Willow concentrated, and sparks dribbled from
her fingertips onto the tinder, and with a small whoosh! it lit, and she fell back into a faint.
Kora blinked. Perhaps pouring that elixir down this creature's gullet was the best decision she'd made all day... well, second only to leaving her damp spot under that dead oak tree.
The tinder smoked heavily and Kora hurriedly rummaged through her huge pack until she found a bundle of dried kindling (Darek had thought of everything); the skinny creature had slumped into unconsciousness and there was no telling if or when she'd be awake again to make more fire. The day had been miserable and damp, and the promise of dry skin and crisply broiled orc meat was more than enough to quell any concerns she might have had about the safety of staying near an unpredictable fire-spouting humanoid creature. In fact, it put her in such a pleasant mood that she shook out the leather tarpaulin that had covered the kindling and tossed it haphazardly over the dark-haired woman's unconscious form. Thinking a bit, she rummaged through the pack again and came away with another large bundle of oiled leather, this one she knew how to assemble as Darek had assigned her the prestigious task of setting up their camp each night as they traveled. Oh Darek... her mouth started to water again.
Once the lean-to was more or less standing and shielding the flame from the worst of the rain, Kora dragged the woman by her ankles until she was under it and closer to the fire. After studying the campsite a long moment she dragged the pack under the lean-to as well, which pretty much consumed all the remaining sheltered real estate. Now there was only one more thing that had to be done before she could start making dinner.... finding more wood. The kindling was doing it's job, perhaps a bit too well, as the small fire blazed. She cast about, looking for more fuel, but the scraps of wood near the camp were thoroughly wet. Focusing on the image of her future dinner Kora piled on the driest of what she could find then strode across the field back toward the road, to where she'd seen a dense copse of trees - the most likely spot she could think of for finding something dry enough to burn. Evening was falling by the time she reached the protective cover of the trees. The lack of light didn't bother her for finding wood, an ogrillon's vision in the dark was as good or better than an orc's, but night time was the realm of many things with claws and teeth that she would really rather not run into.
Under a cluster of dense conifers Kora found a large, fallen tree. Its branches had kept it up off the ground and dry, and it was rotten enough that she was able to break large chunks from its trunk with her feet and hands. Pausing only to slurp an errant termite that crawled up her arm from the rotten wood, Kora hefted her prize and turned to head back toward the camp. It was rather dark now, and though she knew the moon was almost full it mattered little for it was hopelessly shrouded in cloud. The imagined taste of crisp orc steaks was making her mouth water again as she reached the edge of the copse and took one step out into the meadow.
Kora blinked. Perhaps pouring that elixir down this creature's gullet was the best decision she'd made all day... well, second only to leaving her damp spot under that dead oak tree.
The tinder smoked heavily and Kora hurriedly rummaged through her huge pack until she found a bundle of dried kindling (Darek had thought of everything); the skinny creature had slumped into unconsciousness and there was no telling if or when she'd be awake again to make more fire. The day had been miserable and damp, and the promise of dry skin and crisply broiled orc meat was more than enough to quell any concerns she might have had about the safety of staying near an unpredictable fire-spouting humanoid creature. In fact, it put her in such a pleasant mood that she shook out the leather tarpaulin that had covered the kindling and tossed it haphazardly over the dark-haired woman's unconscious form. Thinking a bit, she rummaged through the pack again and came away with another large bundle of oiled leather, this one she knew how to assemble as Darek had assigned her the prestigious task of setting up their camp each night as they traveled. Oh Darek... her mouth started to water again.
Once the lean-to was more or less standing and shielding the flame from the worst of the rain, Kora dragged the woman by her ankles until she was under it and closer to the fire. After studying the campsite a long moment she dragged the pack under the lean-to as well, which pretty much consumed all the remaining sheltered real estate. Now there was only one more thing that had to be done before she could start making dinner.... finding more wood. The kindling was doing it's job, perhaps a bit too well, as the small fire blazed. She cast about, looking for more fuel, but the scraps of wood near the camp were thoroughly wet. Focusing on the image of her future dinner Kora piled on the driest of what she could find then strode across the field back toward the road, to where she'd seen a dense copse of trees - the most likely spot she could think of for finding something dry enough to burn. Evening was falling by the time she reached the protective cover of the trees. The lack of light didn't bother her for finding wood, an ogrillon's vision in the dark was as good or better than an orc's, but night time was the realm of many things with claws and teeth that she would really rather not run into.
Under a cluster of dense conifers Kora found a large, fallen tree. Its branches had kept it up off the ground and dry, and it was rotten enough that she was able to break large chunks from its trunk with her feet and hands. Pausing only to slurp an errant termite that crawled up her arm from the rotten wood, Kora hefted her prize and turned to head back toward the camp. It was rather dark now, and though she knew the moon was almost full it mattered little for it was hopelessly shrouded in cloud. The imagined taste of crisp orc steaks was making her mouth water again as she reached the edge of the copse and took one step out into the meadow.
(Pb)
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