GMThe cave then. It would be your fastness for the night, where you would see out the hours of darkness in the wilderness, encamped in the foothills of that accursed peak.
You were more certain now that something dwelt there. And as you built the bivouac outside, for the sentry, you again had the feeling you were being watched.
The cave floor also needed clearing. It had been inhabited by a multitude of animals over the years, varying from one season to the next most likely. Nothing had lived in the cave for at least a month, but there were still broken bones to sweep out. They weren't comfy to lie on, could host crawling creepies, and old as they were, could catch fire.
For the campfire, the soil wasn't deep enough to dig a fire hole so you had to collect several fasces of small, dry twigs from the forest. These would be laid in a thatch, in the cave, and when lit would burn cleanly without smoke.
The sun melted below the horizon, like a drop of molten metal and the sky bruised deeply after it had gone. A sliver of moon, and a dappling of stars.
The sounds and smells of day ended, and on came the night and all it concealed.
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HHE9: By the Light of the Last Moon]