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> Use a day’s worth of firewood to set up a more permanent smoker.
Mel checked in on the simple smoker she had set up not long after she had arrived, only to find it a collapsed heap of moldering foliage, no surprise there, it had barely held together when she made it. Still, now with hatchet and knife she could probably set something up more long term in her camp proper. She set to work, reducing a thick tree limb to a simple wooden shovel with the hatchet and dug out a reasonable pit. Burlap sacks from Joe’s cave were cut into sheets and strips, more firewood still was notched and arranged into a pyramid over the firepit. Three tiers of notched branches were added, then with a grimace Mel cut the centipede meat into strips and tied them on. A quick trip to the forest for fresh green wood to keep a steady supply of smoke and it was done.
Mel wandered to the outer edge of the ring of tombs, taking a moment to peer at the tiny entrances at the bottom of each one. The fading light of evening revealed little but inky blackness further in, but she had to wonder who was buried within, and with a touch of guilt if they were buried with anything useful. She turned her attention out to the north and it wasn’t long before a bobbing light in the trees hinted at Bab’s approach. The witch left the tree line with her massive black dog Bruno in tow, before turning to pet the dog and point him back into the forest. Coming alone today then.
Mel and Babs exchanged a wave as she drew closer and it wasn’t long before she had crested the hill, panting lightly and set a bagful of coiled scrolls down on the ground with a frown. "You need a table."
"It hasn't made the priority list yet. There's a few I could scavenge from Joe's camp, along with some shelves, but it's a long walk with some pretty bulky objects."
Babs glanced around the camp, eyes lighting up at the sight of the centipede eggs. "Trade you three eggs for some shelves and a table."
Mel laughed. "What, are you going to magic some up? What are the eggs good for anyway?"
"You can see the magic in them, right? Pop it open and add it straight to a potion and you can skip enchanting the herbs. Same for the mandibles, although you'll need to grind them up first. You can do the same with other kinds of magic, toss it in fire, mark a rune circle. Or you can enchant them and mix them in with healing herbs and make a mana potion for later. Stuff like these eggs might as well be currency among mages, it's more important than gold ever will be."
"So three eggs for a few shelves is a normal exchange?"
Babs grinned. "It's probably highway robbery, you'll probably find a way to get some furniture eventually. Or just move on, which is what we're here to talk about. Here, empty this into your kettle and I'll get the maps ready." Babs handed off a bundle of meat and vegetables wrapped in paper and started pulling scrolls out.
