Jack smiled despite himself, as he watched the pixie flutter up, then flit around behind him, gliding this way and that, looking around at their surroundings.
He absently brushed aside the not so subtle insults to his integrity and character; For some reason, people saw a hoary looking old man with a grizzled beard, in dingy fur clothes and immediately think he is some kind of uncouth ruffian-- but he had gotten used to that, at least to an extent. It still bothered him, but he felt the best way forward was just to demonstrate the contrary.
Absently, he realized he had been walking a tad close to Mama, and with a wry smirk, he scratched her on the back of her head, and between her shoulders, pausing a second to allow her to rub against him in return. He chuckled absently, then resumed his path toward the spot the two of them had stayed so many days prior.
Very little had changed; the wind had scattered some of the leaf pile he had put together, but otherwise, things were just as they had left them. The smirk returned to his weathered and wrinkled face, as the notion of not having to work as hard to get it ready for another night settled in the fore of his thoughts.
Linea and Dixie had continued along the path toward the old metal gate embedded in the absurdly high and smooth perimeter curtain wall around the tower's courtyard. Elf girl probably wanted something more man-made over her head for the night. Him? He'd take another night of cozy comfort here among the trees. The weather was a bit brisk for early spring, but clear, and the breeze confided that it would be clear all night as well. No need for an extensive shelter to be built tonight.
Idly, he remembered where he and Mama had dug up clay and rocks to jam doors with, and-- since he had a few hours yet before nightfall, set about collecting some to set up a more cozy arrangement here away from the wall, tucked away into the trees. It would take several days to properly dry out in order to be used, but a little bit here and there would go a long ways, if this was going to be a frequent stop-over-- so he constructed an
outdoor earthen hearth oven with rocks and clay collected from the dig-site. He set out jars under cut wild grape vines once more to collect water for the next few days (and to wash his hands), then settled in for the night, building a small camp fire lined with small stones. He kinda liked this little spot, just close enough to the 'road', (such as it was) to be easily accessed, but off the path enough, and just secluded enough to practically vanish from sight if you didn't know it was there. it would make a nice spot for a small cabin. He did not have time to properly work on such a project, but the oven would be a good bit of amenity for later bits of work on such a project.
In the more immediate, He was intent on making some pancakes with a little honey, for mama and himself before kicking in the embers with loose soil and turning in for the night.
He wondered how the others were faring with that gate... Truth be told, he was silently entertaining how he would deal with having them show up should their efforts not be successful...