Mark was up just before dawn. Last night had been interesting. Having Ava around was going to be an interesting change for Mark. She came out of her lean-to just after the sun came up. She looked at him and just huffed. She tried to walk and just stumbled. She was still favoring her hurt leg. Mark walked over and handed her the walking stick he had found yesterday.
Mark said, “How are you feeling this morning?”
Ava said, “I’m fine!”
Mark said, “Can I change the bandage?”
Ava said, “I guess.”
Mark changed Ava’s bandage, then showed her how to open her character sheet and explained that leveling allowed her to gain stats and skills. He told her that defeating creatures was one way to level and become safer.
Ava said, “Please tell me you don’t want me to go fight another rabbit.”
Mark laughed. “No. I was hoping I could show you some of my traps, and you can help me clear them, killing the animals I have caught and getting experience to level. I will be with you, and you will be safe. Are you willing to do that?”
Ava said, “I’m not sure I want to do that.”
Mark said, “Leveling will make you safer and help you to gain skills.”
Ava said, “Alright, I guess I can try it.”
Together they headed down the trap line. At the first trap, Ava stopped short.
Ava said, “Yuck, that’s gross.”
The little mouse was stuck in the trap, moving around trying to get out. Mark pulled out a knife and handed it to her.
Ava said, “What’s that for?”
Mark said, “You will need to kill it to get experience.”
Ava said, “No way, not me!”
Mark sighed. “Remember, to get stronger, you need to kill it.”
Ava said, “Do I have to?”
Mark said, “Well, you need to learn to survive.”
Ava said, “What, are you going to leave me here alone?”
Mark said, “No, but you will need to help contribute, and it will help you level.”
Ava said, “Fine, but I won’t eat that.” Ava went over to the trap and tried to stab the mouse. “Hey, stop moving.”
Mark giggled. After multiple attempts, she was finally able to kill it. Mark explained how to loot the mouse and use her inventory. Ava touched the only non-bloody spot and flinched when it vanished. A few minutes later, she was making the scrap of hide appear and disappear from her hand.
Ava said, “Okay, what next?”
Mark said, “Well, we need to clean up the trap and reset it.” When done, they continued going down his line of traps. The next three traps had nothing. They then found a trap that had something.
Mark said, “Oh, what do we have here?” Mark explained how to look at and get the name for the animal that was trapped.
Ava looked at the trapped animal for a few minutes. “Oh neat, it says it’s a juvenile brush stalker.”
Mark said, “Remember to take the knife and try to hit it in its belly and drive the knife in deep enough to kill it.”
Ava went over to the trap and bent down, holding the knife. “Oh, it’s hurt. Its leg was caught in the door and cut, and it was bleeding.”
Mark said, “Good, it will be easier to kill.”
She bent closer. “He is so cute; he is just a baby.”
Mark said, “Yes, Ava, but you need to kill it to level.”
Ava said, “No, I won’t do it. I am going to let it go.”
Mark sighed. “Fine, Ava, come over here, and I will kill it.”
She turned around and stood between Mark and the trap. “No, don’t hurt it; it’s just a baby.”
Mark just stood there looking at her. She did not budge. She then started to glare at him.
Mark said, “Fine, we can let it go.”
Ava smiled, turning around; she lifted the door on the trap to let it go. The little baby stalker pulled itself out of the cage, dragging the bleeding leg behind it.
Mark said, “Alright, fix up the trap like I showed you, and let’s go to the next one.”
Ava watched as the little stalker continued to inch away. It was in pain, and it could not run. As she watched it, Mark could see a tear in her eye.
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Ava turned to him and pointed at the stalker. “Can you help him like you did me?”
Mark looked again at the little stalker. “You know it’s as good as dead; we should just put it out of its misery.”
She moved between Mark and the stalker.
Mark just sighed. “You know it won’t survive, right?”
Ava said, “No! You are going to help heal its leg.”
Mark said, “Even if I put a bandage on it like yours, it won’t make it on its own.”
Ava said, “Fine, I will take care of it until it’s better.”
Mark said, “And how do you plan to do that?”
Ava said, “You can make a cage, and I can feed it and help it heal. When it’s better, we can let it go.”
Mark said, “Are you sure about that? I don’t think it will let you help it.”
Ava turned around and walked over to the baby stalker and picked it up. It snarled and started to bite her finger. Ava smiled at it and pulled her finger back and held it so it could not bite her. It then snapped again, closer this time, but she did not flinch or let it go. Mark just stood there and looked at the stalker.
Ava said, “Please!”
That was the same tone his daughter used when she wanted something. “This is a mistake,” Mark sighed. “Fine, but it will be your responsibility to take care of it.”
Ava smiled at him with that look only a child could use, showing you she won.
Mark said, “Ok, let me build a cage first.” Mark looked around in his inventory, also grabbing some limbs and sticks from the forest. A cage was similar to a trap, just larger. He was able to make a small cage that looked something like a cat carrier with a door and handle that she could hold so it would not bite her.
Mark stepped over to her, and while she held it, he cleaned its wound and, using a stick as a brace, bandaged its leg to give it support. She was able to get it into the cage without another bite and closed it.
With a smug look on her face, she looked at Mark. “What’s next? You said I need to level up, right?”
Mark looked at the stalker, then Ava, and just turned and headed for the next trap. They made it to the stream without finding any more catches. At the stream, Mark looked at the first trap. It had 2 small fish in it. Mark handed Ava a spear and explained how to spear the fish. Ava killed both of them herself.
When she finished, Ava stopped and stared into the air. “I did it. I hit level 2.”
Mark said, “Anything new?”
Ava said, “I got five stat points and a new skill, Empathic Bond.”
Mark just turned to look at the stalker in its trap on the side of the stream. “Ok, concentrate on the skill and see what it does.”
Ava said, “There’s a lot here.”
Mark just looked at her, waiting. Ava said nothing. He kept watching her.
Ava said, “Oh, would you like me to read some of it to you?”
Mark said, “Yes, that would be helpful.”
Ava then read out her skill.
[Skill Acquired]
Empathic Bond Level 1
Allows:
Sense the emotional state of nearby creatures.Slightly calm non-hostile animals.Improve the chance of peaceful interactions.
Limitations:
Does not grant control.Does not ensure safety.Creatures remain unpredictable and dangerous.
◈ ◈ ◈
Mark thought about the skill for a bit, then again looked over at the stalker. This was really going to be interesting. “Okay, loot the fish, and I will explain what I know on the way back to camp.”
On the way back, Mark explained levels, skills, stats, and the few rules he understood.
Back at camp, Mark built Ava a chair and a larger cage for the stalker.
Her level 2 skill was directly related to her actions: not wanting to kill the injured stalker and not letting him kill it. Her skills were different from his. Ava was not ready yet. She was not helpless; she could learn and improve. She could survive even if she was not built for this.
The brush stalker slammed against the cage again. Ava flinched but didn’t move away. It was testing the cage, looking for a way out. She kept reaching her fingers toward it, and each time they got close, it tried to bite her.
Ava said, “Mark, I think it wants something.”
Mark said, “It wants out. Among other things. As we discussed, it’s your problem to take care of.”
Just then, Cora appeared as if she had always been standing there. “Is that for us to eat?”
Ava jumped between Cora and the cage. “You’re not eating him.”
Mark spoke up and said, “We found it wounded in one of my traps. She refused to kill it.”
Cora looked back at the stalker. “If you change your mind, let me know. I bet it would taste good.”
Mark chuckled at the exchange. He sat back down and continued working on an axe he was making with the new stone.
Cora walked over to Mark and said softly. “What’s the deal with that thing?”
Mark said, “I tried to teach her some about the system this morning. Took her through my trap line and helped her hit level 2. In the process, she found that.” Mark pointed at the stalker. “I tried to get her to kill it. Apparently cute little beasts that want to eat you are not something she kills.”
Cora laughed. “You’re going to let her keep it.”
Mark said, “Well, for now. She did get a skill related to animals after saving it, though.”
Cora said, “Well, she is not my problem, so whatever. I did bring some items that I found that I would like to trade for a few tools if that works.”
Mark smiled. “Sure, what do you need?”
Cora said, “I really could use a knife, axe, and shovel made with the stone from the stone pit.” She then pulled out a large variety of vegetables and herbs that she had found. “I have been exploring and found more of this than I can use and saw how well you could make stuff and thought, well, we could trade.”
Mark said, “Sure, I can work on them tonight and in the morning. I can have them done by noon tomorrow.”
With that, Cora took one last look at the stalker and faded back into the trees. Mark laughed as she just vanished again. “I still wonder where she stays.” Mark continued working on the knife.
Ava soon learned that keeping the stalker meant feeding it, giving it water, cleaning its cage, and preventing it from escaping.
When Mark finished the knife, he called Ava over to him. “We need to talk about the tasks you need to do each day.”
She snapped back at him, “I’m not doing your work for you.”
Mark said, “You want to stay here?” She frowned. “Then you help. Traps. Water. Food. That’s your part.”
Ava said, “What? You’re not going to feed me?”
Mark said, “I did feed you this morning. But if you want to continue to eat and stay here, you will need to help contribute some. Not a lot but at least something each day to help. Starting tomorrow you will check the traps like we did this morning. This will be the task you do to help us survive. Checking the traps each day and hauling water.”
Just then there was a crash. They both looked over and saw the cage on its side. The stalker had tried to get out.
Mark pointed toward it. “Keep it contained. If it gets out, it’s not staying.” He helped Ava set the cage upright and showed her how to stake it to the ground so it couldn’t tip over again.
Mark said, “I am going to head east a little ways and start laying new traps. I would like you to come along and learn how to build and set up traps. That way as you start to check the traps, you will know how to fix them.” Ava stood up and, after one last look at the stalker, followed Mark. Mark was surprised that she did not fight him, and he headed east into the forest.
Ava followed along behind him. As Mark walked east, he thought about the day. Ava had leveled up; she gained an interesting skill. Cora visited and asked for something. The stalker was still here, and Ava was willing to do tasks to help out. This might work out if nothing goes wrong.