Chương 28: Things Are Changing

The brush stalker slammed against the cage again. Ava flinched but didn't move away. It was testing the cage, looking for a way out. She kept reaching her fingers towards it, and each time they got close, it tried to bite her.

"Mark, I think it wants something."

"It wants out. Among other things."

"As we discussed, it's your problem to take care of." Just then Cora appeared like she had always been standing there.

"Is that for us to eat?" Ava jumped between Cora and the cage.

"You're not eating him." Mark spoke up and said, "We found it wounded in one of my traps. She refused to kill it." Cora looked back at the stalker and said.

"If you change your mind, let me know. I bet it would taste good." Mark chuckled at the exchange. Mark sat back down and continued working on an axe he was making with the new stone. Cora walked over to Mark and said softly.

"What's the deal with that thing?"

"I tried to teach her some about the system this morning."

"Took her through my trap line and helped her hit level 2."

"In the process she found that," as Mark pointed at the stalker.

"I tried to get her to kill it. Apparently cute little beasts that want to eat you are not something she kills." Cora laughed.

"You're going to let her keep it."

"Well, for now. She did get a skill related to animals after saving it though."

"Well, she is not my problem, so whatever."

"I did bring some items that I found that I would like to trade for a few tools if that works." Mark smiled.

"Sure, what do you need?"

"I really could use a knife, axe, and shovel made with the stone from the stone pit." Cora then pulled out a large variety of vegetables and herbs that she had found.

"I have been exploring and found more of this than I can use and saw how well you could make stuff and thought, 'Well, I could trade.'""Sure, I can work on them tonight and in the morning. Can have them done by noon tomorrow." With that, Cora took one last look at the stalker and faded back into the trees. Mark laughed as she just vanished again.

"I still wonder where she stays." Mark continued working on the knife. About 20 minutes later Ava came over to Mark and, pointing at the cage, said. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

"It wants something." Mark looked over at it.

"I am sure it does."

"Well, what do you think it wants?"

"Remember I told you that if you keep it, you need to take care of it." She stared at him. Didn't say it. But it was obvious. She needed help.

"Well, have you given it any food or water yet?"

"Where do I get that from?"

"Well, we did go and clear some traps this morning, so you have some food, right?"

"Right, I have that yucky mouse."

"I bet it would love that."

"I can also help you to make a bowl for water."

"You will need to be responsible for cleaning its cage, feeding it, and getting it water." She quickly walked over to the cage and pulled out the mouse meat. Realizing that she was holding the mouse, she quickly dropped it. She, of course, missed the cage, and she again had to pick it up and move it. When she was trying to put it into the cage, it nipped at her fingers. Again it dropped, but this time it landed in the cage. After she fed it, Ava came over, and Mark taught her how to form a bowl out of the clay.

It took her a few times, but she eventually ended up with what mostly looked like a bowl, and she put it near the fire to dry. While it dried, Mark allowed her to use one of his bowls to get it some water. Mark watched as the little thing drank the water. The mouse was gone, so it must have eaten it in a single bite. When it was done Mark called her over to him.

"We need to talk about the tasks you need to do each day." She snapped back at him, "I'm not doing your work for you."

"You want to stay here?" She frowned.

"Then you help."

"Traps. Water. Food."

"That's your part." She scrunched up her face with a puzzled look on it.

"Just like taking care of the stalker. It needs food and water; you also need food and water."

"What? You're not going to feed me?"

"I did feed you this morning."

"But if you want to continue to eat and stay here, you will need to help contribute some."

"Not a lot but at least something each day to help."

"Starting tomorrow you will check the traps like we did this morning."

"This will do 2 things for you."

"Check the traps, and bring water to camp."

"Of course that will also allow you to feed it." Just then there was a crash. They both looked over and saw the cage on its side. The stalker had tried to get out.

"Keep it contained."

"If it gets out, it's not staying." Ava went over and turned the cage back over the way it should be and pulled the water bowl out that had spilled all over the ground. She sat there and talked to it quietly. It then laid down. It settled faster than it should have. Mark noticed. She then turned to Mark to solve the problem.

"I learned with my traps that some of the bigger animals could break them and knock them over to get out. I learned that if I staked it down, it worked better." Mark pulled some wood out and chopped it down to make four stakes. He then handed them to Ava.

"What do you want me to do with these?"

"You need to stake them in the ground and then use some fiber cord to tie the cage to them." She looked at him for a moment, then finally turned and did as he explained. When she was done staking down the cage, she sat down in her chair to watch it. Mark let her be for a while while he worked on the crafts Cora wanted. After the first item was done, he sat it on the table and walked over to Ava.

"I am going to head east a little ways and start laying new traps."

"I would like you to come with and learn how to build and set up traps."

"That way as you start to check the traps, you will know how to fix them." Ava then stood up, and after one last look at the stalker, walked over to follow Mark. Mark was surprised that she did not fight it and headed east into the forest. Ava followed along behind him. As Mark walked east, he thought about the day. Ava had leveled. She gained an interesting skill. Cora visited and asked for something. The stalker. Ava is willing to do tasks to help out.

"This might work… if nothing goes wrong."