Tony slowly started to come to. Rolling to his side and stretching. Enjoying being able to wake up, not exactly comfortable but at least warm, was strangely refreshing. He opened his eyes and stared up at the wooden ceiling with fur from the wolf skin atop it poking down towards him. He slowly looked over to the side and saw that his new companion seemed to be slowly stirring now that he’d moved.

Not wanting to both her more he slipped out of the Lean To and stood up stretching again and looked around. Then he winced for two reasons. The first was the knot in his back that he’d gotten from two nights sleeping on the floor. The second was the rather unpleasant smell coming from his armpits. He scowled and took a more direct whiff. “I’d kill for a shower.” He complained and started heading towards the water.

The sun was only a bit above the horizon and the fire they’d left on the night before had long gone out, though the embers seemed pretty hot still. He made his way to the edge of the river and began stripping off his clothes. He folded them up on the bank near the edge and placed his gun a bit further away as to keep it dry. He paused and still naked headed back to their camp quickly grabbing a set of the rough clothing that the world had provided him with.

Soon he was back and leaving the clean clothes near the dirty ones he started to wade slowly into the river. He shivered as his feet felt the cold water. Moving in deeper he glanced down at his reflection. Two days of scruff covered his face with dark brown and white hairs. Salt and pepper some called it, but Tony preferred graying. It was more accurate, if less complimentary.

When he reached chest-deep he ducked deep into the water and started scrubbing himself quickly while shivering. While soap would have been infinitely better, he managed to get rid of layers of grime that had developed and even got some of the crusty blood off his side and out of his hair. He winced as he got to the still sore head wound but made sure to give it a good scrub, hoping that the moving water was cleaner than he feared it was.

Soon he was done and after dipping a few more times started to walk towards the shore and his dirty clothes. He spotted Jasmine who had yet to see him as she sleepily came out of their shelter. He ignored her as he grabbed his blood and dirt stained clothes and started scrubbing them out. Again without soup, it wouldn’t get clean, but still much better than leaving it filthy.

Soon he was coming out of the water and picking up the clean clothes. He had first thought he’d put them on right away but had failed to think about how he’d dry without a towel. Picking them up he headed towards the camp and Jasmine hearing him glanced over… and froze.

He kept walking confidently and grabbed some wood set near the embers in the fire pit and started putting some sticks in hoping they’d light on fire.

“Y...You’re Naked.” She stammered as if she’d never seen a naked man before.

“Very perceptive.” He replied in a monotone turning back towards her. Her eyes drifted downward and Tony felt himself smirk and couldn’t help himself. “Waters’ awfully cold.” She turned away quickly from him and he really had to fight himself not to laugh out loud.

“Don’t you have any modesty?” Jasmine complained, making sure not to face his direction.

“Not much.” He replied as he played with the fire pit, blowing on it trying to get the wood going. He lucked out and he saw a small flame start on one of the pieces of wood. Squatting by the fire he allowed the heat to help dry him.

Jasmine proceeded to attempt to ignore him as she walked off towards the woods. Tony assumed that she needed some private time, but she could have been gathering some wood for the morning as well.

Tony eventually got dressed and hung his drying clothes across the top of the Lean-To. He itched insanely and he didn’t know if it was the clothes, the river water, or maybe both. About then Jasmine walked back into the field carrying far less wood than the time she’d been gone would indicate she could have collected. Tony smiled to himself again, ‘women never change’ he thought to himself.

“I meant to ask about that strange weapon you used to save me.” She spoke up, more comfortable now that he was dressed though she still wasn’t making eye contact.

“My Glock?” He asked patting the visible gun that sat across his ribs.

“A… G-lo-ck.” Tony shook his head at her slow pronunciation of it.

“Yeah. A gun. Firearm. Boomstick.” Tony slowly pulled it out of the holster and removed the magazine and made sure that it was still working and clean and then pulled the slide letting the loaded round pop out of the gun. He caught it and then pulled it back again carefully checking to make sure that it was clean as well. It wasn’t but not much he could do about it now. He carefully handed the weapon over.

“It’s unloaded so it won’t shoot.” He informed her and she tentatively took the weapon. While she inspected it he reloaded the one round into the magazine and walked over to a small pile of meat from the wolves that she had cooked up the day before and left near the fire to dry out even more. Bugs flew around the meat in lazy circles and he looked down at the meat for a long moment before going back to his bag and grabbing some of the flavorless jerkies. He was starting to run low on that and water. He really needed something to boil water in and someplace to store the meat so it didn’t go bad. A fridge. Hell if he was getting a fridge why not stock it with food and drink. He certainly missed a drink.

Chewing on the tough meat he pulled out his dagger from the pack as well and started to carefully run it over his face to trim back the scruff to merely a hot mess level from the hobo level it was currently.

“So…” He started looking over at her as he did his best to blind shave with a dull knife. “Are we making a go at this survival thing together?” He asked her taking her attention from the dull grey pistol in her hand. She finally met his eyes again and looked unsure.

“I…” Hesitating a moment before continuing with more determination. “I would like that. Better than being all alone.” Tony nodded at her words and was surprised by a popup.

You have gained a follower. Since you have done this before Settling you will also gain access to your settler’s race to recruit upon establishment of a new settlement. In addition, your Patron has awarded you 1GP for the action. You currently have 5GP

Tony didn’t say anything just adding the GP to his tally and wondering if it would always be this easy to get them. If so maybe 10 wasn’t all that important of a thing after all. He shrugged to himself not caring one way or the other at the moment, he’d learn eventually.

Jasmine’s heart fell a bit as she saw his gesture. Taking it as a response to her agreement to stay with him. She looked at the ground for a moment before firming her resolve. She would make sure to prove that she was useful to keep around. He’d saved her after all. By the traditions of her people, she owed him a debt.

She stoked the fire after handing Tony back his weapon and he swiftly reloaded a round and put it safely back in the holster. Tony refused when she offered some warmed wolf meat to him but she just ate more of it herself while he, finally giving up on his facial grooming, stared out at the forest around them. He needed to level some more, but to do so meant that he’d have to put his life at risk. He didn’t see much choice in the matter and was about to ask Jasmine to join him when he recalled that he could heal his head wound. Not sure why he hadn’t done it the night before he focused inward again and quickly ‘cast’ the spell. Using far less energy than he had any of the previous times he managed to close the wound, though the head was still a bit sore to the touch.

“We’re going hunting.” He said simply storing the knife he had through the simple ‘belt’ that came with the outfit to keep the tunic tight around him. The belt was more properly referred to as a length of cloth, but it worked for the job. He grabbed anything important and shoved it into his pack and then put that on over his shoulder.

Jasmine didn’t argue though she looked nervous as she followed after him.

Tony had a plan. He wasn’t sure if it’d work, but he had a plan. Probably a stupid one at that. He lifted his right hand to his face and blew into it as he cupped it near his mouth. An old habit he’d gotten to bring luck.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

They walked swiftly for a good portion of the morning until Jasmine finally stepped up and grabbed Tony’s shoulder suddenly. He turned to face her but she put a finger to her lips. They had traveled just a bit past the point he had reached before when he had been attacked by the water goblins. She pointed forward and he slowly followed her gesture and saw what he had been hoping for.

In the middle of the river through the trees ahead he could see a series of very crude huts built on stilts so they rose just slightly above the water line. He hadn’t known what it would look like but it was what he hoped for. Water goblins milled around the tiny village. Probably a good dozen fishing with crude poles, cooking food on the shore, crafting all manner of items, or yelling at tiny children goblins.

A cruel smile lit up his face that caused Jasmine to take a step away from him. He pulled out his gun and started walking forward confidently. Jasmine hurrying after not sure if he really planned to fight the whole tribe.

“GoOood Morning friends.” He announced as he made it to the edge of the tree line and came into sight of the village. The village seemed to explode with movement for a moment. The movement ended when quickly registering the situation he put two bullet holes in the two toughest looking goblins that had weapons they already reached for. “None of that now. I thought we’d try and have ourselves a friendly conversation about hierarchy and your place in it.”