Cont. from Part Nineteen or Story Start/Part One if your just joining
A new chapter – A hearty beer & veg stew
Valar spent one more night hidden in his beach hideout.
There would be no rescue boat and a war was being fought else where, a fight for which there was little hope.
...Still he needed to join the battle and it couldn't be done waiting on a sandy beach, besides there were very little supplies left, he needed to do something.
As the morning sun rose, so did he.
He drank as much water as his belly could hold and left the remainder in the barrel hidden within a bush. The fruit he had found on the beach earlier, he had dried for a day in the sun...it wasn't done, but it would do and he needed it to last.
He felt the back of his head, a huge sore lump, but the dizziness was no more. He wouldn't hide out on a beach, he needed to find away to help his people.
He put on his breast plate Armour, the emblem of his people shining in the sun..If he was to die, he would die proud wearing a soldiers uniform.
He walked up the beach a short way before he stumbled upon a well used animal track, with little choice he followed it inland...maybe he might find someone friendly? a fishing village and a boat?..yes that would be perfect! or of course he could run smack bang into the bandits and be killed like his friends.
His soldiers training kicked in...what good was a soldier, without a weapon?
He walked off the track spotting a young tree. He kicked at the tree, his sandals buckling under the pressure as he kicked and kicked. He heard it crack, then finished the job with his hands and body weight snapping the tree in two. He broke off the branches and leaves as best he could, using some nearby rocks to assist he fashioned a reasonable short spear. It wasn't as long as he would have liked, but it could be used as a hiking stick and double as a long sword for defense. The spear was strong and would take several chops to break should he need to parry in a fight....he would not go down easy.
He continued to follow the trail, there was no water in sight.
For many hours he walked and he started to get thirsty, the terrain was starting to change, it was less sandy and the trees not so tropical looking. Was that smoke he could see in the distance? well he couldn't waste time, friend or foe he made for the smoke, hopefully a settlement or farm.
He noticed a fresh path on his eft, the animal trail moving away from his target.... he decided to plow through the scrub to connect with the new path to be followed.
Foot prints! well he was on the right track and the path seemed like it was going towards the smoke, so he followed.
...After a while he felt anxious, he was getting close and he could just make out a town or village ahead..was that a tavern? there were strangely clothed people entering and walking up and down the streets.
He swallowed... his throat was dry and he had little to trade, but he needed food, information and transportation.
Keeping his head down and walking quickly he made straight for the tavern....who knew what danger awaited a soldier in this strange place.