The young woman stood there, staring at the two strangers who had just
identified themselves as Roxton and Malone. She noticed that the one who
had spoken had a distinct English accent, so maybe, just maybe...
"Are you from England?" the young woman questioned. "You have a very distinct accent. And you said Roxton? Could that be any relation to Lord Henry and Lady June Roxton of...oh...I forget the town."
Astounded by the young woman's question of his parents (and her slight English accent. She looks like a jungle girl to me, he thought. But with an English accent?) John bewilderedly replied, "Well, yes, actually I am from England. And Lord and Lady Roxton are my parents. But, How could you have known that?"
The young woman smiled. "My parents knew them. They asked them to come on this expedition, but I believe that it was either you or your brother who was going off to the Royal Navy at such a young age; they didn't want to leave." She paused as if she had just thought of something. "Why are you here? How did you find this place? Are you with anyone else?"
The men both laughed at the girl's many question, and it was Malone who ended up replying. "We're here to prove a beloved, yet stubborn scientist wrong; We found this wonderful place through a map found on a lost explorer; and yes, we are with other people: a scientist, a huntress jungle girl, and a linguist-slash-geologist."
"Oh," came the woman's reply. "But you're here, right now, getting herbs? May I ask for what?"
"A friend," came John's answer. "We accidentally ruined her dinner, and so we came here to get some of the ingredients to make it up to her. Now, if you don't mind me asking, since you already asked us: What just so happens to be your name, and why is it you are here?"
"Mel," she retorted simply. "And I am here to gather more herbal supplies for my gar-"
She stopped abruptly and looked out into the forest. The two explorers didn't hear anything and became a little perturbed.
"Now what are you doing?" questioned Roxton, who was now a little impatient. "Is this some kind of ploy or something? We don't hear a th-"
With that Mel shoved her hand over Roxton's mouth with a hurried "shh."
"Be quiet!" she hissed. "I know you probably can't hear it. It's a pack of about 8 raptors. They are up ahead about 200 yards.... And they can smell us!"
Roxton and Malone then suddenly heard a series of loud growls, which they knew meant only one thing: dinner! They brought their rifles up and Mel had her knives ready and waiting.
"Are you from England?" the young woman questioned. "You have a very distinct accent. And you said Roxton? Could that be any relation to Lord Henry and Lady June Roxton of...oh...I forget the town."
Astounded by the young woman's question of his parents (and her slight English accent. She looks like a jungle girl to me, he thought. But with an English accent?) John bewilderedly replied, "Well, yes, actually I am from England. And Lord and Lady Roxton are my parents. But, How could you have known that?"
The young woman smiled. "My parents knew them. They asked them to come on this expedition, but I believe that it was either you or your brother who was going off to the Royal Navy at such a young age; they didn't want to leave." She paused as if she had just thought of something. "Why are you here? How did you find this place? Are you with anyone else?"
The men both laughed at the girl's many question, and it was Malone who ended up replying. "We're here to prove a beloved, yet stubborn scientist wrong; We found this wonderful place through a map found on a lost explorer; and yes, we are with other people: a scientist, a huntress jungle girl, and a linguist-slash-geologist."
"Oh," came the woman's reply. "But you're here, right now, getting herbs? May I ask for what?"
"A friend," came John's answer. "We accidentally ruined her dinner, and so we came here to get some of the ingredients to make it up to her. Now, if you don't mind me asking, since you already asked us: What just so happens to be your name, and why is it you are here?"
"Mel," she retorted simply. "And I am here to gather more herbal supplies for my gar-"
She stopped abruptly and looked out into the forest. The two explorers didn't hear anything and became a little perturbed.
"Now what are you doing?" questioned Roxton, who was now a little impatient. "Is this some kind of ploy or something? We don't hear a th-"
With that Mel shoved her hand over Roxton's mouth with a hurried "shh."
"Be quiet!" she hissed. "I know you probably can't hear it. It's a pack of about 8 raptors. They are up ahead about 200 yards.... And they can smell us!"
Roxton and Malone then suddenly heard a series of loud growls, which they knew meant only one thing: dinner! They brought their rifles up and Mel had her knives ready and waiting.