Jacinda Cross

[Jacinda]

       

They followed for maybe ten more minutes, then trekked back to get the ride. She was definitely cold now. Her nose and cheeks were red, she was sure. Jill looked no worse for wear. Jacinda couldn't tell if she wore any leggings or thermals under her jeans despite how tight they were. Well, she was a bit younger than Jacinda. And she'd probably lived here her whole life.

Inside, Jacinda fired it up and then cranked up the heat, rubbing her hands together. Jill didn't get in right away, instead going to the chest in the back seat. She returned with two travel mugs and a thermos.

"Ok woman, I officially love you,"
she said, holding a mug while Jill poured. Jill was startled for a moment, then gave small laugh. Jacinda thought of saying something, but left it alone. The smell of the coffee filled the cab, its heat leeching through the sides of the mug and warming her hands.

Both of them sipped in silence for a moment, warming from the inside and out. Once she was good, she put the mug in the carrier. "It's gonna be bitch going back out. But let's see if we can track it."


What took them an hour to walk was only a ten minute drive, though they did bounce about. At least they didn't get stuck. They found the spot they had left off at and got out.

A little more tracking sent them in the right direction. Clear, search. Clear. Search. Slow going. They were both quiet. Very likely the skinwalker was not anywhere near. But when you hunted you were quiet. Always.

And so it went. They'd go a few hundred yards, go back to the car, move up, and start over again. At least it looked like it was heading a single direction.

Up ahead, the ground began to give way to a sheet of rock slopping upward, two large humps sitting atop. It was maybe 30 feet high and probably a half mile if they walked all the way around.

She looked at the rock and then at Jill. "Shit."


Jill put her hands on her hips and looked around in every direction. "Now what?"


"Well we can look around at least. follow the edges of the rock. See if the tracks start up again. Something, anyway."


"I can go around one way and you the other," Jill offered.

Jacinda shook her head. "Probably better to stay together. If this thing can become us, we'd never know before it was too late. Plus, two pairs of eyes are better than one."


Jill nodded, motioning her to lead the way.

Which is exactly what they did. And they didn't find a thing. Oh, there were tracks, yes. But not human. Coyote. Bear. Wolf.

At the wolf's, Jill crouched down. "Look at that," she said, putting her fingers in the depression. "It's deep. Heavy."


Jacinda looked at her, understanding, nodding. "Let's go see," she said grimly. They walked onto the rock, exploring. The mounds were not perfectly round or consistent. There were cuts, even what might be considered a cave, though very narrow. She pulled out a light and shined it in. "Damn."


She moved back, handing the light to Jill. She looked, then turned to look at Jacinda, face flat. "If it's a wolf now, tracking it under the snow will be harder. Especially if it is running."


She nodded. "You're not kidding." The sun was low, now, painting the sky a mix of red and yellow and orange and blue. "We should make camp here. Start fresh in the morning."


Jacinda could see the brief look of fear on her face. She understood. That thing could come back. But Jill smoothed over immediately with one of determination.

Jacinda smiled, impressed.

They went back to the vehicle drove it up into the rock floor. Then they cleared a large place. Jill got the food kits and water pot out while Jacinda scrounged for old dry wood- well, dry enough, anyway- and then, using rocks, created a circle about five feet from the truck. Magnesium shavings would get a it hot enough to burn the damp wood. And she had survival fuel pellets too, if there wasn't enough.

The sun was nearly down by the time the fire was burning hot. Camping chairs sat on either side of the fire and next to the truck. The water pot sat on a small metal grate balanced on the rocks, steam starting to drift up from its mouth. A coffee pot also perched on the grate. Jill had poured the contents of each of their kits into large bowls. They could have eaten out the bag- Jacinda would have- but this was fine. "You want the Pasta with Chicken or Noodles with Beef?"


They sat in their chairs, their mugs already in the the drink holders. Jacinda's gun and rifle was next to her within easy reach.

"Chicken, please." Jacinda handed her the
bowl.

Jacinda took the other. When the water was boiling, she took the pot, filled Jill's bowl, then her own. Jill poured the coffee.

They both fell to eating, the food warm and delicious as it went into their bellies. There was little talking, for now. Once they were done, they both cleaned up and put the supplies away- except for the coffee.

Jacinda felt the call and paused, shaking her head with a smile, rolling her eyes. "So...as I said, we should stay together. Which complicates things when either of us needs to use the can."


Jill gave her a flat stare and raised an eyebrow. Jacinda shrugged with a half-smirk. "Hey. Not like I'm saying one watches the other."
Jill chuckled. "Let's designate one of these bigger shrubs over there as the jon. And the rule is, you gotta whistle or sing or talk or something. Ok?"


Jill laughed, rolling her eyes. "Oh god."


Jacinda stood, grabbing a shovel. "And now you get to hear my wonderful singing voice. Have any requests?"


Jill laughed again. "Country. Extra thick accent."
Well, what could Jacinda do? She did her best, that was all.

Washed up, she sat back down. The mood was light, perhaps aggressively so. Probably kept them from thinking about what was out there.

She looked at her weapons, then raised an eyebrow to Jill. They still needed to work out their strategy. Their plans.


Edited by Jacinda, Aug 1 2018, 05:27 PM.