"Yes, he gets skills." Reta laughed.

"Damn, nobody told me that. Though they probably didn't know, Darren and Tommy said they haven't met a lot of Rangers or the like."

"I wouldn't think Tommy would know, Darren could have. The Captain would definitely know. There are certain types of people who would want to know how other classes work in detail, and those people are generally who expect to get into fights with other people, or academics." Reta explained, dusting off Cooper's shoulder.

"Ah. I guess not everyone is as interested in, well, everything, like me."

"Mhmm. Like I said, the Captain would know, he's had a past with that sort of thing, which is why I thought Darren might have known as well, with him being the Captains protégé and all." With Cooper seemingly dusted well enough to Reta's tastes, they picked up the pace to catch up with the caravan.

"I did not know that Darren was the Captain's protégé."

"I don't think it's something he likes telling people, they might treat him different. Speaking of, don't treat him any different."

"Wasn't planning on it. So, skills for the Stalker here, do you know how they work and is his level progression tied to mine?"

"Yes, I do know, and before you ask, I was part of a group with a Ranger with a companion before, he shared a lot of the inner workings of the class, the companion side included. They work much the same way yours does, you can interact with his skills and such the same way you would do with yours. The types of skills your companion gets are dependant on the type of companion, and it's level." Reta put her arm out again, hand cupped in the same way as before, a flame appearing. "A dragon might get skills related to fire, for an example. As for a companions progression, it is sort of tied yours. Right now, I'd bet your levels are the same, but later down the line, he might get unique abilities when you won't. The Ranger I knew told me that his companion had gained a unique skill when it had saved his life against the odds."

"Ah, I see." Cooper took mental notes, trying to think of what kind of skills his Stalker might get. "Did your Ranger friend mention how the communication between Ranger and companion works? I feel that sometimes I get the idea across through some form of bond but sometimes I don't feel anything. Even when I feel like it's working, it's barely there."

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"No, I just know that a bond of sorts exists. I do think it's something that'll get better over time, though. Like training your muscles, it's probably not instant."

"I know how it works, somewhat." The bird woman said, surprising Cooper who had all but forgotten that there were other people present.

"Oh? Could you tell me? In as much detail as you can, if it's not a problem." Cooper asked the bird woman.

"Sure. Reta isn't wrong that it's like a muscle, from what I hear, you need to train it. The stronger the need or emotion behind whatever you're trying to push through the bond, the clearer it will be. It's pretty simple, at least for someone who has only heard about it, it might not be as simple for you." The bird woman explained in not-so-great detail, much to Cooper's displeasure.

"That does sound simple. It is in line with what I've experienced, too. As much as I appreciate all the help, it does make me wish that there was a Ranger who could teach me all this." Cooper said with a slight frown.

"There might be one in the next town." The armored man rumbled behind Cooper, startling him.

"It's true, Trand might not be the biggest town, but it's sizeable enough to host a couple of guild buildings and a small academy." Reta reassured Cooper. "Speaking of Trand, we shouldn't be too far out. We should arrive a couple hours before nightfall, I'd wager. Have you thought about what you're gonna do in town?"

"Well, I don't know much of what's actually there to do." Cooper admitted.

"Nobody has gone through this with you? With us being this close to Trand?"

"No, I think the goblin attack distracted everyone slightly."

"Fair enough. In that case, we can go through it. As I mentioned before, it's got a couple of guild buildings there, one being the adventurer's guild building, so there should be some quests posted. Probably something for a beginner like yourself, seeing the region we're in, maybe an escort or possibly even something for a Ranger specifically." Before Cooper could get a word in, the armored man continued.

"You might be able to watch the guard train or join in, depending on how busy they are. They've been friendly enough with us in the past and I've done it before." Again before Cooper could fully process everything, the bird woman started.

"If by some miracle, there aren't any quests and the guards are too busy, some of us go out hunting, or looking for materials for our caravan." This time it was Reta who continued the line of suggestions.

"The academy is a good place to learn, lots of books, if you can read. It might be a bit small compared to the larger cities' academies, but it definitely has enough to sate my hunger for knowledge whenever we've passed through." Reta looked at the sky for a bit before lowering her gaze again. "We have forgotten one important thing, though. One thing that everyone looks forward to on our stops to towns and cities."

"Food." The three said in unison, with Cooper's stomach rumbling in response.

"Ah. I'd kind of forgotten about food but now that you mention it, I haven't eaten since, well, arriving." Cooper immediately felt the pangs of hunger.