Rick jumped down the tree and landed graciously, ready to start running towards his new destination. It had become a standard action to stop every few kilometers to climb a tree, search for potential threats, and consult or update the mapping book. He was already at the foot of the mountains, and now he traveled north looking for an easier path through them.
The new armor was helping him move smoothly due to its flexibility, and more confidently because of the added protection. For a hunter, it would be impossible to go with the metal armor preferred by warriors. Such a heavy and rigid thing wouldn’t match their speed and movements. So, hunters would choose leather or another soft armory, which would provide less protection but wouldn’t jeopardize their job.
Rick’s pick was a bronze low-quality wood essence fiber that provided both good defense and flexibility. The material was one of the most expensive choices of the same quality and tier, but it was worth its seven silver coins. Actually, the hunter could only say that the armor was much better than his previous attire, any specifics would depend more on the trio’s and the merchant’s honesty than his expertise. It wasn’t unheard of for unscrupulous merchants to sell inferior goods as better ones, thus the importance of going to prestigious stores or knowing reliable sellers.
All magic materials would fit into a tier (copper, bronze, silver, gold, or diamond) according to their essence power. However, every crafted item could also be classified by the quality of the craft (low, average, and high). With so many possibilities, only those who had a lot of experience or the appropriate skills would be capable of judging the items perfectly.
In his first searching attempt, Rick was going through the already mapped 30 km along the mountains but with the proper scrutiny, checking all potential paths. Sometimes, he would even hike a section of a mountain that looked promising. The area that could be covered in a day of running, had taken almost a week of his time, which only spoke of the level of care of his search.
Amongst the section, the hunter had marked four points that worthed further exploration. Three were smaller mountains and the last had just a less angled hike. Unfortunately, nothing looked too promising. Still, he continued to diligently check the area.
When he finished the mapped section, Rick was struggling between returning to check the marked points and going a little further. If he went too far, it would defeat the purpose of having a settlement close by, but an additional 20 km was still within the acceptable range. So, he decided to go further north. However, everything ahead would be unknown territory, which required him to move even slower.
One day later, the hunter came across a stream that probably joined the river somewhere closer to the Wall. As usual, he followed the stream back to its source. He traced the thin line of clear water uphill for almost a kilometer before arriving at a small cave. Closed caves would more than often house beasts, which should now be looking for such places to go through the coming winter. Yet, he couldn’t let the place unchecked.
Rick proceeded stealthily, with his new low-bronze spear at hand. He would check the entrance first, and then return to light up a torch when the cave got too dark. Aside from the sound of running water, he couldn’t hear anything, which demanded even more caution. The damp cave was a little shallower than he expected but the source of water wasn’t there either. The obstinate stream was flowing from a small rock passage. He wanted to check the passage closer but there was a risk of beasts inhabiting the cracks in the walls and ceiling.
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The hunter left the cave and only returned ten minutes later holding a small torch. Now, with proper light, Rick could do a throughout check inside the cave, which was oddly empty. After looking around a dozen times, he finally felt safe enough to crouch down and check the rock passage. The passage was at knee level, so Rick had to lie down to take a peek inside.
He brought the torch closer, both to see and protect against anything that could burst out of the hole, but failed to see much more than water. However, when he moved the torch away and prepared to stand up, Rick saw an unexpected glow coming from inside the passage. Against his better judgment, the hunter moved his head closer almost sticking it through the passage.
His heart started beating wildly when he identified more than one source of shine deep into the passage in what looked like a wider tunnel. What could it be? And how could he check it?
The rock passage didn’t seem to be very deep, nor too sturdy. With a hammer and sometime he could surely break through it. Of course, he would have to pay attention to the cave's integrity. Sadly, he couldn’t waste time going back for a hammer. For all that was worth, the passage could just lead to a dead end leaving him with a lot of other places to check.
There was also another option, but for the sake of his safety, Rick was really trying not to think of it. Coincidently, the passage was just at the right size to allow him to creep through. On the other hand, doing so would be extremely stupid. With half of his body submerged in the stream and barely room for any maneuvers, he would be at the mercy of fate. Any beast, fallen rock, and even a sudden change in the passage structure could be his doom.
Even so, Rick couldn’t help but try it. He felt the weight of all his recent progress and the hopes of those who were counting on him to find a profitable path through the mountain. The bookstore had given him more than he ever dreamed and now was time to pay it back. After a deep breath and holding the spear ahead of his body, the hunter started to creep into the passage.
The cold water made him shiver but also kept him sharp. The freezing liquid was touching his chin and the rough rocks were scratching his head and arms more times than he could count. Yet, he continued to creep forward, praying to all Gods he could remember the name to protect him.
Up to half the way, the passage narrowed forcing his head down and leaving the water only a finger or so from his nose. From then on, Rick had to delegate the job of pushing solely to his feet while his arms remained completely stretched forward. He had made a terrible mistake, it would be difficult, and possibly impossible, to creep back now. And if the passage narrowed further he would drown.
The hunter was so concerned with the possibility that he forgot about potential beasts in the water, but fortunately, none appeared. Rick could already see the section where the passage would enlarge becoming a much wider tunnel, it was just a few meters forth, but it looked like the passage would further narrow before it.
Having no other option was strangely comforting. Regardless of the danger, he could only move forward, so he didn’t dwell on it. Rick took a deep breath storing as much air as possible, and then pushed ahead with all his might while lowering his head into the water.
Again, desperation made for a wonderful incentive. The hunter moved three times faster than before, completely disregarding the rocks and cuts appearing along his skin. Each second, the need to breath became stronger and he was closer to suffocating. Then, when he was starting to give into despair, the pressure around his compressed shoulders eased and he emerged from certain death.
Coughing, the flustered hunter stood up leaning on the rocks and ignoring his surroundings. It took a minute for him to recover from almost drowning, and then he finally gave a good look around. Speechless, Rick didn’t even know how to describe the scene.