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It's still morning, but the sun has risen fairly high as we finish the clean up. There is no way we can hide that Koru's group never was here as we can't erase traces of their camp site. So better to just hide it a bit like they had planned, and give the impression that they were here for a few days and left. Any trace of the violence, deaths and traps have been erased as well as we can. Burning the dead bodies might be visible from a long way and be harder to erase the evidence off, and we have to stay here and watch, so we decided to just dump the remains off the coast. Koru sure don't mind. We haven't found the remains of the body Bokyli disposed off, and the sharks and that eaten dolphin looking thing I found on the beach way back, proves that body parts should be taken care of without issues. The bodies have been stripped of their clothes even if it is rags, and any useful items. We've taken all stuff in their camp, just like they would if they left. Plans like this and that I've already found potential weaknesses in King's Camp, gives Koru more confidence in our future.
The primitive weapons have limited use, but is something that can be 'dropped' to other recently awoken. A gift that doesn't cost us anything. But we now have three more steel knives, a big bronze axe, and a really good and powerful red Star Fall bow with a quiver and 8 Star Fall arrows, and 30 hand made since Big Archers arrows can be used. The bows size and draw is ridiculous, which proves how strong Climber were, but sadly that means that the only one who can really use the bow is Koru instead of Reiley. We also have four more of those very nice transparent water bottles that seem to be a common reward, plus two big waterskins. Then two hollowed out logs as wooden pots, plus several large clay pots with cork like stoppers, although one is slightly broken. Then two leather shoulder bags and two leather rucksacks. For shelter they had two tarps in a strange camouflage, and there is a bandolier with pouches in another camouflage. For sleeping they had three blankets and two very nice sleeping pelts and a hammock since Climber Gjurl's kind didn't use blankets or such in this warm weather. Beside all that we have leather pieces and clothes for belts, pouches and so on. Plus two big and long dugouts. This have been a very good morning equipment wise, and that we can't find my bolt that hurt Koru's legs is hardly a loss worth mentioning.
We're still weary of Koru, but new alien allies will always have that effect, and she is a big strong warrior, although she is wounded and especially the leg wounds are an issue that will take a long time to heal. Koru is eager to prove her use, but she need to rest and heal. She can't rest for too many days since she have to leave to try and get that Kima person which is a big issue. At least my bolt didn't cut some important sinew or something in Koru's legs, and the cut is fairly clean, but we have used some alcohol to clean the wounds as they were exposed to sea water, and sewn the wounds closed. This is not the first time Koru is wounded so she have a fairly good idea of how long healing will take, which is at least two weeks to be more mobile and far longer to truly heal. She scar like a human instead of healing like Reiley's kind do, and scars prove you've been in a fight and survived. So far Bokyli is again in a league of her own as her tongue and mouth is all healed and her wounds from a couple of days ago are not an issue any more, and will be just gone in another day or two.
Dugouts, Koru and all the stuff and shark meat, means it's just way easier to return along the coast with the dugouts, so we load them up, and we also fill what we can with salt, and two shoulder bags and the slightly broken pot with fine sand. We make a final check to make sure we have removed all the traps, and we've tried to mask any trace of what have happened in the cove, including returning the stones in Koru's little stone shelter. Xuela signals that all looks clear after returning from a scouting trip of our home and the surrounding area, so we leave.
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The dugouts are very long, heavy and difficult and unergonomic to paddle and handle for two normal sized human males, made harder by this being Bokyli's first time paddling anything, but eventually we make it to our beach. The dugouts tall ends and wide but still vertical sides, show just how big the diameter of the trees were, and they didn't make them from the biggest trees. The good thing is that each dugout will take 3-4 big people plus cargo.
It's very nice to have had Xuela scouting from above. She have so proved her worth, and I have to make sure to praise and flatter her. Koru is really pleased to now be in a group with a flyer since that is such a huge advantage. That almost didn't happen, but fortunately, I stopped Reiley from shooting and then I made the wrong sign when I wanted her to shoot. Bokyli have already proved her worth in many ways. Hopefully Koru will become a similar valued team member, and so will that Kima person. Xuela should be able to find this Kima person and drop her some supplies if she need it and give her information. Having Koru go alone to get Kima isn't really an option as Koru need to pass at least one rapid, but neither is just me coming along according to Reiley and Bokyli. The canoe might be the only option since the dugouts are a problem carrying up the rapids and Koru is wounded.
We could take a dugout up a river, and I mean be three and still have room for Kima in just one dugout, but passing a rapid would be very heavy lifting and Koru's mobility will be an issue for a long time. So I'm actually thinking about eventually making a catamaran of the two dugouts, with sail and rudders, and to make a hidden harbour in the cove between our ridge and the next ridge north. It would not be a discrete craft, but should be safer in waves and faster to move along the coast and a bit up some rivers, and we can 'board up' parts of the dugouts to make it harder to be flooded by waves, and to protect any cargo in the holds. It could mean taking the canoe to Raider river would be far safer, and faster. But I don't want to make that a prioritised project just to get this Kima person. Still, it might have to be done and we could then explore further north and south along the coast. I really want to explore a bit just to get a better view of this place, and sooner or later King will send another expedition to the Salt Boon, and that expedition is likely to be far bigger. There are also my project ideas like planting Sanctuary flowers and so on that haven't even started.
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Getting the dugouts ashore and hidden is a chore, but it just needs to be done, and prove how heavy and difficult the dugouts are to carry. Some kind of shoulder strap would be an improvement. But it is true; a submerged branch will not rip a dugout open. The branch might just break from the mass in motion, or tip it over.
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Bokyli make several runs up with all the equipment, stuff and goods as getting Koru up the trail and up the ladder to the cliff work area takes some time, but Koru doesn't complain at all except being slightly annoyed that I insist on helping her and that she do some grunting pain sounds. There is probably something in her culture about showing weakness and being wounded, but her wounds are bleeding and will need to get cleaned again. Koru is very impressed with our chosen camp location and instantly sees the defensive potential, and really like stuff such as the camouflage netting and plants. Xuela is waiting and we all have an official and kind of regal introduction, and I make sure to flatten and praise Xuela. Bokyli takes care of Koru's wounds, while we re-arrange all the stuff.
It's time to split up the stuff, mostly based on need, and a lot will be thoroughly cleaned before we use it. Reiley gets a steel knife and we have another spare one. Koru gets to keep her huge iron knife and water bottle she had, and we have three extra water bottles we will clean and wash after emptying them of salt. Bokyli will get her own water bottle, and Reiley will probably get another. Xuela is very happy for her sleeping pelt, and so am I and Reiley as we take the largest and best one for our shared bed. They will be thoroughly washed in the river before use, and Bokyli should really wash herself again. Bokyli wants to try sleeping in the new hammock as that seems so fun. Koru will get a large woven mattress and proper beds like the rest of us, and can keep her blanket. Koru is very surprised and pleased that we actually take care of her wounds and both let her keep her belongings and get good stuff, and that we don't treat her like a slave, which is telling about her old culture and King's Camp. She assumed that I as the leader would take all the best stuff for myself, and gift the other stuff out to my companions. Xuela eagerly talks to herself and Reiley about the new leotard she will sew for herself, and Bokyli have agreed to make something to cover at least some parts of her body.
We are still weary of Koru, but she already have her hauberk armour, stone axe and huge iron knife, so she also gets the red Star Fall bow. The bandolier with pouches is a separate item from the quiver, and in another camouflage, so that will be kept in the common pile for now. Apparently King's Camp have three more of those bandolier-belt kits, ie wide belts with a few different sized pouches for carrying stuff around in. The belt have a strange but good snap lock with adjustable angle, and the belt is adjustable in length, so it can be worn as a belt or as a bandolier to a wide range of persons. Nice bit of kit, and seems fairly common. We might remove the pouches from the belt to get more pouches for the other belts or our coveralls. We will use the heavy bronze axe for chopping wood or something, but in a fight Koru will probably use that too. Unless we melt it down to make two or three just large axes which would be more useful, although I have been thinking about making a pick-axe to help with stone work. I will also be making a couple of glyph branding tools.
For now, Koru will stay here and just do the work she can for at least a couple of days while her legs start to heal, but she will be wounded while getting Kima as we can't let Kima try to live on that cliff for weeks. King's Camp will also do another expedition. Koru seems eager to prove that she can still do good work even wounded. The community hut needs to be finished, but the roof could be finished today which would make the hut very liveable since the kitchen fireplace is done. The side wall, loft and furniture will be a few more days. The last few days haven't really been that effective, especially yesterday, but the day is young and Bokyli is eager to live here with Koru from now on, and Bokyli will do many slate runs for the roof, and drilling holes in slate is a good job for Koru. That the roof will be of stone is another point in our favour since it will not be easy to set fire to with fire arrows. Every roof in King's Camp is thatch or leaves, but they have plans to change that and are splitting wood for planks.
Reiley is happy that her old camp survived the raid, and tomorrow Xuela will try to fly there for a quick peek on their status and count people, and also try to take a peek at King's Camp. Xuela will zigzag along Raider river valley on her return to look for that person Koru's group lost track off that might actually be waiting, and to look for Kima. Xuela will take headings and angles at each location and also use a brush, ink and dried leaves to sketch a couple of views over valleys for our map project. Soot and vegetable oil works well enough as ink, and a brush made from a piece of cut of feather is better than one made from hair, but a quill works too. Dried leaves is hardly optimal as paper, but a certain type of big leaf work, is fairly durable and can be sewn into a bundle to work as a book. It's far less work to do and faster than branding or carving glyphs in wooden slats, and lighter and compact. Still, our writing and sketching stuff is so much better than before and practical to have, but we will continue to use rolls of wooden slats as the main glyph storage medium as they are more durable and will last. I'm still hoping for a Star Fall for this, but it might be too basic. Or the damn alien bastards are just pissed that I tried to have the glyph for Spirits being the 'fuck off' gesture since a pile of poo was already taken.
Tomorrow is the last day of this week, so we have to make sure to improve or finish projects even if it is less than optimal, but we will also try to fire bricks, glass and the next batch of iron bacteria, so that needs to be prepared today too. I've decided to try and do signalling mirrors with the brass I brought here, and will also try to finish my electricity generator to charge my watch.
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