Day Three Totals

Overall:

Excerpt From Today's Session:

It took three long hours for the pilots to pick their way far enough so that they could get a better look at the source of the fires. Brianna suggested they hit higher ground so they could se farther, which tacked on another hour to their hike.

"Seriously," Derek said, panting with the exertion. "Does anyone remember the way back? Cause I sure as heck don't."

"See? What did I tell you, Bree?" Cassidy said with a grin. "I told you his 'all-up-there' would fail."

"I would laugh, but my lungs are too busy pumping oxygen to my brain," Brianna stated wryly. The girl had point, and Derek took up the rear. Cassidy merely concentrated on putting one foot in front of the other.

Finally, they came to a halt as Brianna turned and sat down heavily on a smooth outcropping of rock. The girl took a good look around and smiled weakly. The forest was thick around the base of the mountains on this side, effectively hiding anything that mght reside below. "I think we're close enough." She took her binoculars out of her pack and scanned the area below them. "Yep. I can make out a tiny village through the canopy. Or at least it looks like it might be a tiny village. I could be mistaken."

"Define 'could be mistaken', Bree?" Cassidy sat from her spot on the ground. "'Cause I sure don't like the sounds of 'mistaken'."

"Yes, we'd like more of a 'not mistaken' sort of answer, kid." Derek said. He was leaning against the outcropping, his back to Brianna and Cassidy.

Brianna frowned as she continued her observations. "What I mean, is that I can't tell if it's a tiny village, a large settlement, or merely one or two houses that just happen to be out in the middle of the country-side. The tree-cover is too thick to penetrate without the proper equipment."

"Okay." Cassidy pushed herself up off the ground and brushed the dirt off her bottom. "I say we head back. It's going to be dark soon and I don't fancy getting caught out in the open. We'll tell the squad what we've discovered and go from there. We may have to send a proper search party down into the valley for supplies anyway."

Cassidy began the task of picking out the trail, trusting that her companions would follow.