Tallow awoke with a start, wrenching himself up into a sitting position. As his groggy mind started ticking over, he surveyed his surroundings.
Forest of some kind. Very dry-looking but dense foliage obscuring both distance and sky, but only sparse ground cover. There's a bit of a fog around; probably a stream or a lake not too far off. The stars are unusually vivid here, and the sky itself doesn't quite seem to have a uniform colour.
Slowly getting to his feel, Tal staggered a little before catching himself, noting that the ground was sloped here. Gathering up his pack and provisions, he adjusted his cloak and took up his staff, wondering idly what would happen if something attacked him the next time he fell unconscious while Travelling.
Now, then. What does this world have in store for me?
Looking up at the sky one last time, Tallow started walking downhill as best he could, trying to avoid the more closely-packed trees and scanning the forest floor for anything that looked edible. Spotting a few bright red berries, he picked a few and stowed them in a pouch.
Hopefully I can find a local who might know whether they're edible or not. Their skin has an interesting sheen.
The dead of night in this forest seemed to be almost unnaturally quiet, with only the smallest of creatures going about their business, and Tallow did not see any larger creatures around. As he made his way downhill, he noted that the forest was getting thinner, and he could see a little further ahead. There seemed to be a clearing of some kind not far away.
At the very least, I'll be able to see where I am a little better. I'd prefer--
Tal's thought was cut short by a quiet but definitive snap as something behind him broke an errant twig, and he became aware that he was not as alone as he had assumed. Turning slowly, he hoped it wasn't a wild animal; if it was, it was a fairly large one. Tallow reached for his knife.