'Let's pause for a bit to eat here.' Rafe said when they had walked for what he estimated two Earth hours. Days here were about one and a half of Earth's, but his internal clock still ticked on Earth time. He pulled out two dried strips of meat and chewed on one while Wendy chewed on the other. Iloma and K'Kess nodded in understanding and they sat down, taking some of the food they had packed out of their sacks.
They had dried meat but also small sheets of dark green material. K'Kess chewed on one and offered Rafe one. Rafe took it with a nod and smelled it. 'Smells salty.' he said, then took a small bite. It was stringy and he ripped a bit from the sheet with his teeth. Chewing carefully, he started to recognise the taste.
'Seaweed?' he asked, holding up the sheet.
K'Kess cleared a bit of ground, then drew a wavy line and several wavy lines underneath it. 'Vash.' he said, indicating the top line and gesturing in a wide circle around them, then pointed at the bottom lines and the sheet of food. 'Nusha.'
Rafe nodded. 'Sea.' he said, gesturing at the drawing. 'And seaweed.' He repeated the gesture. 'Vash, nusha?'
K'Kess nodded and smiled. 'Shea, shea, weed?' he tried.
'Sea.' said Rafe. 'Sss.' to emphasise.
'S, sea..' said K'Kess and Rafe nodded. He formed the word with his mouth, then said 'Seaweed.'
Rafe gave him a grin and K'Kess returned it. Rafe thought both sides had found new friends.
Wendy chewed on a piece of the sheet given to her by Iloma when she looked up and growled soft and short, her ears standing up and forward. They all looked at the same direction. Iloma hissed softly at K'Kess and he nodded, drawing his sword silently. Rafe looked at K'Kess, then at Iloma who held up three fingers and pointed at K'Kess.
Rafe nodded but wasn't keen on taking on anyone without knowing more about what they were capable of. Knocking those three out at the beach in the first place was lucky. He tapped on K'Kess shoulder and shook his head, then gestured to follow him. The three grabbed their bags quickly and moved as silent and fast as they could further downslope.
Rafe led them to a stream flanked by boulders and gestured for them to exactly follow behind him. He walked along the edge of the boulders downward first, then led them across the stream to the other side where they walked along the edge of the boulders again. When he was satisfied with the tracks he moved back onto the boulders.
'Wendy,' he said and pointed into the jungle with rocky underground. 'Make them think we went that way, then come back up to us. We go up the stream and head for home, okay?'
She murmured her confirmation and Rafe hugged her tight. 'Thanks.' he said, then kissed her muzzle. 'See you later then.'
She gave him a lick and moved away from the stream, breaking a twig from a bush on her way and stepping in a puddle of mud.
'Let's go.' he said to Iloma and K'Kess, gesturing upstream as he waded into the water, glad for the tropical temperatures and not having to freeze his feet in cold water.
After moving some distance beyond the point where they had first came to the stream, Rafe pointed at a couple of larger boulders at the side of the stream. Iloma and K'Kess nodded and they ducked behind them.
Rafe kept an eye to the left of the stream until he saw movement at the edge of the jungle. He gave a signal to the others to keep low while he peeked around the side of the boulder.
First one, then the two other lizards appeared. They seemed to keep silent, only speaking with hand gestures. The one who was probably the one who tried to rape Iloma gestured around, the other two spread out on both sides of the stream. A moment later one of them signalled the others who came to see what he had found. They spread around again until they found Wendy's tracks, then followed them into the jungle.
Rafe waited a while to make sure they didn't come back to the stream, then signalled Iloma and K'Kess to silently go further up the stream, taking up the rear.
Only when he was sure they had waded far enough to expect nobody to search for tracks did Rafe leave the water. He sat down and took off his leather footwear, pouring out the water. He'd have to go barefoot until his shoes were dry but he wasn't the only one. Iloma had the same problem, K'Kess walked barefoot.
'All right.' he said, pointing his thumb behind him. 'Let's continue.'
The three had trekked along the side of the hill with as few breaks for rest as possible until it became too dark to go on. A large trunk of a fallen tree provided some cover for the night with a large and thick bush growing at its side.
'I'll keep watch.' Rafe said gesturing at his eyes and himself, then around.
Iloma and K'Kess nodded and cut a few branches from the bush to serve as bedding and they all ate quietly before the newcomers went to sleep.
Rafe had hoped Wendy had joined up with them already and worried something might have happened to her. He took a deep breath and told himself she was a predator from this jungle and would be fine. Just like he was able to accomplish a long list of missions, several of them deadly. He chewed on another piece of seaweed sheet and wished he had something like the stimulants he used to boost his energy at times of long days and little sleep. He resolved to talk to the girls about it and see if there was anything here to turn into a natural stimulant.
Although the jungle was far from silent, the now familiar sounds would be something he'd miss if he and his Silth family would ever have to return to the society they came from. This was their home now and they would never trade it for all the luxuries in the world. Rafe, Naylee, and Tashee had talked about the possibility of setting up a transmitter and then wait for someone to pick up the signal but none of them really cared for it. Even if there was already peace between the Silth and humans.
***
Rafe's head shot up when he suddenly awoke. It was still dark. Something moved in the corner of his eye and he grabbed his knife only to see K'Kess sitting a metre away next to him. He was watching the night sky through the openings in the canopy with a serious look in his face.
Rafe sighed deep. He had fallen asleep. K'Kess nodded at him, then put his hand on his sword next to him and gave another nod towards Iloma. Rafe nodded back at him knowing he'd better get some more sleep. K'Kess would stand guard for the rest of the night.
He crawled towards the trunk when K'Kess suddenly sat straight up staring into the darkness. He reached slowly for his knife listening to the sounds in front of him.
K'Kess moved his sword in front of him, ready to stab anything that might come for him.
Rafe heard something move along the trees. A glance at K'Kess told him he had heard it too. Whatever it was, it was moving through a bush toward them.
Rafe and K'Kess tensed their muscles, ready for an attack.
A murmur and Wendy's head popping out of the bush made Rafe breath out quick in relief. K'Kess let out a long soft hiss and relaxed.
'Wendy.' whispered Rafe and sat back down.
She wagged her tail and hurried to him receiving a tight hug and licking his face.
