JUSTIN: * Shane has no trouble at all falling asleep, and the night passes quickly and uneventfully to his mind. Dreams are calm and content, a nice change from what he usually has to put up with. Jo's rousing doesn't stir him, nor her subsequent disappearance. Time continues to pass, and the sun is well into the sky before his sleep shows any hints of giving up.

JENNA: * It's several hours before Jo makes tracks back to camp, feeling a little tired, but more or less triumphant. She trots back to the camp site, pausing to see if Shane's awake yet before stepping inside. She scratches her cheek, looking skyward, and hopes he hasn't woken up in the meantime, as she's been quite a while more than she expected.

JUSTIN: * Shane is awake, if barely. As it is, he hasn't been on this side of consciousness long enough to panic over her disappearance. In fact, he's still sprawled out on his back when she returns to the camp, mumbling incoherently to himself about how sore he is. The sound of her footsteps approaching causes him to lift his head and look, only then noticing that she isn't on the other side of the fire.

JENNA: * Her concern leaves her face when she sees him still by the campfire, and she trots over to kneel next to him, reaching out to tug on a lock of his hair. "You slept a while, didn't you?" she grins, looking for all the world like the cat who got into the cream. She doesn't elaborate immediately on her evident smugness, however, waiting for him to finish waking up.

JUSTIN: * Shane swats half-heartedly at her tugging hand, then tries to cover a mighty yawn that escapes in place of any sort of response. Once he's recovered from this, he attempts to sit up, groaning quietly the entire time. "Mm... I slept like a baby. Like a baby on a pile of rocks." He stretches, grimacing at his protesting muscles. "You look wide awake." He turns her half-lidded eyes, mildly suspicious but mostly just jealous.

JENNA: "I couldn't sleep, so I went walking." She grins at him a little wider, then arches an eyebrow. "Want me to give you a backrub before we go? I have something to show you." Her cheery, almost smug expression returns, and she watches him expectantly.

JUSTIN: * Any jealousy gives way completely to scrutiny now, and he leans back on his hands to consider her expression. "Jo, you were supposed to sleep in. Now I feel like a lazy bum." He doesn't give away his suspicions just yet, deciding that he'll give her the benefit of the doubt instead. Dodging her offer for a backrub, however, is merely an accident. "Where exactly did you go walking?"

JENNA: "Don't feel lazy, if you needed to sleep, you needed to sleep!" She gets to her feet, however, grinning down at him. "There's something upriver I need to show you." She jerks her thumb over her shoulder, grin broadening, whether he's suspicious or not.

JUSTIN: * So much for giving her the benefit of the doubt, he thinks. Trying hard not to be annoyed that she went off without him, he slowly gets to his feet. "You're certainly in a chipper mood. I suppose whatever it is has you very pleased." He stretches again, then folds his hands behind his back, tilting his head and giving her another suspicious look. "This thing doesn't happen to involve falling water, does it?"

JENNA: * Jo claps, sarcasm breaking through her smile for a brief moment. "Clever." She puts her hands on her hips, tossing her head and frowning at him. "Don't dismiss me before you've had a chance to look." She starts for the river, waving impatiently for him to follow.

JUSTIN: * Already knowing exactly what she intends to show him, Shane fetches the book from her pack before following after her. If anything, having the information there to point at should help to quell whatever misguided optimism she has. "I won't dismiss you! It's just a bit hard to believe, that's all. It would be /amazingly/ coincidental." It would be damn near a miracle, he doesn't say out loud.

JENNA: * Jo gives a faint "tch" and starts upriver, tracing her steps back toward the waterfall she found. Shane's lack of enthusiasm is causing more than a prick of irritation, and she doesn't say much as they walk, saving her breath for keeping up the pace. Even so, it's nearly an hour before they reach her destination, a wide pool being fed by an enthusiastic waterfall -- split in the center by a large stone, even as described.

JUSTIN: * Shane is content to keep the silence for the majority of the journey, only volunteering a word or two along the way when he deems necessary. Most of these necessary words consist of pointing out which muscles are sore at what times, and for what reasons he thinks to be the cause. When they finally reach their destination -- the sound of the waterfall already reaching them well before getting there -- Shane is quietly, and secretly impressed that she did at least manage to find a waterfall that fits the basic description. But it isn't enough to make him concede just yet. "Okay, that's very beautiful. I'll have to paint a picture someday."

JENNA: * Jo gives him a dark look, then ambles over to grab him by the shirt, pulling him closer to the stone. "If you don't mind getting a little wet --" She kicks her boots off, then continues tugging him to the water's edge, releasing him to step inside. "It's not very deep."

JUSTIN: * Shane waves his arms a bit to keep his balance, paranoid about falling face first into the river. "I do mind, but if you insist on dragging me in..." He huffs a quick sigh of relief when she lets go, and he bends down to work his boots off, setting the book aside for the moment. "Jo, I hope I don't need to reiterate... there are probably /dozens/ of waterfalls just like this in the Republic alone, nevermind the rest of the world. The similarity is probably just coincidence. Uncanny, but coincidence all the same..."

JENNA: "Oh, shut up and get in here," she growls in response, wading out into the water and stopping when it reaches her knees. There she waits for her companion, hands on hips, and scowls. She looks about to say something, but instead she turns and wades deeper, heading for the falls themselves. The water really doesn't go terribly deep, cresting slightly above her waist as she reaches the rock.

JUSTIN: * By the look on his face as he watches, it is clear that Shane doesn't consider waist-deep water to be "not very deep", but he fears retaliation more than wetness, so he grits his teeth and braves the cold, running water. "Jo, if this turns out to be nothing, I'm holding you accountable for my wet clothes..." He bites at his lip, shivering from the chill, and making his way slowly, carefully out to the rock beside her.

JENNA: "Don't be such a baby," Jo retorts, then reaches over to tap the rock's worn surface, where some markings are clearly evident, though worn by time. She doesn't look at Shane, instead tracing her fingers over the marks, which strongly resemble -- as far she's concerned -- the symbol written in the book.

JUSTIN: "I'm /not/ being a baby... I just woke up, and I've already hiked for an hour, only to get cold and wet." Shane laughs, in spite of himself -- honestly, he /is/ fairly annoyed aby it all, but it's so miserable that it's practically funny. He sighs heavily, holding onto the rock to keep himself steady in the water as he peers at the scratches in the rock near Jo's hand. "What is that there?"

JENNA: * She merely grins at him. "I'll get you fish when we're back at camp." Taking her hand away from the stone, she folds both behind her back. "Someone's carved something into the rock there," she says comfortably. "Look familiar?" She gives him a hard look, as if daring him to pass this off as yet another coincidence.

JUSTIN: * Shane crosses his arms over his chest -- regretting it immediately, as he drips water onto the only dry part of his body -- and then grabs at the rock again instead. "Should it? There's barely anything there, Jo. It -- It could be natural, for all we know. There's any number of things that could have caused it." He very pointedly avoids looking directly into her stern gaze, looking none too sure of his own words.

JENNA: "Look again!" Jo snaps, shifting her fists to her hips and scowling. "Natural wear wouldn't create lines like this -- it may be worn down, but this is too much like the symbol in the book to be coincidence!" She draws back slightly, highly annoyed.

JUSTIN: * Shane looks desperately dismayed, scrambling for anything he can use to his defense. "Jo, do you even /realize/ what the chances are that we found one of Omar's landmarks a mere hour from our campsite? It's... it's /insane/." He takes a step back, slipping and nearly losing his balance before he lurches forward again to grab the rock for safety. "L-Let's go back, okay? Let's go, please?"

JENNA: * Jo folds her arms, looking at him angrily -- under that anger a heavy note of hurt. She doesn't argue her case further, however, turning away from him and stalking back toward the shore. "Fine. But I want to know what the next landmark is -- and what direction." Once she's reached knee-deep water again, she turns back to him with a scowl. "We're /going/ to look."

JUSTIN: * Shane stumbles through the water after her, for the moment too happy about leaving the river to feel the harsh sting of her words. Once he's on shore again, however, he sits down heavily, feeling a sudden weight on him. "Are you demanding that I read the journal to you, then?" He realizes this is a very stupid time to challenge her, but at the same time, he is curious if she realizes that she /needs/ his cooperation in order to get anywhere. He drops onto his back, staring up at the sky and for the moment forgetting about hiking back to the camp.

JENNA: * Jo walks over to the diary, scooping it off the ground, and taps it against her cheek, giving him a chilly look. "If you won't read it, then I'll take it to someone who will," she informs him flatly. "Either way, I want to find out. This isn't just idle curiosity, Shane." It's plain she's not jesting about the book's importance to her.

JUSTIN: * Shane furrows his brow, turning his head so he can look back at her. "Jo, we're not treasure hunters. What makes you think we can even do this? What about work, money? What happens if we run out, and we've got nothing to show for it?" He sighs pitifully, draping his arms over his face.

JENNA: "We can always find work. People always need something guarded -- passage from one place to another." She bites her lip, for the first time showing a sign of bending. "Please, all right? I want to know." She lets her hands drop to her sides, staring silently at the water. "If the next one's a dud, fine, we'll go find another job. It can't hurt to look."

JUSTIN: * Shane is silent for a long moment, the only sign that he's still awake being the tapping of his foot in the grass on the river bank. After what seems like an age, he finally sits up, his eyes half-lidded with weariness of a different kind, watching the sunlight playing off the water. "All right. I'll do this. For you." He wipes at his eyes with the back of his hand, letting out a long breath.

JENNA: * Jo lifts her head, cheer returning to her expression. For a moment, she looks like she wants to hug him -- or give some gesture of affection, but she doesn't do so. "Thank you," she says instead, offering him the book to carry back to camp. "We'd better eat. I said I'd catch fish."

JUSTIN: * Shane takes the book, staring at the cover distantly for a few good, long seconds before he slides his boots over and begins to pull them on. He pushes the book into his pocket as much as it will hold, and gets to his feet, brushing dirt from his hands. "You're welcome... Come on, then. It's already past lunch, no doubt."

JENNA: * Jo nods, pulling her boots on and setting off toward the camp in silence. Though she's gotten her way, she can't help an uneasy feeling in her gut -- the idea of losing at the next landmark and having to go back without solving the mystery leaves her feeling almost miserable.

JUSTIN: * Shane respects the silence entirely this time, no complaining or nagging -- not even about his soreness, his wetness, the cold, or being hungry. At least the hunger part will be taken care of when the reach the camp again.

JENNA: * Jo heads straight for her gear when she reaches camp, digging out her line and bait again, as well as the cloth she uses to hold the fish. "Can you get a couple sticks and trim them down?" She glances at him a little warily, pausing before she heads for the river.

JUSTIN: "Of course." Shane stops by the fire, placing the spare wood onto the embers of last night's fire and quickly working at getting a new one started before he takes care of the sticks. "I'll come sit with you, okay? If you don't mind the company again."

JENNA: "That's fine." She smiles wanly and starts toward the river, trying to ignore an irritable rumble from her stomach. "I'll try to be quick, though.. pretty hungry." That said, she walks to her fishing spot, seating herself and unwinding her line before fixing the bait and dropping it in the water.

JUSTIN: * Shane smiles a little, turning to the forest in search of some proper sticks for the job. It doesn't take long to locate a pair of decent specimens, and he makes his way to the river, passing through the camp to collect a knife before he reaches the bank. He sits down behind Jo, turned to the side, and begins to whittle away the bark of the sticks.

JENNA: * Jo doesn't acknowledge him save to glance over her shoulder, then turn back to the water. She hums a little, passing the time until she can get the attention of the fish, which seem to be ignoring her today. It's nearly twenty minutes before she gets a bite, and she gives a soft snort as she whips it from the water. "About time."

JUSTIN: * Shane finishes stripping and sharpening the sticks to perfection in the quiet, and he lies down on his back to listen to the comforting sounds of running water and Jo's humming. He's nearly fallen asleep by the time Jo's fish comes falling onto the ground beside him, waking him with a start. He edges up onto his elbows, wiping splashed water from his cheek, and squints against the high sunlight as he inspects the catch. "Hmm. Only one so far? Maybe I should have brought a book."

JENNA: * Jo grunts absently, dropping the line back in the water. "You could figure out where we're supposed to go next," she remarks, grinning over her shoulder at him, then turning back to the water. The humming resumes shortly, though she appears to be getting impatient with the wary and uninterested denizens of the river.

JUSTIN: "Mm." Shane rolls over a little to expose one of the pockets of his pants, where the journal is sticking out enticingly. "Well, it's not what I had in mind, but... I'm really feeling far too lazy to go back to camp just to get something different." He pulls it out, rolling over until he bumps up against Jo, using her as a stop to keep himself from rolling into the river. "I hope it's not another waterfall. I'm still damp."

JENNA: * Jo jumps slightly when he bumps into her, glancing over her shoulder and almost missing a tug on her line. She looks back quickly, but the fish loses interest and swims away. She sighs and attempts to wiggle the line in a way they might find enticing. "Well, we might as well know where we're going ..." She settles in for a long wait.

JUSTIN: * Shane yawns a little, holding the book out in front of him and scanning the page. "Mhm." He bends his arm at an odd angle, attempting to fit it by the curve of Jo's side to turn the page. After a few failed attempts, he instead reaches around her, finding it much more comfortable, and turns the page. "If he ever stops detailing his campsite and moves on, I will let you know what I find."

JENNA: * Jo reaches down with one hand to give his arm an acknowledging squeeze, but she she doesn't say anything, intent on communicating with the fish -- who are largely ignoring her. It's another solid half-hour before she gets a bite, and her response on jerking it out of the water is so enthusiastic, she nearly tumbles backward onto Shane.

JUSTIN: * Shane startles again, the sudden movement causing him to almost lose his hold on the book. He catches it in both hands, simultaneously using his position to anchor and support Jo as she flings the fish onto the riverbank. "You must be hungrier than I thought, getting so excited over a fish." He grins, closing one eye against the accompanying splash of water.

JENNA: "It doesn't often take me a half-hour to land one damn fish," Jo retorts, turning to place the fish on the cloth and looking at him curiously. "You figure anything out?" she asks, winding the line and preparing to head back to camp.

JUSTIN: "Hm? Oh, right." Shane releases her, scooting back to sit up and stretch, letting out a quiet grunt and sigh. "We follow the river past the waterfall until it turns to the south. Then we go to the northwest and look for a cave by a lone mountain." He shrugs his shoulders, stuffing the book back into his pocket and gathering the sticks and knife. "I can't remember ever seeing a mountain anywhere in this area, so it must be very far to the northwest."

JENNA: "Sounds simple enough .. though you're right about the mountain." She gets to her feet, gathering fish and gear, and steps around him to head back toward the fire. "Well, maybe it'll be clearer when we find the cave ..." She seats herself, tugging out her knife and setting to work cleaning the fish.

JUSTIN: * Shane sets the sticks down beside her, and moves to sit next to the fire, hoping to finish the drying process faster. "We'll see when we get there, assuming things are still how they're described in the book." He rubs tenderly at his lower back with one hand, staring off into the forest for a moment before turning his attention back to Jo. "I guess you'll want to get the fish cooked as quickly as possible, this time."

JENNA: * Jo nods. "They've been sitting out a while ... Well, one of them." She finishes cleaning and spears the fish, setting them near the fire to cook. "Hopefully it'll go quicker than the catching." She glances at him sideways with an amused grin, giving a long stretch and leaning back on her hands.

JUSTIN: * Shane shrugs his shoulders lightly, lying down on his back again and watching the fire crackle away. Even with the bright sun overhead, it's a soothing sight. "They shouldn't take long at all, since I haven't messed around with them this time." He smiles a little, then tilts his head back and closes his eyes to relax while he waits.

JENNA: * The fish do not, indeed, take long to cook, though the minutes are long enough to make Jo impatient for the food. She rubs her belly irritably, watching the meat slowly crisp, and it's with great relish she finally pulls them away from the fire. "Up, up. It's ready." She walks over and seats herself next to Shane's head, dangling his share of the meal over his face.

JUSTIN: * Shane slides his eyes open, halting his ascent at the sight of a crispy fish hanging in front of him. "Didn't even have a chance to fall asleep." He says, but he takes the stick eagerly and sits the rest of the way up -- clearly he isn't too concerned about missing one more nap. "And again, I wish we had some wine." He smirks, turning a teasing look at Jo.

JENNA: "Another time, maybe." Jo wrinkles her nose at him, then turns her attention to her fish, which doesn't last long against her voracious appetite. Once she's finished, she even considers going for some jerky, as she's still a little peckish, but she restrains herself, instead turning to see how Shane's progressed.

JUSTIN: * Shane isn't so much taking his time as he is eating at a normal pace, seeing as he likes to enjoy the flavor of his food as he eats. He amuses himself with watching Jo outright devour her fish, but he is still only halfway through his meal by the time she's done -- that much only because she's too busy scarfing down meat to talk. "And you didn't even choke once." He pats her arm lightly, setting his stick to the side so he can take a sip from his canteen.

JENNA: * Jo gives a faint snort, tossing her stick on the fire, and takes a long drink from her own canteen. "It's a gift," she says, lowering it and wiping her mouth. She looks at him speculatively for a moment, then turns her gaze to the fire. "Your back still sore?"

JUSTIN: "Hm?" Shane sits up a little straighter, like an instinctive defense, and his eyes shift to her warily. "Well, I suppose it is, a bit. I hadn't really been thinking about it..." Which is a lie, as it's hard to ignore if your back stings everytime you move. "It's nothing to worry about, anyway." He turns a little away from her to pick up his stake again, nibbling at the fish quietly.

JENNA: * Jo gives him a doubtful look, and she gets to her feet, ambling over to kneel behind him. "Well, you can't just let it keep hurting," she says pointedly, reaching out to tug his shirt up slightly. "I can do a little bit while you're eating, but it's easier if you're lying down." She slips a hand under his shirt, feeling along his spine and up to his shoulders to see just how bad he is.

JUSTIN: * Shane's back arches slowly, the further up his spine her fingers go, until he's sitting straight and rigid. He lets out a quick breath, a gasp, and clutches at the stick in his hands tightly. "That ti-tickles, Jo..." But it doesn't, not really -- though it does make him tingle all over. "Come on, I'm all right, honest..."

JENNA: "You don't /feel/ all right," she mutters, pretending not to notice his remarkable reaction to the physical contact -- and somewhat glad she's behind him, so he can't notice her face heat slightly. "Honestly, you'll feel better if you just let me, and you know it." She seats herself, rubbing absently at the base of his neck with her hand, resting her head against the other.

JUSTIN: * Shane is beginning to completely lose interest in what's left of his meal, and he hardly notices when his hands let the stick roll away of their own accord. "Haa--" He breathes in sharply again, twitching when another tingling sensation runs through him. "O-Okay, okay. Let me... let me get comfortable, at least." He looks around the small campsite, wondering where and how he's going to manage that. With all options looking about equal, he picks out the cloak that's still on the ground from the previous night, and crawls onto it timidly.

JENNA: "Hang on -- your shirt." Jo follows him, kneeling and tugging once again at the fabric, as if to help him pull it off. "It'll be more comfortable," she suggests, though she doubts he's going to be very comfortable at all no matter what she does -- at least at first.

JUSTIN: * Shane closes his eyes for a moment, mouthing unspoken words, and attempting to calm himself from his ridiculous discomort. "All right, all right -- I've got it." He quickly works at the buttons, before she can just tear it over his head instead, and then wriggles his way out of the sleeves. "Now... go easy on me, I'm fragile." He slowly lowers himself down, still a little shaky with anticipation of the event.

JENNA: "A delicate little flower, that's right." Jo snorts faintly, waiting until he's settled to take her position, even as before, with one knee planted on either side of him. She pauses, feeling an annoying surge of embarrassment, brought on by his hesitation. She huffs a faint sigh, however, and starts at the top, quietly letting her gaze wash over him as she works.

JUSTIN: * Shane keeps his eyes closed, folding his arms under his head for comfort, and tries his best to just enjoy the attention instead of fear it. His breathing takes a few minutes to return to normal, but eventually it calms down as well. For all appearances, he's finally relaxed -- but his face still twitches now and then with the effort.

JENNA: * Jo glances at his face now and then, sighing slightly as she works at his shoulders. "Is it really all that bad?" she asks finally, voice displaying a mixture of emotions ranging from injury to irritation to a little bit of guilt. "I won't do it anymore if it bothers you, but ..." She falls silent, glancing off to one side, as if the nearby dirt is suddenly very interesting.

JUSTIN: * Shane opens his eyes, feeling suddenly guilty and panicky. "No, no! It doesn't -- I mean, it does... no, wait." He rolls over onto his back so he can see her, feeling really weird talking to the dirt. "I'm just not used to being touched, and... definately not by someone like you." He goes very red in the face, thinking he's going about explaining his anxiety in a very bad way.

JENNA: * Jo shifts slightly to let him move and looks down at him silently for a moment, totally unsure where to put her hands now that she's got nothing to do with them. She settles for folding her arms. "So.." She reaches up to scratch her cheek, gaze slipping away again. "So it's all right if I keep going?" she asks, finally looking back at him, red stealing into her cheeks as if in response. "I don't really know what else I can do to help.. besides that."

JUSTIN: * Shane stares up at her for a moment, eyes searching her face, and he begins to take on the same embarrassment he sees in her. "Of course... I'll be good this time." He rolls onto his stomach again, feeling even more jittery for a moment before he closes his eyes and tries to relax once more. "Don't let me give you the wrong impression, Jo... I'm just a ball of nerves."

JENNA: * Jo's mouth curves into a faint smile, feeling some of her own jitters fade at his explanation. "All right," she says quietly, bending forward to get back to work. "Then I won't worry about it anymore." The smiles stays as she starts again, working from the top once more to make sure he hasn't tensed himself up again.

JUSTIN: * Shane mutters some sort of acknowledgement, and focuses on reminding himself of all the positive aspects of getting a backrub from a nice, pretty girl like Jo -- and a good deal of concentration goes into reminding himself that, hey, everything's out in the open now anyway, so where's the hurt? This kind of thinking keeps him relaxed while she works, and soon enough he doesn't even require the constant consolation of his thoughts to enjoy the feel of her hands loosening his tense muscles. A small, content smile sneaks onto his face, and he murmurs again, pleasantly. "This isn't so bad..."

JENNA: * Jo sniffs faintly. "I would hope not." She takes her time about it, making sure each muscle is completely relaxed before moving on to the next. Upon reaching his lower back and finishing there, she begins to work her way back up, gaze almost absent minded until she realizes that what she's doing now is less massage and more caress. Her face goes hot with surprise, and her hands stop, resting in place as she attempts to recover her equilibrium.

JUSTIN: * Shane doesn't notice the change from massage to caress, as by this point he is in a sort of half-doze -- not asleep, but lulled into a state where the only thing he notices at all is that he's comfortable, and Jo's hands are to thank. It is because of this that he does, in fact, notice when they stop moving. Taking a few seconds to regain his wits and awareness, he hums quietly before lifting his head in an attempt to see her out of the corner of his eyes. "Done already?" He flexes his shoulders, then his back, almost disappointed that there aren't any tight spots left to continue the affair. "Hm..."

JENNA: "Guess so.." Jo forces a smile, pulling her hands almost regretfully away from him. "Unless I missed somewhere," she adds, though she's fairly sure she didn't. She stays still, however, waiting for his answer, even though she knows it's high time they got on the road instead of lazing around the camp.

JUSTIN: * Shane wiggles a bit, still coming up short in the pain department. "No... you were very thorough." For some reason, that last part causes him to blush and grin stupidly. He quickly wipes the look off his face, rolling over onto his back again and tilting his head as he stares up at her. "I suppose we should be moving on now, anyway." He voices her thoughts, though his voice holds mixed opinions about the fact.

JENNA: "Yeah," she agrees, again reluctantly, then pauses, giving a faint sigh. "Well, we won't get anywhere if we don't get started." In spite of this statement, however, she leans forward, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear, and kisses him gently. She lingers only a moment before pulling away and smiling faintly. "Bet the pecos don't mind the rest, though."

JUSTIN: * Shane returns the kiss lightly, a giddy sensation remaining after she pulls away, and he grins once again -- and not about he comment on the pecos, but that too. "Laziest birds I've ever met." He agrees, setting his hands to her waist to hold her steady as he moves into a sitting position. He gives her a gentle, hugging squeeze, then slides her from his lap before attempting to get vertical again. Snagging his shirt, he shakes it out and pulls it on, buttoning it quickly. "I'll put out the fire."

JENNA: "I'll get the birds ready," Jo volunteers, shifting her legs underneath her and getting to her feet. She also gathers up their gear, tucking the cloak away in one of the saddlebags before slinging her pack over her back. The pecos watch her suspiciously, and she gives them a dark look in turn. "That's right, featherfaces. We're moving again." Hers squawks at her, ruffling its feathers, and she thonks it on the beak for its trouble.