>>6117833ZZ eyes the catch, then smiles a little.
“Hey, squirrel? It’s been a bit since I had that.” ZZ looks thoughtful. “Ain’t got the shit to buttermilk fry it, but we can smoke ‘em an’ they’ll keep better, anyway. It’ll do.”
You breathe a sigh of relief, glad not to have let her down. Or, well, that ZZ doesn’t KNOW you let her down. You mouth a silent thanks/apology to Yeb-Uit, but he’s already busy helping Zith-Zi, despite the tiredness you can see in his movements, and sense in his body. Fearful of further fuck-ups, you take up a position seated on your own pack nearer to An-Yii, and keep watch as the hunetr and your sister make a fire and begin the cooking process…
<span class="mu-g">…</span>
<span class="mu-r">…</span>
Dawn comes with soft birdsong, and leaf-shattered sunlight dapping <span class="mu-r">your</span> pink skin. You ignore it at first, but the groans of the goblins forces you awake; darkness is no bother to a gob, but daylight can surely jar one awake. You rouse yourself and stretch, looking around. You presume An-Yii to have been keeping the last watch since she was the first one out, which would explain why she’s fully-packed and tapping a foot impatiently.
“Come on,” you jostle Cara-Zi, first gently and then with greater force. “Come on! Get up, ya’ lazy shit!”
“Five more minutes…”
“An’ how’m I s’posed ta’ track THAT out here?” you sigh. “Count? Jus’ get the hell up, CZ.”
With a whine that turns into an abyssal, stretched-jaw yawn with the faintest hint of infernal sulfur, she does so. You’re relied to find that Yeb-Uit, at least, doesn’t need to be supervised in this way.
“Alright!” You raise your voice in volume and assume a commanding stance, with both hands on hips. “Go time, gobs and girls! It’s another beautiful fuckin’ day under Bloodrise, an’ we got places ta’ be!”
The others nod, though CZ rubs her half-closed eyes as she does so, and Yeb-Uit looks at least as tired as you feel. At least your stomach’s full of squirrel—you’ve marched on less food and for far longer in the past, so this is no big deal.
What’s the plan?
>A straight shot to Sunset Lake[skips the rest of the woodland journey]
>The scenic route[explore the woodlands a little, affording more time for interaction, picnics, and encounters that could yield wealth, wounds, or both]
