Chapter 4 Scene 1

The next morning, the native children wake up and emerge from their shelter. Something doesn't seem right.

"Where's Keruka?" asks Yadifo.

"She's probably taking care of our parents," answers Otanve. "She'll be here soon."

"She said we should have a good breakfast, so let's make one," comments Pelubo.

Quest 53 : Make a Fruit Salad, Vegetable Stew, and a Fish Stew.

Keruka doesn't make an appearance, so the children set off to find and make the ingredients. This time Pelubo takes the shovel to dig for worms. Like Gopumbi and Bukela before, he has to dig two meters down before he finds twenty worms, which should be enough. He then throws the shovel to Rogula, who takes some seeds and plants two potatoes, two tomatoes, and one fuki. While she is digging the vegetable holes and planting the seeds, Pelubo tries to climb out of the hole, and the sides collapse, burying him up to his stomach. Unable to use the shovel since Rogula is using it, it takes Pelubo fifteen minutes to free himself, which is when Rogula just finishes planting the seeds.

Pelubo gets the fishing pole and goes to the South Beach to fish in waist-deep water and catches three fish, two eels, and four clumps of seaweed. He wades back to shore fighting the seaweed that entangle his legs to a degree, but manages to make it back without losing any fish or eels. This takes half an hour, which is how long it takes for the vegetables to grow and Rogula to harvest them.

The other four go to the Southwestern Forest where Rogula finds seven sesame and one kiwi, Otanve finds three rosemary and one garlic, Bukela finds two grapes and three lemons, and Gopumbi finds two apples and two oranges. They return to the Village at about the same time as Yadifo harvests the grown vegetables and Pelubo comes back with the fish. The combine the ingredients the correct ways and the dishes are made.

Quest 53 complete!

The native children eat the big breakfast, and it's time to embark on the long hike. Bukela wants to take a weapon but Rogula is sure Keruka was right, so they enter the Swamp empty-handed along the west edge as Keruka indicated. Sure enough, they have only waded a few meters when Pelubo, leading the group, suddenly slides from knee-deep brackish water to water that goes just past his waist. Seeing Pelubo stumble but recover, the others are prepared for the sudden drop.

The bottom is muddy, but since the children aren't carrying anything or wearing anything more than loincloths, the buoyancy of the water is enough to keep them from sinking in too deeply. Bukela realizes that Keruka and Rogula were right; had Bukela been carrying the bow and quiver she would sink so much she would be stuck knee-deep in mud and in water to at least her neck, and would have to drop the equipment to get out. It was hard enough to slog through ankle-deep mud while the water came up to her chest.

For hours the children trudge along. The water is too murky to see anything in, and the water level varies from their waists to their necks. There are many reeds and swamp bushes to navigate past, but at least there is no animal life in this area. It takes them five hours to get past the sanctuary and the wall of rock determining the eastern end of the caves, and another hour before they finally reach the trail into the mountains. They climb out of the swamp and gather at the foot of the trail to regroup and catch their breaths.

Their ordeal is far from over. They still have to climb into the mountains with no tools or weapons, in fact with nothing but their loincloths which have all turned black from the swamp water.

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