Walter wanted to wake up early today, but his body was preventing him from getting out of his new bed in his new room. No longer did he have to sleep outside in the cold, his room was nothing special. It was small but spacious enough for him to move about.
There were still drafts of cold air coming through the walls and windows. But at least it wasn't as cold as sleeping out in the open. The others had done a lot of work while he and Jack were away. More houses were still in development. Others that had families decided to bunk together in one room to spare another for someone else.
Walter wipes the sleeps of his eyes and slowly gets out of bed. His rifle was not in his room, it didn't belong to him in the first place. He was only given it when the guards were instructed by the captain to grant him the right to use their firearms.
He stretches his fingers, trying to get some blood flowing through them before putting on his gloves, followed by the rest of his clothes.
A knock came from his door, "Walter, you awake? It's me, Jack."
Walter rolled his eyes as he sat on his bed to put on his boots. "What is it, Jack? Why'd you come to see me so early?" Walter asked.
"The captain wanted me to get you to come over to meet him after his morning speech for something, it might be related to our next mission." Jack said.
"He's going to talk to the others soon?" Walter said, finally putting on his coat and grabbing his lamp from the night table.
"Yeah, you're the only one here in this house. All of your other house mates have already left and have gathered at the new city square." Jack said as he chuckled.
Walter opens the door and sees Jack's face. A slight annoyed expression started to form on Walter's face. Jack noticed, "Why the long face? Was it something I've said?" Jack asked.
Walter continues to look at him, "I'm sorry?" Jack added, feeling quite confused at Walter's behavior. Walter drops his expression and sighs, "I can't stand that smile of yours sometimes. How can you be so happy despite our current situations?" Walter asked.
Jack could shrug, "I don't know. Maybe because I just don't get sad so easily, a little cold breeze and snow is not going to tear me down any time soon." Jack said confidently as he crossed his arms.
Walter couldn't help but roll his eyes again, "Can we head over to that new square now?" he asked.
"Sure, let's not keep the captain waiting for us."
The walk to the city square wasn't long. Walter looks up and sees that a few of the houses had a large canvas that was tied between the roofs of the houses.
"Were those there before?" Walter asked Jack as he pointed at the canvas roofs. Jack turns his head to look at them too.
"Oh, that was Finn's idea that he suggested to the captain. He said it was to help keep the warmth longer and block most of the cold from getting in. Since most of us are no longer sleeping in tents, we can use these extra canvases to provide more protection from the wind." Jack explained.
"Wait, how did you know all this? We just got back yesterday." Walter asked.
"I only discovered them today too on the way to see you. I asked someone else and they told me the same thing. But it is a good idea, don't you think? Not the best, but it looks oddly cozy sometimes." Jack said.
Walter shrugged at that, "Cozy? I guess, at least people would stay warmer for longer." he said.
Standing among the back of the crowd in the square, a simple stage was constructed in the middle. But the captain was not seen standing there.
"Hm, I think we're on time. But I don't see the captain anywhere." Jack said, looking around to see if the captain is nearby. But Walter was starting to sway ever so slightly, his eyes barely opened as he let out another yawn from his mouth. He felt a tap on his shoulder, "Hey, Walter. Can you try and stay awake? The captain is going to be here soon." Jack said as he shook him lightly.
Walter blinked his eyes a couple of times before stretching himself, "I was. I just haven't had my coffee yet. Maybe Finn made some today." He said.
Jack sighs, "I hate coffee, coca is better anyway." he said. But then he heard a chuckle from Walter.
"You're such a child, Jack. How about some strong tea instead?" Walter said.
"Hey, there's nothing wrong with liking a nice chocolate drink. I can take tea, but I prefer something sweet." Jack said.
"Well. It won't be long until we can get to the cookhouse. I can already smell the breakfast he's cooking from here." Walter sniffed the air. "Finn sure is lucky. He doesn't have to attend the early meetings."
"I think I can smell some eggs cooking." Jack sniffs the air as well, a low grumble can be heard from his stomach.
"And the coffee, heh." Walter smiled. Jack shakes his head, "And you called me a child. You're hopeless."
Walter raised his eyebrow at Jack, "How is that childish of me? Oh hey, look, the captain's here." Walter points back at the stage.
Jack too was able to see the captain walking up on the stage, a few of the others were clapping their hands as he waves. Soon the rest of the crowd began to cheer and waved their hands at the captain as well.
"Good morning." The captain said.
"Good morning." said the crowd.
"Now, I know it must be confusing for some of you to see a few more people standing with us today. But first, I hoped that everyone had slept well. The houses we have built will be improved further on in the future. I know we all had trouble with the tents, and that they can be a bit uncomfortable. But we are doing the best we can. Soon we'll have homes with a solid roof over our heads." He said.
They nodded.
The captain looks around the crowd and sees Jack and Walter standing among them. They looked well rested. Well, at least Jack looks happy. Walter is trying to keep his eyes open. Come to think of it. Perhaps a little praise wouldn't hurt them. He's sure they had enough of that from last night, but it's better to give a proper one.
"Hey. Is it me, or is the captain looking right at us?" Jack asked as he noticed the captain looking towards their direction.
Walter rubs his eyes and looks at the captain, "Yeah, I think he is, Jack." he said.
"I'm sure you're all eager to hear what I have to say. But first, I would like everyone to thank our two brave scouts. Jack and Walter, for successfully finding and bringing back the last of our people that got separated from us not too long ago." The captain said as he gestured to where they were standing.
Everyone turned around and cheered as they saw the ones responsible for the success. It was enough to make Jack blush in embarrassment, while Walter could only sigh from getting the attention.
"Those two did a great job out there, and they made us all proud." The captain claps along with them. Jack waved, "It's nothing. We're happy to help." He said to the crowd.
Walter sighs, "How many times are you going to say that? And here, I hoped for a nice quiet morning."
"I wasn't," Jack whispered. "I kind of expected this sort of thing to happen sooner."
"Great." Walter sarcastically said as he shook a few hands and got more than enough pats on the back for the day.
But thankfully, the captain ordered everyone to stop and give their attention back to him, "Okay, That's enough, everyone. You can give your appreciation at a later time. Now we get serious, I got some news that you all need to know. Don't hold back my scouts, they are going out again soon after breakfast. I need them ready before noon." He said.
The crowd dispersed, leaving Jack and Walter some room to breath.
"Now, onto the main news for today. I'm sure that some of you have heard about any city called Winterhome. Well, I'll be glad to announce that we are not alone. We will make contact with the city soon. But for now, let us focus on continuing to build our home. And I think a pub should be in order to celebrate." said the captain.
"A pub!? Really?" Someone said in surprise, "Just like back home."
Jack crossed his arms, "I'm not so sure if that's a good idea. We'll be dealing with drunkards later. I hope they don't build one near the child shelter."
"Oh, come on, Jack. Grow up a little." Walter teased.
"I'm being serious here, Walter. I don't think being drunk at a time like this is wise." Jack glares at him.
"But people need to relax when there's too much stress around their minds." Walter said.
"Alright, but apart from that, I bet you all want to hear some news. The good news is that we have gathered many resources in the past few days. But, the bad news is that we are slowly running out of those resources."
Many were driven with concern and worry after hearing that. A worker raised his hand, "Sir, we were wondering if we can build a sawmill. We can cut down the trees and use them for our city."
The captain nods and points at the speaker's direction, "That's a good idea, but do you have the necessary tools to do it? Have you checked with the engineers if they can find a good spot for you to set up a workstation?"
The worker nods, "Yes, captain. Just say the words, and we'll get started on it." he said.
"Good man. You boys can get started after the briefing then," The captain gave a thumbs up for him to see his approval.
The crowd agrees. But another raises a hand.
"Yes?" The captain asked as he pointed at him.
"Captain, we still need steel to fortify our homes from the frost. I suggest that we tear down the dreadnaught to get more." He said.
"Hey, that's insane! That's our only dreadnaught we're talking about here." Another citizen countered the idea.
"Well, that thing is just sitting out there waiting for it to be robbed, it may be out of fuel. But we can't let any bandits take it for themselves. I say we recovered it and sent it here so that we can scrap it."
"Okay, hold on. Everyone, I will deal with our dreadnought. I know we had to abandon it after running out of coal to run it. It's probably still sitting on the frozen ocean. You all have your tasks to do, and I won't hold you back any longer. Dismiss." The captain said.
Walter gave another yawn before talking to Jack, "Something tells me we got another mission on a certain dreadnought. How the heck are we going to get that? It's stuck in the ocean, just barely a few miles off the shore when we arrived." he said.
Jack shrugged, "Maybe right now, today we're only going to check out the observatory, and then maybe Winterhome if we have enough supplies to make the trip." Jack said.
Uh, this will take a while.
/-/
Coffee has never tasted so good.
Walter sips the cup in his hands. He sighs with contentment as he puts the cup down. He grabs the rag off the table and continues to clean his flintlock rifle, after the guards come into their tent to hand him his weapons.
The food was good too, but Walter preferred to relax in the scout tent after his finishing meal. He then pulls out his knife and starts to sharpen it. The blade is looking rather dull lately, maybe he should get a new one before it breaks apart.
Jack was still at the cookhouse when he left, "Walter, there you are. Where's Jack?" A familiar voice came from the entrance. Walter looks up, "Oh, hey, captain. Come in. I'm just cleaning my rifle. Jack is still at the cookhouse right now." he said.
The captain comes in with a large bag and sits down, "Man, this morning was crazy. I don't know how long I can keep up with this. Sorry if my little stunt I did ruined your morning. I thought it would be good for morale for the rest. They really needed something to lift their spirits." the captain said, looking apologetic at Walter.
"Being a leader is not easy, boss. But I think you're doing fine. Don't worry about my mood, I'm sure Jack doesn't mind his newfound fame that is slowly growing." Walter said, shaking his head.
"Well, he's young, but he's naive sometimes. I fear that it would be a hindrance on his part." The captain said.
"That's what I said to him, but he still doesn't get the hint. But his optimism isn't all that bad, honestly. Sometimes it helps me not to feel hopeless at times. Yesterday, when we got lost, I nearly lost myself, but Jack was there to snap me out of my misery. He's the one that spotted the bridge, he's the one that convinced me to cross the bridge to get back here." Walter's expression turns sad as he remembers yesterday's events.
The captain places a folded parchment on the table, "Here is the new map, it was all of the landmarks you and Jack have given me, the engineers were impressed that you two had traveled quite the distance." he said.
The captain also took out a large, handheld device with an antenna sticking out of it, "This is your radio. There's only one right now, but I had told the engineers to make another one for both of you. For now, it is your responsibility, go ahead and give it a try." The captain urges Walter.
Taking the radio from the captain, he turns it on and presses a button before speaking into it, "Testing, Testing. This is Walter, over." he said.
After a while, another voice on the other end responds, "Coming through loud and clear, Walter. This is Benjamin, the lift operator. We met only yesterday. The captain told me that I'll be your radio officer for the time being."
"Sounds great, Ben. I'll talk to you later." Walter said.
The captain looks on, a proud expression on his face, "I finally solved your communication problem. Got some new gear for you both, here, some snowshoes, some flares, and portable sleds. Oh, and one pair of binoculars, in case you need to see something that's far away." The captain said as he pulled out the items from his bag.
Walter was taken aback by the new gear he was receiving, "Wow, that's quite the gift. Captain. Thank you. We'll be sure to make the most out of it. But I have a question for you if you don't mind," Walter said.
The captain nods, "Sure, go ahead."
"Are you really going to send us back to the ocean to look for our dreadnought that we came with? I'm not sure if we can even get enough coal into the tank to get it moving again. And the thing needs more than two people to operate that thing." Walter said.
"Ah, yes. That, I have decided to hold that aside for now. Let's just focus on what is nearer to us, and Winterhome of course. I'm not going to send you guys all the way out there so soon." said the captain.
"Well, that's a relief. But I knew you won't do that to us, captain." Jack said as he popped his head inside the tent.
"Jack. There you are. Well, it took you long enough." Walter said.
"Yeah, sorry. Finn told me to stay for a bit to hand me these extra food for us today. He said it was okay with it as the captain also told him."
The captain rubbed the back of his head, "Yeah, I figured that I didn't want you two to starve during your mission. I have also heard that when you find others, you feed them your own rations. Is that true?" he asked.
Jack and Walter nod, "We did, well, we had to give it to feed them." Jack said.
"In a world like this, I'm surprised you still have a heart of gold, Jack. You too, Walter." Said the captain.
Walter played along, not wanting to let them know that he was entirely against the idea at first. But since Jack didn't point it out for the captain, there was no reason for him to say it either.
"This time we are ready, captain." Jack said with confidence in his voice.
"I'll walk you two out. It's the least I can do for my best scouts. " Said the captain.
"That's not-" Walter tries to decline, but Jack cuts in. "We're fine with that, captain," Jack said. "Let us get our things together, and then we'll go."
"Great, I'll meet you two outside."
/-/
"Captain, about that site I've mentioned." Walter asked.
"What about it, Walter?" the captain asked.
"Well, it might not be as vital as Winterhome. But we need to know our surroundings. We'll make this trip as quickly as we can and then get back on track to Winterhome." Walter said.
"Walter, I'm not forcing you two to head there so soon. It's fine."
Walter sighs in relief, "Thanks, captain."
"But you're right. It will greatly help us out a lot. Just try not to get yourselves in trouble. Those wolves are already concerning as it is. No need to run into anything more dangerous than that." The captain warns.
"We'll do our best," Jack said.
"I know, but since it's just you two out there. I think you'll need more than just one rifle." The captain said as he unfastens his gun holster and hands it over to Jack, "So here, I want you to take this with you, Jack." Said the captain.
Jack looks at the captain's holster, "But, captain, I can't-" Jack tried to protest.
"I'm ordering you to take it. I know Walter already had his rifle. But that ax of yours isn't enough for what's out there." Said the captain. "It's just a precaution in case the mission goes south."
Jack looks at the gun again and sighs, "Alright, I'll take it. Thank you." He said. Jack takes the belt and puts it on.
"There you go, now you look more prepared. Wait, do you know how to use a gun?" The captain asked.
Jack shakes his head and blushes, "Uh, no, captain. We are not allowed to use guns before the frost, remember?"
"Oh. Well, I can give you a quick lesson if you want. Walter, do you want to help me out?"
Jack nods eagerly.
"Sure, why not," Walter said.
They gave a quick lesson. Jack listens to them attentively. Walter watches as Jack learns the basic of handling a revolver.
"And that's about it. But without experience, that gun won't be of much help. Only use it when you're sure you want to shoot it, okay?" said the captain.
"Got it. Thank you so much, captain. I'll be sure to take good care of it." Jack salutes.
The captain laughs at Jack's horrible salute.
"Don't start playing with it now," Walter said, "Otherwise, I might have to confiscate that from you." he joked.
"I won't." Jack whines.
They both got onto the lift, sadly, Olivia and her daughter Rose were not available to see them off as they were busy working. Benjamin was there at the lift controls, "Hey, you guys look ready for anything out there. Not many people around to see you guys off." he said.
"We're not doing this to be popular." Walter said.
"Good luck." Said the captain. Benjamin pulls the lever, sending the freight lift up the crater for Jack and Walter to reach the edge.
"Thank you, we'll need it," Walter shouts back.
Some of the people that came to see them off were clapping as they went up. The gesture was strange, but maybe that's just for last night.
A few goodbyes were given from the others.
"Have a safe journey!"
"Be careful!"
"Come back home safe!"
Jack leans over the railing, "We will! Thank you!" He shouted back.
"Well, you're having fun," Walter said, looking unamused.
"I feel so ready for this." Jack smiled, but saw Walter's face, "Well, at least one of us is." he added.
The lift gets higher, and the edge appears before them once the platform reaches its stop. The ride jerks again as it makes a stop up top. The snowy plain greets them once more, along with the snow blowing in the wind, and on to their faces.
"I see that the blizzard is still here," Jack said.
And the blizzard was there too.
"I'm not surprised," Walter said as he pulled out the map and began walking. Jack follows behind him, "Well, better than the drought, am I right?" Jack jokes.
Walter smirks, "Let's go, Jack. Your adventure awaits."
Jack pushes the lever down, sending the platform back down. He smiles, "It's going to be a great day today!" He suddenly yelled in excitement.
Walter sighs, "Dude. You don't have to shout. I'm right here."
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A/N: Scouts in the game seemed to be near invincible, until the great storm killed them if they didn't come back in time. But really, crying tons of resources like its nothing and can fight bears with a slim chance of surviving.
There are so many crazy things the scouts did and as Bricky described them as, "No complainus, big Dickus". Couldn't have said it better myself. But I am going for a realistic approach, such as not following the near invincibility trait that the scouts have and go for a more believable route of how my scouts, Jack and Walter survive through the missions.
While also expanding the many landmarks in the game, and not just a one paragraph description and move on, no. I have more to show, and I really like the observatory I wrote in the original story.
Okay, moving onto the gear and weapons that Jack and Walter have. I would like to have them get better as time goes on, they get braver, but they will still have to go through that mental trauma of witnessing the horrors of a few certain places, like Winterhome.
I can't wait to reach Winterhome with Jack and Walter.
Okay I am done here.
Thank you all so much for reading.