Hunting Thingamajigs

"Its just simple food," Angus said, "But it sure is better than some of the odd things that Sergio found for Brian and I the first time we were here."

"We won't tell them while they're eating," Brian said.

"I don't think we'll tell them even when they're not eating," Angus laughed. "Ick."

"It kept you alive, didn't it?" Sergio laughed.

"Well, there were moments,..." Brian began. Angus and Michael laughed, knowing that what they had found in the wild was just not that pleasant. When Angus and Michael were done eating, they worked together to break up camp and repack their things. Brian took Khaat down to the waterfall, and since Khaat remembered the way, it was easy to find. They showered and dresssed. She felt better. Brian asked her honestly about Aura.

"She's desperately low on blood," she told Brian. "I had no choice. What was I going to do? Leave her behind?"

"No," he said, "Talk to me. You're not the only healer here. Damnit, talk to me! What's with all the secrets since we got here? Its not like you!"

"I dont know," she said softly. "I'm sorry. I...I don't know."

"Not good enough!" he barked. "I can't protect you even a little bit..."

"I dont want you to! One of us has to get home to our girls! It has to be you!..."

"It has to be US!" he said, bellowing. She jerked her head around, looking up towards the top of the cliffs as he spoke.

"Shhh," she said quickly. "We're being watched. I can feel it."

"What? Where?" he began to look. He saw nothing. "I presume its not friendly, by any luck?"

"No," she said firmly. "Its not. It feels like death. I can feel the energy signature. Watch the others. I can watch myself this time."

"You sure?" he asked.

"Its like I can smell it. Just about as much as you hate pachouli."

"Ewwww," he wrinkled his nose.

"Yeah. About that much," she said. "Go back. Get the others. Bring them here. Don't reveal the camp."

"I can't leave you," he frowned.

"I'm alright. Go," she said. He went back to the cave.

"We go. Now! We're being watched. Dont waste time. Move," Brian ordered fiercely. Angus and Michael and Sergio scrambled to get the gear, and Brian hauled his pack on his shoulder and got Aura to her feet, shoving the walking stick in her hand. "Somebody get Khaat's pack." Angus picked up Khaat's walking stick. "We go right now. Khaat's alone. Hurry up."

Jack , Jim and cassidy grabbed their wands and headed down to the waterfall and to Khaat cassidy stood with her while jack and Jim stood perimeter watching Jack wrinkled his nose and sneezed several times at the horrendous odor that he had smelt around them. " I found what your worried about Khaat " he told her and looked in the direction it was coming in. Ever one waited and watched for Brian and the others hoping they would not be attacked while they waited.

" who is it ?" Cassidy asked Khaat softly as if not wanting to be over heard by who or what ever it was stalking them.

"I don't know," Khaat said. "I havent' encountered this before. Not like this. Its..full of dark magic. Its..different. If it were werewolf I'd know it. But it isn't. This is very different."

"Human?" Brian asked.

"I...don't know," she said. "But whoever it is, he or she or they see us."

"Great. Just great," he sighed. "Sergio? Any clues?"

"There are many legends of many creatures here, Senor. Consider--if you wanted to hide from a white lighter, where better than in the remote regions of the rainforest?" Sergio said, looking around as well.

"And especially when there is so much at stake with whatever the artifact is that we're hunting."

"Perhaps we're not the only ones hunting it," Angus said.

Jim looked at Jack who paced then looked at Khaat " hay I am a were and I can't tell what or who it is " he said softly and looked around again. Jim stood read for battle so was Cassidy even if she was a little shaken buy not knowing what was out there. Jim stood close to Cassidy more for her reassurance than his own. He looked over at Khaat as Sergio spoke of legends of creatures living in the area " I'm with Khaat on this one " he said and looked at Cassidy and shrugged " some times there are truths in legends" he told her.

"Let's get moving," Michael said. "Standing here isn't helping us. Let's hit the trail. If it wants to watch, then it will have to follow, and if we move, it has to move too. Maybe we'll see something."

"Good thought," Brian agreed. "Stay together, and stay close." Brian motioned to them to follow. He and Khaat started to head up the trail, led by Sergio. Michael stayed near Aura to help her handle the trail. Angus took the very back of the trail to make sure they were covered from the rear.

It wasnt' an easy path. It was a sharp uphill incline. Khaat knew that Brian wasn't going to be able to push them like he could when they were on flat ground. However, she was seeing more sunlight as they climbed uphill. The tree cover got lighter. And it wasn't as dangerous looking. She knew, though, that looks could be deceiving.

Jack shivered but moved with them up the incline Jim held cassidy around her waist helping her to climb " now I understand about the hiking boots " she told them as she slipped and scrapped her knee but she kept going knowing she could tend it later and continued to climb once at the top she sat down and pulled back her trouser leg finding a deepish cut . Jim saw it and moved to her taking his hanky he wrapped it around her knee.

" you can't let it get infected not here" he said " things do get infected rather fast so keep it clean I'll look at it again once we make camp" he pulled her trousers down and helped her to stand up

Michael took advantage of Cassidy's slight scrape and let Aura sit to rest. He noticed Aura's skin was a weak, pale gray color and she was dripping with sweat. Well, they were all sweating, so that wasn't unusual. He took out a bottle of water from his pack and gave it to her, but she refused.

Khaat took out a thin, tin flask fro her pants pocket. Brian recognized it as a flask from the medicine kit. Khaat took it over to Aura and handed it to her. Aura uncapped it and sniffed it. "It will make you feel better," Khaat said. Aura took a sip and then drank nearly half the flask before she handed it back to her. Khaat capped the flask and put it back in her pocket. Aura nodded her thanks. Michael noticed Aura's color return to her face in minutes. He was glad to see Khaat could help.

When they had all had a chance to rest and perhaps get some water from their packs, Brian asked them if they were ready to go again. They had a lot of ground to cover by nightfall. They stood and made themselves ready to go again.

Jim looked over at Michael and saw he was tending to the new comer and was glad . once cleaned and sorted he helped Cassidy to her feet. " thank you Jim" she said and continued on with no trouble . Jack kept smelling the scent and so was on edge Jim saw this and sighed shaking his head as they walked " jack calm down if it was going to attack it would have by now " he told him and jack nodded.

" guess your right " he said but didn't lower his wand one inch " but I like to be safe than sorry"

Brian noticed that Khaat wasn't as strong as he had expected her to be. He didn't say anything, but he thought she had been in better shape before they left home. He wasn't usually wrong on such things, and he had truly believed he had stopped her before she had given too much of her own energies away. But either he had been dead wrong and had missed something. Or something had changed. He just didn't get it.

He had to stop them twice more during the morning. The last time, he stopped them in a bit of a clearning near a creek. Brian told Michael and Angus. "Let's try some lunch. I know its a bit early, but..."

"It might help," Angus said, hoping that perhaps the additional boost of energy would help. "Ill get right on it." Brian found Khaat a place to sit on a blanket on the ground, and Michael put Aura next to her. Khaat passed the little flask back to Aura and then curled up against Brian's backpack and had gone almost immediately to sleep.

Michael noticed immediately. "I thought she was better trained for this," Michael said soflty to Brian.

"She was," Brian said.

"Then you need to find out what's changed since we got here," Michael said firmly. Angus found a simple lunch of soft cheese, bread, fruit, and Italian proscuitto ham. He put out some candied dried fruit as a bit of a simple dessert. It wasn't the sort of fare they ate at home, but he did try to cook a meal when they established camp at night.

"Its not what we get at home, but its good quality ingredients. Help yourself," Angus said. "And get plenty of water while we're resting, Everyone."

Cassidy was glad of a rest and sat down next to Jim she ate what Angus had prepared and was soon full she lent against Jim and yawned " you think it's safe to stop here?" she asked him and Jim chuckled softy.

"of course it is Michael would not put us in danger " he said wrapping his arm around her shoulders as she lent on him dozing in the heat. Jack just paced around them all like a caged animal as if anticipating trouble was to come. " Jack sit down will you your even making me nervous."Jim told him Jack sat down his eyes still glancing around Jim knew he could not do anything about that and so just shook his head gently.