In a strange world as a Doppelganger

Chapter 5

More dreams that I don't really understand. Are they memories maybe? I have no clue because they are so void of detail. This time I dream about a person. I am watching someone from above, like I am floating in the air. The person seem sad and often get yelled at and hit by others. I only get short moments to see but they are all sad. At one point the person looks up at me and smiles.

That morning there is a light drizzle coming down. Not enough to really be a bother though I don't want to work on the expansion if it's just gonna get muddy around here. Instead I grab my club and slowly make my way to the river. I start further up the stream where I have yet to run into the frogs.

The coast is clear, I have a quick wash and drink. I back up into the bushes again and just wait. Today's goal is to observe as much as possible, learn what I can about anything going on by the river.

Several creatures come and go over the course of two hours as I just sit in the bushes with the club in my lap.
A deer of some kind, it has four horns.
A family of rats, like the one back at the hole.
I see frogs come and go every so often, they have some sort of basked and water-skin. I am very interested in acquiring tools like these.
Then I also see a large moss colored bear that lumbers up the river. It looks almost like it's fur is plant-like in texture.

I need food. I tossed the badger out remember? I could go looking for berries or fruit, so that I won't have to seek confrontation out.
Killing in self-defense or survival is one thing but actively seeking fights with the beings of the forest sounds dumb to me.

Doesn't take long at all to find a bush nearby that has some purple berries on them. Edible or not I pop one in my mouth, fastest way to find out I guess.
It's incredibly bitter and I spit it out right away.
Committing that bush to memory!
Maybe I could ask the rat? Well not ask it but maybe bring it an assortment of berries, nuts and fruits that I find. As a local it should at least know some of what is good to eat and to avoid?

Spending a good chunk of the day just gathering a small variety of things I think I have made yet another realization; a lot of the wildlife is avoiding me. I found it odd that I haven't had more encounters like badger but it turns out the creatures are weary of me. Glimpses here and there are what I get of other creatures around, it's almost like I am the talk of the town and everyone wants a look but no one wants to actually introduce themselves. 

It's weird how my mind uses expressions that make no sense, must have to do with my past. Anyway, I make it back to the hole and I lay everything out on the grass. Right away the rat comes up and looks at me quizzically. Its neck loos a lot better now, still a big scab though. The rat very quickly stuffs its mouth with an add oval nut I found on the ground. Probably fell from a tree. I'll try one whenever I find another. It does leave the berries that I first found alone, not even glancing at them. Guess they're no good. I did also find a blood-red berry that grew in small vines on the ground, also eaten quickly. I snatch one of the red berries and flick it up with my tongue. Well, I try to, the berry goes flying and I have to spend a second looking for it. On the second attempt I manage to get it and it tastes oh, so sweet. Really sweet.

The sun starts to set and a restlessness comes over me. Just to do anything I remove the skin that I hung up in the branches a few days ago. Obviously I have a very limited grasp of how to treat hides and this one is just covered in bugs and their larva now. I put it back up and start hatching a plan.

The next morning I grab the gross hide and bring it with me to the stream. The plan is to leave it where the frogs frequent and see if they'll do anything to it that I can observe from a safe distance.

The frogs usually show up right after sunrise so I hurry over and place the hide on the bank of the stream. I then scurry back and hide in the bushes on my side of the water.

Some time later I see a frog bounding out from the trees. It looks around, seemingly to make sure no one is around. Stepping down into the water it holds a basket of sort against the current and places rocks on the sides. The basket stays put with the help of the stones and I can see a fish get caught in it, interesting.

A few minutes pass with the frog just keeping an eye on its surroundings and every now and then it removes the basket to tie the fishes up on a string it has in a belt. That's clever, how did it make that? It finally spots the hide. Carefully stepping closer while shifting its head in all direction. The frog looks it over and quickly gets to work. The hide is washed thoroughly and then scraped clean of any remaining tissue. I can't see properly but it looks like the frog has a stone knife similar to the one I made.

Not much else happens, the hide is cleaned, the frog gathers up another round of fish and then puts the hide in the basket. It bounds away into the woods again. I think I might follow after it tomorrow.