Land Down Under (KJDarKnight & Treasure)

Justira smiled, glad she seemed happy about it this time, still worried about having upset her before. Maybe Gray going to talk to her had been good, he hadn't said anything about it though.
 
Lynna sighed and laid back. The food had been good, and that had passed some time. Now, though, with nothing to do and the forest no longer as terrifying as it once was, she was starting to get bored. Thankfully, sleep soon took her, and she was curled up snoring lightly.

Badru laid down on his back in front of the largest gap in their little makeshift hut and closed his eyes. He wouldn't sleep deeply, just rest, but he was not on high alert as he was at other times. It was safe here in the hut.
 
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Nothing bothered them through the night or through the next day.

It was a little after mid day that Justira started to slow, the forest very familiar to her now, though now it didn't feel so much like home, not like it once did, now it felt like a graveyard, it helped nothing when she saw long abandoned campfire and bones scattered around, human bones. She stared, wondering who in her clan that had suffered such a fate...
 
Lynna caught Justira's arm and squeezed it gently. Moving around to block her view, she spoke as she signed. "Never mind. Those are just trash left behind. Nothing you need to worry about," she said firmly. "How about I go ahead and you and Badru wait here?"
 
Justira looked up at her when she stepped in the way, she shook her head "No. I need to do this" she signed back "I'm ok" she assured, or would be, she did feel the need to continue on, she had come this far and likely would never come back again
 
she tool a deep breath then continued forward, not looking at the bones again though.

The burrow soon came into view, only noticeable because the entry way had been torn apart to make it bigger otherwise it would have been hard to spot, save for the remnants of a little farm ontop of it, it had been trampled now and the fences to keep rabbits out broken down in many places but there was some stuff there they could still harvest and take with them

parts of the burrow had been collapsed leaving holes in the ceiling but it was still there and even from outside they could see a lot of tools and supplies had been abandoned, actually quite a lot more useable stuff than she expected to find, but that also meant most of her clan hadn't survived to come back for it.
 
"Your home looks like it was nice," Lynna said as she followed Justira. Then she realized what she's done. "Oh, right, can't hear me... I'll tell you later," she mumbled to herself as she started looking around more. It felt awkward, like a major invasion of privacy, but thinking about why no one would care was almost worse.

Badru didn't even try to go down into the burrows. There was no way he could properly fit. Instead, he started going through the little fields and gathering everything he could from them.
 
Justira had to pause at the entrance? Mentally preparing herself before stepping inside but no sooner had she than someone grabbed her causing her to scream in surprise. The man was on Badru's scale, hunched in that tiny burrow which only made him look bigger than he was. He had Justira around the waist, a bone knife stuck against the side of her neck.

He looked similar to Quefo in that his eyes were pale and his nails were sharp and probably his teeth too but he had an animals skull mask over his face, some sort of feline, and covered in leathers and skins adorned with beads and stained dark... except only on side? A second consideration was dried blood, the man probably injured and afraid more than intending to hurt anyone.

He started saying something but Lynna wouldn't understand, Justira couldn't hear but Badru would know. The Language he and Quefo's people shared "This place mine now! Drop your things, go! Or kill her!"
 
Lynna had her knife and baton out in a flash, glaring at the person. "Hey! Put her down now or I'll skin you alive, budy!" she snarled.

Badru heard the noise and hurried back toward them. He stopped, realizing one of the holes in the ceiling dropped right behind the big fellow. He stood still, assessing the situation. Then he jumped into the hole and stood still, his eyes stoney. "If you kill her, you are dead and gain nothing," he rumbled. "I could have killed you without warning now. Take that as a kindness and let her go."
 
Startled he turned quickly, dragging Justira with him, he kept both Lynna and Badru in view, back to the wall. He didn't understand the woman. He hesitated then shoved Justira at Badru, wincing slightly, now that Justira wasn't in front of him they could see the slash across the leather, stretching from his side to across his chest, cut right through to his skin, hard to say how deep though with the leather and caked dried blood, he kept his knife out "Go!" it was clear he was scared, probably young but hard to say for sure with the mask
 
Badru caught Justira easily and gently guided her to stand behind him, keeping one arm near her though free so he could be ready in case of an attack. "Go and leave you to die?" Badru asked, calmer now that he didn't have someone at threat of death.

"Badru, let's take this cannibal!" Lynna growled, not understanding or seeing.

"Hush," Badru told her sternly. "Not a cannibal." At least he was pretty sure not. He locked eyes - as best he could with the mask - with the attacker. "You hurt. Need help. Should we leave you to die or help you?"
 
the young man stared at Badru for a long moment, his eyes flicking to the two women briefly "You help? Why?" he asked uncertainly, not really trusting the three but he did need help, he knew that.

Justira stayed back, a bit frightened but she also saw the cut, he was just scared and looking for shelter
 
"Because you are hurt," Badru said as if it were obvious. "We were like you not long ago. No one help us. If you try to hurt us, I will stop you, but if you do not mean harm, we will help."
 
he put the knife away and showed his empty hands "No hurt, promise" he answered "Just trying to survive yes" he said by way of explanation "Sorry to scare friend" he looked at Justira
 
Badru grunted. "Thank you. We will go outside now. I need to tell that girl to let you past." He spoke to Lynna. "He is injured and needs help. Let him by you."

"What?" Lynna spluttered. "Just like that? We're going to sacrifice-"

"He needs help," Badru stated again more firmly. "If we needed help, you would want it, yes?"

Lynna huffed but nodded and backed out. She still watched the stranger warily but gave him space.
 
The young man watched the two of them for a moment, waited for her to step out of the way before he came out, holding his side as he did so, the worst of the gash was there and thinned when it cut across his chest. He kept his mask on but sank to sit at the base of the tree, his breathing labored
 
"Lynna, take Justira. You can talk to her," Badru said, guiding Justira over to Lynna. He walked over and knelt before the stranger. "What is your name?"

Lynna wanted to watch the stranger, but she forced herself to turn to Justira. "Are you hurt? Did he hurt you at all?"
 
"Tijani" he answered, moving his hand from his side, it looked infected already, he'd probably been here a few days at least for it to have gotten that bad.

Justira shook her head "No, just scared me" she signed back "I did not see him" redundant to say she hadn't heard
 
"How long have you been here?" Badru asked as he knelt to look at the wound. He reached out to touch it and try to get a look at it.
 
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