SURVIVORS
Chapters 18. Uncompact
Dean watched his team having breakfast. Silence, no one speaks. All focus on choosing the meat between the bones of the fish. The fish meat tastes sweet because it is baked fresh. Although it was not sprinkled with salt, it was already delicious to eat. Finally, each one was spent. Fish bones were put in the fireplace to be burned. The dishes are cleaned with snow outside.
They sat around the fire to discuss their next trip. Dean looked at his watch, it was 10 in the morning. He cleared a little before he started talking.
"Alright, it's already noon enough. So let's discuss. I tried to see the situation here. The water below looks like a lake. Surrounding it overgrown with trees and across it looks more dense forest." Dean paused for a moment. His colleagues listened patiently.
"But I suspect something. So try walking to the middle of the frozen lake. Once a little away from the edge, it is clearly visible. My suspicions seem to be proven. The lake is still at high altitude. From the middle of the lake I can take my eyes off to far away because there are no trees covering. The surface, even though it was covered in snow, should have been flat. So I think at the end of the lake there's a cliff, which means the lake water flows into a cliff into a waterfall."
"Waaah.. A waterfall? Is the cliff?"
Ask them simultaneously.
"I haven't been there yet. When viewed from the side that can not see the shoots of the lower tree, then it can mean 2. One, the cliffs are too high that we can't see even the tops of the trees below. Second, Underneath it may be a river wide enough that we can not see the top of the tree up close. But I can see the snowy mountain at the end of it." Dean finished his description.
"So how? We continue walking with the team? Or send another expedition?" ask Widuri. Everyone thinks hard.
"If we leave together, then if it ends up on a steep, high cliff that can't be safely descended, then we can only return. When we come back, team 2 who do not understand what happened, the next day will follow into a dead end as well and back again.means we waste a lot of free energy." Alan's words justified his friends with a nod.
"Means we better wait for team 2 to come and set up 2 expedition teams." Said Dean
"Why 2 expedition teams?" ask Goddess.
"Because we haven't explored the opposite area either." Dean's Papar.
"It looks better that way. So other teams can also help, not just follow from behind. More opinions, better." Widuri spoke her mind.
"Well, okay. We wait for team 2 to come."
"I agree."
"Yes, I think that's good too."
All his teammates agreed to wait for team 2. So Dean finally nodded.
"Okay, then. The others rest first. Gilang, come with me to make other fish traps so that the food for the team is adequate." take Dean to Gilang.
"Ahh, of course. Come." replied Gilang excitedly.
"Sunil and Alan are creating another new shelter for Team 2." Dean walked out and looked around, looking for a suitable place. "Here you go. Make it like yesterday. Can you?" ask Dean.
"could. Lt could. Leave it to us." replied Alan and Sunil in unison. They rush to pick up a tray to dredge in the snow, while Dean and Gilang step away.
***
Team 2.
They had not had breakfast until the sun began to rise, as they waited for Indra, Toni and Leon to return from checking the rabbit trap. Liam and Angelina gathered the dried twigs around while waiting. Marianne and Silvia were busy sewing socks for her team.
Toni walked while carrying 2 snow rabbits that were pure white and fat. It had not even been cleaned up even though it looked dead.
"There is only this knife," said Silvia thrusting a knife to grease butter or jam. Indra receives it and starts cleaning the rabbit further away from the shelter. Leon followed. They did it long enough. Of course it was because the blade was not sharp enough to be able to scratch the rabbit meat. It is not easy to remove the skin from the body of a rabbit. Moreover, splitting the stomach and removing its contents. There was only a pointed wooden spear and a butter dagger.
After 1 hour they returned with a rabbit that was clean, but still intact. The knife could not be used to cut him. The senses only scratch a few thick pieces of meat to open and ripen faster.
*
The sun was almost at the top of the head as they walked towards the next shelter. According to Indra, the place is not so far away, and there are fish that can be caught for food. So it doesn't matter if it goes a little bit during the day. They'll be there before dark.
Approaching the shelter, Indra still saw smoke rising. 'That means the fire is still burning' thought Indra who sped up the pace. Sure enough, he could see that the shelter was not empty. The women were still sewing outside. The sky is very bright today. The air was warm enough, but the women kept the flames nearby so there was no need to get cold from the thick piles of snow around them.
"Hey, you're still here." Sapa Indra from far away. Widuri, Dewi and Nastiti looked back.
"Yes, we were waiting for you to come. There's something to discuss before taking the next step." replied Widuri.
"Rest and warm the body first." Dewi thrust a pot of warm water on the newly arrived team 2. They sat around the fire there. Alan and Sunil were dredging snow.
"Hey... You guys arrived?" shouted Sunil.
"Yes. What is this shelter for us?" Indra walked over towards Sunil and Alan.
"Yes. For team 2. We're very good, right..?" Alan replied bragging.
"Haha." Indra and Sunil laughed.
"Well, what do I need to help you with?" ask Indra.
"Find the wood for the roof and the pine leaves for the bedding" said Sunil patting Indra's back gently. Indra nodded and put her bag in front of the shelter.
Indra invites Toni, Leon and Liam into the forest while carrying a saw. When team 1 was preparing their shelter, how could they sit back? By the time Indra returned, Dean and Gilang had already returned as well. They greet each other. Then Indra continued to look for the tree trunk. At least it takes a few tree trunks to support the roof firmly.
The afternoon sky looks gray, marked by a drop in temperature. 'Maybe it's raining tonight' Dean thought. But the preparations for tonight are ready. The fish had been gathered by Gilang and Dewi. Dean had also taken fish from a trap near the cliff of the lake. There were frozen fish there too. Dean had planted a pine twig to mark the trap for easy discovery.
The red sky quickly turns gray and then dark. Everyone went into the room and waited for the fish to cook for dinner. Dean repeated his team's plans based on the circumstances at hand. Team 2 agreed.
"So much better, than we waste unnecessary time and energy." Said Leon.
"good. So who's willing to go tomorrow? 1 Team 3 people or 2 people?" Ask Dean again.
"Better 3 people. It's safer to be on guard. If 1 person is in trouble, there are still 2 people to help and protect. In an emergency, 1 person can come back here to give news." said Indra.
Dean nodded in agreement. "So who's ready?" ask Dean again.
"I. I'm. I." replied Sunil, Alan and Gilang together. Dean shakes.
"Say stay. Because only you know where the fish trap we set this afternoon."
"Oh. Alright. Alright. It's my job to make sure everyone's stomach is filled. Aren't you?" Said Gilang proudly who greeted everyone's smile.
"Team 2 how?" dean asked again, not seeing anyone volunteering to leave. Indra saw his team. He knows his team is not compact. So there is no choice but to point and give tasks.
"Team 2, Me, Toni and Liam." Indra. They did not answer nor did they refuse. "Leon tomorrow with Gilang preparing food supply. Add new traps when necessary." Leon agreed.
The team has been approved. They finished dinner and rested. It's been snowing all night.
***