Run to Your Mama

First expeditions always have hiccups.

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Syka is a new settlement of primarily humans on the east coast of Falyndar opposite of Riverfall on The Suvan Sea. [Syka Codex]

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Run to Your Mama

Postby Okara on June 20th, 2018, 12:27 am


Summer 10, 518

The community was only beginning to shuffle to life as Okara stood in front of a humble dwelling suspended above a gentle stream. Syna’s light glittered across the ocean water and started to light up the myriad colors of the tropical forest, the heat a gentle bite on the Konti’s linen clad shoulders. She grasped a small, folded paper in her hand as she approached the dwelling and called out a greeting.

”What can I do for you?” asked a woman with blonde and black hair as she walked down the steps of her home towards Okara with a look of curiosity.

”I hope I’m at the right place, are you Uta? I’m Okara. I work at the Panacea. We need to restock some supplies from the jungle and Jansen said I should come to you to for advice on where to look for harvesting material.” Okara explained with a kind smile and passed the folded paper to Uta.

”Oh yeah, we chatted a bit yesterday and he said he would be sending someone by. He mentioned you don’t have much experience out there so I planned on just taking you out myself. It’s not really safe to go by yourself if you aren’t familiar with what to expect. Let’s see here…. Cayenne peppers, neem leaves, coconuts, and cinchona tree bark. The peppers and coconuts are easy to find but the tree specimens we would harvest leaves and bark from are farther out. I didn’t expect you to arrive so early, I’ve still got a couple errands I need to take care of. Which is actually good for you since you can not go out like that. You at least need some sturdier boots. And probably some sort of long blade like a kukri or a machete to cut through brush with, there aren’t many paths open for travel. Go check out the Mercantile and then meet me back here, Juli should be up and at it by now.” Uta explained as she examined the note then proceeded to examine Okara. Okara felt a little embarrassed but was ultimately grateful for the advice. She didn’t want to go marching into the jungle just to have her flimsy boots pierced by sticks and her feet all torn up.

”Thank you for your advice. I will get right on that, see you in a while.” Okara said as she smiled and turned to walk away, Uta nodding in good bye. The young woman marched off quickly to make the recommended purchases. Luckily the Syka Mercantile was not terribly far from Uta’s place and just as Uta had guessed, Juli Chaliva was busy behind the counter scratching away with a quill in a ledger.

”Hello! Do you mind if I look around for a bit?” Okara called as Juli looked up to examine the newcomer with serious, intelligent eyes. The dark-haired woman nodded silently with a business-like smile and turned her attention back to the ledger.

Okara looked carefully through the organized merchandise that was piled neatly along the terrace. She was looking for both the items Uta had recommended as well as a few things she had been meaning to pick up. She had been staying at the Bungalows since she had arrived, but she couldn’t live there forever. The rental costs would just continue to accumulate and she wanted to make a real go of building her own home like most of the other settlers had. A tent was a good starting point to at least get out of the Bungalows. She also recalled Jansen mentioning that she should be carrying around her own medical kit if she really wanted to consider herself a healer. A doctor without supplies was pretty useless and her single gnosis was only capable of handling minor issues.
Last edited by Okara on June 20th, 2018, 2:30 am, edited 2 times in total.
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Run to Your Mama

Postby Okara on June 20th, 2018, 12:29 am


”Well, do you have your eye on anything?” Juli asked quietly over Okara’s shoulder. She took a startled breath in sharply, she had barely heard the clerk coming up behind her.

”Yes actually. I’m thinking I need some new boots fit for the jungle, a blade fit for cutting through the jungle, a small tent, a bedroll, four yards of burlap, some of that thin rope, and a healer’s kit.” Okara quickly listed off her choices and pointed at each item as she said them. Juli nodded along and began gathering things up to bring over to the counter.

”This looks like about everything. If you want a blade for cutting through brush, I would recommend the kukri. It’s very popular, durable, and it’s only sharp on one side so it offers a lot of control when you cut.” Juli explained as counted up the things on the counter. At Okara’s nod she added a kukri to the growing pile of items. ”Well all together that comes to 62 gold and 3 silver.”

”Umm… is there any discount for new people just getting established?” Okara gulped and gave the shopkeeper her sweetest smile. Juli did not return it.

”If there was, everyone would get it. We are all getting established and can use the coin to buy more supplies for others.” She explained, firm but not cold. She was a shopkeeper after all and it was not unusual to haggle for prices but Okara didn’t quite know the words to say that might have negotiated a better price.

”Well then of course I want to do my part and pay the price.”” Okara stated with quiet respect and counted out the money from her coin purse which felt considerably lighter afterwards. She had to tell herself that starting out fresh was expensive, she should have expected it.

”Would you like some help carrying these?” Juli offered politely as she counted out the coins. Okara nodded gratefully and began piling the heavier items in her own arms to leave Juli with the few things she couldn’t fit.

”How are you settling in? You’re working over at the Panacea, right? Word travels fast here. Probably because there’s only like a couple dozen of us and not much else to talk about. Are you enjoying it?” Juli asked amiably as they walked along towards the bungalow Okara rented.

”I’m starting to get settled. I want to spend more time on my land though so I figured the tent would help with that. The bungalows are wonderful but also a bit of a crutch for getting started. I’m apprenticed to Jansen right now and I’m really enjoying it. I’m learning so much and he’s a very patient teacher. The small population helps so we never get truly swamped with work.” Okara explained. The two women chatted softly about the weather and the tides until they eventually reached Okara’s bungalow. Juli helped her carry everything inside before wishing her a smiling goodbye. The serious minded woman was growing on the Konti.
Ledger Costs :
Boots, High 5sm x2 leather = 1 gm
Tent, 1 person 2gm
Kukri 8gm
Healers Kit 50gm
Bedroll 1 sm
4 sq yd burlap 2 sm
Rope, Hemp (50 ft) 1 gm
= 62 gm 3 sm

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Run to Your Mama

Postby Okara on June 20th, 2018, 2:13 am


Okara laid out her supplies on the floor of her bungalow to take stock of what she had. She didn’t know how long Uta had meant for her to take and she started to feel nervous that she may be wasting the woman’s time. She decided to she ought to just pack up what she needed and worry about storing the rest later.

First things first, she needed something to bundle together the supplies they would hopefully find in the forest. Laying out the burlap cloth she measured out a fourth of the material, roughly a yard, and used the kukri to cut it away from the rest. Tossing the other yards aside, she folded the cut cloth in half and then half again. She pressed the folds tightly and then unfolded it, a slight crease left in the fabric to mark it into quarters. She cut along the creases with the kukri, her skills her terrible and the blade was certainly not made to cut cloth so the quarters were lop-sided and hardly equal. Next she unfurled a few feet of the thin hemp rope and cut off a few pieces. Okara had devised a plan to use the pieces of cloth to lay material in and tie it up with the rope. She really needed some nice little bags but that would have to come later, she didn’t really have time to attempt sewing for the first time with someone waiting on her.

Satisfied with the rough work, Okara grabbed her backpack and started filling it. She placed her full waterskin, healer’s kit, burlap pieces, rope pieces, journal, piece of charcoal, and with a moment of hesitation slid her suvai securely beside the other items. She slid off her flimsy boots and securely laced the new, thicker boots onto her feet. Standing, she slid her backpack onto her shoulders and grasped the kukri firmly in hand before retracing her steps back to Uta’s home.

”There you are! I was just starting to wonder. It’s still plenty early though so we should make good time and be back with plenty of light.” Uta called as Okara came into view. Okara noticed that the other woman had also changed and carried a pack of supplies on her back and a well-used machete in her hand.

”Well, let’s get started. Have you been out here much?” Uta asked as she led Okara along the stream that run under her home and into the thicker foliage.

”No, I can’t say that I have much. I’ve been as far in as the buildings have been located of course and then I’ve ventured a little bit here and there from the beach but nothing very deep. Anything I should keep in mind?” Okara asked, stepping over a mossy log and then immediately ducking beneath a low hanging branch. A cloud of insects seemed to descend as soon as they were a feet into the vegetation.

”Plenty! But we’ll take it slow, I don’t want to overwhelm you. Which in fact is the first thing you should know! You have to take it slow in the jungle. Anywhere you want to go is always going to take twice as long as you think it will. Take your time and plan on plenty of time. The jungle is thick, the ground is slick, and it’s definitely not flat so you have to watch where you are going and not rush. That’s how you start getting into trouble. “ Uta said and turned just in time to grab Okara’s shoulder as the Konti tripped over a thick root she hadn’t noticed. Okara mumbled her thanks and took a moment to straighten herself and plant her feet firmly. When she was ready Uta continued to lead her further into the jungle.
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Run to Your Mama

Postby Okara on June 20th, 2018, 2:14 am


”One of the hardest things is also just keeping your bearings. It can be so thick in here that you can barely even see the sun at times, particularly with all the rain, so it’s easy to get lost. We’re going to follow this stream most of the way, following some kind of water source is a good idea until you are really experienced since it’s a reliable landmark to follow.” Uta explained with Okara breathing heavily behind her. Okara thought she was in good shape with all the swimming she did but this was a completely different physical task.

A quarter of a bell passed as the two women slowly working their way along the stream. Okara knew this would be a difficult adventure to undertake but this was overwhelming on a level she felt completely unprepared for. High humidity made sweat stick to her skin as flying insects swarmed her body and flew at her eyes and mouth. She had to walk unbearably slow or her feet would slip on the slick, wet leaves underfoot or trip over a concealed root. Branches and vines hung low in her path and once she went to swipe away a vine only to jump back as she realized the vine was in fact a coiling snake.

”Okara! There’s a patch of peppers up here.” Uta said and pointed to a short plant with long, red fruits hanging from it. They approached the plant and Uta knelt to examine it and the surrounding plants. Okara slid off her backpack and took a moment to gratefully slurp at her waterskin. As wet as this place was she incredibly thirsty from her exertions. Once she was quenched she tucked the skin away and pulled out her journal and charcoal before squatting down carefully next to Uta.

”There’s a lot of different peppers in the capsicum genus, cayenne is generally in the middle as far as spicy heat is concerned. They like plenty of heat, water, and sun which they get plenty of here. They generally don’t grow very tall so you have to keep your eyes looking down if you are hunting for them specifically.” Uta explained as Okara opened her journal to a blank page. She quickly sketched the short plant, trying to capture the shape and arrangement of the leaves on the stem. In the margins she wrote a few hurried notes about what Uta had explained. Sliding her journal and charcoal back into her backpack she drew out a square of burlap and a length of thin rope.

”Be careful harvesting the peppers. The heat is all in the oil and the oil coats the outside as well.” Uta warned. Okara nodded and used the burlap to grasp at a handful of the long, slender peppers hanging from the plant. She carefully gathered about a dozen peppers from the plant before deciding that was enough. She settled the cloth in her lap so she could fold up the corners and tie it into a tight bundle with the hemp rope. She dropped the little bundle into her backpack and shrugged it back onto her shoulders.
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Run to Your Mama

Postby Okara on June 20th, 2018, 2:30 am


”Well, where to next?” Okara asked with a sigh, drawing a laugh from Uta.

”Regretting the trip already? We have a lot left to go. The coconuts at least will be easy, we can gather those from the beach when we get back. At least now we just have to look for trees instead of at the ground. Or rather, I have to look for trees. We’ll get through it though, it always seems impossible in here at first but you’ll start getting the hang of it. We all do.” Uta said with a friendly smile.

”I hope so. I thought I would be ready but I really wasn’t. This place, is, well, a jungle. How long have you been here? Did you know it would be like this?” Okara asked as they started walking along the bank of the stream again.

”Well I don’t think anyone ever really expects the jungle. It’s pretty unlike any where else. But I’ve been here as long as the settlement has. I like adventure and when I heard they were trying to found a new city I knew I would find plenty of that here.” Uta explained quietly, slicing a thick vine blocking her path with her machete.

”Have your adventures always gone well?” inquired Okara.

”For the most part. If they had went really badly we wouldn’t be having this conversation. I did get lost one time but I climbed a tree and was able to get my bearings again when I could see the sun. That’s something to keep in mind, climb a tree or find high ground to get a good view in. It seems obvious but when you are truly lost it’s easy to panic and lose your common sense.” Uta advised.

The two women fell into a friendly silence as they continued on, working their way carefully across the uneven terrain. A bell passed and Okara felt as though they had made hardly any progress even though she could barely recognize anything around her. The small stream they had followed was beginning to shrink and she wondered how much longer they would have that reliable landmark.

”There’s the neem tree. Let’s make our way over there.” Uta said and pointed at a tree a little ways from the stream. Okara startled a moment, she was so deeply concentrated on the environment around her that she had almost forgotten they were looking for something. She looked where Uta pointed and saw a tall tree with a spreading canopy standing amongst the thick jungle plants. She hesitated a moment before following Uta, not please to walk away from the reliable stream.
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Run to Your Mama

Postby Okara on June 22nd, 2018, 2:58 am


Uta slowly led the way towards the neem tree she had spotted with Okara following close behind. Both Uta and Okara chopped at the vines and bushes that pressed chokingly in around them. The jungle was vast but Okara felt like she was trapped in a small, tight space that threatened to close in around her. Chopping at the leafy fronds and looping lianas was cathartic and checking behind her to note the rough path they had left behind them was the only thing keeping her panic of getting lost in check.

When they reached the tree both women stopped a moment to rest and drink deeply from waterskins. Okara wiped sweat from her forehead as she looked up at the tree. Uta leaned back against the reddish brown bark and quietly gazed at the jungle around them. Neither spoke as Okara took out her journal and began to sketch the tree, trying to capture how the slender trunk broke into a many branched crown and bushy canopy of leaves with simple strokes of charcoal. Beside the sketch of the tree she drew a closeup of a section of branch, trying to demonstrate the pinnate shape and opposite arrange of several leaves. A few clustered ovals to indicate the appearance of the fruit completed the sketch. She finished with a few notes in the margins to explain the colors of the specimen and clarify the shapes her fumbling fingers could not quite capture.

”Neem trees are a pretty interesting species, while they are mainly tropical trees I’ve seen them in more arid regions so they are clearly very resistant to drought. This tree is already in the fruiting stage clearly but when its flowering each stem could have a cluster of over two hundred tiny white flowers on it.” Uta explained, gesturing at the tree as Okara added a few notes about flowers to her neem tree sketch page. ”The fruit, bark, and leaves all have a lot of valuable uses but according to the note we were only requested to bring back leaves.”

Okara exchanged the journal for a scrap of burlap from her backpack. She looked up at the leafy canopy and frowned. The tree did not lack for leaves but the crown was well beyond reach of her grasp. Uta sighed and kneeled down onto the slick ground. She made a stirrup with her hands and gestured at Okara to hurry up. Surprised but grateful, Okara scraped the bottom of her boot off on a rock before carefully placing it in Uta’s hands. The woman hoisted her up and Okara reached up as far as she could for the closest branch. She hooked her hands around the branch and gritted her teeth as her muscles strained to pull her body weight up. The Konti wrapped her legs around the tree and clung with her thighs for all she was worth. She fought to cling to the tree but climbing was not a strength so after a few moments she slid to the ground. She looked at Uta in dejection and noticed the woman was politely biting back a chuckle.

”Well let’s try something else then.” Uta said, mastering her composure. The helpful naturalist found a long branch laying amongst the leaf litter. She used the branch to carefully hook around a branch of the neem tree and pulled it down until Okara could just reach the leaves fluttering above her. Okara quickly grabbed handfuls of the leaves until she had a small pile laying on top of the burlap scrap on the ground. Uta gently released the branch and Okara tied up the edges of the burlap into a bundle, stuffing it into her backpack.
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Run to Your Mama

Postby Okara on June 22nd, 2018, 2:59 am


”Just the cinchona bark left. I hope I have room. I hope I have energy.” Okara said with some apprehension as she gazed at her backpack. The pack was looking very full and she wasn’t sure how much more was going to fit.

”This time we are in luck, I see a cinchona right over there!” Uta said happily and started walking towards a smaller tree, cutting a few lianas and climbing over some logs in the way. Okara followed quickly behind with backpack in hand, some energy returning to her limbs at the idea of finally attaining the goal of this excursion. She knew coconuts were on the list as well but Uta had said they could be gathered on the beach which was much less daunting.

The tree the approached was only maybe eight feet in height. Okara was amazed that Uta had been able to spot it amongst the thick forest. She was grateful to have someone so experienced and attentive to guide her. Opening a fresh page of her journal she used a few long lines to sketch the trunk and crown. She added some more curved lines to indicate the leaves and as before drew a closeup of the leaves on a branch, rounded shape and opposite arrangement. A few globes along a stem represented the fruits. Okara filled the margins with notes to clarify her drawings.

”This is a young tree but that will be to our benefit, I think. Usually they grow to be two to four times this size.” Uta said as Okara tucked away her journal. Okara used her kukri to chop a few branches off at their collars, remembering her lessons on Mura and the best way to harvest bark without causing permanent damage that would be fatal to the tree. Each branch took several chops, she was unsure how much bark she really needed and she was tired from the trek so she decided four branches of roughly two feet in length was sufficient.

”Okara. Be quick.” Uta suddenly said, her voice quiet and dead calm. ”We are being watched.”

The hair raised on the back of Okara’s neck and she shoved the branches into her pack. A half second’s hesitation, she slid the kukri down into her pack and withdrew her suvai. She was no master with the small, forked weapon but she felt more confident with that in her hand then the kukri which she had possessed for less than a day.

Once she had the pack slung onto her shoulders Uta began to wordlessly retrace their path back to the stream. Uta stared only ahead at where they intended to go so Okara imitated her and fought the desperate urge to look around for whatever had spooked Uta. They slithered over mossy logs and ducked beneath branches. A few chimes and their hurried steps brought them to the banks of the river where Uta veered to follow its path back towards the settlement.
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Run to Your Mama

Postby Okara on June 22nd, 2018, 2:59 am


Okara followed as quickly as she could. She began to wonder if Uta had merely imagined something when she heard the small sound of a twig break. But the twig had not crunched beneath their feet, it had broken in the trees above them. Almost directly above them. Goosebumps rippled across her flesh and her heart rapidly pumped energy back into her body. She wanted to sprint, wanted to hide but she forced herself to keep steady pace behind Uta.

Chime after chime passed in eternity as the women silently walked on, their breaths coming faster and harder. At some point Uta tripped and went down hard on one knee but with a surge of adrenaline Okara grabbed by the arm and roughly hauled her back on her feet without slowing for a moment. She felt anger nest tightly in her head as she wondered by the creature insisted on toying with them. She wondered why it couldn’t just attack them and have done with it. She wondered if it even truly wished them harm. But most of all, she wondered what her mother and two younger sisters were doing. Were they at home, speaking and laughing softly over a meal? Perhaps they were doing some shopping around Silver Lake. She hoped whatever they were doing, they were happy. Happy and blissfully unaware that their elder sister was fleeing through the jungle in terror from an unknown enemy.

She held onto the image of her family. She held it in her mind and pretended that she was running toward them rather than away from the unknown. It strengthened her heart and her resolve, she was determined that the image was not false. Someday, somewhere, she would see them again. This was only the first step in that journey.

By the time the women had covered half of the distance back to the settlement, they were almost spent. Uta swung to the side suddenly and ducked down into the gnarled roots of a large tree. Okara dove in beside her. Each woman gasped for breath and struggled to hear any sign of their pursuer. A few seconds passed and Okara heard nothing. Perhaps they were safe. Perhaps they had mistaken their pursuer for malevolent when it was merely curious.

Okara felt tiny bits of bark fall onto her hair and she looked up into the clear, yellow eyes of an enormous black cat. She could see it’s body tensed, it’s lips curling back to show its long white incisors. Her mind went utterly blank as cold fear gripped her heart.

Cluck… cluck…. Cluck. For just a moment the cat’s eyes swiveled to see the source of the sound and Okara surprised herself with a moment of bravery as she leapt up and slashed at the large cat’s paw with her suvai. The cat yowled and the woman dove aside as it tumbled down from the tree. It attempted to gather up it’s body then sluggishly fell on its side on the forest floor, limp.
Last edited by Okara on June 23rd, 2018, 8:53 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Run to Your Mama

Postby Okara on June 22nd, 2018, 3:00 am


”Wha… what? Did you kill it?” Uta gasped, confusion and amazement filling her voice.

”No. I only scratched it with my suvai. Suvai are poisonous to non-Konti, its more of a incapacitating weapon then a killing one.” Okara explained. The clarity and calmness of her voice surprised herself. A moment later when she doubled over and puked violently into a bush she realized she was in shock.

Wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, Okara stepped over to inspect the jungle cat. She knew it would be sleeping for some time. It was the largest cat she had ever seen, its black fur was fine and sleek. If it hadn’t just tried to make a meal of her she would have found it utterly beautiful. She found the paw she had injured and stared down at the shallow scratch she had left behind. With a deep breath in she thought of the vow to Rak’keli that came with her gnosis, and placed her fingers on the scratch. Lifting her fingers the scratch was healed and gone.

"Your arm!" Uta exclaimed and pointed at the Konti. Okara looked down and through three rips in her linen blouse she could just as many long scratches down her upper arm. Blood rolled down her arm and dripped onto the forest floor. The cat must have gotten her on its poisoned fall out of the tree. The adrenaline was still pumping so hard from the encounter that she didn't even feel it yet. Trying to keep calm and detached, Okara placed her fingers gently on the lacerations. Two of the lacerations her gnosis could heal but one along her upper arm was too deep, she could see the white of fat showing through. She healed the two that she could and her gnosis purified the deeper laceration.

Okara pulled out her healer's kit and found a jar of healing salve that would help the wound to clot and the blood to stop pouring down her arm. She gently rubbed a healthy amount along the laceration, biting her lip hard, her touch had awakened her nerves to the pain of the wound. Next she unrolled some bandage and wrapped them around her arm until the wound was securely covered. Uta helped her cut the roll and pin the end of the bandage in place. Okara realized with dismay her shirt was close to being ruined. The sleeve could never be repaired. Her arm was beginning to pulse with pain and she decided she needed something to turn her attention towards.

”What distracted the cat?” Okara mused out loud and turned to investigate. Uta was happy to stand back and watch as Okara pushed aside some bushes. Out from the foliage walked a small chicken with deep green feathers.

”What the petch is that?” Uta said humorlessly. The human woman was clearly done with today. Okara sympathized.

”A chicken, I think. I’ve never seen a green chicken before though. Maybe you should catalogue it.” Okara said as the chicken pecked at the ground around her feet having seemingly decided that the women were safe.
Last edited by Okara on June 23rd, 2018, 9:00 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Run to Your Mama

Postby Okara on June 22nd, 2018, 3:01 am


”I think not. There’s something weird about that chicken. I’ve never, ever seen a chicken in this jungle. And green? This is just too strange. I can only imagine it’s a chicken that got separated from Syka but all of the chickens I’ve seen have been…. Normal. This chicken is weird.” Uta said, eyeing her machete. Okara reached down carefully and picked up the chicken which didn’t seem to mind the handling.

”Oh, you aren’t weird, are you? You helped us! You can come live with me. You seem like a great ch-“ Okara held up the chicken to inspect and her words were cut off as the chicken's head darted forward and it pecked her sharply on the nose. Okara reeled back and held her face in one hand with a squeal. She pulled her hand away and there was blood smeared on it. Placing her hand back on her face, she healed the wound. She had used her gnosis so much today on top of the exhausting journey that she was beginning to feel a little ill physically and mentally from the fatigue and strain. She desperately needed long, uninterrupted sleep but they still had some ways to travel before they reached Syka.

”Let’s just get out of here.” Uta said and Okara nodded in miserable agreement, clutching the chicken under her uninjured arm. It seemed content to be held there as long as nothing came too near its face.

The women set out again, quiet and exhausted. Both women were exhausted and set their gazes facing forward. Okara was relieved Uta didn't check behind her as the Konti spent some of the journey back with quiet tears running down her cheeks as she vented the frustration and exhaustion of their experience.

Eventually, though not nearly soon enough, they could see the outline of Uta’s dwelling in the distance. The remaining tension left their bodies as they realized they were truly safe now. Blackness prickled around the edges of Okara's vision as exhaustion pressed down on her. Standing near the steps of Uta’s home the two women looked quietly at one another, trying to find words to say.

”Well… petch the coconuts. Jansen can go out and gather them himself. I’m ready to lay down for quite some time.” Uta suddenly said and Okara barked out a startled laugh.

”He can help me find some tomorrow. Laying down sounds magnificent, I would like to do the same.” Okara sighed. The two women shook hands firmly, they had had a trying experience that was difficult not to bond over. Uta walked up the steps towards her living quarters while Okara wearily turned and began to trudge towards her own home. She briefly considered going to the Panacea first to have her wound healed and drop off the supplies she had collected but she needed rest, as much for her mental health as her physical. The green chicken was still clutched under her arm, sedately clucking and occasionally trying to peck at Okara’s hand. She had determined to keep the chicken that had helped save them but the chicken wasn’t making it easy for her. She would have to find a way to make a secure hutch for it. But not today, the rest of today was for sleep. Sweet, sweet sleep where she hoped to dream of her family on Mura.

Grader's NoteThe chicken in this story is the chicken I was awarded through the location challenge weekend event. Thank you!
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