Chapter 2: Landfall

"No sudden movements everyone... just act as naturally as possible... but there's something in the treeline, just out of sight that may have been following us... it hasn't harmed us yet, but we could try flushing it out, or even running. Of course we could wait and see too." As nonchalantly as possible, Rollo tried to get a better look.

The beauty of the scene before her drew her eye from the clear river to the impossible climbing jungle. The darkness of the sands, so strange and yet somehow beautiful when combined with the greens of the jungle and the fresh waters of the river.

Rollo's words brought her back to the reality of the situation, using the momentum of gazing about her at the scenery she

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glanced over the area he had mentioned, before carrying on past it as if it was of no interest.

Griselda
Griselda, although nervous also tried to act naturally. She glanced around at the river and tried to take in the treeline. She was looking for signs of the observer but also for signs of things on the bank or the river that would give away signs of habitation. Washed up pots, wooden items, rags, anything that a rover would carry down tot he see from a village. She would

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Avedis shudders but remains quiet. A heaviness descends on the small party, a sense of foreboding that creeps closer and closer towards dread as the seconds tick by. The Jungle edge is still and silent. While before there was always some sound, birds, monkeys, or insects, it suddenly dawns on everyone that the only sounds in the area are the river, the waves, and your own breathing. Suddenly, almost violently, the tableau is shattered.

The river runs crisp and clear, not much sediment in it's currents, and no detrius that normally follows habitation, or civilization. The forest edge, so dark and forbidding just moments before, now appears open and inviting. The break in the jungle edge from which the river flows seems to beckon rather than threaten.

The scene of unease and foreboding roots Tempest to the spot, as sweat gathers and rolls down the back of her spine while the eerie silence screams in her ears. Her breath's tempo picks up as does the beating of her heart. Her had reaches for her trusted crossbow only to find the empty space that had been present since the mutiny and the traitors had removed it from her. Had her mouth and tongue not been so dry from the current sensations assaulting her she may have cursed.

The turn of pace almost causes her to stumble and look about dumb struck. She looks to the others to see if they had felt the same as she. What was that all about? She rubbed her upper arms at the ghost of the memory of what had just happened.

This is indeed a strange place, one moment I am struck by its beauty the next it terrifies me. She turns to Avedis and then the others askingDo you think it is safe to continue? We need water, but I am wary given what has just occurred.

"I.... I don't think we have much choice," the halfling hesitates, looking at the shade of the jungle. "I don't think we should venture far into the jungle without arms, though. I've never felt anything like that before." Avedis tears his gaze from the jungle, deliberately looking at the river itself.

The river is deep, deep enough that despite the clarity of the water it's difficult to tell how deep it really is.

Rollo thought aloud. "If we camp here, we'll have constant access to fresh water, rather than having to transport it back to where we slept last night..."

Aye we wont survive long with out that water, what ever that was it seems to eminate from the jungle, we will have to venture there some time for sure, but weapons will be needed, though I am not sure how we fight the likes of what ever that was.

Camping closer to the water is a good idea, so long as we can move the boat without damaging it further, I don't like the idea of leaving it out of sight, I have a feeling we maybe in need of it.

Lets push on to refill our water then and scout for a new camp site this side of the beach. We'll avoid the inner land at the moment. We'll need to make a more permanent shelter soon, and start looking for food, hopefully we can fish for most of it to avoid going in there she nodded to wards the tree-line with a grimace.

She began to move off towards the river again, slowly and cautiously, her

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senses alive for more signs of trouble, whilst looking for a good

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camp site and any signs of edible food, bird tracks, fish leaping, shell fish trails from burring into the black sands, she kept her eyes pealed for promising rock pools and seaweeds. Growing up in a fisher village when times were hard had taught her to look for foods along the shore lines that others may not have even thought to eat.

OOC

Raphaela
Raphaela didn't know what to make of their trek along the beach. Especially the eeriness that emanated out of that certain region. She couldn't stop thinking about it... "Well..." Raphaeal started off slowly, breaking her unusual silence, "if wer go'in ta camp here, some of us ought'ta go get tha others." she finished off-handily, as if it did not matter to her one bit.

Griselda
Griselda too is unnerved by the sense of panic followed by its disappearance. AFter the events of the last few days though she was beggining to become a little tougher in her heart.

Pausing to breathe deeply and master her panic, she considered the position. Any sizeable settlement or even a village would leave some traces downstream. There were none, therefore if settlement there was further up along this river, it would be no more than a few tribal huts at most. Unless the current was so strong that everything coming down the river was washed to sea, but this was not very likely right next to the coast.

Now that the moment of panic is gone, Griselda listens out for the sounds of animals and other life from the trees.

After a few moment of silence, she turns to her companions.

'I didnt like that feeling a few moments ago, and there is something unnatural about all this. However I see no reason why our current camp is any safer than here. There is water here, and the trees are close at hand. The river can help us move wood if we need to cut trees to repair the boat, and the need for fresh water is inescapable. Let us find a site, preferably near the shore and if it all possible in some kind of shelter, and then let us fetch the others and build our camp. We will need to move the boat here too, so we have much to do.'