"Anchor Root did say to bring her any bones we could find, and she would tell us if they were the right sort she needed. She did mention something about energy, I think, but we should leave the determinations to her, as we have yet to learn about how to determine that." Iovia says as she adds her thoughts to the conversation. "Stopping at multiple places might be best for thoroughness, though maybe at just 1 or 2 for safety's sake. Or, once back in Nantambu, Mr. M'baba, Miss Anzaga, and myself could return to campus for treatment, and the other three of you could find bones."
"Food for M'Baba AND we get bones... I think a butcher shop stop then a meal?" He finds himself agreeing with most
"If you insist," Za Minyahil replies, not needing to eat food the way the others do. "Perhaps the bones must come from an auspicious animal, like how some Avistani carry the preserved paw of a rabbit as a good luck charm?" they idly muse.
"Why would we stop for a meal? Three of us are infected with something. As much as I would love to have the time to explore the local restaurants and shops some afternoon, this is not the time to do it. As for the bones, all we need to do is what Anchor Root told us to do, which is to bring her bones and she would choose the ones she needs. We do not need to overthink it. If she wanted bones from something specific, she would have said so."
As time passes since the infection, Iovia is becoming increasingly worried, and that may come through in hints of panic in her normally calm and refined tone of voice.
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M'baba's stomach rumbles and he is sad by Iovia's comment. He hoped they'd eat and fish for bones in the process. He says "We have more than 4 hours. We can eat, I think. Big mama Sarr always said that eating is healing. She was, of course, very fond of eating, but still." He thought they could think of this as a splitting up to find some bones.
He lightens up and says "We should split up. Finding bones in the city is not something that really needs us together. We'll cover more ground this way." He thinks some of them could ask around for bones, and others could try to find some leftover in the corners. Others could eat a chicken leg... with gravy, and hot potatoes with carrots and, maybe some mead to go with it.
M'baba didn't realize he was daydreaming.
Hearing the panic in Iovia's voice makes Nyandra shiver a bit. She's right, going to a restaurant wouldn't be a great idea given how sick so many of the group are. Everyone's so stubborn about finishing these tasks instead of going back to rest, though... Well, if I can't treat people, best I can do is comfort them, and agreeing tends to help with that.
"Miss Iovia is correct, we can enjoy the local hospitality some other time. I agree that focusing on the task we were given is best. Once we're finished, once everyone is feeling better, then we can explore the local restaurants and such--and we'll all be feeling better and able to focus on and savor those experiences! How's that sound? I'm going to start thinking of places where we can find some bones, like good but not the best hiding spots where a predator might have found a meal, that kind of thing. Anyone else is welcome to contribute ideas--but please remember to have some water with your thinking!"
Ikto's brow knits "My idea was that both a butcher and a place that serves meat might have bones? I do not think its overthinking to simply seek out likely sources for bones such as these. Still... if I were to think of where nature might leave bones.."
And he will share that
"IF we split up, I will happy to go where I am needed."
While working to transfer the caterpillars to the jars, Ntuni adds. "I think the butchers are our best idea."
Nyandra's best idea for finding bones in the wild is to find some predatory beast, like jungle cat, follow it to its lair, and see if there are bones there. Big cats eat the meat, but not the bones, she recollects, so they must be left somewhere nearby. Exactly how to find a major predator is still an open question.
Ikto is bit distracted by the thoughts of a gravy-covered chicken leg, so he's not quite sure of any ideas better than Nyandra's. His only thought, albeit a bad one, is to find a graveyard or burial plot.