Land Down Under (KJDarKnight & Treasure)

Mathias of course was busy with everything else going on. When Jonah approached him again he frowned and glanced towards the entrance "gone?" He repeated and looked back at Jonah. He grabbed his rifle "still a little light left. Come on"
 
"I've covered every bit of area I could close by, but I can't find a sign of her," Jonah said, following Mathias out. "I don't know where she could have gone."
 
Mathias frowned, didn't seem like her to go at it alone. "Did anyone see her leave?" With little direction where to go he headed towards the woods closest to them
 
"The last anyone saw her, she was with Gray in the cave. Then she wasn't," Jonah fretted. He was trying not to seem too worried, but this was Misty they were talking about! Quiet, vulnerable Misty who never went anywhere alone!
 
for all his precautions Mathias had still lost someone in the first day there. did not bode well. "We'll find her Jonah" he said, he just hoped they would find her alive, a glance up at the sky told them fresh snow or frozen rain would be falling any time now. "She's a smart woman, she'll find her way back or find shelter before the weather comes" he was trying to assure Jonah as much as himself
 
"Not very smart if she's going to go wandering off by herself like that," Jonah grumbled, resorting to sour pessimism, his old defense mechanism. The snow would cover any tracks they might possibly be able to find, and the light was fading fast. How were they going to find her??
 
Mathias sighed "Don't say that to her" he advised "stay positive now come on" he searched the ground as they went.

After a little while he paused and crouched down examining the ground "See here we go... a trail.." he looked ahead following it with his eyes a moment before he stood and started to follow it. He hoped she wasn't far from this point, the light was waning. He'd brought a flashlight but mostly to find their way back
 
Jonah grunted as he followed Mathias. He didn't have much hope for following any trail in the dark, and he felt something cold and damp touch his cheek. A snowflake. This did not bode well. "Maybe we should have brought that wolf girl and tried to get her wolf to track Misty."
 
Mathias frowned, glancing up briefly when he felt the snowflakes falling too. "Too late now... We can bring them out tomorrow if we don't find her tonight... at least we have a direction" he was trying to stay positive as he followed the trail but stopped abruptly, catching sight of the mother pig and her babies, he knew better than to get too close
 
Jonah eyed the pig darkly. "And later, we can bag ourselves some meat," he muttered before turning back reluctantly. "Gray's pretty good in the dark. Better than the light, at least. Maybe he can follow a trail?"
 
Mathias sighed "Maybe...With this snow I don't know.. can't hurt to ask" he agreed before following, using the flashlight now to get back
 
Jonah didn't say anything until they reached the cave. He stomped right over to where Gray sat "talking" with Justira and reached down, pulling the smaller man up by his shirt. "You! Can you track?"

Gray looked at him, startled, then looked past Jonah to Mathias. What was going on?
 
"Jonah put the man down" Mathias said before speaking to Gray more directly "Misty is missing" he explained "You can see better at night, I found her trail but too dark for us to follow"
 
Jonah careful set Gray down then took a step back and crossed his arms.

Anxiety filled Gray's face. "I do not know how to track, but if you show me what it is I am supposed to be looking for, I will try!" he agreed. Misty was his friend!

"Wait, what's going on?" Lynna asked, catching only a bit of what they'd said.
 
Mathias caught most of that, not as good with sign but good enough "I can show you" he said then glanced at Lynna "Misty is missing, stay here. We can't all go after her. You and Charlie get a fire going outside, that might bring her back our way if she's lost" Mathias instructed before nodding for Gray and Jonah to follow as he headed out again. He knew better than to ask Jonah to stay, he could see how much he cared about her
 
Lynna nodded. "Right. Charlie, you go start a fire out the back way, I'll start one out front here. Badru, you wait on that end, I'll wait here at the front with Justira." She turned to Justira and rapidly signed to her, telling her what was happening and requesting she come sit with her.

Gray followed them out, his eyes easily adjusting to the darkness. Jonah walked beside him, his expression dark.
 
Mathias lead them quickly back to where they had left off. the pig and her babies gone by then, retreating to cover for the night. "Here, look for anything like this" Mathias showed him the tracks and the broken twigs and bent branches and grass, the snow would be quickly covering anything though
 
Gray tried. He hunted here and there and was able to pick up a couple more footprints, but the pigs had stirred up the ground all around where they had last seen Misty's footprint. The snow was flaking down, now, and not helping matters. Finally, he had to face Mathias and Jonah and shake his head. Maybe if he was a better tracker, but he wasn't a tracker.

"Come on, surely you can see something?" Jonah pleaded.

Gray could only shrug. Sure, he could see lots of things, but he couldn't see tracks.
 
Mathias sighed "Thanks for trying Gray...." he looked passed him into the forest "All we can do is hope she finds shelter or see's the fire and makes her way back to us...I'm sorry Jonah..." he once again felt like he was failing as their leader.

"Lets head back, none of us will do anyone any good frozen out here"
 
Jonah's shoulders slumped and he stood staring into the forest. "Why did she leave?" he asked the night softly, not expecting an answer.

Gray patted Jonah's arm lightly then started back. Misty was smart. Surely she'd find shelter and be safe. Surely.
 
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