12 Camping in the Mist

Entering the vacant campsite, Velk and Ash unloaded their gear from the cart and began prepping for their mission. After arriving at Mistyweather Mountains and taking a small rest break, Velk had navigated their way towards the closest campground using the map. The entire mountainside was heavily forested in pine, and steering the supply cart had been a challenging venture, but alas, they still succeeded.

Now having reached the location where the pair may have to spend a couple days, they silently delegated tasks to themselves to prepare for the coming mission. Noticing a lack of available firewood near the firepit, Velk took it upon himself to grab the iron hatchet from the cart to search the nearby surroundings for dry wood, moss, berries, mushrooms, herbs, insects, and possibly any lost and forgotten items that would be useful for the duration of their stay.

During his search, Velk kept an eye out for suitable locations to set traps and any dangerous-looking trees or other natural hazards. Not only did predatory wyverns sometimes use trees for vantage and strike points, but the plant life itself could prove fatal if not respected. It would be a tragic fate if a loose tree limb were to fall on Velk while he was gathering resources.

While Velk searched the forest for goods, Ash spent his time clearing out the cart and organizing the camp. He made use of the cot, located in one of the four tents dotting the sight, and laid out pillows and blankets in an organized fashion. Not only were the primary survival essentials important, but so were the happiness and the motivation of those involved in the hunt: A pleasant bed makes a happy person.

Aside from making the bed and cleaning out the tent of pine needles and soil, Ash also organized the collection of items they had brought along with them. He counted: Two ration bags, three potted Heart's Chimes, A pickaxe, a change of clothes in case the armor Velk was wearing becomes too wet or damaged, a couple books, a couple cast-iron pots and pans, and a pile of items they had collected along the way, like plants and bugs.

Formerly, there were seven ration bags, but Velk ate one as a snack, and the pair had two meals together, leaving only two bags left. The guild had also provided them with a few potions and antidotes in case of an emergency, but Velk was keeping those in his storage belt. Since they weren't expected to fight any dangerous wyverns, the mission was only rated one star, and thus meant that it was low risk. Still, that doesn't mean 'accidents' never occurred, just that they were improbable, especially when the lands were heavily traveled and safeguarded.

Mistyweather Mountains possessed a mountain path that connected Rak-Al-Faar, its southern neighbor lands. Since Rak-Al-Faar was an influential trade district, the route connecting the two sides was heavily visited by hunters, explorers, and merchants alike. This extensive transit scared off the vast amount of predators in the region, and the only ones that stayed were those either intelligent enough to survive and possibly exploit the newfound traffic while under constant supervision or those too stupid and unadaptable to leave.

Finished with the tasks he was working on, Ash appeared unsure of what to do next. He stood around looking distracted for a minute but seemed to come to a decision had begun to explore the forest, looking for materials, along with Velk. The two continued to gather resources for the rest of the day, never straying too far from the camp in fear that they lose themselves in the endless expanse of trees, rocks, and the subtle mist that seemed to slowly fall upon the land as day turned to night.

Fortunately, during the time they spent hunting and gathering, Ash had managed to ambush two medium-sized birds while they were building their nest simultaneously, and Velk had fortuitously captured a shepherd hare that was attempting to hide away in a burrow. So, along with the bountiful amount of meat hunted, they also managed to gather a generous amount of dry wood, non-toxic berries, and edible mosses. Velk knew that moss alone wasn't very nutritious, nor was it tasty, but if it was boiled in water, it tends to become spongy and easy to digest.

Once nightfall started to set in, the duo rendezvoused at the campsite with the last of their earnings. What they had collected so far should be enough for the two to live off for a couple days at most. Doing the math, Velk calculated that they would only have around three days to collect the '50 iron' they needed for the mission and spend the last two days traveling back.

They definitely didn't have enough food for a pleasant time, so he may need to set a few traps before he went out with Ash to gather iron, but since he now knew the locations for good trap spots, it shouldn't take much time to install them at all. Ash had already filled one of their pots with water from the nearby stream, so they didn't have to worry about collecting that and instead instantly started to boil the water. Velk added some pine leaves from a tree into the pot to flavor the water.

While the water was boiling, Velk got to cutting the hare and birds into smaller pieces. The meat needed to be clean for consumption, so it was best to cut wild animals, like the birds, into parts so that you could more easily recognize any parasites that they might be carrying, though, thoroughly cooking them should be good enough to kill off unwanted pests, but it's not worth taking chances, especially when they aren't required.

After properly separating the meat, Velk threw it into a pan and set it over the fire. The natural fats and juices soon started to make a pleasant sizzle as they began to melt off the meat, letting Velk know that the fire was hot enough to function as intended if the boiling water wasn't evidence enough. Despite the lack of disposable thumbs, Ash helped out and began to make some rope out of plants and their fibers collected from the nearby river.

They weren't planning on bringing their cart any further into the forest because of how large it was, so they needed a better solution for dragging around multiple ores at a time. The rope was the logical answer as they could just entwine a couple logs together and turn it into a makeshift sled. Then, they would use those smaller sleds to more easily navigate through the forest with the rocks: It was quite a simple process.

During their expedition into the forest to gather materials, Velk had told Ash to get some logs, so as he had already cut down a couple smaller and thinner saplings using his bone axe, they were not lacking in supply. Making rope would take Ash some time, so it would not be until the very next morning that the sleds could be built.

After the water boiled for long enough, Velk moved it off the fire and set it to the side. Scalding hot water was not exactly the most delectable thing to drink, so he decided that he would let it cool down for some time before he and Ash shared it. Before long, the hare and bird were nearly finished roasting, so Velk threw in some mushrooms and berries to start sauteing in the fatty liquid.

Not too long after the extra food items were added in, the bird and hare had finished roasting, so the pan was taken off the fire as well. The foods had been cooked together to save time, and although all the flavors coming from the meats, mushrooms, and berries would be mixed, it wouldn't bother Velk or Ash all that much. After all, in Velk's and presumably Ash's mind, it's plenty times better than eating moss...

Once everything was said and done, Velk and Ash got to eating and drinking quickly. Ash had taken a break from laying rope to eat along happily with Velk as they shared the pan as a plate. Because of their lack of utensils, they ate from the pan with their hands and paws, and the water was drunk directly from the no longer burning pot.

It certainly wasn't the most appetizing of meals they have had, and honestly, it was probably amongst the worst, but that didn't stop them from enjoying it. After nearly two days of only eating pre-cooked aptonoth meat cubes, random insects, and a few flavorful leaves, anything was good, as long as it filled their stomachs.

The hare was a bit gamey, but the bird tased closer to chicken than anything else. One of the few redeeming factors for the meal was the mushrooms, as they added a different taste and texture altogether, while the berries only clashed with everything else, making them somewhat offensive to eat.

Because of the pine needles Velk added to the water, the water was seasoned with a mild but pleasant sweetness that otherwise wouldn't have existed. It definitely enriched the dining experience the two were experiencing.

"Man, that was good!" Velk gleefully asserted, lazily patting his belly.

"Meow!" Ash did the same, comically mimicking his master.

The two finished devouring every last scrape left within the frying pan and all the water in the iron pot. The only things left were all the pine needles, which Velk casually disposed of onto the ground. Now that they were finished, they sat around the campfire in peace, just taking in the offending heat as the air around them once again grew chilly as the sun fell along the skyline.

Eventually, Ash took it upon himself to bring the pot and pan over to the nearby stream to rinse them off while Velk read a book, using the last bit of sunlight and the fire to illuminate his view. He was currently reading the book titled "The Families of Monsters." It was the book that listed off the different monster classifications and why they were classified that way.

He was currently reading into the Carapaceon Class of wyverns, the same one his friend Sylas and that wyverian Xientas were talking about the day of the rally. Though Velk was a monster buff, he didn't know everything. Anything he could glean off the book was something worth reading, and gee golly did the book have something to glean off of. The book described in detail the inner workings of the monsters and what could be gained from this knowledge.

As Velk read, Ash was engaged in the process of cleaning the cooking supplies. He was staying alert of his immediate surroundings to avoid ambush. Although there was no mention of any neopteron type monsters, an insect class of wyvern, in the mission report, vespoids are known to inhabit almost every given environment around the world, and getting swarmed by them could spell an unexpecting hunter's doom.

Quickly rinsing the grease from the pan in the river, Ash cleared off all the gunk left behind from their meal. It's important to keep supplies clean and maintained during a hunt. Not only is it good manners, but it also decreases the chance of bringing home a disease.

While he was rinsing, Ash watched as the mist that was previously only close to the peak of the mountains earlier that morning gradually edged closer and closer to his location, clouding the trees it passed over, making them seem distant. Even though there was no chance the mist could possibly hurt him, Ash, seemingly distressed at the idea of getting swept in the offending fog, hurriedly brought the pan out of the water, only doing half the job, and retreated back towards the camp and to Velk for safety. He was still a young and inexperienced Felyne, after all.

Velk collected Ash into his lap, not paying him much mind at all as he kept reading. Eventually, the mist reached the campsite and covered the duo in its wet embrace, bothering Velk quite a bit as he saw and felt the tiny water droplets start to congregate on his skin and book.

Closing the book and returning it to his bag, Velk decided that he had read enough for now and should put the book away before it became water damaged. Ash continued to hang off Velk's body in a koala hug the entire time Velk stayed outside the tent. After ensuring that everything was inside the shelter or in the supply cart that Velk layered with a white sheet, he decided to retire into the tent for the night.

Inside the dark tent, Velk used the guild-provided flint and steel to light a couple of the lamps decorating the interior. After lighting the tent, Velk closed up the tent so that none of the mist could directly enter without first passing through the hide exterior. Inside the tent, he found the cot already well made, he presumed by Ash, and a couple barrels, plus a weapon stand. This tent was much larger than the last, due to the other campsite only being a sub-camp of Melodious Meadow, while this one was one of the main camps of Mistyweather Mountains.

The main camps were always better supplied than the subcamps; that also meant that more people visited them. Velk was surprised to find no one at the sight when they arrived, but maybe he shouldn't be due to the rally having been recent. Most of the hunters were probably still in Rak-Al-Faar or had just started traveling back home or to their respective missions.

Velk had probably just gotten a head start due to having limited competition from other hunters for his mission and a great guild receptionist to help him out with preparation. For the most part, it would be multiple receptionists that attended to Velk and Ash while managing their commissions until they were either competent enough to do so on their own or had a personal handler assigned to help them. Only High-rank or hunters of particular interest were given a handler.

With the tent now closed, and the place well light, Velk could get prepared for bed. He decided that he would finally strip himself of his armor and don himself the spare clothes. There was an even lower chance of being attacked in the main camps than in the subcamps, so he assumed it would be safe to sleep comfortably. Placing his sword and shield on the weapon rack and laying the leather armor neatly in a pile on a small table, Velk was finished with his bedtime preparations after snuffing the lights and was ready to sleep.

Since there were multiple cots inside the tent rather than just one, he and Ash could technically sleep in separate beds, but the two had grown so used to sharing that it wasn't even a concept in their minds. Sinking deep into the comfortable bed, Velk stretched out in content as he prepared his mind for sleep. Ash, as per usual, would hide underneath the blankets and nestle up close to Velk.

The two laid in bed for a couple of minutes in silence as they attempted to relax for the night. Eventually, Velk broke said quiet, expressing, "You know, maybe this isn't all that bad. Just the two of us, exploring the world, surviving in the wilderness all alone, maybe fighting new and undiscovered monsters together, I think that would be really fun. . ."

Ash listened on in silence to Velk's rambling while trying to sleep.

"Once we're done here, let's see if we can get a hunting mission. It doesn't have to be something big; it could only be a request for a single aptonoth or some aggressive beast. That should be interesting.

Or maybe we could learn how to brew potions, that would be fine too, but we need some more money before we do that. Once we get more money, maybe we could buy ourselves a couple pack animals, so we don't have to carry as much stuff ourselves. . . ." Velk starts to chuckle lightly at the notion of how much they brought with them. "I don't know. . . ."

Ash continued to listen as he drowsily closed his eyes, only on the cusp of consciousness.

"We'll probably make some friends, though, before that. . . we might not even need pets! We could just make them carry our stuff for us. . . ." Velk continues to laugh again before calmly stopping and saying unsurely, "I don't know. . . ."

It was at this moment that Ash seemed to have heard enough of Velk's talking and decided to express his discontent: "Meow. . ." he lazily made his voice known in a yawn like fashion.

"Okay, I'll shut up." Velk got the memo and decided that he would be done talking. That's right, now it's time for bed, and he and Ash had a long day ahead of them once again. Tomorrow morning, they would need to eat and then place traps while also building the sleds. There were quite the number of things on their to-do list that needed to get accomplished before they could begin collecting iron, but that should all get done rather quickly. It wouldn't be long before they were stacked full of iron and making their way back to Rak-Al-Faar with a full cart and joyous smiles on their faces.

But for now. . . what was most important was sleep. . . .