Neither of you can tell when Flax is going to return, but luckily, you know how to put the time in very good use.
"Say, why don't we spend the while doing something useful?" you tell Sas. "I could make you a new bow. Provided you'd help."
"How?" the hunter asks, not very gleefully, but you catch he's interested.
"I can attempt to shape the living wood. Should that prove successful, it will be easy to shape the desired weapon, or perhaps other things as well..."
"Let us find some good wood, then!" Sas says, and gets up. You follow, and trying not to stray far, you look out for just such a piece.
Sas tells you what Esem and others have taught him, which trees to harvest and which to avoid by a mile, and how picky their village peddlers were, for a good reason too, as nothing but evergreens they had in the area. And hunters above all treasured the yew, gift from the gods, you yourself has known as a tree of great importance, but one that was impossible to come by so far to the north. You both have hoped you could have found it here, but in the end, Sas picked an elm you've come across. You've lopped off a branch you could shape, and return to the camp.
Back there, you have evened out both ends, expanding the fiber where needed - the living wood proved much easier to manipulate than the ancient planks in Usodestis. Rather than attempting to curve the wood by some kind of bending, you've carefully extended it with the same spell, under the guide of your fellow as to how it should look like. Since you weren't in any kind of hurry, you are well pleased with the result. Sas is apparently too.
"No way, looks like it sprouted right from the tree!" says the man. "But the shape, this will work well."
"Good to hear. Still, I'll better tend to it further, I don't know how durable the artifical bits are. Might crack or wither in time."
"But will I be able to draw it?" he asks, getting to know the item.
"For the time being, yes. I just need to make sure that you'll be forever. I am not sure how I can make the string, though... I don't think I can spin it from grass... perhaps..."
"I'd take tendons any day. Let's see if Flax gets us something or not, then we'd can try."
"Alright, I'll think it all over till then."
The sun is slowly fading, and your last companion is still nowhere to be found. You light the fire at the very least, so he can find you better. Fortunately, when the last sunbeams bid farewell to this earth, he does show up. And he carries something.
"Took you well enough!" Sas calls. "I didn't think you'd actually take upon yourself the hunting..."
"And leave us wretches hungry, eh? No thanks!" he responds, as he approaches the bonfire, and tosses the game on the ground. Not much, a two hares, but you'll take anything tonight.
"Much appreciated it is, bit you could've at least got one of us to help. I see why you were in such a hurry now!"
"Oh shut up!" the warrior laughs. "And Black has done his share today. Well then, prepare the meal!"
"With pleasure. Good Black stayed, he made me a new bow, see?"
"Did he indeed? Well thank goodness he did! We'd waste ages with me out on the hunt. Show me!"
"Here, fashioned from a branch!" Sas says, and passes him the weapon.
"Is it? Like the elven barbarians are said to do. Good job there."
The hunter promptly starts butchering, while you tend to Flax's arm. It will still take ages to heal, you can't hope it to be less than the duration of this journey. Bones are eternal, as you had so often heard, and quite stubborn.
"Some nice sticks you've got also!" Flax remarks, inspecting your findings. "On the morrow we can carry on with some proper sparring!"
"At last, long overdue 'twas!" says Sas, appropriately pleased.
"You seem quite looking forward to losing pitifully." you jest.
"Aye, you a dwarf?" Flax joins the smack talk, braying boisterously.
"Oh, I will wipe the floor with you!" the hunter cackles. "So that they'll be asking, why'd you put the rug from the wall down, someone'll step on the thorny bits!"
"I'll make sure you step on the thorny bits alright!" you laugh, and hardly any of you can do their job so amused. A feeling you haven't experienced for a while, as all seemed always so distant throughout your life... It reminds you of the much older days, when you'd have a couple lads around, or later, when you'd have...
Him.
Thus ends your little back and forth, but you keep a straight enough face, hiding you're upset. You'd rather not have the others know there is a whole lot bothering you. Though, if you are to complete your own quest, and meet the Soulcatcher, you might need to tell them at some point... But it's a long way ahead, you think, you'll consider it all yet.
Before you know, there is a skewer in your hand, and all the heavy thoughts gone, as you're to eat at last. After the meal, you cast a lot to determine the watches, and go along the good old camping routine.
When you get to sleep, perhaps it's the weariness, absence of Nami, or other circumstances, but your usually lively dreams are gone. In fact, you can't remember anything at all, save, of course, a certain dark room. But just as the last few nights, it stays locked, and nothing happens in it. Yet unfortunately, you are to observe it regardless.
The dawn breaks, you slowly wake up, and are off to go, after the promised session. Sas completes his bow before you walk out on the open plain. Flax puts you in place, and is just about to signal, when a noise from afar disrupts you.
Alarmed, you snap in the direction of it, and listen closely, as it is followed by more. Utterances they are, but unlike the last time the night devil screeching was so unlike anything you have ever heard, these sound quite mundane, yet packed with emotion. Soon, you can distinguish two voices, a rather deep one, shouting words, and one of much higher pitch, voicing sudden exclaims. You can't make out any sense of the language, because of the distance, but it sounds human. The deeper voice you stop hearing quickly, but the shrieks continue.
You look at your fellow travelers, who are still processing the noise.
What do you want to do?
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Topic: Dwarf Fortress -Drawings- : Tales of the Deer Wizard (Read 169902 times)