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Kesiryl was actually a bit deflated; not because his student got the answer to his sphynx-like riddle correct, but because she talked around the right answer in a way that detracted from the drama he was hoping to give it. "You have pretty much the right idea" he said. "The truth is, we don't actually have *any* needs in the wilderness that we don't have everywhere else, except, as you pointed out, a need to find new ways of meeting those needs, once our everyday contrivances are removed." He gestured at the trees around him. He was going to have his sphynx-like revelatory moment of triumph regardless. " No needs await us out here; we bring them all with us. It's just the means of meeting them that we sometimes misplace or leave behind, and must therefore replace, or do without." There, he had done it. Why didn't it feel satisfactory?
He smiled and nodded as his student went on to list the specific things one needed, like fire, shelter, plants, and so on. Yes, these were all things they were learning about how to obtain in the wilderness. The woman seemed to already have a course outline in her head for the training. That was either very encouraging or very discouraging, depending on how the elf wanted to look at it.
But now what Kesiryl really wanted to look at was Philyra, who was doing the whole recline-her-lithe-body-and-arch-her-head-back thing to a tee. Was she doing this on purpose? the elf wondered, and not being sure which answer he preferred to believe. It took a moment to break through the fog of his little rapturous episode and realize the young Ranger was actually answering his question. "Wha-erm, yes," he stammered like an idiot, while he pictured Ethilde scowling at him disapprovingly as only she could and mouthing the word: "dolt!"
Kesiryl cleared his throat. "What I mean is, yes, those are all good things. Now, we'll get to most if not all of those things. Not necessarily praying to Carmelya, although that is always a good idea, but it isn't a skill I think I have to train you in." The imaginary Ethilde was rolling her eyes in exasperation and shaking her head at this point. It wasn't a particularly encouraging image for the poor teacher, but at least thinking of some female half-elf other than Phily kept his mind on the subject matter.
"Now one of the things you mentioned is water, which is arguably the most important of your needs, apart from air. Air, however, is rarely a short commodity in even the most abandoned and blasted of wilds." he plugged on bravely, doing his best to get distracted by neither the imaginary nor the real half-elf. "To tell you the truth, the idea of "rationing" water is overrated. You need water, and chances are that, unless you weigh yourself down with several extra skins, you will never be carrying more than would last you a brightening or two, even in mild weather. Plus, water helps your energy level, and helps you think clearly, so actually, I'd recommend taking a good swig of water when you realize you're lost, rather than doing the reverse and starting to skimp on it."
He paused a moment. "That means that you should never wander too far from known water sources if you can help it. But I didn't give you much choice, did I, since I magicked you out into the middle of nowhere. Now, there are a couple different ways you can find water. Some are more useful in a forest environment than in other kinds. Can you think of some ways to find water in a strange forest, Philyra?"
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