Ti'rondi Riverbank

Makya led the way deeper into the jungle at a swift pace - albeit not as swiftly as he would like. With a human at his heels, he was largely grounded and forced to take less arduous routes that might have otherwise discouraged pursuit. The sounds of the gunfight were fading into the distance as the noise was largely muffled by the dense trees and the sounds of the river rapids to their left.

As the dense under growth began to give way to open space along the river's edge Makya fell motionless, a hand raised to halt Lerot's own steps.

His ears were perked and alert and his eyes scanned overhead. In the dead air of the rainforest, not even a ruffle of fur betrayed any movement from the young Mira warrior as he stood frozen, watching, waiting.

The young mage was unaccustomed to running through jungles, certainly not possessing anywhere near the level of agility of his....feline companion. When Makya suddenly ordered him to stop, Lerot tried as hard as he could to freeze instantly....

only his feet slid on some fallen leaves, sending him head first over a large tree root.

Makya shifted his eyes to the side as Lerot face-planted on the ground, and you could almost see the disapproval in his eyes.

A moment later Tapu and Achak made their appearances as well, but upon spotting Makya's poised form, both of them fell still as well.

Several minutes passed, before there was movement in the canopy overhead and a shadow passed by. Several more minute passed and still no one moved save for a discontent rumble from Achak who was quieted with a hand from Tapu.

It was Makya who moved first as he dropped to one knee to speak to Lerot while pointing across the river, and the slick rocks that jutted free of the rapids.

"Cross there, and don't linger. It's too open here. We'll be safe on the other side though. The ones from earlier, they don't usually venture this far south." He didn't mention the reasons for why that was the case, or of the Ti'rondi lamprey that made their home in the rapids - not to be mistaken for their milder cousins found in equally milder waters.

Tapu was already nudging Achak into motion and the massive feline took to the rocks with swift bounds and the occasional spatter of water beneath his massive paws.

Lerot scrambled to his feet. "Ok, cross quickly, got it."

Lerot watched as Achak had already began the traverse with great ease. Inspired by the huge cat, Lerot sought to follow in it's footsteps.

While he was able to land on the same rocks, he did it with considerable less grace and balance. Still, he managed to avoid falling into the water so far.

Makya slipped his bow off his shoulder and knocked an arrow as Lerot moved out across the river. Tapu too crossed while Makya remained behind on one knee, watchful and wary. It wasn't until the others had gained the far side of the riverbank that Makya rose to cross as well.

Like Achak, the Mira moved with grace and agility that spoke of their feline heritage and soon Makya too had gained the far side.

Meanwhile Tapu was rubbing at his furry jaw as he eyed Lerot up.

"Well, he doesn't smell like one of them," the older Mira remarked. "Where are you from?" he asked.

"He said he's from Aslund," Makya explained. "The falls aren't safe right now, but we can head east and then circle back around. Do you have a camp near there? We can probably get you in after dark."

"Oh, no, I don't have a camp at all." Lerot stammered. "I only just arrived in this jungle earlier today...I thought I was following you all to your camp."

He looked at each of the furry faces around him, clearly confused.

"Is that not the case?"

"Uh yeah..." Tapu piped up. "About that..."

"The Shief has forbidden it," Makya explained.

Achak edged closer to Lerot, seemingly casual in his curiosity of the human as he trailed behind the group. Though for any who had ever seen a cat watch a mouse with curiosity might find the scrutiny a somewhat unnerving experience.

"Yeah. You can thank Mr. I own the world back there," Tapu replied with a grin and a jab of his thumb in the direction of the falls. "No humans allowed."

"Haven't you already figured out that I'm certainly not involved with those people? Lerot gaped.

"I mean for Fulmen's sake he tried to shoot me for protecting you!" He pointed right at Makya's chest.

"I'm not here to try and start anything, I'm just here to learn from this place." Lerot tried his best to ignore the giant cat probably deciding how he would taste.

"and I can't think of anyway better to learn than from you all."

"It's not our call to make," Tapu explained.

"There's some human tribes out west, but they're just about as unwelcoming of strangers," Makya admitted. "This isn't the best place for visitors these days. A lot of people are dying, and others are selling out. Just two weeks ago one of the M'chi sold his whole village out. It's gone now, burned to the ground."

Makya didn't look to Lerot as he spoke, instead leading the way, but there was a solemn note to his words as he spoke of the matter.

"I'd rather take my chances out here in the forest than go to a village to be killed in my sleep....or worse." Lerot sighed as he followed after Makya.

"You know I haven't had the time to ask too many questions...what with thinking I'm about to become a breathing chew toy," the blonde mage looked cautiously over his shoulder at Achak, who without a doubt intimidated the young man.

"and getting stuck in the middle of a warzone."

As with everything he did, Kolo’s approach to the agreed upon place of meeting was swift and silent. His body moved with the intrinsic, instinctive grace of one who was born among trees, branches, and predators, and his skill had only been honed upon arrival on Terra. The Veshrac jungle was a wild, dangerous place to exist, and the Mira were stubborn.

So he had learned to scale trees, to learn what they could take of his body, to feel out which limbs would make noise, which would not. The knowledge was partly gained and partly genetic, but the combination made him one of the best at what he did.

Tapu was strong and loyal. Apiya was a level-headed leader. And Kolo could move with less sound and trace than the wind itself.

He found the others stationed in trees, a few meters away from a sharp bend in the riverbank. The Mira gathered there were tense and alert, somber expressions upon their faces. He leapt quietly into a higher branch, instinctively shifting to scan the surroundings, aware that none of his companions had acknowledged his presence. After a time, confirming for himself that it was clear, he dropped onto a lower branch, crouching against the trunk. Apiya, who had been listening to a scout’s report, nodded towards him. He nodded back.

All the acknowledgement needed.

“They arrive - in ships, unload strange machines, and test the area. Then they leave again,” Toru, a young, promising scout, was saying.

“They haven’t found signs of us, and they appear not to be aggressive.”

"I will go to them tonight," Apiya finally decided. "I will learn what they have to say, and of why they have come here."

There some discontent murmurings at that, but none challenged her outright on the matter. Their unease had less to do with distrust or a lack of confidence in Apiya, and more to do with a distrust in these newcomers. To approach them was dangerous.

Apiya glanced around at the other Mira present, and she was observant enough to pick up the general attitude. Many of the Mira would just as soon leave and not look back.

Her claws dug into the bark of a branch overhead to keep her position steady.

"I will take two volunteers with me, and Kuruka will be in charge until I return."

She looked then to Kolo.

"Have you learned of anything new?" she asked him.

As Apiya addressed him, the Mira's eyes and attention turned towards him, and he felt the familiar feeling of his skin crawling under the awareness of his presence. Kolo stamped the feeling down, focusing solely on Apiya.

"I share reservations that these men from the sky are alike to the others who hunt us clumsily," he intoned, in his deep whisper, "and that they would bring more of their kind should we disturb them. I would feel more comfortable in your presence for this meeting, if you would have me."

"I will go as well," Toru spoke up.

Apiya nodded. Toru was young, but capable, and Kolo her best scout. The both of them would make a good pair to accompany her.

"Then it is decided. We will remain here until nightfall, and then we will go to meet with these newcomers when the shadows are our allies."