March 21, 840

I've been sleeping out in the wilderness. I've used a blanket tied against two trees for shelter. I think this is called camping. Is it?

I've watched the sun rise and the sun set, and they are both very beautiful. They paint the blue sky with all sorts of shades of red and orange, and even pink. I wish I had a picture of it to keep forever, but I think I can remember it for the rest of my life.

Today, I found a small village in the woods. There were some people there, going about their lives. I was curious to see how different it was here compared to the city. So I walked closer to the village. That was a mistake.

As soon as I stepped out into the open, a few adults noticed me and started staring at me. Then many more were staring at me. I was so embarrassed, I was shy at that moment. I wanted nothing more than to melt into the ground and disappear. One adult came up to me and asked me if I was lost, but I wasn't paying attention. My heart was pounding in my head, my head was getting hotter, and I felt sick. I knelt down and curled up into a ball and I was breathing quickly. I had not felt this ill since I was about 4.

The adult then put his hand on me and I finally stood up and pushed his hand away, yelling at him to stop. I told them all to stop staring at me and to leave me alone. They were all more than surprised at that, but I didn't care. After a moment, they finally stopped staring and continued with their lives. But the man was still there, watching me.

I calmed down a little bit, but I wasn't going to talk to him just yet. I did not trust him. He calmly tried to explain that he was not trying to hurt me and he was checking to see if I was lost or anything. I wasn't exactly ready to trust him just yet, but I kept silent. At that point, my stomach growled, indicating that I was hungry. Stupid stomach.

He asked me if I wanted to eat something and he offered to get me a little something at his home, which was nearby. I still didn't trust him, but I went with my stomach. In any other case, I would not have done that. He led me to his house and I sat down in a chair, resting for a bit. Walking was tiring, and I had done a lot of it. He went into another room for a second and came out with some bread for me. I reached out for it, only for it to be snatched away at the last second by a little girl who appeared to be no more than 4 years old.

She must have been his daughter because the man then chased the girl around, reprimanding her for taking someone else's food. He also kept calling her Sasha as if he knew her. I couldn't help but find the sight funny, especially her pouting face. I asked him who the girl was and he introduced her as his daughter Sasha and he introduced himself as Blouse. At least, that was his surname. What an interesting surname. He apologized for his daughter taking my food, but I had no problem with it. I actually offered a little bit of my food to Sasha, who accepted it eagerly. Cute.

After getting a little something to eat, I asked him where we were currently and he said we were in the village of Dauper located in the mountains. I could hardly believe him when he said that we were in the mountains. Had I really walked so far and high? But he continued on, saying that Dauper was a hunting village and they relied heavily on it. But admittedly, the forest was shrinking bit by bit every year and the spoils of the hunt were decreasing every year. That was news to me, and I was shocked at how this was happening to them.

Is anywhere free from the influence of humans?

After some further discussion, he asked me where I was going and I said that I was going to resume my journey and continue exploring the mountains on my own. Well, that did not seem to sit well with him because he started going on about how I was still a little kid and there were dangers out there that were not kind to children. He insisted that I at least stay the night. I didnt think he was going to take no for an answer, and his daughter's puppy eyes finally got to me. I said yes and now I am staying the night in a separate bed.

I hope its not too much of an inconvenience for him or any of us.