Very little happens throughout the night; the most excitement was when a hawk flew overhead. The next morning comes quickly and you soon find yourselves back on the trail, slowly heading towards Fairhill.
This day goes uneventfully. You find a suitable place to camp for the night, one that haas been used before, but appears to be in a safe place. You noticed up ahead that the trading road that you have been roughly paralleling since Reme branches, with the main path continuing east, and a branch slowly working north. It is about 3 miles ahead of you. Corian mentions that this is good news; Fairhill lies about 10 miles north of the branch in the road. With that information, you figure that you should arrive sometime around midday. There is still enough forest that you can stay off the road, but the mentioning of civilization nearby should still make you twitchy.
Shi'Vatha will again take all watches, not needing the rest.
"I am going to hunt. I will return soon." Having said so, Glornug makes his way into the forest, both to hunt and to spend some time alone in his preferred environment, relaxing as the natural rhythms wash over him.
"So, companions, what is it you actually seek? I myself look for an artifact of my creator's creator, Belon. With it.." she pauses to look to the sky, "I can travel the worlds and realms."
"To kill all who consort with demons and their filth." Shi'vatha responds coldly, his humor vanishing like a wind.
"I am going to hunt. I will return soon." Having said so, Glornug makes his way into the forest, both to hunt and to spend some time alone in his preferred environment, relaxing as the natural rhythms wash over him.
I am unsure, this units .... my purpose is the protection of my creator. Beyond that, my memory is damage. I cannot recall how I came to be here, only that I fell a great distance. Until I find my purpose, I am serving as a hired bodyguard, protecting who I can.
"That is not much different from my memory. I awoke in a strange chamber a few cycles from here, knowing only my unit designation number and my goal. Later on I took to using "Echane" when dealing with fully organic units for their ease of use."
Selene leans back in a languid stretch. "I'm here to experience the world. Or to find different ways to amuse myself. Interesting how we are two... pseudo-constructs and two eidolons and a grippli. Unusual group," she says with a smile before focusing on the two androids. "So how is your experience of pain and other such sensations?"
Glornug approaches the camp, making just enough noise to get himself noticed as he does. Stepping closer to the fire, he says, "I found us some nice roots and berries, grubs, and a rabbit that wasn't paying enough attention. Got some clean water, too." The corners of his mouth, near what humans would call cheeks, pale a bit as he continues. "I was not certain who else would need food and water... anyway, here it is. Please, help yourselves as needed." and he lays out the food, and a spare full waterskin. He takes out a small knife, moves closer to the edge of the camp, and begins to clean and dress the rabbit, preparing it for the fire.
"Thanks, Glornug. This looks like a rather bountiful feast." With a smile on his face, he puts away the jerky he was starting to gnaw on and continues to listen to his new friends' tales.
Shi'Vatha snorts. "My experience of pain is unfortunately continuous and copious, and that it's something to be avoided." The eidelon rubs at the scar on it's forehead, where the fur grows in white on a black patch that might once have been a rune.
"Sensations such as pain are, as far as my research has shown, are the same fir my form as it is for anyone else." Echane answers, taking in the conversation.
"Pain reminds me that I yet live, and teaches lessons, so I welcome it. But one of the beliefs of my faith is that it is shameful to cause unnecessary pain, when hunting. Kills should always be as quick and clean as possible. So even as I welcome it for myself, I do all I can to minimize it for others." Glornug says, his voice low, as he spits the rabbit carcass.
"For me, it's more about seeking knowledge. My dad worked as a blacksmith, and could never understand my interest in books. He always blamed it on my uncle, who is a wizard by trade. My dad believed that one should be up before dawn, work until after sundown, and bring home enough food to feed the family. Anything more was a waste. Of course, he died when I was only 12. I don't mind the work, but there's no need to work oneself to death if there is nothing to work for at the end of it."
"That reminds me of something my buulglook used to say, Corian... what you would call a leader of hunters. He told me that it did not matter how much I retrieved if there was no one waiting for me at home. I did not understand, then. I think I do, now, but it still holds no meaning for me. Hunting is who I am, not just what I do."
"Why do you hunt?" Echane asks, genuinely curiously. "You say hunting is who you are, but why?"
Glornug pauses for a moment, looking thoughtful and keeping his focus on the rabbit he's now roasting over the fire. "This is for whoever wants it, by the way. I do not eat mammals."
He shifts his gaze to Echane. "Grippli are tribal. When you hunt, whether enemies or for food, it is always to suit the needs of the tribe. If it does not benefit the group, it is not done."
He pauses for a moment, a wistful expression passing over his face as he looks towards the treeline and touches a small wooden token on a leather thong around his neck. "When I am hunting, it is the only time I feel truly alive. Truly happy. So I would hunt even at times when we did not need food. And I would hunt things that we could not eat, for the challenge. A deer is much harder to take than bugs, even large ones. I would honor the kill by giving the meat to others, and keeping skins and bones, things we could use, for the tribe. I was told to stop. They said that it was not our way. It did not matter to them that it was my way. Anyway, it looks like this rabbit is done, and I have said enough. Hopefully it answered your question." With that, he takes the spit from the fire, and uses his knife to begin slicing meat from the carcass.
Taking a piece of hot rabbit, Corian listens to Glornug, then asks, "So what is the difference between a mammal and an animal? I've never heard of the term 'mammal' before."
Felicity volunteers her opinion: There is little difference, though I find it odd Glornug's prohibition is on mammals instead of amphibians.
"All mammals are animals, but not all animals are mammals. Mammals have warm blood, and have mammary glands they can use to feed milk to their young. On human females, these are often referred to as 'breasts', though I have heard a variety of other terms as well, mostly in taverns. Turtles, on the other hand, have cold blood, so they are not mammals even though they are animals."
He pauses for a moment, then looks over at Corian. "No offense meant, but I am curious about why is it that so many human males seem preoccupied with the mammary glands on their females? Why does the size seem to matter so much, as long as they work to deliver food?"
Glornug smiles at Felicity. "My statement was simply incomplete. I don't eat animals in general. I eat insects and fruit. And these berries I found look wonderful." He takes a handful and pops a few into his mouth.
"So, as a rule, you don't eat meat?"
"I do not. I hope you are not avoiding my question because I made you uncomfortable. I did not mean to, if so." he says with a smile.
With a laugh, Corian says "No, Glornug, I'm not trying to avoid the question, really. It's just that I've never met a person who would not eat meat, that's all. As for a woman's breasts....well, that's really hard to say why we are so enamored. They are just really nice to look at, I suppose. I guess, if nothing else, it would have to do with the human mating ritual, that's about all I could say on that subject." Corian blushes as he stops to think about what he just said.
"Fair enough. Thank you for being honest. It seems a lot of things have to do with mating rituals. If this was not something polite to speak of, I am sorry. My people don't have many of those restrictions."
Shi'Vatha's tongue lolls out as his humor returns, watching Corian get embarassed. "It's probably the same reason angels love a good halo, and devils love a good set of horns and a long flexible tail."
And what do you have, Shi'Vatha?
Shi'Vatha laughs, and closes his eyes. A white halo appears over his head, and then he coils his tail around until it hides his muzzle. The white light of the halo sets off the black of his horns. "Why, I'm the total package, as they say." Then the halo fades away and the eidelon laughs.
"you are an unusual package, Shi'Vatha. Who are you going to or where are you bring delivered?"
Shi'Vatha wrinkles his nose. "I am going nowhere and everywhere, and I am being delivered to no one. The ..one ..I came into being for is no longer able to hold me. No longer truly.. exists... I had expected to return to the primordial essence to give my knowledge and experience back. But it appears that Muir has some other plan for me. Or else she simply got distracted and forgot about me." The Eidelon's tongue lols out again in humor at the last statement.
"Well, I really enjoyed the conversation. I have learned quite a bit tonight. But I am tired, and would like to get to Fairhill on the morrow. Good night everyone."
"Yes. Rest is a good idea. This was a good talk. Thank you all."
Shi'Vatha nods. "I will watch from that tree over there. If anyone needs me. If not, beware of falling pine cones." Shi'Vatha then goes over to one of the big tall pine trees that gives a good view of the clearing and the roads, climbing up about 30 or 40 feet.
Agreed, it has been an interesting day, but it is time for my maintenance cycle.
Selene considers all she had heard in the conversation as she prepares for her own sleep.
Very little happens overnight. Packing up, you realize that, following along the edge of the forest, you are less than a mile from the road that leads up to Fairhill. You should reach the village in about 3-4 hours.