“Okay, just relax and we’ll think about this logically,” Amanda said.

“Relax?! Amanda, I can’t leave the tent!”

“I’ll check again,” Kass said, as she reached for Indi’s bag once more.

Amanda held up a hand to stop her and shook her head. There wasn’t much point. The sunscreen was almost certainly not there.

“Cat, this isn’t funny,” Amanda mouthed quietly.

Cat had one finger knuckle in her mouth and was trying not to laugh. “You gotta admit, it’s a little bit funny.”

“It’s not funny,” Indi said from inside the tent. She sounded almost near tears.

Cat bit her lip and resumed a more serious expression.

“We could go back and get it?” Kass suggested.

Amanda looked doubtful.

Kass reached for the map which Amanda had gotten out earlier that morning, but Cat grabbed it before Kass could. She laid it out where they could both see.

“That’s a multi day walk,” Amanda said quietly. She seemed to not want to upset Indi any further than she already was.

Cat shook her head. “Not if you take the direct route. Kass and I could do it, probably be back mid day tomorrow.” She turned towards the tent and said reassuringly, “Don’t worry Indi, we’ll figure it out.”

“How? What are you doing? I can’t spend all day in the tent.”

“What about the caves?” Amanda suggested.

Cat frowned not understanding.

“You could spend all day in the caves,” Amanda told Indi.

Now it was Cat’s turn to look doubtful. “How do we get her there?”

Amanda shrugged. “Carry the tent?”

Cat studied the tent.

“That wasn’t exactly the easiest ground to walk over to get there,” Kass added doubtfully.

“You got a better idea?”

“What are we doing?” Indi asked again. Trying to listen to the conversation clearly from inside the tent was a bit tricky.

Cat rubbed her face with her hands then sighed. “It’s probably safer.”

“Than in the tent?” Kass asked.

“It’s Indi, you ever known her to sit still?”

“She’s got a phone, I’ve got a book she could borrow.”

“It’s going to get hot in there with the sun,” Amanda pointed out.

“I can probably carry her in the sleeping bag,” Cat shrugged.

“Guys?” Indi asked.

Cat looked up at Amanda. Amanda gave a nod.

“Hey Indi, get in your sleeping bag.” Cat instructed.

“Hang on,” Amanda interrupted. She picked up the empty bottle of sunscreen then got down and crawled half way into the tent.

Indi was sitting inside, looking very forlorn. Amanda handed her the bottle. “How much of it can you get on your hands and face?”

Indi took the bottle. “I don’t think there’s anything left in this now. I can do brief periods in the sun without it but only really brief.”

“Long enough to get to the caves?”

Indi shook her head. “No, not that far.”

“Cat’s thinking she could carry you in the sleeping bag.”

“This is so humiliating.” Indi whimpered.

“Can’t we just wrap her up in a bunch of clothes?” Cat asked from outside. “I mean all she needs is her skin covered.”

“I’ve got some mosquito netting.” Kass offered.

“What?” Cat asked.

Amanda pulled her head back out of the tent to see what Kass was pulling out of her pack.

“What the flame is that?” Cat asked with a half laugh.

“It keeps the mosquitos and bugs off things. Only there aren’t really any mosquitoes here.” The bag was dark green and netted, like the kind of curtain one might hang over their bed, except this one was just big enough to fit a head or a pot of food. Kass handed the netted bag to Amanda.

Amanda returned to the tent and handed it to Indi. “Is this too holy?” Amanda asked.

Indi put her head in her hands and moaned hysterically. “I’m doomed.”

Amanda returned the bag to Kass. “Maybe something with a bit more shade.”

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

“Just have her put her head in a top.” Cat suggested.

“Oh I have a balaclava.” Kass offered, suddenly remembering.

Cat stared at her trying to figure out if she was joking but then Kass pulled a black balaclava out of her bag.

“That’ll work,” Amanda replied slightly impressed.

Cat was still staring at Kass inquisitively. “Why?” she asked.

Kass shrugged. “For warmth and bug protection.”

“It’s summer.” Cat replied.

“Sometimes the nights are cold. I like having it as backup.”

“I mean yeah, opportunities for bank robberies happen in the bush all the time.”

“Balaclavas are useful for things other than bank robberies, such as warmth.”

“It’s summer!” Cat repeated.

Amanda ignored them and poked her head back in the tent. “Put this on, and whatever clothes will keep you covered. You got gloves?”

Indi nodded. “It’s so hot in here.’ she added.

Amanda smiled apologetically. “That’s why we’ll move to the cave.”

Cat and Kass had finished their bickering so they all sat in silence for awhile as Indi got herself covered in clothing.

“There wasn’t really much flat ground in that cave,” Cat said stretching her arms behind her head impatiently.

“There was a bit at the entrance.” Amanda replied. “Enough for two sleeping bags.”

“Dark enough?” Kass asked.

Amanda shrugged. “We can hang back during the day. Maybe we’ll find somewhere better deeper in.”

“Okay,” Indi yelled out. “What do I do about my mouth and eyes?”

Cat handed Amanda Indi’s sunglasses to pass through, then she grabbed her pocket knife and the empty bottle of sunscreen.

Eventually Indi stood in the sun, wrapped head to foot in clothing, except for her mouth. The sunglasses hadn’t quite covered all the skin around her eyes, but Cat had taken to Indi’s one empty sunscreen tube with a knife and managed to get just enough out to cover the last few sections of exposed skin.

“I feel ridiculous.” Indi moaned.

“Better than dead.” Cat countered.

“Are we packing up camp?” Kass asked.

Amanda nodded. “Yeah, that’s best I think.”

“We probably should have done most of it before we got Indi out of the tent.” Cat remarked.

Amanda shrugged. “It won’t take long. Want some food?” she asked Indi.

Indi nodded and Amanda handed her the rest of the rice, vege, and salami stir fry from breakfast. “She probably would have overheated in the tent anyway,” Amanda added to Cat as an afterthought.

“I’m overheating out here.” Indi observed between mouthfuls.

They went about packing everything up while Indi ate breakfast. Soon they had four packs on the ground between them.

“How do we distribute this?” Cat asked.

“Indi can take Kass’s pack,” Amanda instructed. It was the lightest after all.

Kass nodded.

“You done eating?” Amanda asked Indi.

Indi nodded and handed her the pot.

“I can clean it and catch up,” Cat offered. “You guys may as well start walking.”

Indi groaned as she stood up. “I can’t believe I left it behind.”

“It’s half my fault.” Amanda told her. “I did make you repack.”

“Yeah well I should have checked.”

“You sure it wouldn’t be better if we just walked out?” Kass asked.

“That’s definitely more than a day hike and I don’t think that’s going to be easy with Indi dressed as she is,” Amanda replied.

“Even if we abseiled down the cliffs?”

Amanda nodded.

“I don’t have enough sunscreen and I’m overheating just standing here.” Indi added.

“Let’s get moving.” Amanda agreed.

Cat walked casually back down the trail to find the stream to wash the pot out. It was a small one which weaved itself in under the rocks and then back out of the earth again. It was small enough that Cat felt comfortable standing in it. Usually she wasn’t a fan of rivers but this was nothing more than a small trickle. It would eventually turn into the larger river they’d crossed over at the beginning of the hike, down at lower elevations along with many other small streams, but up here in the hills it was just a little baby. Cat wondered where it came from and if there were any more small streams that flowed beneath the hill down in the caves. It gave her the shivers thinking of the dark water, even the little streams were creepy underground. The caves themselves were fine but not knowing what was beneath you when the ground sloped away, or if there was a way back up out of some of the inky bottomless cave pools, well it made Cat glad they weren’t going to be doing too much exploring of the cave system. Amanda and Indi could have all the fun they wanted down there.

As she trouped back through the forest at a swift walking pace she wondered about all the other creatures that might be down there as well. Amanda, with her fire power could probably deal with anything though. Cat glanced to the sky and then paused and frowned. There was smoke in the distance. It was in the direction of the cliffs, just past them. Was that a campfire? Cat narrowed her eyes. She knew there was no reason to be suspicious. It was probably just other campers, maybe ones also looking for the Phoenix, but the presence of other people so close made her paranoid. She tried to shake the feeling off. The others would think she was just being silly.

She met back up with everyone at the cave. Indi was hiding inside and had stripped her clothes back down to shorts and a t-shirt the moment she had been able to. Kass and Amanda were outside installing a makeshift door out of sticks and one of the tents.

“What are you doing?” Cat asked as she walked up.

“We’re blocking the light out,” Kass replied.

“Hey Amanda! I found a whole nother room down here.” Indi called from out of the cave.

“Is it flat?” Amanda asked, ducking into the entrance to go have a look.

“Ehh, ish. It disappears into a crevasse on one side, I wouldn’t want to sleep down there but it’s pretty cool. You can slide on your belly to the other side and it opens up.”

“I kind of want to have a look” Kass said “but we should really get going.”

“Hey Amanda!” Indi called again. “Can you set my camera back up out there? Just in case. I don’t want to miss at least catching the Phoenix on film if it does show up, even if I can’t see it in person.”

“Sure.” Amanda replied. “Let’s sort the stuff first. What are you guys taking?”

“The cooker?” Kass asked.

“Well we don’t need one.” Amanda clicked her finger and summoned a small flame at the end of her fingers.

“Well we don’t really either.” Cat interrupted. “We can just eat the dry stuff. Better if we just take minimal stuff anyway.”

“Which way are you going?” Amanda asked.

They lay the map out flat on the ground and plotted a path.

“Just straight down the cliffs I reckon.” Cat said.

Kass nodded in agreement. “Which means we will want the rope.”

“We can leave it hanging and climb back up too,” Cat added.

They redistributed things in the packs, leaving as much as they could at their new camp.

“Less weight faster trip.” Cat had stated and the others had agreed.

“We’re gonna have to cross the river,” Kass noted.

That got Cat’s attention. “We can go upstream and over the bridge,” she objected.

“Faster to just go over.”

“And stay dry how?” Cat asked.

Amanda nodded in agreement. “It is a big river.”

Kass shook her head. “We’re adding at least an hour or two going around.”

Amanda shrugged. “See how you’re going for time when you get there and how much flow it’s got.”

“Alright, good luck” Amanda told them once they were all packed up and ready to go.

Cat nodded. “Enjoy your caving.”

“You guys have a phone?” Amanda asked.

Neither did. Amanda held out a small satellite phone she’d brought. “Indi’s got her phone. I don’t think there’s much service here but it’d be better if everyone’s got something.”

“Well my phones in the car and we’re headed that way,” Kass replied. “It’s probably better you keep that here.”

“We could take Indi’s?” Cat suggested. “You should keep that one.”

“We’re not really moving anywhere,” Amanda replied.

Cat seemed hesitant.

“Alright,” Amanda replied and put the phone back in her pocket. “Hey Indi!” she yelled into the cave. There was no reply.

“Don’t worry, we’ll be fine.” Cat told her.

Amanda sighed. “Be careful.”

Cat nodded. “Likewise.”

With a look at Kass they started their walk back to the car.