"I can help you with navigating back, Mikail. Though I don't know that my map will be of much use here."
Mikail start moving toward the camp, often checking his compass to verify if is staying true to the planned route.
"Our destination is almost straight to the North, it should be ...." With a wry smile. "It is better not to say that, I don't want to jinx it."
The expert woodcraft of Mikail assisted by Smythe leads the group unerringly through the upper jungle and across to the other side of the island peninsula. There they face similar cliffs to descend back to the beach camp, but going down is much easier than climbing, and using knotted ropes and a modicum of care, they all make it safely to bottom.
It is only a few steps farther towards the beach before they are in sight of the bonfire at the main camp. As the crew steps forward, they hear a female voice call out. "Take another step and die! Step into the light were you can be seen. Hands up or it'll be the last move you make."
We recognize the voice?
Harbek slowly puts down his Handaxe and lantern and stands with his hands up, stepping forward.
St. John calls out, "It's us. We told you we would be back today and chose to come in the dark rather than make you worry all night that we didn't come back."
Coming forward from out of the darkness, green eyes blazing with curiosity is the odd-acting Sasha Nevah, rapier in hand. She takes a moment, then recognizes you and drops the weapon leaping forward to embrace each of you quite energetically. "We thought you were lost. You didn't come back, and we'd started to give up hope. It is great to have you here again." Then as she considers for a moment she adds brightly, "Did you find a way off this forsaken rock? Are we going home?"
The girls shouts and affection soon brings the other castawys out from under the big tarp and they greet you warmly, except Ishirou, who simply nods stoically.
"It is a pleasure to see that you are all well. "
"That's why we came back tonight instead of in the morning when it would be safer. We didn't want you to worry. Unfortunately all we've found is some more food. We are on a narrow peninsula. We moved west and around to a point due south of here. We did find some more shipwrecks. We'll need to discuss where to go next in the morning. For now I'm exhausted."
St. John then starts looking for a good place to bed down for the night.
Mikail tell the others about the trek, trying to make it interesting and raise the camp guys morale.
The rest of the castaways are mildly disappointed that no rescue is forthcoming,but they are cheered to see more food supplies, and to hear the story as recounted by the talented bard. The stories of the flying dinosaurs, and the night climb of the cliffside keep everyone enterained until nightfall.
Harbek spends some time going through the food stores.
" Say Sasha, were you able to hunt any extra food here while we were off exploring? And how are those bird lizard eggs doing? "
Sasha shrugs, and mutters something unintelligible, but there is little extra food in the larder to show for her day of hunting. She does get more excited about the eggs, saying one is starting vibrate on its own, which she thinks is a sign its about to hatch.