/i] ---[/h3][h2][i][b]Akitsugu[/b][/i][/h2]Late Morning
[@Xaltwind][@Dragonydas][@Remram][/center][hr][hr]
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. "[sub]I haven't told anyone about you, yet! We don't know if someone might try to steal you![/sub]"

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?"
[hr][hr][b]HARVESTED: MORE WOODEN STICKS
HARVESTED: MORE WOODEN LOGS
HARVESTED: VINES
HARVESTED: WOODEN POLE[/B][hr][hr]