A New Place to Call Home....For Now

by **Saraphina Skyglow** on December 3rd, 2014, 4:50 am

Saraphina Skyglow

10th Day of Winter 514 AV

T he woodlands around the Fortress City of Syliras were not so different from those of Zeltiva. The chill of Morwan's hand was in the air, but compared to her homelands icy embrace, it wasn't as harsh as Saraphina was accustomed to. So her thick black cloak was thus far, more than enough to keep her warm. That, coupled with the warmth her Bloodbane put off made her feel almost comfortable. Almost. The chill still bothered her a bit, but for now she had a task to complete. After travelling and finding a job within Syliras as a freelance Hunter, she needed a base of operation. A new campsite to settle into. The trees, now striped of leaves and decorated with a layer of hoarfrost made the coming winter wonderland a breathtaking site to behold. Shimmering beams of sunshine lit the white crystals with a dazzling array of colors. But finding a cleared site with enough trees to act as good cover for the winter season might be trickier than Saraphina first thought. The deciduous trees would be of no use, without leaves they provided no protection from wind, snow or potential dangers from predators or raiders. She needed an area of thicker foliage. Having only just travelled off the road and into the Bronze Woods, Saraphina pulled on her hunting and foraging skills to point her in the right direction.

T he land she travelled on now was most flat with small rolling hills. Plants and ferns that were likely tall and thick in the growing season were pressed low to the ground under the weight of snow and slush. But the area had probably been cleared by loggers to make way for the roads, so deeper into the forest and closer to the mountains would likely yield the thicker, older trees she was seeking. Touching her toes to Abaccus's flank, the ginger Kelvic encouraged her mount to move deeper into the forest. She kept her eyes peeled for tracks and narrow pathways as they moved. That would indicate movement of animals in the area. Animals didn't remain in territory where food was scare or there was no source of water, so tracks and signs of life were a good thing to keep a look out for. Listening to the quiet world around her, Saraphina's acute hearing could pick up the sounds of squirrels and pine marten scurrying through the trees. Winter birds that hadn't migrated to warmer climates flitted about, chirping occasionally. That was a good sign as well, birds didn't tend to sing much if there were a lot of predators about, so she'd likely stumbled upon an area where there was little competition.

A s Saraphina had hoped, the forest around her started to get thicker and harder to navigate. Thin, leafless saplings grew slowly into wide, green branched spruce trees with thick needles coated with snow. Pulling her horse to a halt, Saraphina slide off the saddle and took the reins in hand. Navigating on foot would be easier here, she needed to fine a nice ring of trees with a cleared area in the center. That way, she could set up her tent under the branches to keep the wet snow from damaging the canvas, make a wind break area so Abaccus had cover from the cold and a cleared area for a fire pit and perhaps a tanning stand for some of the hides she'd collect over winter. Then, of course, she'd have to mark the territory as her own to frighten off any predator from wandering in. So much to do. Smiling softly, she weaved around the rough trunks of the trees. Several areas she passed through were considered, but the big problem she found was that none had a nearby water supply. Even a small stream or river would be suffocate, but she needed something to provide clean water. After all, melting snow was fine in the winter, but she intended to be in Syliras for a while. So a good campsite was an important first step. She didn't want to settle into one area, only to have to pull up everything in the spring and move to another location.

A fter about another bell of wandering through the wilds, she perked up her ears. Faintly in the distance she heard the soft, trickling sounds of water flowing over stone. Grinning in triumph, she headed towards the noise. Abaccus snorted a bit, getting annoyed at the pointless walking. Patting her horse's nose, she murmured softly, "Bear with me Abaccus, you should be able to graze a bit in a few chimes." Her stallion tossed his head into the air, but followed without much more fuss. The steam they came upon was actually larger then Saraphina had thought. There was ice forming along the edges of the shore, but the middle was still flowing strong. Abaccus lowered his head to the fridge water and drank deeply, seeming happy to have found some liquid. Looking around, the Tiger Kelvic tried to pick out a good place to set up camp near the stream. To the north, a thick bundle of spruce trees seemed to speak to her. Nodding to herself, she waited patiently for her stallion to finish his drink before guiding him through the prickly branches.

P assing through the cluster of trees, the two came upon a small clearing. The ground was dusted with snow and a few lonely trees stood in the middle. The outside of the meadow was surrounded with large, thick branched coniferous evergreens. It was, in one word....perfect. Saraphina clamped down on the urge to yell in victory, for fear of spooking her mount. A water source was nearby and there were no signs of other animal having claimed the area. No strange scents were plastered on any of the trees, no claw marks or dugout burrows. A few tracks of herbivores, deer, elk maybe a few rabbits had passed through, but the prints were a few days old. Also a good sign, prey animals in the area meant good hunting. Which was something she liked. Rubbing her hands together, she looked back at her Bloodbane with a grin, "Welcome to our new home Abaccus....lets get settled in, shall we." Leading her horse to a spot where the trees broke a bit, leaving a wide enough opening for her stallion to stand comfortable and be shielded from the wind, Saraphina spent a few chimes tethering Abaccus to the trunk of one of the trees. Unsaddling and unloading her gear, she patted her horse and started to carry everything into the clearing.

by **Saraphina Skyglow** on December 7th, 2014, 11:50 pm

F irst thing to set up was her tent. Picking a good spot that was protected from most of the elements was key. Now that her horse was secured, she could explore a bit more of the area she intended to stay in. The large, thick spruce trees would prove to be an invaluable resource. Crunching around the clearing and double checking to make sure that there was no signs, tracks or scents of other predators, she nodded in satisfaction. An opening between two large trees with boughs that overlapped about 7 feet up would be a perfect place for her small tent to sit. The branches would help to push the snow away from the top so it didn't gather large amount and potential collapse and the ground was relatively flat. She was a bit surprised that the trees roots hadn't breeched the surface, but she wasn't going to question her luck too much. But a layer of protection was still needed before she pitched her tent here.

T he ground would become cold and frosty in the winter. More important than that, when she slept inside her tent, the heat from her body would permeate down through the layers of cloth and canvas. Probably not a lot, but enough to melt and warm the icy ground under her tent. Which would leave an area where moisture or possible even puddles of water could gather. Getting wet when it was cold out was one of the worst things to happen. Sickness, chills and injury could occur quite easily if precautions weren't taken in the set up phase of unpacking her things. Rummaging through her belongings, Saraphina took out her carving axe. Though the small tool was usually reserved for artwork, it had a sharp blade. And right now, Saraphina needed that. Grabbing her cloak and slinging it over her shoulders, the red haired Kelvic headed out from her campsite a few paces. Finding a large spruce trees with low hanging branches, she took off her cloak and laid it on the ground. Spreading the cloth wide, she used her axe to strip the green, needle boughs from the tree. The tree was hibernating for the winter, so very little sap was present. That was good, it was what she wanted. Placing the boughs on her cloak and continuing to strip the smaller, needle thick branches till a fairly large pile was sitting on her cloak, Saraphina paused. Setting the axe down at the base of the tree, she folded the edges of the cloth over the boughs and used the cloak like a sling to carry it back to the clearing.

O nce she'd carried the spruce boughs back to the spot she'd decided to pitch her tent, Saraphina opened her cloak up and started to lay the prickly needle branches onto the ground. The spruce boughs would be under the canvas of her tent, but the insulation and cushioning they would provide would keep the cold and moisture out of her tent. Arranging the boughs in a squared shape roughly the size of her tent's base, Saraphina emptied her cloak and shook out the loose needles before returning to the tree she'd left her axe at. Continuing to strip the boughs, she was forced to move to a different tree when the one she was working on ran out of low hanging branches. A second trip back to the spruce bough bedding with a fresh load made for a thick, cushioned layer of evergreen coated the ground. Patting the area a few times to make sure the boughs were spread as evenly as she could manage and that it was a thick enough layer to provide good isolation, Saraphina gathered up her axe and prepared to pitch her tent.

U ntying the loops of her rope that held her rolled canvas, one person tent in place, Saraphina hooked her arms under the heavy item and grunted as she lifted it. She was glad she hadn't gotten a larger tent, Abaccus might have had more trouble carrying that load with all of the other items she'd acquired. But a place to sleep for the night was first on the list of things to do. Unrolling the tent overtop of the bed of boughs she'd made, the Kelvic pulled on the corners of the tent till it was straightish before going back to her gear. Taking out the metal poles that came with the tent when she'd bought it, as well as the sharpened pegs and her carving axe, the Kelvic headed back to her soon to be sleeping quarters. Extending out the poles, she fed them through the loops of the tent. Once the poles were fully placed, Saraphina hoisted them upwards, raising the billowing canvas to create a hollow, cloth covered home. Driving the poles into the ground as deep as she could, she took the pegs and stretched out the corners. Using the back of her axe, she caught part of the tent's cloth on the sharp end and hammered the peg into the ground. Securing the tent on all four sides, she circled her creation. Shaking it a few times to make sure it was stable, she smiled happily and turned away, already mentally preparing the next step to making this wild place her own territory.

by **Saraphina Skyglow** on December 11th, 2014, 3:40 am

P lacing her foot at the base of her tent, Saraphina counted out ten paces then stopped. Looking back over her shoulder, she judged the distance from her sleeping quarters before taking another two steps. The fire pit was what she wanted to make next, but she needed to make sure the hazard was far enough from her tent to not be a threat, but close enough that she could reach it comfortably. Especially when it got colder. Satisfied with the spot, Saraphina tramped down the crisp grass, dragging the heels of her boots and digging in her toes to pull up more of the stringy plant. Though the grass was cold and coated in a layer of frost, it could still catch the flames and release a raging forest fire if she didn't set up the pit properly. With the spot now marked well enough that she could find it easily, the Kelvic moved back to her gear.

D igging through the burlap sack she'd obtained during one of her night watches in Zeltiva, she pulled out a small metal bowl and a large cooking pot. Really, a shovel or hoe would be better for this, but she could make due with what she had. And with the open stream nearby, she could always wash her cookware. Kneeling down on the cold ground, she wrapped her fingers around the ground covering plant, the Kelvic ripped the annoying strands till the area was cleared well enough for her to see the dirt below. She gripped the bowl in both hands and started to use the edge to dig at the ground. Grass roots, rocks, dirt and clay made for a hard combination to burrow through, but she gritted her teeth and kept working. Fortunately, the ground wasn't completely frozen through and she didn't need a deep hole. A shallow dip would be enough, after all, if the hole was too deep, air wouldn't be able to circulate through and any fires she started would sputter out before they even started.

C ontinuing to tear at the hard soil with the edge of the bowl, she felt a burn start in her arms. It was awkward work, moving the gritty dirt to the edges of her intended fire pit. But once the topsoil had been broken through, she was able to work the soil a bit easier. The frost of winter had only scorched the surface, deeper into the ground was less affected. Setting the bowl aside, she took the larger cooking pot and started to take larger amounts of dirt and clay from the scoop she was creating. Sprinkling the removed soil on the outskirts of her shallow hole to form a slight ridge. It would make a good base for the next step to creating her fire pit. A bit of time later, a small, shallow scoop was formed with a rim of loose soil around the edges. Dusting off her hands, Saraphina gathered up her cookware and headed for the stream.

P adding over to the flowing water, she put her dishes into the frigid liquid and cleaned out the dirt and grime from her digging. She was forced to use her fingers to get off some of the more clingy chucks and the Kelvic hissed as the icy water connected with her skin. Still, she preserved through and finished cleaning the pans. Shaking out the last few drops of water and brushing her hands on her pants to dry them off. Setting the dish and pot on the shore, Saraphina started hunting. Keeping her eyes focused on the stream and the shoreline, she grinned happily when she spotted a grapefruit sized rock. But it was out in the flowing water, however there was a large rock sitting firmly above the water. She'd probably be able to balance on that footing and grab the one she wanted. Or she could fall in. Still, even if she only got her feet wet, that wouldn't be so bad.

B ending her knees, Saraphina took in a bracing breath. Coiling her muscles, she leapt for the standing stone. As her feet touched the stone, she wobbled and yelped, almost falling. But she quickly bent her knees and fell into a crouch, gripping the rock she was standing on with her hands. Shifting her feet into a more balanced position, she was able to reach into the stream and grab the smaller stone. Tossing it to the shore, Saraphina jumped back to solid ground happily. Rolling the rock further away from the water, she kept walking along the flowing stream. After about half a bell of searching, she'd foraged out several good sized rocks and placed them in a small pile. Picking them up and carrying them back to her fire pit, which took several trips, she arranged the stones in a circle around the edges of her shallow scoop. Twisting a few on the rock to embed them deeper into the ground, she shifted back on her heel and studied the fireplace with a satisfied look.

by **Saraphina Skyglow** on December 13th, 2014, 9:49 pm

N ow that the fire pit was well contained, the task of gathering fuel began. Dusting off her hands, Saraphina stood up. Grabbing one of her 6'' bowls, she set off into the forest again. Hanging from many of the older spruce trees were long, stringy pale green moss. Taking several handfuls, she filled the metal bowl to the brim. The dry plant would make excellent tinder. Taking the bowl back to her tent she set it inside to keep it from blowing away. Picking up her carving axe once more, the Kelvic set out to find some good dead fall. Not far out from her site was a fallen log. It had probably been there for a while. The wood was starting to rot around the edges, but the middle sported a large amount of arm sized branches.

T aking the axe, she started to chop at the bases of the thick branches. The dead wood gave way quite easily, she was able to snap off several. The carving axe wasn't really large enough to properly split logs, but she was planning on heading into the city in the next day or so for supplies, so the splintered branches would be fine for now. Snapping several on her knee into smaller pieces, she soon had a nice pile formed. Gathering up an armful, she headed to her fire pit. Setting down the wood, she headed back to the log and broke off more branches. A few more trips and she had a large pile of fire wood. Digging through her bag again, she took our her azde. The curved tool would be perfect for shaving off small, curling pieces of wood. Taking one of the pieces, she set it on her thigh. Using the adze, she carefully scraped the sharp blade along the length. The wood curled and chipped off, forming a little pile on the ground.

R eturning to the tent, she grabbed the bowl containing the moss. Putting some in the middle of the scoop, she took up some of the shavings and set them around the ball of moss. Some smaller twigs and bark was broken off her pile of wood till a small tee pee was formed in the center of her fire pit. Taking a few small, dry twigs and keeping them in arms reach, she took out her flint and steel. Striking the two together till she has a small spark formed took time. She had to try several times and more than a few of the attempts blew themselves out. But finally, she got a small amount of the tinder to catch. Quickly setting aside the tool, she bent down and gently blew on the tiny flame of life. Slowly and with a small prayer to Morwen, the spark bit onto the dry tinder. The fire started to crackle and Saraphina slowly added fuel to the growing flames. With a bit of time, the small, warbling fire caught on the larger pieces of wood she'd gathered. The heat started to warm the air and she smiled. Now the place was certainly feeling more livable. Just a few more touches to go.

by **Saraphina Skyglow** on December 14th, 2014, 8:07 pm

T hough Saraphina would normal eat most of her meals raw, having a device to cook food and boil water would be useful. She still liked a warm dinner once and a while. Her small carving axe was certainly getting a workout today. But then again, an axe and blade were top among tools needed for survival in the wilds. They would be her first choice in any travels. Wandering back out among the trees surrounding her campsite clearing, the sharp eyed Kelvic kept glancing around for....ah...there were some. Small saplings, still growing with trunks about 2 inches thick. Perfect for what she needed. Walking over to the nearest one, Saraphina chopped repeatedly at the base. The wood chipped off in splinters and she had to wiggle the axe a few times when it got stuck in the wood. But the sapling was soon cut through enough that it tilted to the side and fell over. A few more well aimed strikes and she was through the trunk. Leaving the fallen immature tree for now, she moved to the next one and repeated her actions. The movements were strangely soothing, reminiscent of her days of carving and sculpting in Avanthal at the markets of Skyglow Hold.

O nce he small saplings had been felled, Saraphina used the axe to strip the thin branches from the trunks. The branches had very little in the way of boughs, so she left them on the forest floor, they were of little use. Once the trunks were bare, she pulled the small logs together and lined them up so they were side by side. The trunks were around the same width, though one was a lot more curved then the others. That was fine, she wasn't trying to create a masterpiece, just a functional stand. Picking a spot further up the logs, closer to the narrowing top of the saplings, Saraphina braced the branch with one had and chopped with the other. The wood gave way and she tried to match the length on the other two. Once that was finished, she took one of the trunks and started to carry it back to the campsite. Depositing her axe back with her gear and setting the branch down, she headed out. Grabbing the other two, she set them down with the other.

W ith her axe put away, Saraphina took up her knife and found the end of her silk rope. Mesuring out about two arms lengths worth of coil, she used the sharp blade to cut though the weaved material. Taking the short length of rope, Saraphina moved back to her long sapling trunks. Lining the logs up side by side again, she used the length of rope to bind the three branches together. She wrapped the rope around all of the at the narrower end, lifting the light wood to slip the cord underneath them. Tying the rope together in the front, she used as much strength as she could to snug down the knot. It was a basic knot, one she'd used on her boots and for securing her gear. Straightening, Saraphina attempted to lift the three logs simultaneously. The maneuver was successful and she spread the logs out to form a tripod. But when she tried to move the stand over the fire, the logs slipped out and the tripod wobbled dangerously.

F rowning, she let the whole thing fall over before rearranging it again in the same position. With the logs side by side again, Saraphina spotted the problem. Her knot had slipped, it wasn't holding the branches securely enough and when she'd lifted it, the wood had moved. Untying the rope, she sat back on her heel and though over the issue. Saraphina needed to secure the logs to each other so they won't shift when she moved them. Wrapping the rope around the narrow end as she'd down before, the Kelvic tied the knot tight again. But this time she also used the loose ends of the rope and she tightly wrapped the cord around itself between the poles several times, making sure to tie it off each time she weaved it through. The result was a much sturdier feeling structure. Moving back to her rope coils, she cut off another length and moved under the tripod. Tying the length around the crossing ends, the rope hung down the middle, giving a place for her to tie a pot to for boiling water or cooking a stew.

G rinning to herself, she moved the poles again, spreading them into a cooking stock. Moving it over the crackling fire, she moved the legs of the tripod till the whole things was well seeded and not going to fall over if she bumped it by accident or a gust of winds came through. The whole device gave the sight a finished feel to it. Happy with the days work and seeing that the light was starting to fade, Saraphina blinked in surprise. She hadn't realised it had gotten so late. Taking her gear and setting it inside her tent, which included Abaccus's saddle, she grabbed her mounts grooming brush. Walking over to her Bloodbane, who'd been wandering about his area, she smiled as the stallion lifted his head and whickered in greeting. Running a hand down his long nose, she proceed to start brushing the sorrels sleek coat with long, smooth strokes. The dead hair and dirt came to the surface and she flicked it away with the bristles. Moving around her horse and staying close to his body, as she'd learned Abaccus had far less momentum to kick her if she was next to him, she groomed his far side. Once she was finished with the brushing, she patted the horse face again and asked her headstrong mount, "So....think you're going to like it here?" Abaccus tossed his head up and down before lowering his nose to the ground to nibble on some of the sprigs of grass still remaining. Saraphina smiled and walked backwards towards her fire, "Yah....me too." Saraphina arranged her cloak on the ground to make for a cushioned seat by the fire and proceeded to watch the moon and stars rise in the night sky, comforted by the distance sounds of the wolves howling and the wind blowing through the trees.

by **Nivel** on December 31st, 2014, 1:56 am

Saraphina Skyglow :

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Completed A New Place to Call Home....For Now