Can I help you?

Ping had been walking around their little camp for a while, close enough to be seen and called by the others if they would have needed him, but even away enough to can be on his own. He had patrol the zone, ready if the jaguar had came for another visit, but luckily the beast didn't arrive a second time. Only after a while, tired, he came back: he had left to Meg the task to comfort Jane: she was better than him in this, but now Meg was probably went to sleep since he didn't see her with Jane...

Jane was still sitting next to the dead body of John. His last words made her more sad, than she was. Odette... Jane hided her face in her knees and wrapped her arms around them.

Ping looked at her, like undecided on what to do: had he to go to her? Maybe it could annoy her... but in the end he breathed and walked toward her: if he could have done something, he wanted to do it.
He approached her and gently put his hand on her shoulder "Jane? Don't you wanna go to sleep?"

Jane lifted her head and looked at Ping. She tried to fake a smile, but failed. "No, I don't want to sleep yet...", she shook her head slowly. "Do you want to sleep? You must be tired...", she sighed. "You are awake for a long time now and try to protect us...", she touched his hand on her shoulder. It made her feel a little better.

He gesture surprise him a bit, but he didn't react, at her words he shaked his head "No, i'm fine...", then, without knowing what else to say, he just decided to sit next to her: if she wanted to talk, he was there to listen.

Jane looked into the woods and sighed. "I wonder...", she took a deep breath. "I wonder how this could happen? I mean... He's such a good explorer..."

"This place is different, is more dangerous... he could be a better explorer elsewhere, but here... here we are all in the same situation..." he replied softly

Jane nodded slowly. "Maybe you're right.", she layed her head on his shoulder. "What are we going to do now?"

He kept himself to tense again when she rested her head on his shoulder. "I think that we should move as soon as we can... this place is not safe, the jaguar could still be around here... and who knows what else..."

Jane smiled. "I love this jaguar. But I guess you're right.", Jane sighed. "And if it would be just for Meg and the little boy. They can't protect themselves.", Jane lifted her head. "Then we are searching for a new cave?", Jane tilted her head. "I hope we will find food and water there..."

"I guess it's a good idea" he nodded at her words "You still have the map, right?"

Jane tilted her head surprised. "What kind of map?"

"The one that you received the first day, the one that leaded us to our first stop... You still have that map, don't you?" he asked, slightly worried that she could just have throw away the map... but she was a good explorer, she would never done something that silly, right?

"Oh!", Jane smiled. "You mean this map. Sure I have it. What do you want to do with it?"

"Please, let me check it, we can see if we can find another place to go. Should be simpler, thanks to it"

Jane lifted her skirt and took the map. She put the dress back and gave Ping the map. "Here you are."

He turned his glance when she lifted the skirt, them when she gave him the map, he took it with a "thank you" and opened it, putting it in a way that Jane could see it as well "He checked it fastly and suddenly his glance was captured by a point in the map... "Hey, what is it?"

Jane looked over Ping's shoulder on the map. "I don't know. It wasn't there yesterday.", she tilted her head and it touched Ping's. "What do you think it is?"

"I don't know..." he replied quietly, even if he actually had a theroy: Eris... was it a good idea go there? IF the goddes wanted them there it was unlikely that it was for something good, but don't go and make the goddes angry was even a worse idea... "I think we should go to find out..."

"Good.", Jane smiled and her eyes shone bright. "I wonder what it is. Can't wait to find it out."

He smiled lightly to her, then his glance was captured by a movement in the forest: the jaguar? Another animal? It had been too fast... but he didn't wanna be there to find out what it was. He raised "We should go now, i don't trust this place"

Jane nodded and smiled. "Good. In which direction do you want to go? And shouldn't we take Meg and the boy with us?", Jane asked. "We should wake them up then."

Ping nodded at her question "yeah, we should wake up them". He approached Jim and Meg and in a few words he told them to bring some food for the trip and to be prepared to leave that place. As soon as everyone was ready he took the lance and, checking on the map, he pointed in front of him "That direction, follow me." And started to walk