The land around Oleg's is fairly flat and easy to walk.  Grasses grow wild here, with occasional copses of a few trees surrounded by bushes.  It would be a good place for growing cereals, fruit trees and other crops.  However, there are few places to hide from the wind in winter or the sun in summer.

"Some apple trees over there would be nice."  Zorah muses out loud to herself more than anyone in specific as she points to an area near the edge of Oleg's.  "Anything in specific you all want me to point out, or try to find?"

"I was hoping you might be able to give us a few survival tips for the forest. The Ondari estate is near a small village but I never spent time hunting in the surrounding forests. I can't speak for Valoria or Percy, but I am feeling a bit unprepared for an expedition in the woods without one such as yourself. I looked at the maps and the area we will be scouting is primarily plains, so we should be ok, but anything we can learn today that might save us tomorrow seemed prudent."

"Well, if you get lost just head back in a straight path toward Oleg's.  Remember which way you head away and go back the opposite direction.  North.  East.  South.  West."  She points out each direction.  "I always remembered it as Never Eat Slaughtered Wolf.  "N" for north, "E" for east, "S" for south, and "W" for west."</Rose>  Zorah points out the directions again.  "There are a few ways to find north."</Rose>  Zorah explains how to navigate using the stars or to look for moss growing on a specific side of trees and rocks.


I don't know if the DM has a version of the north star or that the sun is positioned in a way that moss grows on the north side so I left it vague.

"Oh, I've traveled a fair bit," Percy admits, "though always in the company of guides who knew what they were about, so I've never had to make my own way.  They were polite enough to ask my opinion on occasion, of course, but I'm afraid my answer was invariably 'whatever you think is best'."

"Out here ... I think we'll not be so cozened."

Zorah's instructions for finding direction come as a surprise to the young gentleman ... not in and of themselves, but moreso that, "I must have picked up more wilderness craft than I'd thought !  Quite accidentally, I assure you."

"I believe I can at least orientate myself in the right direction, though I would still not preclude getting lost ... and I believe one should move downhill to find water ?  But perhaps you might give us some hints as to what is good to eat and what is not ?  I admit to being partial to berries, and would rather not poison myself or others in my greed !"

Suddenly a small grey bird bursts from the undergrowth, with a brief flutter of wings, and runs awat acrorss a clear area towards another clump of bushes.