Heavenfall

The giant walked next to the supply wagon, readying his arrow making tools. He didn't really have arrowheads ready, but he could start working on shafts and fletching for now. He started inspecting some of the wood available and thinking out the process.

Mai waved him over. "Tao-kun, I was going to make you some arrows today! What kind do you like best?"

"I just used regular arrowheads," he said as he waved and approached her. "Fancy arrow types were never really my thing. Gotta track which are which and make split second decisions if you're trying to use them to defend yourself, so I prefer just having one kind to make things go smoother."

"Can I give you a hand with it?"

"Yeah, let's work together! So no fleshcutters, eh?" She set down a stack of sticks and leg bones. "No flesh cutters means we can churn out more, quicker."

"They have their uses, but they're also so much harder to make. I'll give you a hand then," he says with a nod, laying out his tools.

Mai worked efficiently, stripping the wood, then passing each stick to Tao for smoothing and finishing. Then, came simple bone heads. She carved each out roughly, then passed them over to him.




30 successful willow leaf arrows!

"These'll come in handy. Even if only for hunting," he says with a nod. "How you been so far on this trip."

"I have been okay. The fortunes didn't smile upon my knife crafting earlier. Perhaps, I was distracted by being in a city with so many rat folk around." Mai visibly slumped at her failing. "I have plans for something special for you soon, but you can't know the details yet." At this, she brightened considerably.

"I appreciate that Maichan," he says, still not having the cadence of the way it's spoken, but at least trying. "Not everything we do can be a success. We don't get better if we don't try harder," he says with a warm smile.

"I have been reaching for new heights. Sometimes, things work out, others not. Doesn't change I still wish to make the greatest weapons to aid others."

"Anything worth doing shouldn't be avoided. Sometimes things worth doing are easy, but other times you just gotta hunker down and try the hard things until you get them right," he says with a nod.

"I want the best for the people I care about." She smiled up at him. "That includes you, you know."

"I care about you too. Been nice to get to know you and be closer than I have been with anyone since my family was lost. I appreciate it a lot."

"I wish I could keep you near forever. See you often. Now I think I know how my mother must have felt when my father chose the road over her."

"Never know what fate has in store for us. But at the very least, if we both make it out of this expedition I promise you that I'll escort you back to your home," he offers with a nod. "So you'll have me near for that long at least. Maybe longer if I've made up my mind to stay before then."

"Alright! I will hold you to that." She suddenly sounded serious.

"I don't break my word. My dad always told me that your word never means anything again after the first time you break it, and there is no way to fix it after that," he says, his tone serious as well as he gives her a nod. "Kind of why I'm hesitant to commit to any one clan. Once I do so, I am binding myself. So I gotta know what I am binding myself to."

"So for now focus on smaller bonds. One person at a time."

"Difficult to do when you're spend a week with a lot of people after years alone. It's a bit much. I like it but it's hard to keep stuff in order."

"Think of rope. It is several small strands bond together. Those are your bonds with people. Together it makes the rope strong. Cut one and the rope survives, but frays. In the middle of the rope there is one center strand, that is you, your beliefs, your conviction. You lose that, that gets damaged, the whole rope is ruined. So strengthen that from within. Focus by yourself if needed, and take a few hours to yourself to eat, to bath, to hunt. Whatever makes you feel most like yourself."