But if I were going to make my way in this world, I needed access to better materials, and that meant an excursion into the mountains for iron and coal. I could exist comfortably for an indefinite amount of time, gathering food and water near my little hillside house and hunting the local wildlife for supplies. Maybe…maybe I could take them on one at a time, but in a group they would quickly overwhelm me, and I had no desire to be killed this far from my home. My fighting style was too primitive, and even with my stone sword, I would be lucky to land one out of three attempted blows. Though I had spent the better part of a day constructing a full set of armor, I knew that my meager mail would offer little protection against a gaggle of wild dogs.
I crept along the base of the cliff, moving slowly and deliberately, terrified that one step in the wrong place would attract the attention of the nearby pack of hyenas.
