Being forced to leave the pack, and the community that had grown around it, was quite possibly the second worst thing that had ever happened to Tannis. Now, here he was, trudging down yet another dusty trail, traveling between one small town and another. He had at this point completely lost track of where he was, the hot, dry days had all blended together at some point. The fact that he had faced the same answer at every small town and village that he had found had definitely not helped make any day in particular stand out.

None of them needed a journeyman blacksmith. For some, there just wasn't enough demand for the blacksmith to take on a second worker or a third if the. Already had an apprentice. For the others, they already had a family member or something like that to fill the role, and had no room for an outsider. Whatever the causes of the rejections and denials were, the end results were the same. No one had any work for him.
Tannis tilted his head to one side as his ears caught the faint sound of something. A soft, almost non-existent murmuring, barely audible to his ears. He blinked, and shifted his bag on his shoulder as he turned in the direction, cocking his head to hear better. The sound was steady and consistent, a low rush that sounded like voices just below the edge of awareness. The strapping man stepped off the dusty trail he had been walking along, and forced his way into the brush along the side.

Branches and leaves caught and tugged at his clothes and skin as Tannis pushed through the scrub. The slight sting didn't even register, no more than the hot sun or the dust of the trail had. The sound was growing clearer with every step, and more familiar by the moment. Smooth, silky, growing and fading almost at random. A slight smile curved his lips and his eyes began to dance with excitement as he drew closer to the source of the sound. A final shove, breaking past tree branches and bushes, and he could see it.

Glittering in the afternoon sun like clear jewels, a small stream cut through and over a rocky bed. Even from here he could see fish darting about in the clear waters, and the man had to restrain a laugh of joy. No more trail rations and stale water for him - tonight he'd have fresh fish and clean water to sup on! He dropped his bag a short distance away from the stream and set to work, making himself a basic fishing rod - thankfully he had hooks and some cord he could use, so he just needed wood. And in this forest, wood was to be found in plenty.

Newly crafted tool in hand, Tannis dragged a chunk of rock over towards the edge of the stream and took off his boots. The cool waters rushing over his feet felt soothing, and he let out a grunt of contentment. He didn't have any bait for the hook - but still, he cast the line out. The first fish he caught would be shredded up to serve as bait for later tosses. His hand curled around the haft of the rod and he leaned back, letting his eyes droop a bit. Now, he just had to be patient, as he listened to the sounds of the forest around him.