Though the beauty of her surroundings lifted her spirits, Vanari could not ignore the incessant protests of her body. The tolls of the day were wearing down on her and each patch of grass began to look as soft and inviting as a bed made of clouds.
When it became clear she could go no further, Ardea wordlessly halted and began clearing an area for a fire. The young Vantha looked about them nervously, unsure of what to do. She was no stranger to camping outdoors, but this wasn't exactly a tranquil forest, nor was she traveling with safety in numbers. This was pure wilderness, and her only guide appeared no older than she.
A sudden motion seemed to confirm her fears, leaving her wholly unprepared for the Kelvic's abrupt transformation. There was a blinding swirl of light, and then a powerful, magnificent golden tiger appeared where the young girl once stood. It crushed something in its jaws; Vanari leaned a bit to the side and saw it was an enormous snake. Then, as swiftly as it all happened. Ardea shifted back into her human form, her dazed expression very much identical to that of her Vantha companion.
Vanari was about to collapse with relief, had her friend not suddenly whelped in pain and stumbled into the clearing, her hand pressing tightly to her side. Oh, gods. She was bleeding!
Their bad luck, it seemed, was far from over. A strange rustling erupted in the grass, and the Vantha only had to take one look at Ardea's horrified expression to know that it probably wasn't a handsome young doctor arriving just in time to save the day.
Well, one can hope.
Thinking fast, she quickly untied the bundle of food and yanked out a large slab of smoked meat. Then, pulling back her arm and holding her breath, she chucked it as hard and far as she could. The meat went spinning in the air and landed somewhere in the jungle foliage. Instantly, whatever had been rustling ominously earlier pelted helter-skelter after the noise.
Having presumably bought them some time, Vanari started frantically ripping off the edge of her tunic. The young Vantha had less than adequate knowledge of first aid, but it was all they had at the moment. She tied the strip of cloth around Ardea's waist once or twice, then threw a second hunk of meat, just for good measure. Actually, might as well get rid of it all. She took the remaining pieces and hurled them as far as possible, all in different directions.
"Are you alright?" Vanari whispered hoarsely, badly shaken but determined to survive. She looked up at a large tree nearby, then stared desperately into Ardea's eyes. "What should we do? Can you fight in your condition? If you can't, maybe we could...I don't know, climb that tree? Petch, this is not good."
