Chapter Six
“Look at what you found this time…” Becka said, watching the small party dragging the giant wolf-raccoon-creature onto the beach.
“Well, I suppose it might make a good stew.” She added, looking thoughtful. “Here, have some fish, all of you. What did you bring back aside from this… wolf… thing…”
“I think we should call it a Wolfcoon” Robert cut in,
“O…. kay?” Becka said uncertainly. “Er, well, anyway, the fish is still a bit warm, and there are plenty of fruits to eat.
Talli shook her head, motioning to the dark, black waters and the first stars begging to twinkle in the sky, “No, we need to get some shelter up first thing. Eat, but quickly – me and Robert have eaten, so we’ll start building.”
“Aw come o--“ Robert protested, but Talli interrupted
“Look, you weren’t the one who had to drag a –“ she paused, trying to remember what Robert had called it, “—Wolfcoon through the forest for however long.”
Robert huffed, but picked up the bamboo and rope that Talli had piled together and got to work pounding posts into the ground and laying the still-damp sailcloth on top.
Once the others had finished eating, they joined in, and with some help they soon had five lean-tos constructed. The design was simple: two posts in the ground in front, and two shorter posts in the back. Then they strung rope and whatever stronger vines they could find between the posts and laid on top of them sailcloth and whatever leaves or scrap bamboo they could find. A handful of poor shelters at best, but still better than nothing.
“Alright, that’s enough building,” Talli said, getting up, painting and puffing.
“We still have extra bamboo,” Briar suggested hopefully, “I mean, I don’t really want to have to share a lean-to…” he added, muttering.
“Well, you’ll have to.” Talli said – snapped, nearly. Then she said again, more calmly, “The rest we’ll need for a fence of some sort. Some sort of barrier between us and the sea might do us good. Personally, I’m hoping these lobster-things are afraid of fire, but it’s nice to have a backup plan.” She added, trailing off at the last bit.
The moon was nearly in the middle of the sky by the time they’d driven the last of the bamboo into the sand to form a rough barrier.
“It’s not much,” Talli admitted, and Becka bit her tongue before she could say how it was probably less then not much. But it was good to have at least something between them and the black, foreboding sea, she acknowledged, with a small nod to herself.
“Better than nothing.” She said.
“Much better,” Ben agreed, leaving his place by the fire and huddling beneath one of the lean-tos, shivering. “I wish I had a blanket…” He muttered.
Talli sighed. She wished she did, too. She’d been wearing a fairly heavy coat to keep the bugs off when they’d first gone into the jungle, but she’d tried to find the coolest one possible. Something she regretted now.
“Alright, well, I’m going to bed. You all can figure out where you’re sleeping. I’m just too tired to worry right now.” Talli said, going over and lying down next to Ben, handing him her coat, “Here, you need it more – you’re injured.”
“Too tired to worry…” Becka repeated, giving in to sleepiness and yawning. “Too tired to worry.”
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