Markus opened his eyes and saw Valerie's face upside down, and he gave a weak smile at the fact she was ok. He snapped back into sobriety however when a pain in his leg, his side, and in his head shot through him, and he winced. She did her best to lift up the Ogre head, and he pushed against it as well, while feebly dragging himself out from under the large humanoid. He grunted with each movement, and gave a final tug with his free hand before he let the Ogre head go. It dropped back to the ground like a stone. It would have hit his legs if he didn't curl them at the last moment. 

Markus got to his feet, still stiff and in pain, but nothing seemed broken. He gave a chuckle at the scene before them. Seven Goblins and an Ogre dead! He was just about to hug Valerie, before it hit him. "The ears..." he said, and reached down to unsheathe his Elven Knife. He cut a single ear off each Goblin, and the Ogre. He even managed to find an ear of the one the Ogre squished. He stuck them in his pack, and as he strapped the bag closed once more, he nodded to the northeast. "Let's keep going, Val." 

They made good time after that, early afternoon growing into late afternoon as the miles passed behind them. As the sun was now sinking (though not quite gone) they found themselves in a less dense area of the forest. It looked a cross between the forest proper, and an area of brambles and varied drops and rises in the ground. For an hour back there, they had heard wolves howling in the background. Perhaps the beasts had picked up the scent of dead Goblin flesh. 

They had split up for a moment, to cover more ground and find a good place to hold up for the night. Markus called to Valerie a few minutes into entering this new territory. He waited for her to get there, revealing a drop about six feet in height. After that, a thick canopy and even wall of brambles made what looked to be a makeshift shelter next to a tall Oak that served as its spine. Markus leaped down, holding his sword and pack steady as he did it. He peered into the ubiquitous sticks, brambles, vines, and leaves. [i]Is it hollow[/i]? He walked about it, gazing until he saw a way to slip in. He slide inside a slim opening to indeed find a short clearing within. 

"Thank the Gods." he said, hands on his hips. "Come on in. We've got some work to do to make this place perfect." He began to go to work, moving the loose sticks that had fallen onto the hard, more barren ground into the center of the clearing. Around them they were protected by brambles and vines, and above them was a rough but thick canopy of similar material, mixed with tree branches. He set a pile of sticks in the center for a fire later, and then roughly climbed up the tree to the right, using his sword to clear a hole above them for smoke to pour out of.  

The land was in early spring, and cold even in the daytime. It'd do them well to get close to a fire this night. Less than an hour later, the sun had nearly dipped below the far mountain range, and within this makeshift home they saw even less light than if they were without. The fire had begun early, Markus now boiling water in a small pot he'd brought along. He first boiled the ears, claiming it would preserve them longer and keep diseases off of them so he could bring it back to the bounty collector. 

He then began to boil them some dinner after cleaning the pot. Luckily, a small stream was close and they had made a small errand to partake in refilling their canteens, and in filling the pot. "I hope you like steamed ham." he told her, giving her a smile as the youthful mercenary placed the meat into the roiling and bubbling water. 

Finally, he let himself rest as the dinner cooked. The fire within the small space made it particularly warm, and almost comfortable. It would indeed be comfortable if there was a nice place to sit, but so far all they could do was use their bedrolls and packs to sit upon. Markus let out a breath, and began to unstrap his armor. The firelight danced along the walls around them, and the bubbling water making a soft noise that would allow someone to easily think this was simply a night in, and not in the dangerous wilderness. 

He took off his bracers, and then lifted off his tabard and chainmail, tossing them to the side. The chainmail hit the hard ground with a 'thunk.' He wore his loose fitting trousers and a torn and haggard linen shirt. The steam from the water cleared his senses and made him feel more relaxed, and he gave Valerie a smile as he sat beside her. "You did great today." he told her in all honesty.

His smile was warm and genuine. The young man's hand slipped up to the side of his torso, and he felt a small wound there that stuck. He winced, and Valerie could see a few dots of red along his simple, white linen shirt he wore. He grimaced and lifted his shirt to reveal a jagged cut. [i]Must have been from something as I fell[/i]. He shook his head and pressed his hand to the wound. "All apart of the job." It didn't seem serious. Just another scar. 
[@Luminosity]