Closed [Bronze Woods] A Walk in the Woods (Various)

[Orin Fenix]

18th of Fall, 515AV The day dawned early and bright, but none of the residents of the Fortress City would know it, trapped as they were by the oppressive stone walls of their home. Though cooler weather had come in to stay, Syna and Sivah were still battling Bala, despite it being a losing battle as days grew shorter and temperatures dropped. Though the leaves hadn’t begun changing, there was a hush of anticipation in the air, as if the whole world balanced on an edge and was just waiting for the inevitable Fall. The citadel itself was a whirlwind of activity, almost as if the energy practically palpable in the air was being channeled into the residents, both Knights and the regular people alike. This frenzy was aided in no small part by two very important occurrences. First, after much planning, debate and setting aside the appropriate funds and finding the necessary manpower, the Syliran Order had announced the beginning of several new initiatives. While the city had access to ample supplies of water for everyday use, the Grandmaster and his advisors dreamed of a much more ambitious goal, plumbing throughout the entire city that would allow each and every citizen, business and room access to running water via an aqueduct. And, perhaps even more exciting, the Knighthood was hoping to overhaul the sewage system in the city. The stench of the enclosed hallways was well known, legendary even, and all agreed that any improvement in that particular aspect of Syliras would be welcome. Already the sounds of construction and the smell of stone dust floated through the air. Metals clanged in the forges as the smiths turned their attention from weapons and armor into making the more practical pipes needed for all this. All in all, this venture had the wholehearted support of the masses. As bandits had grown more and more bold in recent days, the Knights had organized parties to retaliate against the criminals plaguing their lands. Already Knights, squires, and mercenaries, hunters, trackers and adventurers of all sorts along with the occasional normally peaceful resident, were combing the nearby woods for traces of any kind, hoping to come across the main body of bandits that was rumored to gather. Already, tensions were high as both sides prepared for hostilities. But it was the third prospect that was bringing together three unlikely souls on this particular day. Syliras was always growing and the Order wanted to both expand its influence and bring peace to the lands. It had been decided that to prevent such threats as the rampant attacks of the bandits or even the machinations of more nefarious and unforeseen foes, a new outpost was required. They’d called upon experts of all sorts to assist in locating a proper site, and this triad of the city had stepped up to the challenge. Dove, Revali and Nivel came from very different walks of life. Indeed, some of them were complete strangers to one another. And their skillsets were widely different, and yet as the Order had looked over their backgrounds and assembled scouting parties, it had come to light that for this task, the three complemented each other perfectly. It only remained to be seen if they could work together effectively as a team. So, they made their way to the agreed upon meeting spot, as set by the overseers by the Windmount Stables, in preparation to make their way into the Bronze Woods, the forest that encircled the city and hid both wonder and terror under its canopy. However, they would have to make their way through the other cause of the city’s current frenetic air. The Harvest Festival was in full swing. Performers and merchants, hawkers and buskers, Knights and citizens alike delighted in the sights and opportunities created by the holiday. The city was more crowded than usual as all who could came together in celebration. However, the three would be missing the festivities on this day, and indeed, it was currently hindering their efforts to actual travel anywhere, as the narrow passageways were packed full of people. If they looked closely enough, though they might discover a unique opportunity to purchase supplies for their upcoming enterprise.

[Dove Brown]

Dove tucked her elbows in and made a dive for a gap opening up between the two people ahead of her in the crowded passage. Sliding through - there were advantages to being small and wiry - she scanned the area ahead of her and winced at the roar of combined revelry and construction.

She'd come up from Mithryn yesterday in one of the farm carts piled high with produce and stayed for the night feasting and her annual visit to her father. She knew the farms and the crops. She'd worked on the land all her life - that was the only reason she could think of to be picked for this. None of the senior farmers would, or could, take time away from the harvest if everything was to come in before the cold hit. She shrugged to herself and hitched her pack a little higher. She had woken at dawn out of habit, despite the late night of feasting and dancing. Now she edged her way through the crowd toward the stables one step forward and two sideways, and muffled a yawn. She wore a blue cloak pulled close over her clothes and backpack, her long black hair in its usual braid, and her sling tucked through her belt just in case. The cloak and pack would hinder her badly if she actually needed to use the sling, but she was too inexperienced to realise that.

One of the hawkers was selling shovels and pickaxes, ostensibly to construction labourers, and Dove stopped by her. "How much?" she yelled over the din, pointing to a sturdy-looking shovel. If she was going to judge the soil of an area, she'd need something to dig it up with. The hawker held up two fingers. Dove dug in her pocket and handed the coins over, then picked up the shovel and moved on. When she got a little space she would stop long enough to strap it to her pack. The food sellers didn't interest her. She'd had leftovers from last night's feast to break her fast, and more wrapped up in her pack for later. She dodged a man in a hurry, caught herself before she stumbled into a busker, and finally found herself by the stables. She turned in a slow circle, looking for the others she'd been told to meet. Once she spotted them, she'd join them, introducing herself to any that she didn't know. She waited patiently, still except for the cloak flapping a little in the fall breeze, and her fingers nervously tracing the leaf-shaped buckle on her belt over and over again. When everyone was there, and ready, she would head out onto the road, but turn away from the familiar Outpost towards the definitely unfamiliar woods.

ReceiptShovel, 2 gm

[Revali]

OOCSo, for future reference, the post order will go Orin, Dove, Me, and then Nivel, unless someone takes more than 3 days to respond, in which case we will temporarily skip them.

Revali tugged on the ends of his messy black hair nervously, effectively destroying whatever work he had put into looking good that morning.

They had asked him to join as a cartographer. He was to map out the part of the Bronze Woods that the party traveled, and make sure that they could find the location again. He would mark important locations nearby, such as any rich land, water sources, quarries, or quality wood to be cut down. Though they had told him he would be the "expert" cartographer in the group, Revali had a hunch that the other mapmakers were all busy, or enjoying the festivities. But, whatever the reason, he had been asked, and so he would go.

The Windmount Stables were where the group was to meet. Revali was happy about this, as it was a familiar location, and one that he would have no trouble getting to. Indeed, he found his way there quickly, for he knew his birth-city well. However, he decided to hang back for a chime, and await the arrival of the others, so he would not be forced to make awkward small-talk while waiting.

Revali hummed to himself as he waited, watching the people of the festivities go by. As soon as he saw the petite brunette pass by carrying a heavy shovel with ease, he knew that she was not going to the Stables as a groom, nor as a customer. When she came to a halt outside the building, Revali slowly approached her.

She was running her fingers over her belt in what Revali could only assume was a nervous habit when he got close enough to speak. The boy shook his head, his feathery locks flopping about as he tried to gather his thoughts. "If you w-want to go now," He began without preface, "I'm sure the others w-will catch up. I'd l-like to g-get started before it g-gets too...gets too late."

Smiling politely, Revali turned to the small but strong woman once again and introduced himself.

"R-revali. Or Val, if you w-want. I'll be the cartographer."

He held his hand out to shake politely. "Shall we proceed?"

[Nivel]

Nivel was called by her superiors a few days prior, they purposed a task that they felt she might be interested in. There was a plan to make another Outpost in the Bronze Woods as a long term plan to keep the bandits and yukmen population at bay. It was pretty well known that Nivel enjoyed making little forts in the training grounds, in the mess hall and even at parties so it was probably best to put this interest in architecture good use. The pycon wasn’t one to disobey her superiors and agreed to the task without a single doubt.

That was until Nivel found out she would be missing the harvest festival, she had missed the celebration last year and was hoping to catch it this year. It was a disappointment to say the least but she hoped her assignment would be fun enough to make up for it. With the increased activity of bandits it was unlikely the mission would have the same festive feel but the thrill of discovery and danger were definitely possibilities that they pycon could look forward to.

On the day she was supposed to meet her new team the stone hallways were jammed pack full of laughter and merriment, but also more obstacles than usual. She was fairly accustomed to jumping and tumbling through crowds but with the sheer number of feet getting dangerously close to cursing Nivel it took her much longer than she had anticipated to get to the Windmount Stables. She was even planning to be early but ended up being late. She was already very tired but continued to sprint towards the stables like a bat out of Hai. When she got close to the stables she spotted her friend Dove holding a rather large shovel.

“Dove!” Nivel shouted breathlessly as she took an exhaustingly long run towards her friend. The pycon didn’t realize until she got closer that the pycon had interrupted a conversation.
“oh..sorry” nivel apologized as she continued her sprint, which was starting to become comical at this point. “I didn’t mean…to…intrude…I just didn’t notice you… were talking to someone.” She finally caught up with them and stopped a moment to catch her breath.
“My name is Nivel, Squired by the great Sera Grey and mage of the syliran Order” Nivel said to Dove’s friend with a forced but still dignified bow.
“I’m here to provide protection to a group of explorers who are looking to map out a new outpost in the bronze woods, do you know if anyone here is in need of knightly protection?.”
The two stated that they were in fact the group Nivel was looking for and she flapped her ears rapidly in relief and joy.
“Oh thank heavens! I was late and thought you had left without me, I don’t have a mount at the moment so I don’t know how I would ever catch up to you if you did.” Nivel took a moment to count the group with her prehensile braids. " So it looks like we’re all here, are we going by foot or do you two need to get horses?” Nether of them seemed to have experience at all on horse back so it seemed like they were going to be traveling by foot. "Probably best we go by foot since nether of you are experienced riders"

Once they got everything sorted out they headed through towards the gate. The entire time Nivel tried to keep ahead of them since she was their protector but her tiny legs couldn't compete with their long strides. When the group finally pushed their way through the busy streets and passed through the imposing doors to the wilderness, Nivel was already very tired. She considered asking Dove to carry her but didn't want to seem weak. The pycon would just have to suck it up and carry on.

Credit for Boxcode goes to Estrellir Konrath

[Orin Fenix]

They nearly didn’t make it out of the city at all. At least, the group already showed its relative lack of experience when the more impatient among them tried to split up without even considering waiting. Luckily, though, this crisis was averted when Nivel, the smallest yet fiercest member of the group arrived at the Windmount Stables. This particular hurdle behind them, they turned their attention onward to the trees just visible in the distance. The three took their first steps down the Kabrin road and down the path to the future of Syliras. After all, this outpost, assuming it was finished, would open up all sorts of new opportunities for both the Order and the citizens. And it would prove to the world at large that such large scale constructions were possible with enough motivation and manpower. In fact, Mizahar might not ever be the same after this. However, their trip was definitely complicated by both natural and individual issues. The choice not to take horses was probably the right one, both because Dove and Revali knew nothing of riding but also because the particular patch of woods they were entering would’ve been difficult to traverse with four-footed friends. The foliage was thick and the brush was dense, barring the way for all but the most determined of travellers. Once they entered into the woods proper, the trek became much more strenuous. Even this close to the city, as soon as the fortress disappeared from sight the greenery closed in all around them. The forest was dense and dark, the trees almost seeming to lean into one another in an ominous way, with only piercing shafts of sunlight that broke through the canopy illuminating the shadows.. Since they were simultaneously walking towards the mountains and moving further into the trees, the way became obscured and hard to walk on. Although they followed a well worn trail for a while, it eventually disappeared and they were forced to trudge cross country against all the small but inconvenient obstacles Underbrush and trunks barred their way, and the slope became more and more steep, although it was intermixed with level stretches and depressions. Fronds brushed against them from above and below and more often and not branches had to be pushed aside. Nivel especially was in danger from many of these obstructions, since her small stature didn’t serve her well. Hopefully one of her companions would notice her plight and offer her their aid. Muddy patches lay here and there, evidence of recent rains that came so quickly the water didn’t have the opportunity to drain properly. All about them, the sounds of life, large and small. The insects that hadn’t yet succumbed to the cold’s coming embrace were chittering, the birds were out in full force and small rustles and cracks both high and low announced the presence of other animals, prey and predator alike as they engaged in their endless dance. While the Knights patrolled this area regularly, it still had the feel of a wild place, untamed wilderness, and a thousand unseen eyes gazed balefully upon the intruders. For them, the trek seemed to take bells to complete, giving them ample opportunity to converse if they so chose. Finally they emerged into a clearing centered around a clear pond, fed by a brook that babbled happily in sharp counterpoint to the rest of the noises around. The trees were thinner here and the ground was covered in grass and an ivy with distinctive pointed leaves the came in batches of three wound throughout the outskirts of the glade. It was situated on a natural hillock, with some sides dropping off more precipitously than others. It seemed as good a place as any to stop, for a break or perhaps even to explore the possibilities and difficulties of construction.

[Dove Brown]

She shook Revali's hand briefly, with a firm grip. "I'm Dove," she said, just as Nivel called her name. She added in quick explanation. "Dove Brown. Farmer." Nivel ran up rather breathlessly, and they exchanged names and answers before heading out. If Nivel had asked, Dove would have offered her a shoulder at that point, but she didn't want to offend. She'd often been the smallest or youngest in a group herself, and too stubborn to ask for help.

Instead, she found herself trying to curb her pace to match Nivel's. It looked like a long walk on the road ahead and she looked back over her shoulder at the knights standing guard above the gate. That gave her an idea. "You can see danger from further, if you're higher up, right? That's why they stand on the wall." She crouched to lift Nivel to her left shoulder. The coarse blue wool of the cloak should offer plenty of foot and handholds for someone of Nivel's size. Or she could ride in the hood of the cloak that dropped back over the top of Dove's pack. "Better view up there, and you can watch for danger instead of our feet." She straightened and shaded her eyes to look for the distant trees. Finally spotting them like a shadow ahead, she pointed. "That way, I guess." She followed her own advice by stepping out down the road, trying not to jar her passenger too much. "Ah, forgive my ignorance, but what does a car-tog-rapher do?" She pronounced the word carefully, not sure if she had it correct. "I know something about farming, something about hunting. And well, most others are busy with the harvest."

As the gloomy forest closed in around them, Dove used the shovel to beat back the undergrowth enough to see the track they folowed. "If crops grow (thwack) as well as this undergrowth (thwack) it'd be good harvests here (thwack)," she remarked with strained humour, her slightly breathless words punctuated by the thwacks of her shovel. "You ok up there, Nivel?" Eventually even the track petered out, the ground got steeper, and the forest noisier. Dove grasped the shaft of the shovel in her left hand and lifted her right arm protectively in front of her face to ward off branches. The sounds didn't bother her as much. It was when the little creatures went quiet that you had a problem - quiet woods meant something big and dangerous was prowling about. Her boot slipped on a muddy patch once or twice, and both times she caught herself on a branch or a trunk before she measured her length on the forest floor.

The trek seemed to go on forever, illuminated by rare shafts of light falling through gaps in the leaves. Sunlight was rare in Syliras castle too, she recalled. That was one reason why she'd hated living there the short time she had. She stopped for a breather as the ground under her feet levelled off momentarily, and listened to the birds, her head a little on one side. Her father would have known the difference between alarm calls and other songs, but she'd never had as much interest. Still, she tried to pick out any changes in the birdsong that might give warning. As she did, she caught another sound - running water. "I think there's a stream ahead - I can hear water. Can you hear it?" She waited for answers and then picked her way forward again as the ground sloped up once more. Finally they broke out of the trees into a clearing. There was the stream, and grass, and ivy around the edge like a wall around a field. It wasn't an ivy Dove was familiar with, though it didn't have the frilly edged leaves of the edible ivies. These were more pointed in tight clusters. The nearest clump looked like a deer or something had chewed on it, so it couldn't be too bad. "Looks like the local animals find the ivy tasty as well as the grass. It doesn't match the human edible ones I'm familiar with though."

She went to one knee to let Nivel off, if the pycon wanted to explore, her legs aching too much from the trek to crouch reliably. She pulled up a tuft of grass to look at the soil underneath, probing it with a finger. Good soil was dark and crumbly, without too many stones. She patted the grass back into place afterwards and crossed to the brook. She stopped just short of the banks to look for tracks in the mud before she trampled over them. She was more familiar with small prey - rabbits, foxes, birds - than bigger ones. She thought she saw both hoofprints and pawprints along the bank, but they were too smudged for her inexperienced eyes to pick out identifying details. A particularly slick patch of bank mud, in a lighter colour, caught her eye, and she frowned and went to look closer. "Is that clay?"

[Revali]

The trek into the woods was longer than Revali had expected. Or perhaps that was just the impression it gave, when he was forced to walk with two strangers for a distance through the middle of nowhere.

Whatever the reason, he was grateful when Dove asked about his job. Now this, this he could do.
"A cartographer is a mapmaker. For this t-task, I'll be r-recording our findings about the l-land and the surrounding areas so that w-we can determine where the best spot is.

"I usually w-work alone, and s-sell my maps to the Knighthood, but this s-seemed like a good opportunity to, to expand my s-skills, you know?" Revali nervously prattled on.

As grateful as he was to have something to talk about, he was even more thankful when Dove took over, and began reading the condition of the land. Taking out his paper and black charcoal, Revali tried his best to sketch a line from the end of the trail, marking their path. He squinted as he worked, mentally marking one square on the paper as ten real footsteps. It wouldn't be a perfect measurement, but at least it would be to scale...mostly.

Next, he drew green squiggly lines around the trail, where Dove had indicated fertile ground and possibly edible ivy. Mentally, Revali began forming a key, though he had neither the time, nor the intention of writing it down. Black for references, green for good farming, and a scale of one box to ten steps.

When they reached the clearing, Revali marked the spot with a large, black circle, surrounded by small patches of green where the ivy sat. No sooner had he finished marking this than Dove marched off again, in the pursuit of water. Revali quickly finished his markings and scurried after her, catching up in time to hear her inquire about clay.

Revali shuffled around to reach his blue charcoal, sketching a small river running near the clearing. Blue for water.

Upon hearing the question concerning clay, Revali looked up from his work. He moved closer to the water and peered at the soupy mixture on the ground. He knew his mother had worked with clay, when experimenting with different mediums of art, but her clay had been a dark brown- almost red- and it was much more solid than the material on the bank. Revali shared this knowledge with the group, but of course, he added, he was no expert.

"You w-would know better than me," He mumbled self-consciously as he filled in some more green around the river.

[Nivel]

Nivel stubbornness wouldn’t let up and she continued to painfully struggle behind the pair without asking for assistance. That was until Dove made an excellent proposition that the defiant pycon couldn’t refuse. In recent seasons Nivel had hated the idea of using another person for transportation but if she was able to better protect them it seemed like a necessary evil.
“Oh uh you have a good point..”NIvel replied hesitantly in defeat as she clumsily climbed up on to her new surveillance post. She quickly became enthralled with the texture and feel of the wool against her clay body as she adjusted herself comfortably on Dove’s shoulder. It wasn’t often she came in contact with the textile but she planned to seek it out more often. “I like your blue…” She paused as she recalled the name of the garment “Sweater…sorry I sometimes forget all the names you tall folk call these things. To me they’re all just clothes.” Nivel had a sudden realization that she once she didn’t know the difference between a cat and a human, and now she could discern different types of clothing people wore.

Nivel politely listened as Revali explained his job as a cartographer to Dove and it sounded like an interesting profession. Nivel hadn’t thought of the creator of the maps that she occasionally saw in the Syliran Archive but now one of them was standing in front of her.
“Ohh I’ll have to look over your work the next time I visit the archive” Nivel interjected as he finished his explanation “I respect someone who pushes for perfection, I hope you learn a lot about your craft today” Nivel hoped she didn’t have any lessons to learn about her own profession but one could never be sure in the woods of Bronze.

Nivel’s ride became suddenly more turbulent as Dove slashed at the wild greenery in there way, but it didn’t stop Nivel from staying aware of her surroundings. Nivel was used to clinging on to the fabric of a flailing pant leg, she wasn’t going to miss a beat no matter how shaky things got.
“I’m doing good.” Nivel stumbled on her words as she pulled herself up from a small stumble.

Keeping focused was always hard in the forest, since there was so much noise and beautiful scenery not found in her enclosed city. Her training in meditation allowed for to stay relatively diligent but she still let her attention wander to two squirrels who seemed to be having some kind of dispute in the distance. Nivel was startled out of her fascination by Dove’s question about water and she realized she wasn’t doing her job. She listened for a bit and was soon sure she heard the subtle rush of a stream as well . “I think you’re right there is definitely water around” Nivel proclaimed as she outstretched her hand in the direction she sensed the water “I think it’s that way.”
The two headed in the direction with Revali tagging not too far behind, and like Dove anticipated there was indeed a river. The rushing water was surrounded by twisting vines with pointed leaves which Dove bent down to examine. Nivel wasn’t sure if she recognized the plant from the herbology books she had looked over or not, but it seemed a bit familiar. She looked deeper with her Auristics to see if it was editable or had any other benefits, she then shared the information with her team.

Dove gave the pycon the opportunity to explore the area on her own like the others. Dove mentioned clay and like a rabid animal she came running to investigate this claim. Right away Nivel recognized the tasty substance and bent down for a taste.
“Ohhh it tastes like Moon Beams!” Nivel explained happily “Definitely some very fertile clay by this river.”
Revali’s mother seemed to have a history with making objects out of clay, which sounded interesting but it made her sad to think of all that tasty clay going to waste.
“I mostly ate reddish brown clay growing up as you can see from my appearance, but most of the clay here seems a bit more on the greyish or brown side. Perhaps your mother imported most of her clay from the Kalea region since that type of clay seems rare here. “ Nivel explained. She wasn’t sure if what she said was accurate but she hadn’t found much of the reddish clay she was accustomed too.

Credit for Boxcode goes to Estrellir Konrath

[Orin Fenix]

The three of them chatting echoed through the woods and silenced the normal sounds around them as they passed. The forest was obviously aware of their presence and while they were still within the range patrolled regularly by the Knighthood, these lands still remained untamed. Still, there was no threat lurking beneath the leaves, at least not anything that felt like taking the three on. So the only danger they were in was from the simple wear and tear of a hike in the woods. Thankfully, Dove had saved Nivel from struggling to keep up with the other two, and had done so in a diplomatic and intelligent way. So the Pycon wouldn’t be forced to suffer in silence. Dove also took the lead, and the bushes and branches parted before the aggressive attacks of her spade. The walk was still taking its toll, when the sound of water seemed to revive their spirits, literally lifting them out of the gloom and into the light of day as they emerged into the sunlight.

The three of them spread out, examining everything they could about the clearing. Apparently none of the three had heard the age old adage "Leaflets three, leave them be." Luckily, Nivel's Auristics would be enough to warn the two members of their party currently wearing human shapes that the plant, a species of poison ivy native to the area, would give anyone who touched it with bare skin a nasty rash. While some creatures had been chewing on it, likely deer, which was a good sign that game was abundant in this particular region, it was unsafe for anything humanoid to approach. Hopefully the clothes they had on to guard against the autumnal chill would be enough to shield them from the worst of the effects were they to stumble upon a patch.

Unfortunately, while there was some clay by the pool, it was all on the surface and any significant digging would reveal that underneath was solid dirt, or mud rather. The pool itself was clear as the sky on a cloudless day, with small fish shapes darting here and there among the reeds and plants. Around the edge were small flowers in a riot of colors. They were unfortunately common enough not to warrant much examination but they were beautiful next to the serenity of the still waters. The river, or stream rather, that fed into it, was steady, if a bit small. It ran the chance of drying up in periods of drought, and taking the pool with it. But there were other water supplies in the area that it would be quite easy to divert into this one if the Order so chose.

Revali's markings were imprecise and unpracticed but at least would serve as a rough sketch of how to get where they were. Dove, for her part, got straight to work at examining the soil. Unfortunately, her job wasn't nearly as easy as Revali's because when she tried to rip up some of the grass to get at the earth beneath, it resisted her efforts. The root system of whatever was growing here, mostly an assortment of weeds in addition to the poison ivy and the grass, was surprisingly tenacious and resisted the invasion of a foreigner into their domain. Eventually, though her perseverance would be rewarded, and the clump of greenery would come away with a ripping sound revealing the fertile ground beneath. It had to be good for growing things as evidence by both the activity in the grove and the complete lack of cultivation by the hands of Syliras' citizens. It was dark, wet and rich, with worms wriggling out of the way of the sudden brightness that came into their world. It smelled the way earth should smell, of greenery and potential. If Dove knew enough about agriculture, she’d see that it would support crops well. Indeed, she’d already noted that with the plants all around them it would be shocking if it couldn’t support a thriving, if small, farm. The only other issue beyond the toughness of the root system was the sheer thickness of the surrounding trees and bushes. If would require quite a bit of manpower to make enough space for planting to be worth it.

The three had done a good job on their preliminary sweep. But hopefully they would keep looking and sharing the information, and discover if there were any more hidden treasures or traps. Perhaps one of these slopes would yield something amazing for them. Or perhaps something dark and dangerous would stalk out of the trees, attracted by the scent and sound of three young and relatively weak individuals that would make lovely prey.

[Dove Brown]

"Thank you," Dove said as Nivel told her she liked the blue wool. She added in a murmur, "I call it a cloak actually." She listened and nodded as Revali explained what a cartographer did.

Only Dove's face and hands were bare, and Nivel's warning about the ivy caught her just in time to snatch her hand back before she touched the ivy to inspect it closer. The sprint to the clay and exclamation made her muffle a smile behind her hand. "Let's hope there's plenty of clay for the pycons then, as well as soil to grow food for the rest of us." Revali mentioned that his mother made things out of clay and she used the time to try and get control of her face again. At the mention of growing food, she turned her back on the pool and looked across the clearing, mentally comparing the length and width to the fields she'd walked up and down so often. Some of the slopes down from the clearing's hillock looked steeper than others and crops did better where it was flatter. The roots were tough to get through, but once she managed it, the smell of the soil reminded her of a new-ploughed field that had just been rained on. "The soil looks and smells like the fields back home," she told the others, brushing her hands off. "As far as I can tell. It's tough to get at though - you'd need to clear back the trees and the undergrowth first, before you could plough it or dig it. And flatter would be better for crops if not for animals." If she'd had more experience, she'd have suggested running pigs on it for a season first to break up the root mat and the tough grasses, but she'd always worked more with crops than animals. She stuck the shovel into the ground where the grass thinned out into mud, trying to feel how far and deep the roots ran and how easily a shovel or spade might dig them out.

Having tested the roots near the pond, she crossed to the nearest edge of the clearing and tried there, before working her way carefully along, setting her booted foot on the top of the shovel to push harder where necessary. She watched for anything useful or important, ready to call the others over if they needed to see it. The noises around them seemed quieter, so she worked with one eye for the task, one eye warily on the forest around them.