Ali tapped Jelia on the shoulder, saying, "The situation is somewhat dire; I need to explain it to you so we can decide on our next move."
"You're actually consulting with me? Don't you usually just make decisions on your own?" Jelia huffed.
"Because I want to borrow your henchman for a bit, to take out a few particularly annoying individuals."
Deep within the jungle, in a concealed shallow cave, lay the temporary refuge for Ali, Jelia, and Roronora.
To avoid detection by the cloaked assailants, Ali had foregone making a fire.
The absence of their usual warm jerky soup and even having to eat bread cold soured the mood for both Ali and Jelia.
Roronora, however, seemed unaffected by such discomforts.
Thus, the cave scene was an odd one: a young girl and a young man frowned deeply while holding their bread, while the skeletal, gaunt figure beside them eagerly devoured bread stuffed with jerky, as if savoring a delicacy of the highest order.
