JENNA: * In the meantime, Shane and Jo's journey has just begun to get interesting. The maps they were provided have gotten them farther into the pyramid than Jo has ever been, but they are seeing the end of their usefulness. The ruins themselves are dark, musty, and abandoned, for which Jo herself is grateful. Fighting monsters in the dark would be both difficult and annoying. It doesn't stop her from grousing, however, when they finally reach an unknown area. "Well played, scholar," she says sourly. "Now what do we do?"

JUSTIN: * Shane runs a gloved hand along the wall, rubbing off countless decades of accumulated sand and grime. Resisting the impulse to cough noisily at the cloud of settling dust, he turns back to face Jo with a slight frown. "Well," he lets out a brief cough anyway, and sighs, "...I guess we keep going down until we can't go down anymore." His head tilts as he considers the dark, unlit corridors, and his frown deepens. "I don't suppose we brought any bread crumbs?"

JENNA: "We could always try to carve something in the floor," Jo mutters, crouching to rub her finger throught he dirt. "Or mark piles of rocks ... or ... start mapping where he left off." She glances at the papers, lips curving into a grin. "Bet he'd have a conniption if we drew on his stuff, though, yeah?" She stands, looking ahead once more.

JUSTIN: * Shane turns the maps a sideways glance, and smirks. "I think he cares just a little more about getting his rubbings than he does about the maps." He reaches over and takes the last one they made use of, and stares at it for a moment in thought. "Of course... I've always wanted to try the bread crumb thing."

JENNA: "I think the best we can do is shredded paper for that," Jo says drily. "We have better things to do with food. Like eat it." She gives him a mock-stern look. "Either way.. we'd better pick a direction and go. I hope it's not too much farther, whatever it is." She stretches slightly, glancing at Shane expectantly.

JUSTIN: * Shane rolls up the map and slips it back into its tube, then caps it. "It can't go down forever. It's just a tomb, after all, not a mining shaft." He turns her a brief smile, then pats her on the back and begins to walk. "There has to be some logic to the floorplan. We just have to figure it out..."

JENNA: "The logic to the floorplan is to keep people like us out ..." Jo smiles faintly, but she follows him, lifting her lamp lazily against the darkness. "But I guess if we've gotten this far, it's clear sailing ..." She smiles drily, personally doubting that. "I doubt anybody's been in this deep in a long time, anyway."

JUSTIN: * Shane stops for a brief moment, then continues his forward progression again, slowly. "I don't suppose there are any booby traps? There are always traps in the books." He turns a wary eye to the stonework of the walls, ceiling, and floor, watching everything uneasily as he walks.

JENNA: "I guess we'll find out if there are, won't we?" Jo grins with some amusement, though her gaze does flick to the ceiling once or twice. "The only traps we really have to worry about are probably the ones brought on by time." She reaches out to touch one of the walls. "Good thing ancient Morrocans built things to last."

JUSTIN: "Build something big and thick enough, and I'm sure it'll stand for a good, long while." Shane drops back to walk beside her, no longer feeling entirely carefree about the jaunt in the dark. The more he thinks about stories he's read, the worse their situation seems. "You don't... you don't think the tomb will have a mummy, do you? Mummies are worse than traps..."

JENNA: "Mummies are dead people, Shane," Jo says with a ghost of a smile. "If there is a mummy in there, it will mean we don't have to worry about him." She scratches her cheek and shrugs. "I'm more worried about tomb guardians, myself. If he was powerful enough, he migth still have some."

JUSTIN: * Shane arches his eyebrows at this. "Tomb guardians? You mean, like other mummies? Not-dead ones?" He takes a hold of her hand and squeezes it, tugging her insistantly closer. "Why didn't Mr. Malachi say anything about tomb guardians?"

JENNA: "Mr. Malachi probably hopes we'll get eaten," Jo mutters, letting him tug her closer and sighing. "I doubt there'd be all that many mummies.. the guardians would probably be something else, if there are any." She grins at him. "Relax ... after this long, they're probably just hoping for company, like that valkyrie."

JUSTIN: * Shane fidgets, looking mostly unswayed by her attempts to calm his doubts. "The Valkyrie also threatened us at swordpoint, and likely would have skewered us if we hadn't been clueless." He places his free hand against the grip of his pistol, clenching it loosely in his fingers. "I have a feeling any guardians aren't going to be happy with us poking around their master's tomb."

JENNA: "Well, with any luck, they'll also negotiate." She smiles faintly, working her hand loose from his and reaching up to ruffle his hair. "The place has been pretty empty so far -- I'd worry about it when we get there." She leaves the second part, 'if we get there,' unspoken.

JUSTIN: * Shane moves a hand to swipe his hair back, oblivious to the dirt covering his gloves -- and likely not too worried about it, since this trip has left them more than a little grubby. "If we're lucky, maybe it'll stay empty..." He lets go of his gun and takes a deep breath, ignoring the strong scent of decay.

JENNA: * Jo shakes her head and smiles briefly. "Whatever happens is gonna happen ... better not to worry about it too much." She shrugs, moving ahead slightly, then stops short, annoyed, when a wall appears ahead. "... Great, this one's a dead end, too." She utters an irritable sigh, stamping her foot slightly.

JUSTIN: "Well, there are plenty of other--" Shane's sentance is cut off when the floor beneath them suddenly erupts in a cloud of rising dust, his feet falling through what he thought was solid stone. He lets out a startled yelp, catching Jo to him with one hand and grasping uselessly with the other as the floor that was rises fast above his head. There's a racket as they -- and several pounds of crumbling stone and sand -- crash down to a hard landing on the level below, Shane doing his best to keep Jo away from the falling rubble.

JENNA: * Jo stifles a shriek as the ground crumbles beneath her, losing her grip on the lamp, which gutters entirely upon striking the floor -- and getting buried under a heap of rubble. She curls against Shane, waiting until the sound of falling rocks ha stilled before she movies, reaching for her companion and prodding him warily. "All in one piece?" she asks, quietly, making a slow attempt to sit upright.

JUSTIN: * Shane chokes a bit on a swallowed bit of dirt, and he coughs mutedly for at least half a minute before he can finally answer her. "I thought... they made these monuments to last..." He sits up slowly, aching in a dozen places but otherwise fine. "I-I'm fine... I... are you okay?" He straightens a lot quicker, shifting to help her sit.

JENNA: "Yeah, I'm all right.. just a couple bruises." She pauses, fumbling around in the dark for the lamp. "Guess that floor wasn't as sturdy as I thought ..." It takes some digging, but she finally unearths it, frowning slightly as she tugs it over to her. "Damn, hope we can get this lit again."

JUSTIN: * Shane slides his pack off of his shoulder and digs around for some of the strike matches they picked up on the trip down. He lights one with a quick stroke against the rough edge of the box, and the utter dark leaps away from the small, singular point of light. "It's not leaking fuel," he observes, fingering the bent base and cracked glass, "but it's a bit busted up. As long as it'll hold a flame without going out..." He hands her the box of matches.

JENNA: * She takes the box without comment, striking another match and working it carefully inside the lamp. Once it's lit, she lifts it carefully above them, peering up. "I guess.. we didn't fall too far, but it's still a little high to climb..."

JUSTIN: * Shane gets to his feet and dusts himself off a bit, glaring up through the hole they made. "Next time you feel the need to stomp your foot in frustration, just hit me instead..." He smirks, turning her a slight grin. "Well, we wanted to get to the next floor down, right? It's not like we're any more lost now than we were before. We might as well just start walking."

JENNA: "I don't think it was entirely my fault," Jo grouses, getting to her feet and holding the lamp toward the area ahead. "Well, it's not a dead end anymore ... guess that's something." The passage ahead, in fact, looks as ornately carved as the ones they've been traveling through -- perhaps even more so. The carvings and paintings on the wall are, if not more pristine, then at least less worn than the ones on the floors above.

JUSTIN: * Shane takes a few steps forward, carefully making his way around chunks of stone until the rubble is left behind them. He stops to wait for Jo, at the edge of his visual range until the lamp catches up again. Running his fingers along the wall, he can tell the carvings are more distinct, some even still showing signs of the colored dyes set into them ages ago. "Doesn't look like anyone's been down here in a long while." He casts her a look over his shoulder. "I mean... an even longer while than the other levels."

JENNA: "Well.. that's a good sign, don't you think?" Jo wanders up to join him, peering ahead. "Maybe we're close to where we need to be," she says with a tired smile, patting his shoulder and starting to walk. The passage is quite clear and level, and it widens as they continue.

JUSTIN: * Shane sniffs, following after Jo and staying close this time. "Closer to where we need to be also means closer to trouble," he reminds her, though it is plainly obvious he's the only one worried about that. "I hope there isn't too much to do. I can't wait to get back to fresh air, and I haven't bathed since we left that inn at the edge of the desert..."

JENNA: * Jo sighs, prodding him very firmly in the ribs. "You just hush.. I'm looking forward to getting out of here as much as you are." She pauses again when the hallway widens once more, then trots forward, lifting up the lamp to reveal an ornately carved doorway. "Well, I'd say we're making progress."

JUSTIN: * Shane turns his head up to gaze along the arch of the doorway, the entire surface covered in large, intricate pictures and designs. "Now I'm not worried that I went overboard with the decoration in our house." He steps forward to investigate the stone door, looking for some mechanism to open it. "Don't see a doorknob anywhere..."

JENNA: * Jo shakes her head again, smiling faintly, and walks up beside him, placing one hand against the door to give it a firm shove. There is surprisingly little resistance, and the door pushes inward at her touch, grinding slightly after a moment as if it requires further persuasion. "Maybe like that," she says lightly.

JUSTIN: * Shane straightens up, looking half embarrassed, half insulted by the simple solution to the dilemma. "For all the impressive architecture, you'd think they could afford a proper latch on their doors..." He turns Jo a sideways glance, trying not to look as stupid as he feels. "Normally I'd say 'ladies first', but under the circumstances, perhaps we can switch places?"

JENNA: * Jo arches a brow, shrugging. "If you insist.. I really don't think there's anything dangerous in there." She offers him the lamp, however, unsure whether she ought to be amused. Her glance flicks inside as she does so, but the lamp's light doesn't extend far beyond the now-open door.

JUSTIN: "Better safe than mummy food." Shane mumbles by her ear, then gives her arm a squeeze and steps through the open portal. It's nothing but tight walls for several feet, then the room suddenly opens up into a perfectly square chamber. The light leaps forward to meet the new space, snaking its arms into every nook and cranny it can find. The walls are ornately decorated, with smaller, squared-off sections devoted to lines of runic glyphs, and the floor lined with urns and chests of jewel-encrusted gold. Dust and sand cake everything in an even layer, including the room's centerpiece: a large sarcophagus, on a larger pedestal carved with the same runes.

JENNA: "Told you," Jo says pointedly, walking forward to take the lamp from him and lifting it higher. Her breath catches in a startled hiss as they come nearer the sarcophagus, and she almost stops. "And there are the guardians," she says, relaxing again. Two strange, skeletal figures, half human and half snake to all appearances, are curled around and over the sarcophagus, arms wrapped almost lovingly over the image of the dead king. Jo scratches her head.

JUSTIN: * Shane takes a step back and makes a face, catching at Jo's arm again reflexively. "Oh... gods. I can't believe it doesn't smell worse in here, with three dead bodies..." He wrinkles his nose at the sight, unable to stop his staring for several moments. His eyes widen slightly, then droop in disappointment. "We... we're going to have to move them..." He points at the stone pedestal that the sarcophagus is resting on, and more specifically to the glyphs that wrap around its four sides.

JENNA: "Seems almost disrespectful," Jo remarks drily, ambling over to touch the sarcophagus a moment before turning to the bodies. "At least whatever juices they had dried up ages ago. No way they can stink now." She looks around at the walls, expression weary. "I don't suppose he'll want all that crap, too?" she asks, resting her hand on her hip.

JUSTIN: * Shane manages to tear his sight away from the gruesome, skeletal creatures long enough to focus on the surround walls. "Considering the amount of paper he gave us..." He sets the lamp down on the floor and removes his back, slinging it down to the stone as well. Digging out the briefcase, he takes a step forward, cautiously setting it on the edge of the sarchophagus with mostly unnecessary care. "It could be worse. At least he doesn't want something /inside/ the coffin..."

JENNA: "I think violating two corpses is quite enough for one miserable afternoon," Jo mutters, taking another step closer to the dead snake creatures. She hesitates a moment, then reaches out and touches the nearest one lightly, a precursor to actually taking hold of it. As she does so, however, it seems to dissolve where she touched it, crumbling away in pieces of various sizes. Jo takes a step back, covering her nose and mouth with one hand. "Egh."

JUSTIN: * Shane raises his arm to guard his face from the rising cloud of filth, holding his breath until he's convinced himself he won't be inhaling pieces of bone and decayed rot. "Mmph... So much for leaving them their dignity." He coughs slightly, eyes watering from the dust. "I'll... work on these, if you want to get started on the wall..."

JENNA: "If you'd rather ..." Jo sighs, shifting away from the now-disintegrated corpse and starting for the wall with her materials. She kneels close to the nearest runes and sighs again. She can definitely think of better ways to spend an afternoon. "The faster the better, I guess," she mutters, mostly to herself.

JUSTIN: * Shane tosses her a look over his shoulder, doing his best to move the second corpse without causing a meltdown. It's not particularly successful, crumbling into a heap much like the first. "I thought you were excited to be out on a job again," Shane says, voice straining with his effort to hold in a cough. It leaps out loudly afterward, and he has to take a moment to settle his dizzy head before he crouches down with some paper and his tools.

JENNA: "The travel I like," Jo replies drily. "Being trapped a mile underground for most of a day ... not so much." She cracks a grin, unlikely though it is he can see it. "I can think of worse things than rubbing charcoal against a wall, but I can think of better, too." Whatever her complaints, however, she doesn't stop working.

JUSTIN: * Shane smirks slightly, rubbing away at the pedestal with little interest. "I can think of plenty of worse scenarios, not all of which involve mummies. And perhaps a few better ones... not all of which involve mummies." He bares a brief, sly grin, then starts to whistle quietly while he works, taking care that each copied rune and picture is as clear as possible. The last thing they need is to go through all this work, just to wind up with illegible rubbings.

JENNA: * Jo grunts in half-amused response, then turns her attention to her work. Another several long hours is spent in relative silence, copying down runes and carefully folding away paper. More than once a set of runes has to be restarted, much to the irritation of the worker copying, but they steadily make progress, finally reaching the last couple of feet of wall.

JUSTIN: * By this point, Shane's hands are completely blackened by the tools of the job, not to mention sections of his face and neck. "After all this work, I surely hope these notes say something worth the trouble." He grumbles a bit under his breath, trying (with mild difficulty) to keep up the level of quality in his work, despite tired hands and gnawing hunger. "For all we know, it's his afterlife grocery list..."

JENNA: "And knowing our luck, there's scholarly value in it," Jo mutters, scraping her last rune with grim determination before sitting back with a growling sigh. "Well, I'm more than ready to pack up and get out of here ... think you can put off dinner long enough to get to the surface?"

JUSTIN: * Shane sniffs, rubbing at his nose with the back of his hand (and still managing to smear charcoal on it). "Don't think I'd want to eat down here even if I had no choice." He stretches with a long, grunting sigh, and pushes to his feet. "Oh, I can't wait until I can finally bathe again... I feel like I'm wearing a second skin."

JENNA: "You have no idea," Jo groans, getting to her feet and carefully setting her paper away with the rest. "I hope he doesn't want his box clean, because I don't think any of this is going to come off ..." She pauses, glancing at the shattered remains of the tomb guardians, then shakes her head. "Guess we'd better look for a way out.

JUSTIN: * Shane nods shortly, stuffing away the briefcase and sliding his pack back onto his shoulders. "Yes... we still have a bit of a hike ahead of us." He snatches up the lamp and checks the fuel, gnawing at his lip slightly. "Hopefully our light won't give up before we've reached the surface. I'm not sure if I can refill the oil, what with the base all banged up like it is."

JENNA: "Better start walking, then," Jo say drily, and she gathers up the rest of their gear, waving for him to take the lead. "Hopefully we haven't blocked off our only exit, though." This almost gives her a slight shudder. Being trapped down in a pyramid until she dies would not at all be part of her life plan.

JUSTIN: * Shane turns her a sideways stare, regripping the lantern's handle tightly before picking up his pace. "Don't be silly... there's a way out, a proper way out..." He certainly hopes so, anyway. It would be just their luck if the proper entrance was sealed along with the tomb, for added security against graverobbers. "...but if there isn't, I can lift you up through the hole in the ceiling..."

JENNA: "Let's look around before we start worrying," Jo mutters, shaking her head. "Let's just start looking for side passages." She is tempted to take the lamp from him again, reluctant to leave the circle of light and venture into the darkness outside the tomb. She does start moving, however, hoping it will encourage him to follow.

JUSTIN: "Who's worrying? I'm not worrying." Shane sighs quietly, resisting the urge to rub at his eyes with his dirty hands. "If there's a side passage, it won't be hard to find... nothing but corridors down here anyway." He keeps up a quick pace as he moves down the dark, stone hallway, feeling unnaturally claustrophobic for the first time during their underground exploration.

JENNA: * Jo shakes her head and lets him catch up, relieved when a side passage does appear shortly up the hall. Unlike the twists and turns of earlier passages, its route seems quite direct, leading them on their way faster than simply retracing their steps would have. "Not so bad, is it?" Jo says drily, though her stomach clearly wishes they could hurry up and eat.

JUSTIN: * Shane glances at her over his shoulder, for a moment having trouble deciding just how sarcastic she's being. His mind is admittedly elsewhere. "What, for an afternoon jaunt through an underground crypt, you mean? I suppose I've had worse." He taps impatiently at the handle of the lantern, waiting for some sort of exit to appear in the bubble of light that surrounds them. The walls of the long corridor seem to close in on them the farther they go, as if the passage is supposed to be compact, wrapped around the innards of the pyramid, and hidden out of the way as it winds its way slowly upward from the bowels.

JENNA: * Jo has just about lost patience with the affair, and she's about to call a halt so she can at least sit down for a moment, when a thin light appears ahead of them apparently issuing through the crack between two stones of the wall. "I hope there's a clever latch involved," she says, halting to peer at the light, "Or one of us had better have brought explosives."

JUSTIN: "Explosives? As I recall, a good stomp of the foot seems to work just fine." Shane turns her legs a conspicuous look, shaking his head slightly. "You're a walking siege engine is what you are." He holds the lamp up to the wall for closer inspection, ironically having to block the natural light issuing through the crack with a hand in order to see clearly. "I don't see any mechanism... maybe it just needs some muscle?"

JENNA: * Jo gives him a weary look and takes the lamp away from him, setting it at their feet and bracing herself against the -- hopefully -- doorway to the outside world. "If it's muscle, then start pushing," she grumbles, entirely too weary to debate the nature of what's standing between them and freedom.

JUSTIN: "Well I was /going/ to, if you'd given me a moment." Shane tries not to pout too much over the treatment, instead leaning against the maybe-door and giving it a good shove. There's a sound not unlike stone scraping against stone, and the wall in front of them swings slowly outward, anchored around some embedded central pivot. It takes a good amount of effort just to move the faux wall the first few inches, but after that, it edges past the rough stop and moves with ease.

JENNA: * Jo stumbles slightly as the stone spills the rest of the way open, blinking into the fading light of the sun. FOr a moment, she simply relaxes, relieved that they've finally found their way out. Then she looks below, attention drawn by shouts and the clash of metal on metal. She freezes in place, expression sharp, then backs quickly into the shadows, attempting to drag Shane with her.

JUSTIN: * Shane's words, whatever they might have been, catch in his throat as he's suddenly tugged back against the stone. After a couple seconds, during which he attempts to keep his feet from slipping out from under him, he turns to Jo with a cross look. "What are you doing? Are you in a hurry to get out of here or not?" He hisses quietly through his teeth, but it's only then that he catches the sound that caused her to stop.

JENNA: "Shit," Jo mutters, then, "God damn it. I thought these guilds weren't part of any squabbles ..." She frowns, pacing for a moment before looking outside again. "Goes to show how long I've been gone ..." She sinks down in the opening, eyes on the battle below. "I don't know how long we want to wait here ... It might be safe to move once it's a little darker."

JUSTIN: "We can't wait here all evening, Jo. And what if they don't leave?" Shane moves cautiously to the opening and peers out, looking none too excited about their position. "I'm sure a hole in the side of the pyramid would grab someone's attention eventually. We're better off trying to sneak away while they're distracted."

JENNA: "You can wait 'til the sun goes down," Jo growls. It's slipped halfway below the horizon as it is, and the light is beginning to dim. "I don't recognize anyone down there ... but that doesn't mean anything ..." The last she recalls, her guild wasn't interested in the territory these two held, but times could have easily changed.

JUSTIN: * Shane falls back on his butt, face exasperated. "Until the sun goes down? It doesn't take twenty minutes to kill someone, you know. They'll be done before dark..." He grumbles under his breath, not liking the idea of being trapped in this perch while a couple dozen thieves and assassins park themselves in front of their only escape route.

JENNA: "There's more than one person down there," Jo snaps. "We don't know how long the fight's been going on or how long it's going to last." As the sun drops farther, however, it becomes clear that the fight is, at least, moving away from where they are crouched, and Jo finally shifts toward the opening again. "Let's go ..."

JUSTIN: * Shane gets to his feet, his facial features stuck in a grim expression, and looks cautiously out the hidden doorway. The lamp has since gone out on its own, leaving only the last hints of sunset and early stars to light the desert sands. "So I stand corrected. I guess some people know how to draw a battle out."

JENNA: * Jo doesn't bother to respond to this, scooting down to the nearest surface and edging her way along. "It's not quite the same as a bandit raid on a caravan," she mutters. "There are at least three guilds down there.. maybe more. Depends on which alliances have fallen apart." The path ahead of them is, for the most part, clear, leaving them to reach the sand in relative quiet.

JUSTIN: * Shane skitters down the slanted side of the pyramid behind her, the occasional lip or edge in the stonework giving them somewhere to catch their feet as they climb. "I wasn't born yesterday, Jo. I realize the difference between a small raiding party and a full skirmish..." He didn't spend all that time in training for nothing. The discussion quickly leaves his mind, though, more interested in reaching the ground and getting the hell out of Morroc than pondering over the field tactics of guild rivalries. Not that the company awaiting their return is any more hospitable.

JENNA: * Jo abandons the discussion as well, pausing at the base of the pyramid to have a look around. Unlike her companion, she's morbidly interested in which guilds are killing which, but she's also aware of her own precarious position with them. She waits for Shane to catch up, then starts walking rapidly away, wishing -- not for the first time -- that the desert offered more cover.

JUSTIN: * Shane half-jogs to keep up with Jo's pace, not that he can complain. He's fairly eager to get away, too, and the quicker the better. He only hopes the guilds didn't leave any sort of watchmen or scavangers behind. At least in the proximity of the pyramids there are a handful of scraggly trees, water holes, and dried-up grass patches, but he can only consider them more of a hindrance than a help. Any one of them could possibly conceal a scout, yet they are simply too sparse to cover their own escape. Their best bet is, as bad as it sounds, to run like the dickens and hope nobody's around.

JENNA: * They've just about reached the far side of the oasis, neutral territory to all, unless that, too, has changed in her time away, when a shadowy figure lunges apparently out of nowhere and collides with her. There's a tangle, and some swearing -- apparently neither side was expecting it -- and both he and Jo tumble to the ground.

JUSTIN: * Shane, just a few feet behind, manages to skid to a halt before he can join the pile of bodies in the sand. There's a slight moment of hesitation as he tries to figure out what just happened, but the sight of a stranger tangling with Jo on the ground sparks him into immediate action. With little more than a growling hiss, he lunges forward and takes the fallen man by the shoulders, ripping him upright and giving him a bodily heave in the opposite direction of Jo.

JENNA: * The man staggers backward, expression blank, as he barely had time to register he fell at all before he was thrown back to his feet. His gaze, however, is fixed on Jo, who is scooting backward hurriedly in an effort to both get away and reach a standing position. "You --" he blurts suddenly, tone one of complete surprise, and she looks up at him sharply, now scrambling to her feet.

JUSTIN: * Shane doesn't wait for another word to come out of anyone's mouth, slipping his gun out of its holster in a flash and pistol-whipping the man clean across the jaw. "Nothing can ever be simple, can it?" He spits out in frustration, moving on the staggering man and giving him another solid blow to the side of the head. He pauses to see if another blow to the skull will be necessary, fingers gripping at the barrel of his gun like vices.

JENNA: * Jo, in the meantime, has retrieved her belongings, and she moves to grab Shane by the arm, hauling him away from the other man, whether he's conscious or not. "Go, let's go -- come /on/." She yanks again, feeling a wash of relief when the other man tumbles gracelessly to the ground, clever enough to feign unconsciousness, even if he is still awake.

JUSTIN: * Shane struggles against the insistant tugging, glaring down at the man with the distinct urge to stomp on his face a few times. The option of shooting his knees out is momentarily appealing, but the noise of the gunshots would be just as bad for their attempted escape. He finally gives in and turns to follow Jo again, reholstering his pistol and grumbling almost inaudibly about something indecipherable.

JENNA: * Jo ignores the soundtrack of grumbling and doesn't release him until they've traveled nearly a mile from the oasis. Here she pauses, making a dazed attempt to get her bearings. "Right," she says finally, giving a low sigh when she remembers where the birds are tied, another mile or two away, in a stand of scrubby trees and behind a pile of boulders. "For all the good it did," she mutters, then sets off in that direction.

JUSTIN: * Shane doesn't pay much attention to Jo's odd, seemingly random comment, focusing instead on the unpleasant soreness that constant running on sand has given to his legs. That, and the biting pains of hunger that are beginning to make themselves known again, now that the adrenaline of their unfortunate encounter is wearing off. "An awful lot of trouble for such a simple job."

JENNA: * Jo grunts, her only response -- and really her only vocalization -- until they reach the rocks and walk around the edge to find the pecos mercifully still present. "Well, at least we don't have to walk anymore," she says with a wan smile, moving stiffly to untie hers. "I hope he never sends us to Morroc again," she adds, reaching into her pack for a piece of jerky and offering another to Shane.

JUSTIN: * Shane takes it quietly, giving it an almost disinterested stare -- he's worried that a small morsel like this will only make his hunger worse -- before stepping over to untie his own bird. "It's a shame, really. It wouldn't be a bad place to visit, if it wasn't a festering pit of lawlessness." He climbs into his saddle and rests his tired butt down with a sigh, giving the piece of meat in his hand a slightly less doubtful look before taking a bite.

JENNA: * Jo shrugs. "You get used to it." Then she swings up into her saddle and starts off across the sand -- not in the direction they originally came from. "We should be able to make it in a few hours," she remarks, pushing the bird a little faster. "If we hurry." She isn't really looking forward to hurrying, really, as it seems they've spent the entire day that way, but their destination should take the edge off that.

JUSTIN: "Did the desert get smaller since we passed through it?" Shane remarks, in response to her 'few hours' statement. He keeps his peco more or less beside hers as they travel, making conversation easier while they're still in the mood to have it. "Or are we making a detour?"

JENNA: * Jo's mouth curves in a grin. "You'll see. It's still a faster trip with pecos." She doesn't say anything more about where she's headed, but it isn't long before her destination is plain, even in the dark of the night. A range of rocky crags come into view before long, one of them hiding a cave and a clear pool of water.

JUSTIN: * The site does seem vaguely familiar to Shane, though he can't precisely recall why it would. The desert is a large place, and he's only been through it a couple times. "Ah... rocks. They friends of yours or something?" He turns Jo an inquisitive stare, arching one eyebrow.

JENNA: * Jo utters a very soft, amused 'tch,' and she trots into the cleft between two of the formations, waving for him to follow. "You'll recognize it when we get there," she says drily, dismounting only when she reaches the mouth of the cave. "I guess you were still a little sick when we got here," she remarks. "But I did think you were feeling better."

JUSTIN: * Shane hops down from his peco and takes a step toward the cave entrance, realization finally dawning on him. "Oh -- /this/ cave. The one with the underground spring." He looks almost embarrassed, cheeks slightly reddened at the memory. The last time he was here, he certainly did have his brushes with embarrassment -- not that such feelings were particularly rare on their adventures.

JENNA: * Jo leads her bird partway into the cave, finding a convenient rock formation to tie it to. "Better to keep them inside," she explains, then scatters some feed for both of them before shouldering her pack and starting farther in. "It's been a while.." she remarks, looking around. "It's a nice place to visit."

JUSTIN: "It wasn't so bad the first time, I'll give it that..." Shane ties his peco beside hers and moves further along in the cave, looking for any sign that someone's camped out here since their last visit. He finds it highly doubtful there hasn't been another soul in the cave in nearly two years' time. "I think we even managed to avoid being at each others' throats when we were here." Turning around to face her, he smiles slimly. "Imagine that."

JENNA: "Imagine indeed ..." She grins at him and trots closer to the shore, slinging her pack down to the ground and kneeling to tug out her cloak. "What first?" she asks, glancing up at him. "Baths or food?" She stands and lays the cloak out, presumably to use as a bed later. "Nothing hot, but we've survived on that before."

JUSTIN: * Shane sets his pack on the ground beside hers, and shortly adds his cloak to the ground with hers. "I'd say both at once, but that might get tricky." He smirks, pulling out some more of their travel rations and setting the packages out on the makeshift bed. "I think I'd better eat before I pass out, though. The dirt won't kill me in the meantime, at least."

JENNA: * Jo nods, plunking down next to the food and pausing long enough to tug her boots off. She sighs, stretching her legs out, then gets up again and ambles over to the pond to at least wash her hands before eating. They are by far the grimiest portion of her anatomy, after all that work in the pyramid. "Hate to wake up starving, after all," she agrees, feeling her stomach writhe with previously forgotten hunger.

JUSTIN: * Shane joins her shortly, using the water to rub away the black and dusty brown residue all over his hands. "Hate to go to sleep starving." He scrubs away at the mess for a good couple of minutes, making sure there's no sign of the filth before he considers himself finished. "Or anything else, for that matter." Sitting back on the cloaks, he lazily kicks his boots off and flops over onto his back with a sigh.

JENNA: * Jo follows him shortly, seating herself instead of sprawling and snatching up some bread, which she tears in two before offering Shane half of it. "I wouldn't mind just relaxing for a couple of days," she remarks, taking a bite of the bread consideringly. She swallows, looking thoughtful. "I doubt he'll notice if we take another day or two."

JUSTIN: * Shane gives his shoulders a shrug -- awkward, considering the position -- and takes the offered piece of bread. "We're probably ahead of schedule, anyway. After all, we're famous treasure hunters now, the best of the best." He grins a bit, highly doubting they'll ever rise to such high status, and just as happy if they don't. Stuffing his mouth with bread and jerky, he goes silent as he feeds his eager stomach.

JENNA: * Jo snorts faintly, then applies herself to her food, packing away jerky, bread and cheese with gusto. "Much better," she says at a pause, slowing in her pursuit of food and growing comfortably drowsy. "I doubt he'd treat us like human beings if we were famous," she says belatedly. "I think you have to be a book to rank anywhere higher than 'insect'."

JUSTIN: "Or maybe write a book." Shane turns his head to watch her, smiling tiredly. His eyes go distant for a moment, and he rolls onto his side, propping his head in his hand. "Maybe I should, someday. Write about my first adventure outside of Juno." His weary smile becomes a boyish grin. "I could call it... There and Back Again: A Guard's Tale. What do you think?"

JENNA: * Jo prods him in the ribs, scowling. "I doubt it has any scholarly value. And I doubt he wants the details." Then she grabs a last piece of cheese and sniffs. "Besides.. I don't think some of the details need to be public knowledge." Then she pops it into her mouth, arching an eyebrow at him.

JUSTIN: * Shane blushes slightly, but he smiles on through it anyway. "Perhaps you're right about that..." He reaches over and tweaks her nose, stealing some of the food laid out nearby before leaning back again. "And knowing me, I'd probably throw in a few dragons and undead hordes where there weren't any... my memory being so bad and all." He grins playfully.

JENNA: "You do overreact sometimes," Jo remarks, leaving the rest of the food to him. She's feeling quite satisfied and comfortable, and she scoots over slightly to flop down on her cloak. "But I guess you could rely on me to keep the details straight. She smiles at him drowsily, stretching.

JUSTIN: * Shane's eyebrows raise at the suggestion, and he swallows down a piece of meat before he answers her. "All the details? Or just the ones that emphasize how the poor, innocent thief was harassed by the cruel, relentless guardsman?" He teases her with another grin, leaning across the space between them until he's staring down at her with contented, green eyes.

JENNA: "Oh, yes, /cruel/," Jo says drily, reaching up to toy with his hair. "Relentless I certainly can't argue with, though." She levers herself up slightly to give him a kiss, then pulls away with slight sniff. "I didn't even manage to steal anything."

JUSTIN: * Shane returns the kiss and wiggles his nose a bit, smiling in a pleased manner. "I know, isn't it ironic? Honestly, I can't remember why I was chasing you..." His eyes cast off to the side in apparent thought, but he soon shrugs and returns them to her. "Maybe you'll get a chance to try again in the future. After all the trouble Juno's caused us, I think I can pretend I don't know anything about it." He gives an exagerrated wink and pops a bit of bread in his mouth, chewing absently.

JENNA: "Imagine, a chance to polish up my skills.. they're probably rusty after all this time." Jo straightens, expression amused, and gives his hair an affectionate tug before pushing him gently aside so she can stand up. Her temporary drowsiness is gone, and she's eyeing the water with increased interest. "Done eating?" she asks curiously, even though he clearly has food in his mouth. "We probably have time for a bath if you're not too tired."

JUSTIN: * Shane sits up with a quiet grunt, rubbing at his stomach in consideration. "Mm... I think I can part with it long enough to get a long awaited bath." He turns a look up at her, though, blinking. "You... want privacy, or...?" Granted, they've had a handful of bathtub adventures in the last few months, but it's been a while.

JENNA: * Jo snorts, working at the drawstring of her trousers and loosening it before letting them drop to the ground. "I think it's big enough for both of us," she answers, returning to her pack to retrieve what might be the last of their soap supply before starting for the water again. There she pauses, dropping the soap into the sand, to tug her tunic over her head.

JUSTIN: * Shane can't help an innocent stare and shy blush -- it's been at least a month since the last time he's seen her bare skin, and it sends a tingling feeling rising in his chest. "I suppose it is, at that," he says quietly, and slowly gets to his feet to walk up behind her. "And with all the grime we've accumulated, you might need some help."

JENNA: * She glances over her shoulder at him, expression amused. "We both might," she says agreeably, grinning and turning to give his shirt a light tug. "But you're a little overdressed yet." She tugs again, then takes a step backward, into the water, and releases him to his own devices.

JUSTIN: * Shane grins an absent, pleased grin, his fingers moving to slowly undo the buttons of the accused shirt. "I wouldn't want to be unfashionable at the party..." He pops the last button free and shrugs the shirt free of his shoulders, pulling each arm out in turn and tossing the cloth aside. His belt and pants are next, falling to a heap practically on top of Jo's own trousers. Finally, he's left in just his undergarments, and he stares down at them as he gives the waistband a slight tug. "What do you think? Still too much?"

JENNA: * Jo bends to scoop up the soap, ambling farther into the water and turning back to him with a dry smile. "Well, it's still a bit much for a bath, don't you think?" She arches a brow, tossing the soap up once and catching it. "Unless you're planning to do the laundry at the same time."

JUSTIN: * Shane turns a disinterested look to the clothes lying about the edge of the pool, and after brief consideration, he drops his shorts and follows Jo into the water. "...laundry can wait." He smiles, finding the cool water to be rather refreshing after so much time in the desert heat. "We've got more important things to tend to, wouldn't you say?" Reaching over, he plucks the soap from her hand and innocently swipes it at her shoulder, giving her a grin.

JENNA: "Ah, wait." Jo grins crookedly, leaving Shane to hang on to the soap while she splashes back to shore as quickly as she can, trotting out of the water and angling for her pack. She returns shortly with a scrap of cloth, presumably to help with the process of bathing. She looks at him curiously when she returns, mouth curving into a grin. "I'll do your back if you'll do mine," she remarks, plucking the soap from his hand.

JUSTIN: * Shane watches her for a moment, smiling at the suggestion, then drifts to the side to give her space. "That sounds like a fair trade to me." His hands dip below the water, rubbing the soapy residue from his fingers, then he lifts both arms above his head in a leisurely stretch. "Hmm... if there's anything else you want washed, just let me know. I might even do it for free." He hums innocently, dropping his hands again to flick absently at the water.

JENNA: * Jo sniffs, applying soap and water to the cloth, then lazily starting to work on his back, splashing him mockingly before setting to work with the cloth. "I'll be sure to let you know," she says, grinning as she sets both hands against his back, turning the process into half scrubbing and half massage. "And of course," she remarks, "you let me know if there's anything else you want help with."

JUSTIN: "I'm sure I'll think of a few things before we're through." Shane closes his eyes and enjoys the winning combination of a light massage and good scrubbing combined, his taught muscles easing as the grime is washed away. As nice as it is, though, he's impatient to return the favor, and then some. A small, sly smile twitches the corners of his lips as he thinks about it, noting that Jo is well overdue for a massage -- and not just a measly backrub. He feels suddenly embarrassed by this train of thought, however, and tries to remind himself that they're here to take a bath.

JENNA: * Jo, however, seems determined to take her time, tracing her hands smoothly over his muscles until she finds herself making her way back down his spine. She nevertheless manages to linger over the process, wondering idly if he actually will think of something by the time she's finished. Task completed, she steps forward and loops her arms around him, resting her body comfortably against his. "Anything else?" she asks mildly, prodding at him lightly with one hand.

JUSTIN: * Shane reaches a hand back to pat Jo's side, smiling in an almost sneaky manner. "I have some ideas. But first..." He tugs the soap and cloth from her hands and turns around to face her, motioning with a finger for her to turn as well. "Your turn for a little scrubbing." He manages to maintain composture and not burst out in a stupid grin. After all, if he looks too eager, she'll certainly get suspicious.

JENNA: * Jo arches a brow, sighing only slightly before she smiles and turns, hands resting on her hips. "All yours," she says, tossing her hair, then reaching up to pull it forward and out of the way. She hasn't had it cut in quite a while, and it's gotten fairly long. She's torn between disappointment that she has to stop and eagerness for her turn to begin, feeling relaxed for the first time since the job started.

JUSTIN: "Thank you kindly, dear." Shane finally lets a grin slip, wasting no time in getting the cloth lathered up with soap suds. He sets to work on her bare skin with a level of fervor that would have scared him senseless if it had crossed his mind the last time they were here. Fingers work up and down her back, making sure to get every centimeter, and despite trying to take his time, it isn't long at all before there's nothing left to clean. This doesn't seem to stop him, however, as his hands slide around her sides, shoulders, arms, hips -- anything that he thinks can count as "washing her back".

JENNA: * Jo is only temporarily startled by the extra attention, having experienced it more than once before, and it doesn't take her any time at all to start enjoying it. She glances back over her shoulder when his hands finally still for a moment, expression questioning. "Finished?" she asks, leaving the 'already' unspoken as her hands catch his absently.

JUSTIN: * Shane rests his chin against Jo's now smooth, clean shoulder, and lightly touches a kiss to the side of her neck before sighing lightly. "Do you want me to be?" He reaches an arm around her and scrubs the cloth in a lazy circle at her stomach, smiling teasingly. "I think there's room for negotiation..."

JENNA: "Mm.." Jo looks thoughtful for a moment, reaching down to pluck lightly at the cloth in his hand. "I don't know.. I don't want to be the only one getting clean ..." She pretends to debate the matter and turns slowly in his grip, lifting her hands to rest them gently against his chest. "Are you sure you don't want another turn?" She grins at him, moving one hand in a lazy, massaging motion.

JUSTIN: * Shane keeps his eyes lowered, pretending to polish off a spot on her hip with the cloth -- which has long since run out of soap. "I suppose I should... It wouldn't do to stay dirty. But I was so enjoying washing you." He smiles sweetly, trailing his eyes back up along her form until he matches her gaze, and sets a hand over hers. "So, what comes after the back scrub?"

JENNA: "You'll get another chance." Jo smiles easily, retrieving soap and cloth from him, dousing and annointing the latter before drawing it up his chest to scrub affectionately at his jaw. "I don't know," she says lightly. "I thought I could start at the top.. and work my way down."

JUSTIN: * Shane tilts his head a bit, giving Jo clear access to whatever she wants to rub at with her cloth, and loosely holds onto her waist while she works. "For the sake of variety, perhaps I should start at the bottom, and work my way up..." He grins a little, sliding a hand down to gently pinch at her leg. "Or maybe both...? Can never be too thorough, you know."

JENNA: * Jo shies away from his pinch, mostly startled by it, and lifts her gaze to his sternly for a moment. Then she grins, letting her eyes drop. "I'll leave that decision /entirely/ up to you," she answers, a momentary giddiness washing over her as she continues her policy of half scrub and half massage, working her way down from his shoulders and chest to his belly. She can't help a totally irreverent thrill that he's so eager to return the favor.

JUSTIN: * Shane leans over to kiss the top of Jo's head, brandishing another bright grin. "You won't be disappointed, I'll just leave it at that." He goes quiet to watch Jo work, the feel of her hands working over his chest equal parts relaxing and exciting. With these sensations, it isn't long before he's anxious to reverse their roles again. He takes a slightly firmer grip on her hips, and lowers his face down to nuzzle her temple. "Come on, now... you can't have all the fun."

JENNA: * Jo grins, tilting her head to catch him in a brief kiss before drawing back to look his body over consideringly. "I suppose that will have to do, then," she remarks, attempting to disguise her own eagerness by dangling the cloth just out of reach. "As long as you're sure you're ready," she says archly, doubting this is even a question.

JUSTIN: "Ready?" Shane smirks, an expression that quickly morphs into yet another grin, and he lunges a little to snag the cloth from her hand. "I think you should be asking yourself that," he insinuates, quickly closing the distance between them again. He gets the cloth lathered with soap, tosses the bar to land on the side of the pool, and then does exactly as he promised. Starting low, around her hips and waist, he massages the cloth in circular movements, taking his time to let the attention sink in.

JENNA: * Jo watches the soap go with an expression of surprise, and she has to fight an instinctive urge to lunge after it, when Shane's attentions distract her entirely. She makes an indistinct noise, smiling vaguely and letting her hands come to rest against his arms, lightly enough not to get in his way. She alternates between watching his hands make steady progress and lifting her gaze to trace over his body and up to his face, expression unreadable.

JUSTIN: * Shane smiles contentedly, sure that -- by now -- Jo is well aware where this game is headed. Still, for the sake of being thorough, he won't abandon his current task until it's complete. It's less about the scrubbing and more about the rubbing by this point, anyway. His hands continue to circle with the soapy cloth, making their way up from her stomach to her chest, where they spend an inordinate amount of time "cleaning". During this, he slowly moves in closer, dipping down to place his lips against her neck. "I think I missed a spot," he mutters quietly, kissing repeatedly.

JENNA: * Jo makes an extremely unconvincing sound of protest, body arching to meet his hands as her own trace their way from his arms to his chest and around to his back. "You'd better find it, then," she says, tilting her head to murmur in his ear and letting her eyes drift halfway shut. "Can't leave a job half done."

JUSTIN: * Shane breathes out an almost hissing sigh, taking in another deep breath before he guides his hands low again. "I never leave a job half done." Taking her by the hips, he turns her to brace her against the edge of the pool, slipping an arm behind her for further support. He then begins to scour her chest with burning kisses, as if he can't decide on the best place to focus his attention, and closes the final inches between them.

JENNA: * Jo gives a short, startled gasp when her back makes contact with the pool's edge, then gives another, more pleased sound when Shane's attentions abandon all pretense at cleanliness. Her legs leave what little purchase they have left on the ground to curl around him, and it isn't long before she loses all sense of time and location, aside from the proximity and contact of their entwined bodies.

JUSTIN: * Time is irrelevant to Shane now, as is anything else besides the woman he has lovingly pinned between himself and the smooth rock of the pool's wall. How much of it might pass by the time they've had their way with each other is insignificant, as long as he's sure she's been properly pleased and satisfied. Because if she isn't, then he will just have to keep it up until she is.

JENNA: * With time lost on both parties, it's hard to say how long it is before their activity stills, settling into a contented session of drowsy nuzzling and kissing. It's also hard to say how long after that they finally make a reluctant move toward the shore to dry off and (finally) get some sleep. Jo pauses in the shallows, leaning up to draw Shane into another protracted series of kisses, though she leans against him as much out of weariness as a desire to stay in close proximity. It has been a very long day.

JUSTIN: * Shane leans down to catch all of Jo's offered kisses, returning them each in equal fashion. "Mm." He catches her weary form in his arms and scoops her up, holding her close against his damp chest as he carries her out of the pool. He's not sure just how clean they managed to get before things changed course, but it doesn't seem to much matter now. He's tired, content, and Jo undoubtedly feels the same. "Time for the thief and the guardsman to get their beauty sleep."

JENNA: "Mm.. past time," Jo murmurs contentedly, nuzzling against him contentedly for a moment before turning her gaze to their cloaks, which are exactly where they left them. She isn't sure why that would come as a surprise, only supposing she's more disoriented than she thought. "Not that I'm complaining, or anything ..." She tilts her head up to kiss his neck gently, then rests against his shoulder again.

JUSTIN: * Shane makes an amused sound, tilting his head to kiss her temple. "Of course not. I think we needed a little stress relief after today." He grins a bit, gently finding the ground with his knees and laying her down on her cloak. For a moment he simply sits beside her, affectionately stroking her side with his hand and watching her exhausted eyes. "I can get a spare cloak if you want a blanket."

JENNA: * Jo shakes her head with a drowsy smile, shifting to pillow her head against her arm. "It'll get warmer once the sun comes up," she says, then tilts her head up to look at the ceiling of the cave, where moon and starlight are filtering through several large fissures. After a moment, she shifts her gaze back to him, grinning. "I guess I wouldn't mind if you wanted to share one, though."

JUSTIN: * Shane smiles a perfectly guilty smile, moving his hand up to lightly trace Jo's jawline. "That's the idea." He plucks at the cloth beneath him, then leans over to reach for one of their packs and drag it over. It's only a few seconds before he finds what he's looking for inside, and he quickly drapes it over Jo's reclining form, joining her beneath. "Now, that's nice and cozy, hm?"

JENNA: "No argument here," Jo murmurs, scooting over to nestle against him. She yawns, nuzzling into his shoulder, and wraps an arm around him, much as if she's attempting to keep him in place. "See you in the morning, then," she says sleepily, mouth quirking into a grin.

JUSTIN: "In the morning. Sleep sweet, Jocasta dear." Shane kisses her cheek and settles, tucking an arm around her in like fashion and cozying up to her bodyheat. Thus comforted, and previously exhausted, it doesn't take long for him to drift off, despite the hard stone beneath. He's kept very well distracted from any such discomforts, and a small smile remains on his lips even after he's slipped into a deep slumber.