When last we left our hero, he had been "sidetracked"... So for a couple of days the routine was wake up, wash dishes, eat, and do puzzles with Hawk and Small Child.
On one particularly busy afternoon, Mountain man asked if our hero could cook...
"Yeah..."
"Well get over here and help us out."
And so Cotton went about making orders along side Small Child and Mountain Man while Hawk took a break. And so our hero became even more a part of the crew. By the end of the evening Trey came up and asked where our hero was staying. It had been a mix of stealth camping and the Place. Mountain Man invited him to come and stay with the rest of the guys at his cabin. This was a welcome invitation, as our hero was overstaying the limits at the Place and didn't want to wear out his welcome...
So they had a few beers, and Cotton gathered up his gear.