Zero inspected his status bar as he collapsed into his bed.

Name Zero HP 290/290(+.0043/sec) Level 4 MP 140/140(+.0033/sec) Condition Fatigue: medium, Weakened: head, First Aid: low healing SP 8/41(-.0003/sec)

10 Stamina points remaining, huh? he thought as his body succumbed to sheer exhaustion, sinking into unconsciousness mere moments later.

Dorin wasted no time in putting Zero to work after their talk by the fire last night. The morning started with the old man shaking him awake. After handing two wooden buckets to Zero the old man motioned for him to follow. They crawled out of the hut and into the light of dawn as the old man led Zero on a rough trail following a rocky downward slope. Fifteen minutes later they arrived at the riverbank, near the spot where Dorin recalled he found Zero's unconscious form after floating downstream. The old man filled the two buckets with water and handed both to Zero as they walked back to the hut. Zero was sweating heavily by the time they got back. The old grunted dismissively at him before pointing to several wooden barrels near the side of the hut.

"Don't stop fetching water until those barrels are full, boy," he warned.

By the time all three barrels were filled, Zero was panting heavily and clutching at his side. His arms burned from the effort of carrying the buckets of water, and his knees ached from climbing upslope with 2 full buckets in each hand. Needless to say, a life spent mostly sitting in front of the computer does not lead to a fit and healthy body. Dorin just looked at him impassively, smoking his pipe as he sat on a stool outside the hut, waiting for Zero to finish. As Zero set the empty buckets aside and replaced the barrel covers, the old man extinguished his pipe and ducked inside the hut, reappearing moments later with bowls filled the leftover stew from last night. Handing one to Zero, they both broke their fast in silence, as birdsong fluttered over the trees.

After eating, the old man handed his dish to Zero and had him wash them while he vanished inside the hut again, coming out with a bow and quiver as well as a curved dagger tucked under his belt. Zero again followed the old man as they trekked through the woods, the man setting an easy pace with a graceful lope belying his age, while Zero ran awkwardly in a stumbling gait across the uneven terrain. After a while the man stopped and pointed zero towards a rabbit caught in a snare. The old man retrieved the rabbit and tied it to his belt. He taught Zero how to reset the snare and instructed him on how identify optimum locations to plant snares.

"Animals always follow the path of least resistance," Dorin said as Zero piled several stones to create a funnel straight into the snare. "We don't differ much from them on that score," he added cryptically.

They went through all of the old man's snares, with Zero fumbling awkwardly each time as he tried and failed to reset the old man's traps. It was noon when they finished with all the snares, as Zero held 4 rabbits and a fat hare tied together with string. Zero sorely underestimated how heavy rabbits were. By the time they returned to the hut, it was midday and he was sweating profusely. His arms burned and his shoulders ached for rest as he dropped the rabbits in a small pile on the ground.

You are Fatigued: low. SP cost increased by 50% for all actions. Slowed by 25% for all actions. 600 second duration. Resting speeds up duration by 50%.

"Dorin," Zero gasped in between labored breaths."My SP is dropping fast. I need to rest for a bit."

Dorin raised an eyebrow at him. "Already?" he asked wonderingly. "What happened to all the boys who had the boundless stamina of youth?" Dorin asked sardonically. Zero didn't need to look at him to see the smug grin on his face.

Zero slumped on the ground, to tired to come up with a witty comeback to the old man's words. Stupid old men and their stupid active lifestyle.

Dorin allowed him a few minutes to rest and recover. After that he grabbed a rabbit and demonstrated to Zero how to skin and clean a rabbit carcass. After separating the skin and head from the body and cleaning up the entrails, Dorin handed the knife to Zero.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Those rabbits ain't gonna jump out of their own skin and guts, that's for sure!"

Zero balked at the instructions but gritted his teeth and untied the nearest rabbit. How hard can this possibly be? His hands shook at little but he was able to make an incision between the rabbit's shoulders and succeeded in pulling the hide away from the meat. The smell of blood made him a bit queasy but he thought he was doing well for a first-timer. Until he cut open the belly and gagged at the stench. Zero turned away in disgust and emptied the remains of his breakfast on the ground. Dorin laughed as Zero continued vomiting.

"By the Gods that was hilarious!" the old man chuckled as he wiped his tears as the retching ceased. "I've seen young lads bring down and skin a buck all on their own, but you...," he chortled. "If you were a bit more full of yourself I'd have taken you for an escaped noble boy," he chuckled.

Zero stared daggers at the old man while he wiped his mouth on his sleeve. "It's my first time okay? Stop being such an asshole about it," he grumbled in annoyance.

It took several more tries and two more "accidents", but Zero finally skinned and gutted all of the rabbit carcasses and presented his handiwork to an unimpressed Dorin. He briskly washed his hands in the a bucket to remove all the blood and stink from his fingers while Dorin made a small cookfire in front of the hut. 3 rabbits were spit on sticks around the fire, while the rest of the catch were smoked above the firepit inside the house. Dorin beckoned Zero to sit across him by the fire while he sprinkled several herbs on the rabbit. The fat from the meat sizzled and blended with the aromatic herbs into a delicious scent that made Zero's mouth water. They both sat in silence as they waited for the meat to cook. The old man made no effort to talk, and Zero was too focused on the roasting meat to say anything as well. The flames crackled and hissed steadily as the hour passed. Eventually the fire died down to a few coals and Dorin handed one of the sticks of roasted rabbit to Zero as he took one for himself, sitting down to eat. Zero took a bite of the still hot meat and burned his tongue. He didn't stop eating though; he was too hungry for that. The meat was sinewy and tough, and the skin was burnt in some places as well. It tasted like heaven.

"That hit the spot!" Zero smiled contentedly after spitting out the last of the bones into a small pile beside him. He managed to devour the second rabbit as well, to the old man's startled expression. Zero smiled as he checked his status bar.

You have eaten. SP regeneration of 5 SP/hour for 3 hours. SP 19/41(+.0011/sec)

"Well would you look at that," remarked the old man, his voice tinged with amusement. "You're holding up well for a weak, pampered boy. Maybe there is hope for you yet."

"I am trying my best old man," Zero replied dourly, his tone becoming serious. "You were right though; the chances of me surviving on my journey is almost next to none. I want to thank you again for everything, I'll try not to let you down," he said, clenching his fist in determination.

Dorin covered his mouth and cleared his throat. If Zero was any judge, he would say that the old man looked strangely pleased and embarassed at the situation.

"Just listen to me and follow my instructions," the old man said gruffly."I can't let my own disciple keep his girl waiting now, can I?"

"Of course you can't, 'master'." Zero smiled at the old man. I done and got myself a sensei, he thought as he shook his head in amusement. Let's just hope he's also a secret martial arts master as well, teach me some of his kung-fu.

Happy thoughts and feelings didn't last long, of course. Grunting about wasting daylight, Dorin had Zero cleaning the skins and rubbing them with the rabbit's own brain matter. The old man left Zero working on the rest of the skins while he took his bow and stalked alone into the forest to hunt. It was grueling work. The congealed brain gunk stuck to his hands and the smell persisted even after several washings. Stretching the hides from thin wooden poles was a labour in itself as well. Zero had copied the old man's example from several deer hides stretched along the vicinity of the hut, but what seemed easy at first glance frustrated Zero to no end. After multiple failures Zero was able to cobble together a stable configuration, but it still took the better part of an hour before all the rabbit hides were finally stretched on the poles. It was late afternoon when he finished brain-tanning the hides, which also coincided with Dorin returning from his hunt, a full-grown deer slung across his shoulders. Zero assisted in skinning and gutting the rather hefty animal. It took them almost an hour to drain the blood, which the old man poured into a small garden behind his hut to fertilize the soil. Dorin proceeded in butchering the carcass, resulting in several piles of raw meat on top of the still-bloody deer hide. The old man was relentless in his orders as Zero ran back and forth to carry them out.

"Wash everything properly you hear!"

"Salt this haunch and hang it in the smoker!"

"Bring some water to boil in the pot and throw in some herbs on bowl near the firepit. Make sure this loin cooks properly you hear?"

"Don't lose the hooves and horns lad! Those are worth a few coppers!"

"Hang this shoulder next and make sure you salt it properly this time too!"

"Of course you have to tan the hide boy! Get to work on it now!"

"Don't throw away the bones you idiot we need that!"

Evening found Zero gathering a pile of dried leaves and straw inside the hut, building a makeshift bed for himself. Dorin grumbled at the indecency of making an old man sleep a second night on the ground when a 'visitor' can easily prepare a bed on his own. Which led to Zero gathering enough dry material to cover the cold earth. He left Dorin alone to cook their dinner, as the old man muttered about 'flaming ignorant boys not knowing how to cook a proper stew'. Zero was too tired to respond to the old man's provocations, consoling himself to a few comeback phrases in his head, none of which were flattering to the old man. Dorin allowed him to use some of the furry deer pelts to use as bedding and blanket, which alleviated Zero's concerns of sleeping in the cold. They ate deer stew again that night. Zero didn't know if the stew was properly flavoured or if he was that famished, but he ate with undisguised gusto. Dorin nodded in appreciation as Zero finished his fifth bowl of stew, a satisfied smile painted on his face. After cleaning up, the old man unwrapped Zero's bandages as he studied his head injury.

"This should heal fast enough in a few days boy," Dorin said as he washed the wound. Zero winced as the old man applied a foul-smelling poultice on the wound. "Just avoid aggravating the injury for now and it should be fine."

"Thanks for all the help again, Dorin," Zero mumbled awkwardly, still not used to the old man's gruff but kind demeanor.

"Think nothing of it boy," Dorin huffed dismissively. "I just don't want to see helpless stupid boys throw away their lives for similarly stupid reasons. I've seen too much of that already."

Sure, sure.

Dorin finished re-wrapping the bandages and hauled off to his own bed. "Get some rest boy we still have a lot of things to get done tomorrow."

And so it was that Zero found himself lying helplessly on his makeshift bed, snug in the warmth of the fire and the softness of the fur blanket he made. It's a bit smelly, sure, but better that than shivering in the cold.

The next morning found Zero barely recovered from the strenous ordeal of the previous day. He was bundled out from his bed by the old man and told to fetch more water from the river. Zero managed to walk the rough path from the hut and locate the river, dreading another day of physical labor. He groaned at the mere thought of tanning hides again as he trudged the slow, punishing uphill trip back to the hut. As the hut came into view, something flashed towards Zero. He stumbled as the thrown rock hit one of the buckets and ruined his center of gravity. He instinctively flailed his arms in an effort to correct his balance, which resulted in both buckets spilling their contents into the ground. Zero heard sniggers as he found Dorin sitting on an outcropping outside the hut, lightly tossing and catching another rock with his hand. Zero scowled as the old man spoke.

"You're gonna have to go back and refill the buckets boy. You won't be eating anything until you refill the water barrels," the old man grinned mischievously.

"And what would stop you from throwin stones at me again?" Zero challenged. Stupid, stupid old man.

"Well that's easy," Dorin's smile grew wider. "You're just gonna have to dodge them."

This is gonna be a long, looong day, Zero thought to himself.