1.40 - Preparations 2

With the problem of finding a crew out of the way Nillian can devote his time to the preparations of the expedition. He hoped that he would be able to find some information about another expedition, just to see what they took with them. But there has never been an expedition like this, ever. The only thing that even came close was the original discovery of Apaga, and there aren't any records left over from that time.

So Nillian decides to just try and prepare for everything. He buys foodstuff that will last for years; dried fruits and nuts, bread-biscuits, smoked meat and potted vegetables. He gets pottery to eat from, cutlery, pots and pans for on the stove and in the oven, and of course herbs for the taste.

For the bedrooms he gets linens, mattresses, pillows, and other small decorations like a mirror, a small nightstand and a lamp. He also gets furniture for several rooms in the ship, like a table and chairs for in the kitchen and a workbench for in the engine room. All in all he manages to spend a small fortune on the ship, just to get everything ready. Luckily the University pays for everything, so he doesn't have to pay a penny.

Other things he leaves to his fellow crewmembers. He instructs Ned to get supplies for his guns, like bullets, oil, and cleaning supplies. Which of course means that he takes along his own guns, as he has them anyway. Ned also gets things that will help with their survival, in case they lose the ship. This includes tents, bedrolls, torches, flint and steel, small axes, and of course backpacks to carry it all in.

Lyxia is sent out to get things she will need for navigating, like a sextant, star charts and books to record their journeys. On the ship itself a large compass has been installed next to the steering wheel, but to be sure she also gets a backup, together with binoculars and a telescope. She also returns with some female preparations, like needle and thread, towels, soap and other cleaning supplies.

Copper gets full responsibility for the engine and any tools he will need. He immediately visits the engineers who are building the ship and manages to convince them to also build some spare parts and replacements, just in case anything breaks. He also visits them regularly, checking up on their progress and to familiarize himself with the insides of the ship. When Nillian sees him at work he is sure he picked the right man, as Copper seems completely at home in the workplace.

Aside from Copper, Nillian also spends a lot of time in the University workplace, looking at the process of building and how the different parts go together. He can often be seen at nights, making sketches of the internal workings of the ship. This is not only because he wants to be as prepared as possible, it is also something he can do during the long nights. Ever since he got a crew together Nillian has had nightmares about what will be waiting for him, outside Kataria. Therefore he doesn't sleep much, and has too much time on his hands.

***

One day, when Nillian and Ned are talking about surviving in the woods, Ned mentions that perhaps he should give a small wilderness course, just to get them prepared.
"What a good idea! I must confess that I would be completely lost if I would set one step inside a forest."
"Alright, in that case the course will also hae a practical pairt. I think I will be able to git permission to hauld the course in Lorion Forest."
"That sounds good. Just tell us when and we will be there."

Lyxia agrees with the idea, and casually mentions that they perhaps should also have some swimming lessons while they were at it.
"You are right, of course. I hadn't thought about that yet. Can you take care of that? Seeing that I have no idea where to find a swimming instructor."
"Sure, no problem. But let's hold the lessons after Ned's course, otherwise he doesn't have enough time to prepare his own course."
"Right, I will tell the others."

***

Several days later Ned calls everyone together for the first of his lessons. They gather in Ned’s workplace, where he has provided some chairs and a large table. When Nillian arrives he takes out his pen and paper, ready to take down notes of everything Ned is going to say. But when Ned sees that he frowns.
"Nillian, when ye are oot in the woods, all alone and lost, ye will nae hae time to read any notes!"
"Yes, but ..."
"Nae buts. Ye hae to lairn this by heart, otherwise it wad be useless."

He moves to the front of the table, and waits until Lyxia is also sitting down. Copper is somewhere in the back of the workplace, working silently on a barrel, already knowing all the things Ned is going to tell. But still he keeps an ear open, just in case Ned tells something new.

The next four hours Ned talks about woods, swamps, mountains and plains, and how to survive in them. He begins with explaining each type of terrain, what to expect if you become lost in it. He describes in detail the things that can go wrong, and after a while Nillian begins wincing with every new description of a horrible death. Lyxia seems to take it better, and remains attentive throughout the whole series of descriptions.

Then Ned continues with survival techniques, which always come down to three factors: fire, water and food. In every type of terrain these three have a different importance, but all three are always required for survival. Fire is necessary for warmth, to keep animals away and to cook food. Water is needed for drinking and sometimes also for preparing food. Food is what keeps you going, especially in colder terrains. He also gives suggestions as to where to find wood for a fire, where to find materials to use in collecting water and food, and how to see if plants are edible.

After the lecture Ned tells everyone that they are going to Lorion forest the following morning, and that he will collect Nillian and Lyxia at their home. Hoping to impress Ned both of them spent the evening packing, trying to come up with every item they might need to survive in the woods. Afterwards Lyxia goes to sleep, and Nillian stays up trying to write down as much as possible from the lecture. He knows that he will not be able to sleep, and this way he hopes he can remember things more easily.

The following morning Nillian and Lyxia are standing outside their home, with their backpacks on their backs. When Ned arrives he takes one look at them and shakes his head.
"Those backpacks will hae to gae."
"But ... this is our equipment, to survive in the woods!"
"Ah, but the pynt of this course is to lairn how to survive ahoot all that stuff. Sae when ye dae hae it with ye, ye will be ower-prepared."
Nillian and Lyxia make long faces about that, but do as he says. They put their backpacks back in their rooms, and follow Ned to the forest of Lorion.