When Erik had come to, he found himself exactly where he fell, with the bandits nowhere in sight, and little trace of the caravan Erik had been traveling with. Erik sat up, and scanned his immediate surroundings, then gazed up at the sky above. The light blue hue of the day had been replaced with the warm amber of twilight. He had been passed out for hours, and his nose could pick up the faint smell of flatulence in the air. What the bandits had done to them had lingered, much to his disgust and annoyance.
"Eugh..." Erik groaned, as he waved his hand in front of his face, wafting the stench away as much as he could. "Smells like rotten garlic and sauerkraut... what a foul way to be beaten."
Erik's eyes lit up in realization. "Wait... bandits!"
As he proceeded to pat himself down, he stood up and came to a sorry conclusion - the backpack he has on him had been stolen. All of his supplies - his camping equipment, food, and coin were all property of the bandits now. All Erik possessed now were the clothes on his back.
Erik placed his face in his palms and let out a heavy sigh. What a bad start, he lamented in his mind.
As he let his arms lay by his sides, Erik than closed his eyes and took in a deep breath. He held it in for a few seconds, then exhaled. Erik began thinking back to some of the previous adventures he had, and the sticky situations they had presented him. He was no stranger to being faced with so much adversity and so little in his hour of need. But, the common thread was that he had gotten out of all of them before. He just needed to clear his head.
It could be worse, Erik said to himself. For one, I'm not dead. And for two, so long as I follow the path, I'll make it to the first town.
It would have taken Erik a couple of days to arrive in town had he still been with the caravan. As he was now, it would likely take him double that time. With any luck, he'd meet other travelers along the path and get assistance. The most he could do was simply walk towards where the caravan was heading. As for what happened to the caravan, or the bandits for that matter... that was no longer his concern, however unfortunate.
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Night eventually fell, but Erik kept his stride. He already had some rest, whether he wanted it or not, so it was best to go as far as he could before resting once more. There was nary a cloud in the sky, and the full moon and glittering stars proved ample lighting, ensuring he would not get lost in the darkness. The only things Erik could hear were his own footsteps, the chirping of crickets, and the subtle gust of the breeze. It was rather tranquil, even peaceful.
For better - and certainly worse - Erik Leif was starting anew.
The fresh air was welcome, after his run-in with the bandits earlier that day. What a crude way to attack someone, Erik told himself. That might have been one of the stranger encounters I've ever had. I can't even say that it was particularly dangerous. Though... had I been defeated by a fire-breathing dragon or a flesh-eating orc... it would have certainly been less humiliating...
Erik then shook his head. I have to get over it. I'm sure that'll never happen again.
Little did Erik Leif know what else awaited him in Esteri.
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Erik had continued his trek, and dawn began to break on the horizon. Erik did not stop for a moment, and made significant distance on the path laid out before him. However, the rising sun was couple with an unfortunate sound.
*gggggrrrrrr....*
Erik placed his hand over his grumbling stomach. Hunger was beginning to set in. He knew it was only a matter of time.
Erik saw ahead of him were some trees and bushes that had been placed right along the path. These small woods would prove useful to Erik, as it gave him opportunity to search for any fruits that they might be able to provide. He deviated from the path to venture into the small woodland area, and started scavenging for what he could. Fortunately, he wouldn't have to look for long, as his eyes quickly fixed their gaze on a couple apples from a low-hanging tree branch.
Erik smiled to himself and he took both apples for himself, one for each hand. He took a couple of bites out of the one in his left hand to satiate his appetite for the time being, then continued his search for more food. Erik quickly realize that if he had found more, he would have difficulty carting them, so he took off his vest and used it as a makeshift sack. The vest's sleeveless holes would act as good handles to grip with one hand, while his other would pick up whatever was edible and place it in his vest for safekeeping.
After a few minutes, Erik had himself a total of five apples, several small berries, and a single mushroom. It was enough for him, and he found his way back to the main path and continued his trek. Erik took out the half-eaten apple he had already started and took more bites out of it. By the time he had finished that first apple, it was early morning.
So far, so good, Erik thought. If I keep going like this, then this will be easy... then my only worry will be making some money so I can afford a nice room at the local inn...
Erik then dropped the apple core onto the ground as he kept walking. That's all I'll have for now. I have to spread this food out as much as I can - I might not be so lucky again.
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A couple more hours passed, and Erik was beginning to feel tired, and let out a yawn. After he had his meal, it was about time to get his rest. But he stopped for a moment and considered his options.
I can't say with confidence that I won't get ambushed again, he said to himself. Or, someone could steal my food while I'm asleep. But... I can't stay up for much longer, either. After all, I walked all night.
Erik stopped in front of a long tree just beside the path, and decided to use it for shade. As he sat down against the trunk of the tree, he slowly closed his eyes without even thinking, falling asleep.
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However much time passed, and Erik woke up to see--
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