14 - Crash Course

"Could you teach us some basics, please?" I asked Silence, bowing in a way that I hoped was respectful.

Silence nodded, leading the way to a more open and even patch of ground.

"Erm..." Katie started, "Angel is behind the one-way barrier..."

"I left Sorceress in there too," Juliana added.

I held back a groan. Silence just nodded, indicated that we wait with a finger, and ran back into the Temple.

Katie shifted nervously as we waited. Thomas and I took practice swings, getting a feel for our blades. The Ancient was a little lighter than I expected, and I almost wanted a scale to measure him. It would take a bit of hydraulics, probably, which would be a new skill to learn. One day.

Silence snapped me out of my train of thought, reappearing with the Sorceress and the Angel in one hand, and her own mighty Dragon in the other. She handed the two to their owners - if I wanted to use that word... I didn't think so, but couldn't think of one better - and returned to the original agenda. Though noticing that Thomas was practicing, she paused to analyze him.

She shrugged, and started with a two-handed position up and forward, obviously watching for us to follow. I copied her, pointing my blade at the chin of an imaginary opponent.

Hours passed of Silence correcting form and instructing strikes. It was very much "do what I do exactly." and mimicking. But at the end, I felt able to hold my own in a fight. Probably. Maybe.

It was finally lunch time, and we sat down together to finish off the snake meat.

"I imagine Silence and Thomas would be the best team for going back for our stuff at the other camp," I mentioned.

"And the rest of us?" Juliana asked.

"Start building this camp."

They let my words sink in.

"How?" Katie finally asked.

"We have plenty of lumber," I said, gesturing to the forest, "and on my excursion earlier, I found a tree that the Ancient said has stringy fibers. They work for cushion, and can probably be braided for thinner ropes."

"So you mean, we're actually going to be building shelters?" Juliana asked.

"Simple ones for now. They will probably feel like rough tents."

"What about food?" Katie asked, "This is the last of what we have here. If Silence is gone, who will hunt?"

"We can forage. Our blades know these plants, so we can consult them."

*If the Angel or I don't know a plant, we can take a piece to the inner sanctum and consult the Forager.*

*I'd guess that would be the case with most knowledge? We can probably consult one of the swords inside?*

*Some are more stringent or will ask for something in return, but yes.*

"We don't have to leave today." Thomas added, "Silence and I could help get a basic setup done today, and leave in the morning. That way you won't have to worry about food as much."

"You sure?" Katie asked.

"Yeah. It was what? A day and a half to get here? We've left it be for two days. If it's not gone now, it prolly won't be gone if we wait another day."

"Thank you. Actually, that will be much appreciated." I said, it having dawned on me that we had about sent away two of the three people most able to move the lumber without a residential shelter in sight.

We started with hacking down trees. Silence, Thomas, and I focused on that. The Ancient, Lost, and Dragon didn't mind. Katie (perhaps led herself) led Juliana around to find Scaled Leafberry trees. We had barely collected our logs and a good amount of scale bark, leafberries, and bark strands.

Silence also went hunting for an hour or so, bringing back a pair ot horse-sized chickens with red neck tassels like a turkey. And you're right. It was impressive that she dragged them both back to camp at the same time. Even with the scale bark sled she used to carry them.

Apparently leafberries were a potent antibiotic, and intensely sweet. At least that's what Katie relayed from the Angel. I hoped we wouldn't have to put it to the test any time soon. Katie had also found some berries that ranged from red to blue in color and some large maple leaves that she had been told were edible.

We were in for another surprise as we set up the campfire. Silence pulled out the firestarter claw piece she had brought with her to start it when Juliana stopped her.

"I want to try something." she said.

Silence gestured to try it.

Juliana brought her sword in front of her, facing the kindling, and closed her eyes. Orange specks of light blinked into existence around her, gliding toward the fire pit. The individual sparks did nothing, but after several, a small flame sprung up on the bark shards we used for kindling. She opened her eyes, her forehead glistening in the growing firelight.

"She told me I could do it." Juliana said, "I didn't quite believe her, but I decided I'd try after seeing Silence do something so crazy this morning."

"So, Juliana can make fire," I listed, "Silence can make ice, I can make barriers. Katie, Thomas, have you been told what you can do with your blades?"

Thomas shook his head. "I can barely make heads or tails of anything he says. Let alone ask him about powers."

Our focus collected on Katie. She shrunk a little under the attention.

"She told me I can heal injuries. Cuts and scrapes would be easiest to treat, and so on."

"That will be helpful. I'm not eager to try it out, but I suspect we'll probably need it sooner than we might think." I said

"I'd like to think we would never need to use it, but accidents happen." Katie replied.

I nodded.

With the fire burning, we cooked the giant chicken creatures. They ended up tasting more like beef. The berries were like grapes with the flavor of pineapple, and the leaves made for tart bundling for our chicken. In all, it was a good meal.