Miles away, Rin was hunting, she was enjoying the feel of the chase, the pounding of the blood in her hears and the sound of her paw-steps that echoed through the forest. She could smell the fear that was pouring off of the rabbit that she was chasing down. A leap, a quick bite and it's life ebbed away, leaving behind a lifeless body clutched in her jaws. Returning to her human form, Rin raced off through the trees towards where she and Cul were going to meet up.
~Cul!~ Her scent wound around the trees, she was calling for Rin. ~So, you want to play hide-n-seek?~ A snout formed again as Rin slid into her wolf skin. She sniffed the air, searching for her scent; hoping to get a lead. ~THERE!~ Rin leaped through the trees changing to human in mid-air and crash landed on Miku.
"Miku, I need you to go down to the stream that's nearby and draw up a bucket of water so I can make soup." Miku looked up, Luka was staring at her and holding a bucket out for her to take at the same time. Sighing, Miku grabbed it from her and marched off to the stream, daintily avoiding the mud as she went. As she bent down to fill the bucket, Miku thought about the bush she had ran into, the one that had the strange scent, just before something crashed right into her. One second she was on the bank of the stream filling the bucket, the next second, she was in the river; socking wet with a girl about her height sitting nearby. She was shaking the water out of her eyes and when their faces met, she gasped.
"Oh my God! I'm so sorry! I thought you were Cul!" The girl stands up and tries to help Miku up at the same time, which ended up with both of them falling back into the water.
"Cul? Who's Cul?" Now Miku was curious. She was interested in this girl, "And what's your name?"
"Oh, I'm Rin, and Cul is a friend of mine. She and I were playing hide-n-seek and I though you were her as this is one of her favorite hiding spots and... blah...blah...blah...and I'm so so so sorry that I crashed into you... and...and...and ….blah...blah."
By this time, Miku had stopped paying attention. She liked listening to this girl's babble, but this was a little too much. Sighing yet again, Miku turned and headed off to camp; she was about half way up the hill when she remembered that she needed water. Miku cursed and walked down the hill, then stooped down to fill the buckets up with the water.
"Holy -! This is heavy..." Silently grumbling and vowing to get Luka back for this; Miku started up the hill. When Rin didn't follow, she turned around.
"Aren't you coming?" Rin instantly perked up and raced up the hill, and as she drew nearer Miku could hear the questions.
"Aren't those heavy? Do you need help with that? Is there anything I can do to help?"
"Yes these are heavy, no I don't need help, and we'll see if there's anything you can do to help when we reach camp." Miku growled and Rin quickly became quiet.
"Finally!" Miku dumped one bucket of water into the stew pot and the other into the bin that was used for washing hands.
"Oh, Miku, you're back. And who's that with you?" Luka poked her head out of the cave. "Come on in. We can play cards while we wait for the water to boil."
Clocking her head just slightly, Miku nodded and ducked inside with Rin just behind her. Luka was sitting at a card table set up in one corner, and there was another girl sitting across on the other side.
"Cul!" Rin squealed and threw herself on her. Miku grinned but it quickly faded away when Rin's attitude changed.
"What the heck do you think you were doing? Where where you? You were supposed to tell me if you went anywhere!"
Cul paled, "s-s-sorry Rin... I just ran into her and she invited me in so we could play cards when Miku got back..." She brightened up, "But she's back now, so can we play cards?"
Miku was quietly watching the whole thing. Luka was standing beside her with a smile plastered across her face.
"Luka, is that supposed to be a smile?"
"No. It's a grimace." Luka laughed and turned to the bickering 'sisters'.
"Alright girls. You can stop arguing, sit down, shut up, and play cards with us. Got me?"
Cul and Rin stopped what they were doing, "Yes ma'am."
"Now, what games do you want to play?"
"Hmm... How 'bout Strip Poker?" As soon as those words left Rin's mouth, she was smacked over the head by Cul; hard.
"Go Fish it is." Luka sighed and sat down at the card table. Miku giggled and sat down beside her. Rin and Cul both sat down, Rin was moping due to the fact that Cul smacked her and Cul was very quiet.
"Got any threes?" Miku started the game.
"Go fish." Luka replied. Rin nodded and Cul gave up her two threes, giving Miku the first pair.
"Got any fives?"
"Go fish."
"Threes?" Rin asked suddenly.
"Stuuupid, Miku has already made a match." Rin sighed when Cul said that.
Time passed by slowly, until Luka slapped her last card down. They had finished Go Fish with Miku as the winner, but now they were playing Crazy Eight; Luka's best game; and it wasn't a surprise when Luka won.
Finally, Rin and Cul had to go. They disappeared into the forest waving goodbye.
Night had now descended onto the forest, blanketing the ground. Luka slipped out of the cave to go into the forest to bathe. Quietly, Luka made it to the pool and stripped, sliding into it. As soon as she deemed herself clean, Luka climbed out and dressed. Eyes quietly watched her every move.