A/N: School and work is starting to take its toll on me, and my time to work on this story has been drastically cut. I apologize to any of my current readers as well as any future readers I might get. Thank you for your patience.
Chapter 6: Trust Exercises - pt.1
The remainder of the evening was uneventful as the pair settled in, filling up on food and fresh water and awaiting the return of their host. The interior of the plane grew surprisingly cold and they were all but too thankful to have a plethora of blankets to wrap themselves in. Questions continued to swarm their minds and racked at their brains. They pondered on their situation in silence, uncertain of how to approach any of their problems without distressing Lynn. To upset the cat was entirely unwise as it might keep her from ever revealing anything...or worse. Sleep came to them slowly despite their state of intense thought, having been worn out from the long hike.
Nick fought against the desire to sleep, unwilling to give in should Lynn return. His body defied him; small aches and lingering soreness nagging at him to rest. He found it difficult to trust Lynn despite her generosity, resulting in the thought that closing his eyes would mean certain death. Tossing and turning; he did whatever he could to prevent sleep.
Judy found it easier to find rest than her partner. She did not wholeheartedly trust their host either, but decided against jumping to any conclusions about her and her questionable sanity. She moved over to Nick, nudging him to be still as she nestled against his side. They huddled together, sleepily looking to the sliding door and slumping over as they dozed off.
The sound of wind blowing through the hollow cavity of the plane greeted Nick along with the cool air that accompanied the noise. Groggily he groaned, peeking one eye to find he was still within the quiet cabinet. Warmth was felt on his side and out of the corner of his eye he could see Judy quietly snoring against him. Relief came over him; they were still alive in this maddening land. The peace felt surreal…
A peace short lived.
The unmistakable sound of metal clanging on metal rang out in the cabinet, causing the pair to jolt upright. "Wake up y'all! We got a loooong day 'head of us!" said the bellowing voice of Lynn from behind them. She walked out in front of the two, her arms covered in a distinct green liquid and a pungent, familiar odor emanating from her.
Nick couldn't help but wince upon getting a whiff of the repellant, pinching his muzzle and retching. "Ugh, that repellant is disgusting, what the hell is in it?" he asked whilst retreating from the scent.
"Well nothin' special, just some lemongrass, cilantro, myrrh, n'-OH! Stink bug, yea," Lynn listed off, nodding off at the last ingredient.
A cringe crept up on Nick's spine, shuddering at the words 'stink bug'. "Ok, I immediately regret asking." He looked to his partner as she stood up to stretch. "How are you ok with this smell?" he asked while still pinching his muzzle.
"I guess I'm just used to it, I mean, this repellant smells like some of the ones used by my neighbors back home at Bunny Burrow." she pointed out, sitting back down.
"Bunny Burrow!? Hey! I had a friend from Bunny Burrow!" Lynn blurted out excitedly. "But we can catch up on that some later, we gotta eat up n' get ready y'all!" she stated before rushing to the galley.
"Ready? Ready for what?" Nick asked as the cat bolted off, scratching his head and rubbing his eyes.
"Our hike! We gotta go someplace, see, gotta get more water n' take a bath!" Lynn shouted before coming back in mere seconds with a platter piled high with cut carrot chunks, a few blueberries, a segment of what appeared to be dried mealworm, and a small pile of unknown dried meat of some sort.
Nick and Judy looked at the meat with wide eyes. A silence fell and both of them stared at the mystery food, then at Lynn, and then back at the meat. Nick finally spoke up, "Uh…Lynn? What…what is that?" he asked as he pointed to the dried meat.
Lynn took up a piece of it and bit into it, much to the disgust and horror of the pair. "This? This here is fish jerky!" Lynn pointed out causing the pair to stare not in disgust as it was replaced with curiosity.
"Fish jerky? You can make jerky out of fish?" he asked before picking up the jerky and smelling it for himself. The sliver of dried meat had a distinct smell to it, smoky, but beyond that a familiar and all too obvious fishy smell. The fox gulped dryly, finally working up the courage to nibble at it as Judy watched in anticipation. "…Huh, what do you know, it is fish…" Nick stated before taking a larger bite of the jerky.
"Well yea, it's the only other food source on this here island that's a meat. What did ya think it was?" Lynn asked waving the jerky around, giggling as she ate more of it.
The pair laughed nervously, Judy feeling foolish in particular for even humoring the idea that it was anything more sinister. Sighing, she reached forward and took up a carrot chunk, why the cat even had carrots lying around was still beyond her.
The group ate quietly, much to the astonishment of Nick and Judy as their host spoke not a word. 'I guess food shuts her up' Nick thought to himself, amused that there was even a way to keep Lynn quiet.
After filling up on the small feast, Lynn gave a small burp of satisfaction, giggling as she stood up. "Well, that was mighty unladylike of me!" she joked whilst still giggling.
Judy giggled with her, holding her paw to her mouth to avoid spitting any of her food in the process. She swallowed down the last of her food, looking up to the cat as her previous statement finally dawned on her. "You said we're going on a hike? And by the sounds of it, you're saying we're headed to a body of water that isn't the ocean?" she asked as she wiped her mouth.
"Mmhm! It'll be great, an adventure! Well, for y'all probably, I mean, I done did this a thousand times by now!" Lynn pointed out as she went over to a box in the corner of the plane.
The pair followed Lynn to the box, curious as to what the hike entailed. Nick sighed as he thought about getting clean, the dirt and grime of the past few days starting to wear down on him. "A bath sounds awesome right about now, so where exactly is it that we-". Nick's thoughts were stopped dead as Lynn pulled out a large bladed weapon, a crude machete of sorts made from the plane's metal. The pair yelped and reeled back, Nick pointing at the cat. "What the hell is that?! Why do you have that?!" he questioned her.
"What, this? Well it's a machete, or it's suppose'ta be anyway. Here, you can have this one Funny Bunny." She stated as she passed the blade to Judy.
Judy's eyes grew wide as she took the weapon, distress taking over as she looked at their host. "Uh, Lynn? W-why are you giving me a weapon?" she asked looking back and forth at the blade and Lynn.
Lynn pulled out another item, this time a makeshift hatchet. "Well, see, the side of the island we're headin' to? It's the dangerous side." Lynn pointed out while twirling the hatchet in her paw.
The pair stared blankly at the cat, the words 'dangerous side' still trying to register in their minds. "Uh…Dangerous side?" Judy repeated as a question, her mouth slightly agape. Nick's eyes grew wide, 'if the side of the island we were at wasn't considered dangerous…then what is?' he thought to himself.
"Mmhm, the side of the island we're gonna head out to has all the bugs that'll try ta kill ya without much provomakation n' such." Lynn pointed out before passing the hatchet to Nick.
Nick took the axe without question, or thought, as he was still bewildered at the thought of something far more dangerous than what they've already seen. The realization finally dawned on him that their host was implying that they'd be heading directly to this danger. "Are you crazy?!" he blurted out, doing his best to prevent any further freak outs.
"Nick, r-relax, I mean, Lynn knows what she's doing and she's clearly coming with us! R-right, Lynn? We're going to be fine, right?" Judy asked placing her paw on her partner's shoulder, nervousness in her voice.
"Well of course, Funny Bunny, y'all just gotta stick close to me n' y'all will be fine, well, for the most part anyways," Lynn pointed out as she got out a spear along with a bow and a set of arrows.
"For the most part?" Nick repeated as his distrust of the cat grew evermore.
Lynn snatched up a few empty bottles and tied them together. "Well yea, I mean, I've seen what's on this island, Foxy, I ain't 'bout to make no promises, but don't worry, I'll protect y'all the best I can!" Lynn assured the pair, slinging the bottles over her shoulder. "I mean, y'all don't really hav'ta come, but if'n y'all want a bath or some such and maybe see more o' the island n' whatnot, y'all can tag along!" Lynn stated as she tied the rest of her equipment to her.
The pair looked to one another to ponder on the suggestion. Nick took a deep breath in an effort to calm himself. It worked. "Well, what do you think Carrots? Want to risk certain death for a bath?" Nick asked sarcastically. It wasn't entirely sarcasm, however, he did desire to wash up given all the mud and sand caked in places he'd rather not mention.
Judy let out a sigh, calming down as well. "Well, I mean, we're not going to be entirely defenseless, right?" Judy humored back at her partner. She clutched the handle of the large bladed weapon in her paw, while it was just a machete, for her it was practically a sword. "And besides, Lynn says she's done this before, so our odds are looking pretty good as long as we don't lose her on the way…"
Lynn couldn't help but squeal in delight. "It'll be so much fun, y'all, n' hey, we might even get a chance t'go fishin'!" the excited cat suggested before dragging the pair out of the compartment.
The cool yet damp air greeted the trio and Nick and Judy looked out through the massive tear in the plane. They could barely see anything last night, but with the morning sun cast out they could truly take in the sights. The island was certainly larger than either of them had anticipated. There was a field of what seemed like golden grass far past the trees. Just beyond that, the pair could make out what could only be a mountain, presumably a volcano. It only then occurred to them that they were staring out upon the land, awestruck by it all.
"Yea, it's a real purty sight ain't it?" Lynn asked the two, snapping them out of their trance.
"This island is huge," Nick stated simply, shaking his head trying to figure out if maybe they ended up on a new continent instead.
"Y'darn right it is, heck, I haven't even seen more than half the island m'self! Some of it is too dangerous," Lynn pointed out.
The pair turned to her, astounded once more and blurting in unison. "There's something more dangerous?!"
"Mmhm, like that there field o' grass b'fore the mountain? Grass is too tall, see, so no one can really tell if'n there is somethin' there or not." Lynn continued to point out.
Judy looked back out on the field of grass, the idea that the grass was presumably gigantic just now occurring to her. "Oh…that makes sense…" she agreed. "But, how is navigating the jungle any less dangerous?" She asked.
"I'll explain as we go, come on y'all!" Lynn stated as she opened the hatch door, the loud groaning of the aged metal echoing out into the canopy.
The party began their descent into the jungle floor by traversing the massive coiling vines. Lynn began her explanation as they walked. "Y'see, the thing about the jungle is that it's actually pretty quiet, n' there're just enough spaces in between the trees n' such that y'all could at least make out what might be ahead," Lynn began whilst cartwheeling along the vine. "But that whole quiet thing is important, because y'see, the grasslands always got the sea breeze runnin' through it n' what not," She continued, walking backwards. "N' that there makes all the difference! The grass might not look it, but it's loud, too loud, so loud that it can hide anythin' that might creep up on us!" Lynn added, finishing her explanation.
"Is…that how you lost your tail?" Judy asked, finally bringing up the question she wanted answered since they've met.
The trio came to a sudden halt, Lynn herself turning sharply to face them again. The expression upon her face was that of someone who was just greatly offended. Her face then transitioned to a nervous smile followed by a weak laugh. "W-what are ya talkin' 'bout, Funny Bunny, I-I gots mah tail." Lynn stammered out, her smile growing wider and more twisted than before. The cat reached behind her, desperately trying to grab something that was no longer there.
Judy regretted having asked the question, watching the cat have a nervous breakdown. Lynn's breathing was growing heavier by the second, making the unease grow with it. Judy backed away slowly, clutching the machete in her paws tightly.
"Y-yea, yea, you still have a tail, it's a real pretty tail," Nick blurted out hastily in an attempt to keep the situation from escalating further.
Silence fell between the three, Lynn staring at the two with her eyes darting all over the place. She let out a sigh as her breathing returned to normal. "Th-thanks Foxy…" Lynn said as she continued walking, not turning back to face the pair again.
The pair let out a sigh of their own. 'Note to self, do not mention the tail, ever again…' Judy thought to herself.
"So, Uh, couldn't the wind do the same to the jungle leaves?" Nick pointed out.
Lynn turned to the fox with a look of confusion. "Huh?"
"You know, that thing with the sea breeze and the grass?" Nick asked again.
"O-oh! That! Yea, yea it does, but if'n y'all recall our hike yesterday was pretty quiet too!" Lynn answered, her cheerful demeanor returning. Nick was all too grateful at the fact that the cat was easily distracted. "The wind noises sorta die down by the time they reach the floor, see, the trees break up all the hullabaloo!" She pointed out.
The pair nodded as they continued down. It did occur to them that their hike leading up to the plane from yesterday was rather quiet. The only noise that accompanied them were the sounds of all the insects moving about, and they were easy to track after a while. Sure enough, the jungle floor greeted the trio with serene stillness. Leaves from the plants on the ground gently rustled, the wind humming through the trees.
"Wow…if it wasn't for the fact that death might be right around a tree bend, this is actually pretty nice…" Judy stated as she pointed her ears all around her, picking up any and all sound. She could make out distant rumbling, probably from something large walking along the ground. Occasional rushes of wind were also heard, accompanied by the distinct beating of wings. All the sounds she heard were easily traceable, leading to her understanding of what Lynn had been talking about.
"Mmhm, but let's not linger on it, we gots'ta move!" Lynn stated as she took a step forward.
With no warning, a blur collided with the cat, causing the pair to yelp. Nick's eyes grew wide in terror at seeing what had landed. A spider. A jumping spider that was as large as Finnick back home in Zootopia. Flashbacks of his nightmare came to him, his heart pounding madly in his chest. Adrenaline took hold as Nick screamed bloody murder, drawing the hatchet to do the spider in. Judy screamed with him, reeling back at the sight of the creature. She composed herself enough to draw her own weapon, ready to kill the beast with her partner.
"Wait wait wait!" Lynn screamed in response as she picked up the spider and herself off the ground, once again confusing the panicked pair. "Now, what did ah tell ya, ya itty bitty galoot!" she scolded.
The pair stared as they tried to figure out who she was scolding. The realization came when they looked at the spider, flailing in the cat's grip before she set it down. The eight legged nightmare that had just landed…had a ribbon tied to its abdomen.
"I told ya, ya can't be doin' that, sweetheart." Lynn continued as she pet the spider. The spider in turn seemed to clean its face, rubbing its palpi all over itself. It looked up at the cat, tilting side to side. "Aw, I just can't stay mad at you ya lil' jelly bean!" she giggled, picking the spider back up and facing the pair, who stared slack jawed at this point. "Alrighty guys, say hi to Spidsy! He's mah best friend n' neighbor, he eats all the flies n' other pests 'round here!" Lynn stated with a big grin. The spider flailed about, almost pathetically, before being set down again. Spidsy resumed his self-cleaning, drying off the morning dew from his hairy carapace.
Neither of the two officers could bring themselves to say anything, merely watching the little spider. Little was ironic, as the spider was still considerably larger than what it should be. Nick had to rub at his eyes to be certain he was still seeing straight. 'She has a pet spider…of course she would have a PET SPIDER…' he thought to himself.
"Oh come on y'all, he's harmless, Trust me!" Lynn assured the pair.
Trust.
That one word seemed to be the main issue when it came to their host. It seemed today would be the day that it would be tested. Whether they wanted to or not, they had to bring themselves to trust Lynn.
"Y'all can get better acquainted later, for now though, we need to get goin'!" Lynn reinstated. She stooped down to the spider and pet it one last time. "And you best behave now, y'hear, don't go pickin' fights with none of 'em other bigger creepy crawlies, ok?" At those instructions, the small spider merely tilted to one side, leaving one to wonder if it did understand her at all. Regardless, the small arachnid scurried off, leaping up into the trees. The pair kept their eyes firmly locked on the spider as it leapt off. A sigh leaves Judy, the day had barely begun and she already felt tired. Nick could only rub his face, the encounter leaving an uneasy feeling in his chest.
Without another word, the trio took off into the jungle. They were stepping into dangerous territory with Lynn up front with her bow drawn. The fact she had a weapon out at all kept the other two on their toes. Was the side of the jungle they were entering so truly terrible? The pair could only imagine what horrible things lay ahead, and neither of them could believe that they were heading towards it willingly. Trying times awaited them and the trust exercises were to begin.