The acorn was in the ground, beneath a thin layer of dirt. He spread some water over it and said a short prayer to whoever might listen. He wasn’t really sure if his gods were with him here in this foreign land, but it was better to pray for a blessing nevertheless.
A breeze shook the leaves on the trees, the warm air was filled with the smell of flowers, it was almost hwavy to breath. It had rained the day before, and now the moist steamed from the ground in the hot sun.
His shoulders were bare, only a thin white shirt covered his back, and a shorts made of kaki covered his legs. He wore no shoes, and his feet were black from dirt gathered through many miles of walking.
Two days before, he was at a beach. His boat was tied to a tree, and he had gathered his few possesions and walked towards west. Noone really knew what was there, but they had told him that free land could be discovered if you went far enough, and those with enough strength and will could make themselves a living there, if you only managed to handle the scoring sun.
And so he walked, forever following the sun in the sky and noticing every change in the lands.
There were villains, he knew, but his past in the homelands had also thought him how to avoid strangers, especially those with bad intentions. He walked, steadied himself to a long stick which he had carved from the very first tree he saw as his boat landed on the shore. On his back he carried a backpack, and in a belt he carried two pouches, one with herbs and seeds from his homeland, and one with his tools, which he valued dearly. In his backpack he had all the equipment he needed to survive for months, if only he could find some game to cook, and some vegetables to go with it.
In the homelands he knew how to survive, he could go for weeks with nothing but his bare hands, but here it was different. He didn't know the animals here, and he didn't know the plants on the ground. All he knew was that it was different, and everything smelled stronger and looked more colorful than at home.
After a full day of walking, he came to a vast area filled with sand. All he could see in the direction he knew he had to walk was sand. The sun shone and made it glitter, not a breath of wind cooled the hot air, and the sweat poured from his skin like it was a well.
He had his waterskin around his neck in a string, and he was careful to fill it whenever he found a source of water. But still, looking out on this desert land, he knew that he might be in trouble if he were to cross it carrying only the one skin of water.
He tied his knife to the stick he was carrying, and left his backpack and pouches hidden is some bushes. He took of his shirt, and wearing only his shorts he strode into the jungle behind him. There'd be no animals in the desert. He was certain nothing could live in such a heat, so he backtracked into the jungle he had walked through.
