Chương 24: First Words

After completing his clay dishes, Mark now needed a place to store them. He looked at his crude box and decided he would make more of them. He sat down and made 3 more boxes. One to store the dishes and 2 more for other things in the future. Each box he made was better than the one before. His crafting skills were improving. He went over to the fire and turned the dishes to evenly dry them. They were not yet ready. Mark next made a couple shovels. One he would leave here at camp.

The other he placed in his inventory. Next he pulled out his axe and knife. Both were crude. His skills were better now. He had noticed that when he made more than one of an item, his skills improved more. He decided he would make 3 of each. He would keep in inventory the best one and use one of the boxes for extra tools. As he worked on an axe, he noticed that she had arrived. She was standing next to a tree near enough to watch but not too close. She watched as he worked.

She seemed interested in what he was doing. Mark glanced over at her and acknowledged her with a shrug of his head. When he finished the last axe, he picked out the one that he liked most and put the rest in the tool box. As he moved the box to where he planned to store it, he could see she had moved forward some. She stood there about 3 feet closer but not yet to what could be considered his camp. Mark next planned on making new knives. These he used often. His old one was dull.

A large crack ran along the edge from when he'd broken it trimming a branch. She seemed more interested in this project. He went slower, showing the steps— but not enough to make it obvious. She watched as he set the first one down after rubbing his finger down the blade. He then started the next one. He noticed each time she moved. Not random. Measured. She wasn't drifting closer. She was choosing where to stand. Testing distance. Testing him. He noticed when she crossed the invisible line. The edge of his camp.

The author's content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. He didn't move. But he didn't relax either. She seemed very interested in the process of how he made the knife. She watched intently as he used some of his small hide to wrap the handle. He then used some of the fiber string and bound it tight, making sure it held well. As she watched him work, the tension in her posture eased. It surprised him when she spoke. He had thought she would watch for a while and leave like before.

"You're the one from before."

"How did you learn to make the knife?" Mark turned slowly towards her. He held up the original knife.

"I made this when I first got here."

"I gained a skill called crafting."

"It helps me see what items could become."

"Today I am making a new version."

"I have learned a lot since the day I made this first one." She wasn't asking out of curiosity. She was evaluating. Watching how he answered. Not the words. The reasoning. A hint of a smile crossed her face.

"My first skill was movement."

"I wondered how you moved so smoothly."

"I have stayed safe by staying away from trouble." She held her spear up. Well, okay, a stick with a pointy end. Mark could see the flaws in it. His crafting skill let him know how to improve it.

"I use this to kill the smaller animals."

"The bigger ones I keep from letting them see me."

"I saw your traps."

"Why there?" she asked. He paused. Not because he didn't know Because he wanted the right answer.

"Traffic," he said.

"And sight lines." She didn't respond right away. Just nodded once. That was enough.

"Sorry about taking the kill."

"It's okay, thanks for the vegetables and herbs."

"It was the least I could do." She looked at the tools. Then at him. Measuring. She didn't turn immediately. Paused. Looked back once. Not long. Just enough to confirm something. Then she was gone. Just before she left line of sight, he could hear her say it.

"See you around." Mark turned around and finished the last knife. Picking it up and holding it in one hand, he then picked up the old knife. His skills were improving. He thought about her visit. She shows up without making a sound? She seemed very in control of herself.

"Movement skill, that would be handy." He went over the things he learned. She hunted small animals. Avoids predators. She controls what others can see of her. She did not craft, or at least not like he did. She was a survivor. She was confident in herself. He was not alone any more.

"This changes things." Mark looked back to where she faded into the forest. Not alone. Not anymore. That didn't make things safer. Just… different. So was he. She had noticed his tools. The flaws in them. The improvements. If she was watching Then this mattered. Mark pulled out his bow. Looking at how he could improve it. Stronger wood. Better string. He did not have those materials now.

"You will have to wait your turn for an upgrade." Mark pulled out the arrows next. They were frayed. Tips broken or worn almost off. With these, he could make a better version. He found some new wood that was extremely straight. He split out pieces to make the shaft. Using his new knife, he smoothed the shaft. Looking at the pile of odd items, he found some of the bones and teeth. These would make good tips. He used his knife to sharpen them. Pulling out the feathers, he made his fletchings.

He grabbed the best of his fiber strings and lashed the tips and fletching to them. When he was finished, he got a new crafting unlock. Improved Bone Tip Arrows. Mark had now run out of projects he wanted to do. He again looked back to the forest.

"You know, I forgot to ask your name."

"I wonder where you live?"