Siberian Campsite

March 26, 2017:

Lara and Jonah set out on another adventure in the Siberian Mountains, only to realize that they are being followed…

Siberia

Characters

NPCs: None.

Mentions:

Plot:

Mood Music: [*\# None.]


Fade In…

Lara had set out on a trip to the far mountains of Syberia on a quest to find information related to a wild theory she'd been deadset on for a few weeks now.

"Aliens, Jonah." She'd told her friend on the plane ride from New York to the small distant airport that would charter an uncomfortably small cargo plane for them to a remote Syberian airport.

"We already know that they exist, Superman… your new friend… is one himself. But I believe that these stones I've found, date back to a first contact with an alien culture upwards of fifteen thousand years ago." This is how she'd explaiend why they were coming all the way out here. And it had been a long journey.

Now, several days into it, the two were gathered around a campfire with the sun setting. Lara was striking the firestarter to get the bundled wood and tinders ablaze.

Snow was falling at a moderate amount, but there wasn't a lot of wind right now, so it was a peaceful (albeit bone chilling) evening.

He rather enjoys these journeys they take together, of course he packs for all types of weather this being no different. Jonah is dressed in a large coat that is zipped up over layers of other clothing. As she stokes the fire he has a skillet out over it cooking up their meal in it. No he doesn't just cook all the time but for now he is hungry and refuses to eat junk even on the trails. "This will be done in a bit. A nice jambalaya like you like it. Plus some hot coffee if you want it."

Lara got the fire going in short-order and she was preparing it to last for a long time with more gathered resources laying in a pile several feet away up against the cavern wall. She looked over at him and smiled. "It sounds wonderful." She said to him before sitting back on a rock that she'd swept the snow off of a few minutes ago.

Lara was encased in a dark black puffy winter jacket and dark brown winter trousers with some heavy boots on. She had a winter cap on over her head. She'd turn to her backpack of gear and would start to rustle through it.

A moment or two later she'd pull out a pair of binoculars and then would stand and walk to the edge of their camp to raise them up to her face and look out toward the way they'd come up the mountain.

As she stands to look off at something, "See something?" Jonah asks rather curious. He dishes their food into bowls leaving it near the fireside to keep them hot until ready to eat. Getting to his feet he steps closer to her side.

Lara adjusted the binoculars with a twist of her gloved hand and she sighed softly. "Yes." was her simple response. She took another few seconds to watch before she turned back toward Jonah and walked back over to sit down across from him at the fire's side.

"Those men from town, who were quite interested in us, they're… following us." She told him as she reached her hands out toward the fire and took her gloves off so the heat could warm them directly. "They've setup their own camp. They're keeping their distance, but aren't hiding their presence. So I don't think they mean us any harm, but still… its curious."

"Following us? Why do they not just come talk to us?" Jonah asks sitting back down he takes up her bowl giving it a stir with a spoon before offering it to her. "And if they know what is good for them they wont be hostile or get in the way. I could push them into snowmen." he smiles at the thought.

Lara smiled softly back at him and she glanced back to the west where she'd been staring with the binocs. "They're probably waiting to see what we do." She says back to him. "Maybe they're worried that we're going to vandalize something, or tresspass on sacred ground." She gently shook her head and rubbed her hands together before putting her gloves back on. "I'm not sure yet." She exhaled, sending a plume of white steamy air out of her mouth. "The sun will be down soon. Maybe I should setup some noisemakers should anyone come close during the night."

Jonah Maiava shakes his head thrusting the bowl of food into her hands, "First you eat, Little Bird. I swear if I didn't make sure you did then you wouldn't and you can't live on those jaffa cakes." picking up his own bowl he begins to eat. "Perhaps they think we will find treasure and if we do I bet they try to show their true colors then.

Lara smiled at his initial words and she accepted the bowl of food. It was true, she often forgot to eat unless someone forced her to stop what she was doing and actually go do it. It was something many people SHIELD had already begun to see in her and her supervisors were having to do the same as Jonah just did.

The food did smell amazing once the scent actually touched her nose. She inhaled it and the exhaled again and took hold of the metal spork inside the bowl.

"Maybe." She said to his other words. "What we're after isn't exactly a treasure in the since that its not… gold and rubies, or mounds of diamonds… It is far more valuable than that, but they might not see it that way."

Jonah Maiava takes a few bites of his food, "You never really told me what we are after but you know that I trust you always." he assures rather glad for their time together. She is often busy and he misses her though he tries not to get mushy. "Well if their intentions turn to ill ones they won't like crossing me."

Lara would enjoy the food for a moment while listening to Jonah's response and after a few more moments she set the metal bowl down on the ground at her feet and she reached into one of the pockets on her winter coat. A moment later and she produced a small jade disc, it looked about the size of a CD, just a little smaller. It was covered in a pattern of hieroglyphs.

"We're looking for another one of these, if not more of them." She offered it over to him. "It is called a Dropa-stone. They were largely considered a myth up until I came across this one due to an acquaintence I met in a shop in Chinatown back in Manhattan."

She exhaled again and picked the food bowl up once more. "Its roughly twelve to fifteen thousand years old… and it holds a secret map that I deciphered. Pointed here, to this mountain range."

Jonah Maiava looks at what she shows and nods as she explains. "I will help you in any way that I can." he assures lightly. "No matter what it takes." dipping some more into his bowl and eats more.

Lara would take the disc back and put it back into her pocket where she had it stored in a metal case that had been designed just for the disc's safe keeping. "I know." She told her friend with a smile. "Thats why I don't say no to you coming on the crazy adventures." She'd go back to her food then and after a moment she'd point at it. "This is very good, by the way. Spicey foods are wonderful on these frightfully cold expeditions, they warm the insides up very quickly."

Jonah Maiava smiles at the praise, "Indeed they warm the belly. I do have some hot cider if you want some. It helps too. Got to stay hydrated even in this kind of weather." he says kind of protective as usual. "Where do we go tomorrow?"

Lara would look up at him as he offered the cider and it made her smile. Thne there was the sound of a distant wolf howling on the wind, somewhere down inside the forested area below. This made the young archaeologist grin. "I guess that timber wolf is sad that he's not included in your fine cooking, Jonah." She'd tell him. "The cider would be wonderful, yes."

Lara glanced again toward the way they'd come up the mountain and she then fretted internally over it. After a moment she'd reach inot her pack by her left side against the rock she was seated on and she'd pull out a holstered gun… and set it beside her on the rock.

Jonah Maiava gets out a couple of mugs pouring her and him both some cider from the kettle. Offering her a cup he glances off towards the howl, "I would leave some of the leftovers out a bit away from us for him. But then what if his pack is hiding and they all come upon us?" he asks lightly. Noticing the gun he sighs knowing its for protection just as his own is within reach if needed.

Lara took the travel cup that he poured the drink into and she gladly wrapped both of her hands around it and smelled the contents of the cider within it. Her eyes even shut for a moment simply to enjoy the scent. She would then smile at his other words. "A kind gesture." She'd say then before looking out to the forest in the distance. "But I imagine that they are doing just fine in their natural habitat."

Its then that she'd take a drink from the cup and nod approvingly at the taste. A moment later she'd look back to him. "We'll set out a little before dawn. Maybe we can give our followers the-slip by leaving a little earlier than they might otherwise expect. We could even leave the fire at a low level, it won't cause any trouble leaving it unattended around here since its so snowy and rocky."

Jonah Maiava nods his head in agreement, "It won't bother anything, Little Bird." he assures her lightly. He sips on his cider happily, "Perhaps we could make snow type people to give the illusion we are here." he shrugs.

Lara released a light laugh at this suggestion and she shook her head side to side. "I believe that would take too much time, and might require some of our supplies and I don't want to leave any behind if we can prevent it. I mean… I'm not expecting us to have a lot of troubles on this run… but if we get stuck in a snowstorm then we're going to want as much as we can hold on to." She'd sip her drink again, enjoying the taste possibly more than any other drink she's ever had in her whole life, but maybe its just the 'right drink at the right time' effect.

Jonah Maiava drinks at his own carefully, "Alright then. Nothing will be left behind." he assures lightly. "I do enjoy our journies together. I miss it when you go off with shield and I can't go with you. I'd hate to have to hurt them all if they allow you to get hurt."

Lara smiled over at him. "You're always welcome to sign up. They have quite a colorful band of members that I have met and a large range of jobs." She sighed softly, contented to have eaten now and gotten this far along on their trip without incident. "Its really just nice to be earning a paycheck in my chosen field. I was worried that I'd end up doing all that I did in college and… afterward… and still end up driving an Uber around, or something." She flashed a small grin then. "Plus, I am paying my own way and not having to rely on my parent's finances. That too, is very nice. It makes falling asleep easier at night."

Jonah Maiava nods his head, "I am happy working at the cafe cooking and the jorunies we take together. Not sure I could work ith others again, all I can do is cook really and follow you. I am glad though that you have found your way. Seeing you happy makes me happy."

END

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