Chương 53: Word From The East

The morning after Mark and Ava left west. Dale started the morning fire to cook breakfast for those in camp. It would be a small meal today, as there were three of the normal eaters gone. Mark would be sad to know that he was going to try cooking the eggs he brought back from the marsh with some of the bacon they got from one of the pigs that was recently killed. The eggs turned out pretty good; he had added some of the various spices they have in their stocks along with some wild onions.

The bacon turned out great too. Tom was the first one in line for food, followed by Lena. He then made himself a plate and sat down to eat with the others. After breakfast he and Tom were going to make their rope-twisting machine. They were in need of better and stronger materials to tie and bind things, and Mark was looking for better bowstrings. And Tom also needed better material for his leatherworking. They had just finished building the machine and were about to test it when Cora walked into camp.

Dale said, "Hello, Cora. Did you get lost while surveying the marsh? You were gone a couple days." Cora replied.

"I was busy collecting things." At that, she went over to the workbench and started pulling items out. She put some reeds on the table. Before Dale could reach out, she added some strange roots, then some marsh plants, and a pile of the grain stalks she had found down south. Dale was again about to reach for something, and she moved over to another table and pulled out some cloth, some fibers, and some weird-looking seeds.

She then went over to the food prep table and pulled out some eggs and vegetables of four different varieties and a bottle of some type of liquid. Then she went to another table and started laying out various tools. Finally, she stepped back and said it.

"I found this stuff and a few more things, but we are out of table space." Dale finally came forward and started looking through items. Just a few moments later, Tom and Lona joined him in this scavenger hunt of items. Dale picked up a root and asked.

"Where did you find this?"

"Oh, I think on the west side of the swamp, or maybe on the south side."

"Tom picked up the cloth, where did this come from?"

"Oh far east. I also found people there." All three of the others turned and stared at her. Tom said.

"You could have led with the people." The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. Cora replied.

"Not the first people I have met out exploring is that important?" The other three just stared at her. Dale was still looking over the items on the table and picked up the grain stalks.

"Wait, forget the people. Where did you get this? I have to have more." Cora came over and looked at the grain.

"Oh, that. There was a huge field of it down south; as far as you could see, this stuff was growing. Is it important?" Dale thought about all the little projects he had been working on. One of the vegetables they had found was similar to a sugar beet, and he had been working to make sugar. The fungus they got from the cave—he had been cultivating yeast from it. Now he had wheat. He could make bread sometime in the near future.

"Well, only if you like bread, maybe cakes, cookies, pasta, cereals, and pancakes."

"Okay, so it's good, I guess." Lona and Tom both said together.

"Yes, we need more of that wheat." Cora then looked around.

"Where is Mark? I think he will want to know about the people." The group explained to her about Ava and her desire to go on adventures like her. How Mark did not want her to go alone and how they went to see what was west past the stream. Finally, Cora decided she would just tell them about the people she found. There were multiple groups living in the area east. It was rocky ground with not much vegetation. There were only a few trees; it's not a good place to build from wood. She had met 2 traveling groups.

One of them was trying to live off the land. The other group wanted more adventure. She had told them about the cave and the changes that had happened each day. They wanted to come and try it.

"Some of them sounded half crazy when I mentioned it," she told them. One guy kept asking her about it changing between runs. They were really excited. And she came back to camp to see if Mark would be ok with them coming and running the cave to see what else could be found there. Tom and Dale were sure that Mark would be ok with it and told her to bring them back. Both groups wanted to trade. Specifically, they wanted salt.

But they would like to trade for other items also; some of the items she brought back were from them as trade offerings. The four of them talked about the items she had seen and where she found them. They wanted stuff from the marsh; they wanted more wheat. The material she brought was very useful. Also, whoever made it could teach them about making clothing to go with the leatherworking Tom was doing. In the end, they all made the decision to send items back with Cora for trades.

And that she should bring as many back as would like to try the cave and see what other items they have for trade. Tom and Dale also specifically asked her to find out what items people were making and who was making them. Also, if she could find tradespeople to trade skills with. Dale and Tom also decided that they wanted to travel south and see the wheat fields and look at that area. Lena let them know she could go with them to make sure they stay safe.

Once the plans were made, Cora got a few days worth of rations from Dale and headed back east. Tom and Dale prepared for the trip south. Lastly, Dale said.

"I wonder if anyone will be here when Mark gets back."