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Jordan and Ai-Ling did, eventually, find a workable motor vehicle; a dark green Sedan car that must have been conveniently flashed in recently, from its relative newness and working condition. They strapped Jordan's new push bike to the trunk and headed towards Kansas.

Ai-ling hasn't turned out to be a natural driver. The car's workings are counter-inuitive to her and she needs things explaining a post-industrial person would take for granted.

She is, however, dedicated to learning, and there's not a lot more to expect from a student, so she's soon capable at least of keeping them moving along an empty desert road.

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A satisfied nod is given, in any case. She's confirmed that she isn't a Hunter, but a hunter. Capable but maybe not knowledgeable. At least, not in the things Jordan is.

"...sabre-toothed?"

"Like a mooselion."

Ai-Ling spares a hand again and mimes a massive hand-sized tooth extending down from her mouth. "Only not. More like... just a lion."

Ai-Ling says a lot of things like that. Little things that aren't exactly wrong, just right enough for her to be confused. Enough for Jordan to be unable to chalk it up to craziness.

So she blinks, and then nods. "We have those. I've never heard of a mooselion."

"They're from my home," Ai-Ling explains. "I've only ever seen one in the zoo."

Jordan nods, lips curled into a small smile. "Only place I've ever seen a lion," she offers.

"I bet that will change after you've been here a while," Ai-Ling returns with a smile.

Jordan makes a face, mostly of mock-fear. "I hope not. I wouldn't know what to do with it."

If it's not supernatural, there's really no reason for her to kill it.

"The same as you'd do for any animal," Ai-Ling says. "They're not like the weird stuff that needs special killing."

She's not going to forget the first vampire she met.

"I don't kill animals," Jordan points out simply.

Behind them, Journey snorts with her head out the window, as if agreeing.

"Not ever?"

Ai-Ling keeps her eyes on the road, but she's curious enough to sound surprised.

"Are you like the Avatar? Never eating meat?"

Jordan shakes her head in answer to the initial question, but she's frowning for the second. She knows things are different enough that she doesn't feel a real need to demand an explanation, though.

So she moves on to the third question. "I'm not a vegetarian, no. We don't have to kill animals ourselves to get meat, where I'm from."

"Oh, I get it," Ai-Ling says. "You lived in a city? Some of the towns here still trade for meat. It was like that where I grew up, but when I married Miki I joined the hunters of his tribe."

Even though she's a girl. Ha.

Jordan's return smile has a bit of 'ha' in it, too. She can guess a little of what Ai-Ling's world is like from what's been said so far and she gets the gist that Ai-Ling would have fought tooth and nail to be part of any hunter party.

She can respect that. And also be really amused by it.

"I guess it would be a city, compared to a tribe," she replies with a thoughtful tilt of her head. "Town would probably be more accurate."

"I'll get us some meat for dinner, if you like," Ai-Ling says, continuing her train of thought. "There's not a lot of trade out here."

There's hesitation, but only for a moment. She's not exactly unaware of how meat gets into grocery stores, but neither is Jordan itching for a try at it. If Ai-Ling knows how and wants it as her job, Jordan certainly doesn't mind letting her have it.

"I can build a fire," she offers, "and I can cook."

Though the latter is not specifically an offer so much as sharing the information. She appreciates Ai-Ling's expertise with hunting, but she can pull her weight.

"OK."

Yes, Ai-Ling has a lowered opinion, of someone willing to eat meat but not kill it, but she figures Jordan's a girl, after all.

"Will Journey want some?"

He had the right teeth, but it's worth checking.

Jordan would have a few things to say about that if she heard it.

Journey's ears would prick at the talk of meat but her head is currently out the window and her ears are currently flying behind her, so she's not too aware of the conversation. Jordan nods for her. "A little, yeah."

She's keeping her opinions to herself! Miki would be so proud.

"I thought so. He has the right teeth. So I guess we need to find somewhere to stop?"

Jordan glances over and her little amused smile is back. "She."

It's not the first time she's had to remind someone multiple times. She guesses a bloodhound isn't the most feminine of dogs. Or people just assume stupid things naturally.

Nodding, Jordan looks back out the window again. "What about the hills?" she asks, nodding ahead of them. It sounds like a simple suggestion, maybe for the beauty of the area surrounding, but it's more because if there are lions and monsters on this world, Jordan wants the high ground on them.

"She."

She knew that. Silly ~~mun~~ mistake.

The she nods. "The top of one of them. Gives us the high ground."

View schmiew.

At least they have their priorities straight. Even if Jordan has that amused smile while Ai-Ling drives up to the hills.

Then there are lessons in parking and a whistle given so Journey will get out of the car (and stop laying on top of Ai-Ling's spear), and Jordan starts wandering about to pick up kindling and rocks for a fire pit. Not far, just around the edges of what she's mentally considering to be a campsite.

Ai-Ling's backpack produces a blanket. She really is travelling light. Then she strolls around the edge of the campsite, looking for signs of animals.

When she spies droppings and then tracks, she glances up, waves to Jordan and heads down the hill with her spear in hand.

Jordan looks up at the wave and gives a nod. Ai-Ling certainly doesn't need a babysitter, or someone to distract her from her work.

If it's really that difficult, she considers idly as she starts putting rocks down for the fire pit, she could hunt. She'd have to learn a new way of tracking, is all. And rid herself of the unsettling thought that she'd be killing something that wasn't hurting any humans.

Of course, she had burgers at home, so she recognizes it's a bit hypocritical. It's just harder to kill Bambi's mother when he's watching you do it.

By the time Ai-Ling is back, there's a fire blazing, some wittled sticks set up for roasting, Journey chasing a rabbit down the field (and making entirely too much noise to ever be considered stealthy), and Jordan by the fire with her backpack at her feet.

Ai-Ling has two rabbits, holding them by the back legs. A spear isn't the perfect weapon for killing something that small, but she improvising, and there was no big game.

She grins at the fire and sits down in front of it, setting about skinning the first.

"It's quiet around here."

Jordan's eyes are a little wide at the rabbits. Not for seeing a dead animal so much as being impressed that Ai-Ling was able to catch something that small and fast.

And more impressed when she goes about skinning them. Nothing Jordan's ever skinned has ever been quite that clean or professional.

She nods in response and glances around them. It isn't an eerie sort of quiet (yet, maybe) but it's worth commenting on all the same. After all the warnings she'd received, she'd expected there to be more noise in the calmer times than Journey's barking.