The Jellybane Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Among The Trees

When Alice wakes, she knows from the sun, shining through the plain beige canvas of her tent, that it's already quite late. Even so, she feels good, well-rested and eager to begin the awaited expedition. Stretching reveals some soreness in legs and arms but nothing to impede the fox's desire to explore. Taking up the straps of her sword, waterskins, and bread filled core bag, the Tokala heads out to greet the new day. Getting out a few more stretches, she equips herself while surveying the fields. Noting only a single remote jelly, the young hunter collects her now dry blouse and the clothes line it hung on overnight. Collecting a few more things, she sets off, having some bread and water on the go to help make up for the lost morning.

Along the way, Alice notices a fresh jelly trail, a line of yellowed grass sharply contrasting with the surrounding green. On a typical day, she'd hurry to follow the direction the dying blades lean in the hopes of facing the monster at the end. This day though, despite some temptation, the young hunter keeps on course, deciding to save her strength for the forest. The rarer colored jellies tended to dwell deep within and there is still a healthy ways to go.

Marching past, the stumpy fields give way to thicker and thicker flora. Grasses and flowers become bushes and trees of steadily greater heights, increasingly limiting visibility. Picking her way through a familiar route, Alice can hear the call and song of birds as well as the buzz and hum of insects, though she pays them little mind. Small creatures rustle along the ground and among the branches, most fleeing, some investigating, the sound of her steps. Fairly familiar with this part of the forest, the hunter makes her way toward a previous campsite.

After about two hour's trek, Alice is cheered when she sights deep cuts on a tree trunk. These are marks she made herself on an earlier expedition to help guide her. Taking the briefest pause to feel over the long dried slashes made with her sword, one horizontal and one diagonal, she inwardly praises her past self, moving on in the direction they indicate. Following two more, she reaches her old clearing, but is disappointed with what she finds. Or doesn't find.

Alice had chosen this spot last time because the great adoe tree here, these growing wide near their base and narrowing as they reach for the sky, has numerous large hollows in it's porous trunk and creeping surface roots. A decent rain would leave many of the hollows full of water and covering them with the wide, flexible leaves of the surrounding wye bushes could keep it clean for a time. Having fresh water on hand and not being terribly far from home, the site made for a decent base from which to mount further forays into the forest. This time though, she finds the natural basins bone dry, the storm from two nights ago having moved too quickly to leave even a drop. Frowning but undeterred, the fox moves on.

Alice sees a few jellies oozing about as she walks. Were they any other colors, the hunter would gladly take the time to defeat them for their valued cores, but so far, the only ones she's come across are green. Deciding it would be a better use of the day to continue the search for a decent campsite, she ignores them. A preferable site would be close to good water, have at least one tree with branches strong enough to sleep in, and an abundance of jellies nearby. Such locations were rare but, if found, could mean the difference between a successful hunt, with many colorful cores to trade, or a dismal failure resulting in wasted time and supplies.

After an hour or so more of exploring, Alice comes across a fallen temira tree. There's little remarkable about it save for it's horizontal trunk. Now blackened and soft with rot, the young hunter thinks it might provide a nice place to sit for a rest.

The first section crumbling beneath her, the fox tests a few more before finding a sturdy enough area to have a seat, letting tired feet get some rest. Removing her weighty gear and having some water, she looks along the tree, faintly wondering how many years it must have endured before finally toppling over. From the lengths of broken trunk stretching deeper into the brush than she can see, it must have been many. Feet dangling, relieved to have her weight off of them, a strange little thought has the hunter giving the tree's frail bark a little pat, silently giving it thanks for offering this bit of comfort despite the state it's in.

When she does this, the Tokala notices a strip of green moss growing over nearly the entire top length of the tree, all the way to its partially uprooted base. Along with it are a number of nubs, likely where branches once sprouted and had long since broken or otherwise rotted away. Yet to the imagination of a young girl, the rotted old tree could very easily be a long and incredibly thick neck. The moss and nubs, the thick ridges and vicious spikes leading to the many wildly protruding roots, now, the great crown of thorns of a fearsome dragon. Deciding her break can last a few more minutes, Alice grins, straddling the leviathan.

Particularly fond memories the fox kept of her father were his stories. Anytime he was in, and especially before bed, Alice would beg to hear one of his fantastical tales. In them, there were the daring quests of brave heroes, the sinister machinations of powerful sorcerers, the terrible wrath of foul beasts, and of course, the awesome power of dragons, Alice's favorite. In the stories she most enjoyed, the humble hero often met one of the winged reptiles by chance and, through an act of courage, or sometimes cleverness, aids the massive creature, earning its trust and friendship. Then off they'd go on spectacular adventures, discovering new lands, facing vile creatures, thwarting sinister plots, and saving entire kingdoms. With an ally so powerful with which to accomplish deeds so great, how could you help but become a hero worthy of your own legends and stories?

Alice imagines her tree dragon soaring through the air, the fallen leaves blanketing the ground becoming expansive fields and the mosses growing in patches over them, distant forests. She leans to the side, banking this way and that, keeping hold of her trusted mount with her thighs. After dodging a giant's hurled boulders, she leans in for a dive, prepared to shout the order for her dragon to unleash it's fiery breath, bathing the monster in flames. But then, a subtle movement, a sudden contradiction of colors, rips her from the epic battle. Possibly disturbed by the fox's presence, a rather large, ghostly pale worm slowly wiggles out from the neck of her great beast, transmuting it into just an old, weatherworn log once more.

Pausing to watch, Alice observes the fleshy creature undulate free from some cavity near the base of the tree. Far from the only worm she'd ever seen, but the first to be so fat, the hunter watches, giants and dragons forgotten, as the creature pulls a surprisingly long body from the rotted wood. Despite being yards away, the worm is plainly visible, its near white body showing well against the deep brown of the surrounding trunk. The fox watches, curious to see just how long the creature is, already revealing more than a hand's length. More wriggling free, the front of the worm seems to pull the rest with tiny, unseen legs. Strangely fascinated, Alice leans forward, resting her chin atop her palms, elbows on the log. The worm frees itself completely after about eight inches, and then begins to crawl away, stretching forth with its front end before moving it's rear up to join it. As she watches, the hunter's sharp ears pick up an unusual noise breaking from the rest of the forest. Her body goes rigid. It sounds like footsteps, and words. Ears angling, Alice gets a direction and peers into the trees, pressing herself against the log to become as small as possible. She had never met anyone on an expedition before.

As they get closer, the words reveal themselves to be a sort of tune, one clearly being made up on the spot by a cheery, youthful, feminine voice.

“Wanderin' through the forest, pickin' through the trees, gobblin' creepy crawlies anytime I sees... one,” the voice cuts off uncertainly, though the crunch of dried leaves under foot continue. Alice, keeping still, spys movement through thick brush, too vague to make out details but from the size and voice, it's obviously a person.

The voice continues, “Wanderin' through the forest, pickin' through the trees, gobblin' creepy crawlies from anywhere I sees. Ooo.” The voice cuts off again, but the crackling footfalls suddenly become rapid.

Tensing, Alice follows the clamor, the indistinct motion making its way toward the base of her tree as she reaches blindly for the sword leaning against it. And freezes. What emerges is a massive brown lizard, if lizards learned to walk on two legs and talk. The bipedal reptile swiftly makes it's way to the worm Alice had been watching, picks it up in clawed fingers, and then drops it into a widely opening mouth. A cheek bulges as the strange creature chews the unfortunate worm, but pauses when a green eye rotates, its slitted pupil finding Alice. The lizard freezes then, too, like prey just noticing a much dreaded predator.

Shocked into inaction, Alice can only stare, though the lizard recovers, standing a bit straighter while hastily chewing and swallowing the worm.

The remarkably large reptile then waves a self-conscious hand to Alice, saying nervously, “Uh, hey.” In the other, it holds a long stick tapered near the top to form a simple spear.

Seeing this, Alice pushes off the log, getting it between them, and drawing her sword, leaving her scabbard to fall to the ground. The fox holds the weapon before her, watching the lizard over the blade with wide eyes.

“Whoa there, take it easy,” the lizard pleas, raising both hands in surrender, though keeping hold of her spear.

Alice knew the forest was a place of monsters, the jellies being the very least of which, and was often avoided by most because of it. There were many stories about the kinds of things that lived deep among the trees, ferocious cats that leapt from branches, giant insects that emerged from the ground, thick shelled crustaceans that patrolled the water ways, and even deadly carnivorous plants. But, despite even the most outrageous embellishments, she had never heard of talking lizards. This one even managed to clothe itself, limply hanging rags only just preserving modesty around her chest and lower body.

The hunter keeps her sword raised, part of her wanting to flee possible danger, another part stubbornly refusing to leave her supplies, whilethe last is terribly curious about the strange being.

The latter two merge, prompting the fox to demand, in a voice she had hoped would sound a bit firmer, “Who are you?”

The lizard looks around as if in search of something among the trees, hands lowering as it replies, “Uh, I'm... Danahlia. But, most call me Danny.” The name, the voice, and the well formed curves of the other's unusual, but not entirely alien, physique have the fox sure the lizard is female. Apparently not finding what she looks for, Danahlia's emerald eyes come to rest on the Tokala, “Who are you?”

“I'm Alice, Alice Dippleblack.”

Something about her name seems to amuse the lizard girl, wide mouth curving upward in a grin, “Yeah? Dippleblack? That 'cause your hands, feet, 'n' ears look like they were dipped in black ink?”

Alice raises a brow, remembering her father saying something similar when asked why they had the name, she and he sharing very similar coloration in their fur.

Still, she doesn't care for the subtle sense of being mocked and demands further, “What are you? You a monster?”

Danahlia's arms spread wide, “Whoa, that was uncalled for. Do I look like a monster?”

Alice takes the open posture as an invitation to study the stranger. She's tall, having at least a few inches over the fox, and completely furless, instead displaying bare, dark brown mottled skin that blends in well with the surrounding tree trunks. The countershading that begins on her chin is much lighter, traveling down her neck, over a generous chest, down a smooth stomach, and blending back into the darker, more dominant color of her thighs. The lizard's limbs are fairly long and slender, though appear firm with muscle, all ending in clawed digits. Those of her toes are particularly impressive, curved, some hooked, and all nearly black, the same color as Alice's own. Her face is long with a muzzle shaped like an arrow, widest near the back then coming to a point at the end of her mouth, two small nostrils just visible over her upper lip. Smooth, round humps disrupt the slope of her face, the extra space afforded taken up by large, brilliantly green eyes, the sharply slitted pupils of which studying the fox in return.

Despite obvious differences, there seem to be far more similarities between them. Even the thick, lengthy, tapering tail the lizard has reminds her of Ashley's bare gray one.

Considering this, Alice concedes, “I guess not,” and lowers her sword some, “But there are monsters out here.”

Danahlia points the spear she holds at the fox, “You're out here. Are you a monster?”

That cocky grin reappears on the lizard girl and Alice purses her lips, “No, course not.”

“Good! We can both agree we're not monsters. So, what're you doin' out here, and where'd you get that sword?” Danahlia asks, taking an interested step closer.

Alice raises the weapon defensively, “Swords mine. I'm a monster hunter.”

Danahlia raises her hands again, “Whoa, okay. Just askin, ticks.” She then tosses her spear a little ways away and then gestures to make clear her defenselessness.

Alice watches the lizard for a moment before deciding to take the opportunity to gather her things, keeping an eye on the strange girl.

Danahlia makes no further move to approach but asks, “Hey, you leavin'?”

“No, I'm huntin',” Alice clarifies, struggling to adjust the various straps of her gear while keeping her guard up.

“Well, I'm a hunter too. So, what'd ya hunt?” the lizard girl wonders, following the fox's movements.

“Jellies mostly,” Alice returns, still not sure what to make of the encounter.

“Jellies? You mean those roundish, clearish, blobish things that smell like the tail end of a turdler?”

Alice doesn't know what manner of creature a turdler is but the rest of Danahlia's description, along with her animated hand gestures, have the fox thinking they're on the same page. She responds in the affirmative, looking over the lizard's features while trying to look more concerned with where to go next.

“Why do you hunt 'em? Can you eat those things?” the bare skinned girl asks, a curious tilt to her head.

Alice's face scrunches up at the thought, “Ugh, no. The round bits that float inside 'em are valuable though. You can trade 'em for food 'n' stuff.”

“Really? How do you get 'em? I tried stabbin' at a few but it's like they don't even care. The holes just seal back up. I tried clawin' at one but it made my hand feel like it was on fire,” says Danahlia with more gestures.

Alice smiles at the amateur mistake, “Yeah, you really don't want to get any of their goo on you if you can help it.”

In Toki, Ashley had been one of very few who ever sought the Tokala's wisdom on the subject of jelly hunting. Everyone else simply seemed satisfied that the creatures were dealt with, often returning to their own business the moment any offending jellies were puddled. The lizard girl's interest is a rare opportunity to share some of her experience earned knowledge, something Alice took no small amount of pride in. A nagging voice tells her the drawback of revealing her secrets too often, insisting if more knew how to fight the jellies there might be less for her. But a more agreeable one assures that there were always more jellies.

Deciding some advice couldn't hurt, Alice explains, “I use my sword to cut chunks off 'em. If you do it right, you can get rid of enough jelly to grab the core.”

Danahlia cocks a furless brow, “Yeah? Then you can trade it for food?”

Alice nods, “And other stuff. Different color cores have different values. You can trade rare ones for more.”

“Wags,” grins Danahlia, retrieving her spear, “Twinkie'll wanna hear this. I'll introduce ya.” The lizard then starts off back the way she'd come.

Alice doesn't move, “Who's Twinkie?”

“A friend,” Danahlia assures, “Don't worry, she's a Warm Blood too. Come on.”

Warm Blood. That was a very general term for the people of Arsalia. The kingdom has many different peoples living within it, like Tokala, Didel, Leeseran, and Urock, but they were all said to share this 'warm blood'. Alice wasn't sure what being warm blooded meant, but it seemed to serve primarily to separate the people of Arsalia from the people of Feoria, known as the Cold Bloods. She only knew this because the war that was still raging somewhere far to the west was against these Cold Bloods. Alice had never seen one but always imagined them to be vile, monstrous creatures of ice and snow, creatures that had earned her hatred when they killed her father.

Alice finds it strange that the lizard girl would point out that her unseen companion is a Warm Blood. But she finds it alarming that she might now be outnumbered by strangers in the middle of the forest. The lizard had not seemed off putting, mostly just curious, though it could be an act. Stories of bandits were not unknown in Toki. With these thoughts to consider, the fox ends up standing rooted to the ground, unsure whether to risk following or side with caution and leave.

Danahlia notices her hesitation and waves, long tail mimicking the motion of her hand, “Come on, Alice Dippleblack. She isn't far.”

Sensing no malice in the girl's invitation, Alice decides to follow, reasoning with herself that she knew this part of the forest better than most, so even if there was some sort of ambush, she would be able to lose any attackers in the trees. Plus she had a sword, and supplies enough for a few days if she needed to hide. Alice stacks these against her caution, not wanting to admit the largest part of her decision is mere curiosity.

Catching up to the lizard, she asks, “So, what are you? I mean, I'm a Tokala.”

Danahlia looks back to her with a little smirk, “I'm a Liguna. You've never seen one before?” Alice gives her head a little shake and the lizard goes on, running a hand down her smooth curves, “Well isn't this your lucky day. After all, we are known to be among the most beautiful of people.”

Alice raises a brow, not knowing if the lizard's cocky grin means she's kidding or actually believes it.

The fox observes her companion's gate. Like her, the Liguna walks mostly on the balls of her feet and long clawed toes. Her heels remain almost a full foot off the ground and seem to have a single small, curved claw of their own. Her calves are similar to Alice's, as are her knees and thighs, only completely, and fascinatingly, furless. Everyone Alice knew had a fur coat of some kind making the Liguna's unusually bare skin seem very curious indeed. Its uneven patterning has her wondering if it's smooth or rough, supple or hard. She finds it terribly tempting to reach out to the lengthy tail waving beside her, wanting very much to see for herself.

Alice comes up with a plan to feel over it under the guise of tripping over a stick or rock, but before she can act, the Liguna wonders, “You live near here?”

The fox starts, “Uh, yeah. Toki. You?”

“Nah, we're just passin' through. Thought we might stop in and hunt us up some grub.”

“What do you hunt?” Alice asks, still watching the lizard's tail wave tantalizingly close.

“Anything I can eat,” Danahlia announces with a raise of her spear, “Truth be told, those blob things gobbled up most of what we had when we got here, sacks and all. Don't really have enough to leave now.”

“They got your supplies? That why you ate that huge worm?”

“Ooo those are the best,” the lizard pats her stomach as if in fond remembrance, “I love how they just burst in your mouth.”

The mental images of the worm exploding its guts and juices in her own have Alice making a noise of utter revulsion.

Danahlia grins widely, “You don't eat bugs?”

Still recovering, Alice shakes her head.

Danahlia laughs, “Ha, you are missin' out.”

This prompts the Liguna to go on in some length, detailing the finer points of the exquisite art known as bug eating. She starts by stressing that not all bugs are the same. Textures can run the gambit from a robust crunch requiring a vigorous chew, while others have a delicate coating needing only the press of a morsel against the roof of the mouth with tongue. Danahlia assures that the best offer a combination of the two. But, she is quick to add, even with a perfect pairing of crunch and squish, it's all for not without proper taste. Danahlia then reveals an extensive repertoire of flavors possessed by the many bugs she's had the pleasure of sampling, relating them to things the Tokala might have tried. She's clearly amused by the contorted expressions Alice can't help but make, particularly when describing her favorite methods of consumption.

“Then you gotta peel off the back part and just...” the Liguna tilts her head back as a hand tips an invisible delicacy into her mouth, “...let the insides drip onto your tongue. Mmm, so good. Hard to find but well worth it.”

“That is so gross,” Alice comments, finding herself swallowing frequently in an effort to keep her gorge down.

Danahlia laughs merrily, “You gotta be more open minded. Promise you'll try it at least... oh, here we are.” She then calls to their surroundings, “Hey, Twinkie, look what I found!”

Alice pauses, eyes scanning, ears perked, and a hand reaching the handle of her sword, just in case. The Liguna doesn't take up any sort of offensive stance, only looking around as she does.

After calling the name a few more times, Danahlia grumbles, “Agh, were the tick is she? I told her to stay right here! TWI-!” A rustling nearby takes their attention.

A tiny figure covered with a frayed, oversize brown robe emerges from among some bushes. With the loose hood up, Alice can only make out a tiny body topped with a disproportionately large head, a sigh emerging from it.

“There you are,” Danahlia says gleefully, approaching the figure.

The high voice of a child, much irritated, squeaks from the robe, “I believe I've already informed you, on multiple occasions, that I do not like being referred to as 'Twinkie'.”

“Oh, sure you do,” Danahlia insists, sweeping off the figure's hood with a hand to give the Murrin beneath's head a rough rub.

It relieves Alice to see the lizard's companion is of a familiar race. The diminutive mouse people where a common sight in Toki, though this one had the very biggest ears the fox had ever seen on any of them. With her hood down, the tiny girl's great round ears stick out like dinner plates, both nearly as large as her head. They even flop around some when she bat's away Danahlia's hand. The Murrin then narrows large amber eyes up at the much taller Liguna, scowling. Doing so reveals a pair of tiny incisors. These, along with a slight spray of slender white whiskers, round fluffy cheeks, and twitching pink nose, give the mouse an unreasonably cute face despite the expression.

Refusing to believe that so adorable a thing could ever pose a threat, Alice loses any hint of her previous caution, taking eager steps before falling to her knees in front of the tiny robed girl. Even then, the Tokala is still taller than the Murrin by more than a foot.

As the mouse tries to fix the disheveled fur atop her head, Alice can't help but coo, “Oh cheese, you are so cute!” reaching for what looks to be very soft, gray fur. Alice pauses when the mouse recoils, large amber eyes going wide.

After a moment, still tense, the Murrin mumbles, “Yes, well, thank you.”

“Ain't she though,” chimes Danahlia, “Don't it just wanna make ya give 'er a big ol' hug.” The Liguna crouches down, arms spread wide.

The mouse steps back, pointing a tiny, threatening pink finger, squeaking, “Don't, you, dare.”

Danahlia grins widely, placing a hand on Alice's shoulder, “Alice Dippleblack, this is Twin-”

“Twinkaleni Orbear,” the tiny mouse proclaims over the Liguna, giving a slight bow to Alice, “A pleasure to make your acquaintance.” Alice smiles brightly at the name, still very much wanting to feel the mouse's fine fur and expansive ears as the Murrin continues, “Now, I must question the decision made by my traveling companion to bring you here,” she looks sharply to Danahlia, “when I felt it was quite clear our objective was to remain concealed, and not to announce our presence to the entirety of the world!”

“What world? She's one person,” the Liguna insists, “And it couldn't be helped. I ran into 'er. Takin' off would've just been more suspicious.”

“You guys hidin' from someone?” Alice wonders, noticing that since the Murrin stepped back, the very tips of several little pink toes were left exposed by the hem of her robe. Alice then looks up to Danahlia, “You bandits or somethin'?” having a difficult time even considering the possibility after the Murrin's reveal.

Danahlia waves a hand in a 'that's silly' sort of way, giving a drawn out, “Naw, nothin' like that, promise. We just-”

“We are not at liberty to say,” finishes Twinkaleni, tiny arms crossing over her chest, nose and whiskers twitching.

“We just like to stay on the move,” says Danahlia, “To keep our business and let other folk have theirs ya know? That's all really.”

Alice supposed she could understand a desire to keep to themselves, thinking back on her own unwanted encounter with the urocks just yesterday, but it's clear there's more to it than that.

“Indeed,” says Twinkaleni, “Now, if we may have a moment. I would like to confer with my colleague.” The little mouse then gives a swift wave to the Liguna and starts into the trees.

“Huh?” Alice looks to Danahlia, who shrugs and follows after the tiny girl.

The pair wander off a little ways, the fox watching through the bushes but staying put. The Liguna crouched, they talk in hushed tones while Alice angles her ears trying to listen yet remain inconspicuous.

After some indistinct muttering, Danahlia jerks away from the mouse, exclaiming irately, “No, Twinkie, ticks. I don't even thinks she knows.”

“I merely point out a possible precaution,” Twinkaleni returns, looking off in Alice's general direction before the two begin murmuring some more.

After a time, they seem to come to an agreement and approach the fox, Danahlia trailing the Murrin and not looking especially pleased.

Twinkaleni starts, “We would like to discuss a proposition with you. As my companion has already divulged,” she gives Danahlia an annoyed look and gets a 'what do you want me to do about it now' sort of shrug in return, “You are aware we are in need of supplies, most urgently food. Danny says you made mention of the round objects within the gelatinous creatures being valued in your settlement?”

Alice nods, “Yeah, we call 'em core stones. You can trade 'em at a store in Toki for stuff. I get almost everything there.”

The Murrin's tiny pink hands come together, “Excellent. As for our arrangement, I wonder if it would be agreeable for you to show us how the, core stones? May be extracted. In exchange, we will procure as many as possible, offering a percentage for your aid.”

Having always wanted company on her sometimes long and always solitary hunts, Alice agrees enthusiastically, “Yeah, sure! I came out here to hunt for cores. I can show you how it's done.”

“Well alright,” says Danahlia cheerily, “Let's get us some cores!”

The three set off then, Alice postponing her search for a campsite in favor of showing her new hunting partners how she battles the jellies.

Having never been that far from Toki, she asks the pair where they come from and what kinds of places they've been to on their travels. Danahlia and Twinkaleni only offer vague answers, saying things like 'a ways off' and 'here 'n' there'. They do make mention of tending to keep off the beaten path, only venturing into towns when in need and stating this to be the main reason they have trouble naming places they've visited. Wondering of the pair's families reveals both to have been orphaned by the war, just as Alice had been. Without homes to go back two, they both began to wander, eventually bumping into each other much as they had the Tokala. Finding a partnership to be favorable, the lizard and mouse pair began their journey together with the shared goal of getting as far away from the war as they can. When asked, Alice tells the two a bit about herself and, having a fair bit in common, they find the hunt for jellies a surprisingly pleasant one.

When they do come across a jelly, Alice is excited to see that it's brown. These were the second most common color, just behind the greens, but still made for worthy prey.

When the fox approaches the monster, Twinkaleni asks,“Will you be needing our assistance?”

Drawing her sword, Alice replies, “I can take it, but be on the lookout for more. We'll wanna get lots before headin' back to Toki.”

The Tokala efficiently defeats the jelly, explaining her actions when she cleaves off chunks and flings them away before they can reform into the main mass. Once greatly reduced in size, she plucks out the jelly's bronze colored core, washing it off and then showing it to the others.

“Wags, you got 'em,” Danahlia cheers.

Twinkaleni, looking from the faintly glowing orb to the puddle left by the jelly, “Fascinating. The core stone appears to be vital to these creatures' maintaining cohesion.”

“Yeah, still gotta watch out though. The goo can still be nasty if it gets on you,” Alice informs, placing her new core into her sack.

“Ticks, these guys smell!” says Danahlia, fingers coming over her nostril slits when she approaches the jelly. The Liguna then runs the tip of her spear through the remaining brown puddle, “So we just gotta get their cores out of 'em and they fall apart?”

“Yeah, but that's the trick.” says Alice, running some water over her sword, “The goo will eat your hand if you just try to reach in 'n' grab it, and its too thick to just knock the core out. On top o' that, bein' too rough could crack the core, makin' it worthless.”

“Hmm, notes worth taking into...” the tiny girl's stomach audibly grumbles.

Danahlia puts on a forced grin, “See, this is why you need to be less picky, Pint-Size.”

“When was the last time you ate something?” Alice asks.

The Murrin frowns at the Liguna, saying glumly, “Something without an exoskeleton? Several days. Though once we acquire some of these cores we...”

Alice pulls free one of her loaves of bread, offering it to the mouse. Twinkaleni looks at the bread then to Alice, large amber eyes wide.

“Here,” Alice insists, “I got some more.”

The little mouse takes it, saying as if receiving a precious gift rather than just some stale bread, “Oh. Thank you, Alice.” She then struggles some to tear the hard loaf in two, giving half to the lizard girl, “We will repay you for this. Right, Danny?”

The Liguna, mouth already full assures, “Voh beah.”

Alice smiles brightly, “Don't worry about it.”

Typically having very little to give, helping the two causes a warmth to blossom in Alice's heart. Retrieving another loaf and sharing some water, the fox has a meal with her new friends, some hopeful little part of her believing this to be the beginning of something grand.

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