Chương 25: Rocky Rise

Mark was checking his trap lines when he saw her in the trees. He had just finished fixing a trap that had broken. There was an issue with the trigger. It was sticking. Mark used his knife to trim it some. This time it worked as desired, and he placed the trap back down. She did not say anything. She just watched. Mark picked up his tools and headed for the next trap down the line. This one had caught a squirrel. He killed and looted it. As he started resetting the trap, he saw her again.

She was closer still, watching. Saying nothing, just observing. He continued to check and adjust his traps as he went down the line of them. He found another trap that needed adjusting. Pulling out his knife, he started to trim and adjust it. He struggled with it. His knife was not working well. Then she spoke softly.

"I found some sharper rocks northwest of here." Mark turned around to look at her. She was holding a knife. Not as well-made as his but serviceable.

"The rocks there are sturdier than the ones you're using."

"Thanks. I will check it out." She quickly turned and walked away. Mark paused to think about the information given. He realized that earlier she had watched him. Learned from what he was doing. Like before with the vegetables. She had made a trade in a way. Mark considered what that meant. He continued going through all of his traps. He did not see her again. When he got to the stream, he found that one of the 2 fish traps had broken. He thought about the words she said.

"Sturdier." As he repaired the trap, he lifted one of the stones. Turning it in his hands, he thought about it. As he had made items with stones, he had looked for ones that were softer, easier to break, and manageable. He pulled out his knife he made earlier. As he examined the edge, he knew she was right. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. Pulling up his map, he looked north and saw the point labeled 'Rocky Rise.'

Mark finished fixing and collecting the fish traps and then headed north. He followed the stream. The map placed it directly north. As Mark traveled, he made note of places he could add another fish trap in the stream. The forest started to thin. He could see more rocks and less grass and vegetation. Far to the north he could see a rock face shooting up into the sky. Not a mountain, more of a bluff. The sound came first. Not like the stream. Louder. Constant. As he moved closer, it grew— until it filled everything.

Then he saw it. Water spilling over the edge of the rock face. Falling far below. More than he expected. More than he'd seen since arriving. As he neared the pool at the bottom of the fall, he saw something. Darker cut into the rock near the base. Not large. But deep enough to notice. Shelter. Maybe. Later. He filed that away. As he neared the cliff, he saw her again. She was working the rocks. Mark guessed she was hunting for something. The area was too open. Too exposed.

If something came from above— There would be nowhere to go. As he approached, he slowed and then stopped about 20 feet away. Mark said, "The view here is amazing." She did not respond. She just watched him.

"My name is Mark."

"Hi Mark, you can call me Cora." She turned and continued looking around the rocks. A few minutes later she headed east. He watched her as she moved until he lost sight of her.

"Well, at least I got her name." Mark turned back to the rocks. They were bigger. Sturdier. Cora was right. These should make better tools. Mark spent the next hour looking through the rocks that had broken off the rise and fallen below it. He found that these rocks were harder to split and crack, but when they did, the edges were sharper. Mark took his time testing them. He found that he could make sharp tips that would make great arrow heads. Sharper. Thinner.

As he continued to hunt for rocks, he saw Cora approach again. She watched as he worked. After a short while she picked up a couple rocks and started working with them. Mark stopped to watch. He could see how she was working the stones. Different. More efficient. Less waste. She knew what she was doing. Mark nodded in appreciation of what she had shown him. He continued to filter rocks as she walked away. He now had another resource area. A rock pit. Well, less of a pit and more of a rock wall.

But that is how he would think of it. When he was done finding and storing rocks for later crafting, he looked over to the falls. This area was a contrast to the forest he lived in. It was rough climbing through the rock. But the cliff wall and the fall made it a beautiful place. As he watched the fall, he thought of Cora. She watched and observed. Not quick to make decisions. But when she did, she was precise. Mark walked slowly back towards his camp. The transition from rock back to trees.

He thought of his interaction with Cora. They were different from each other. They each had skills they had gained here while working to survive. Mark looked at the sky. The end of another day was on its way. He did not rush but headed a little quicker toward his camp. He had a lot to think about. He needed to decide what his next steps were going to be. He had not gotten much experience since the fight with the Rootback. Small game wasn't enough anymore. Not here. Not now. He needed more. Bigger. Further out.

When he finally got back to camp, he sat down and cooked dinner. He cooked some fish today and the last of the vegetables Cora gave him. He thought about how she showed him a better way to make the rock sharper. She was right.

"If she keeps being right, I'll have to start listening."