Carrisa's Arc

Chapter 1 of 1

Carrisa pulled the bowstring taut and watched her arrow punch through the target's center. She lowered her bow and smiled. One day, she'd build a market outpost right here in Nomansland—a place where hunters could trade their best kills and stock up on supplies. She pictured wooden stalls packed with furs and meat, traders haggling over prices, and her name on every hunter's lips. But first, she needed coin, connections, and proof that hunters would actually come. She spent two weeks tracking elk herds and mapping water sources. Hunters needed game nearby, and they needed fresh water. She found both near a flat clearing surrounded by low hills. The spot offered shelter from wind and a clear view of approaching travelers. This could work. She sketched the layout in her journal—where the main building would stand, where smaller stalls could line up, where fires could burn without catching the grass. Back in town, she found a craftsman selling a large yurt made from elk skin. Dark patterns covered its surface, and the frame looked solid enough to last through harsh winters. She counted her coin, bargained hard, and bought it. The yurt would become her market's heart. Inside, she laid wood planks across the dirt floor and arranged flat stones around a central fire pit. She built shelves along the curved walls for displaying goods. Hunters would need space to show their kills and make deals. She placed an antique weight scale near the entrance. Its metal arms gleamed in the firelight, and the platform could hold a full deer. Hunters would use it to measure their kills for fair trades. Carrisa stepped back and looked around the yurt. It felt real now—not just a dream, but a place. Her market outpost had begun.