Cheneta was glad to have found a search partner, as she was able to cover a lot more ground than she would have alone. And she felt more happy while she worked, having someone nearby. She supposed she had not noticed how lonely she had been getting, walking on her own. She had been out on her own for what, a week? She was not used to being out for so long, and while she would really like to get home soon, she was having more fun than she had previously anticipated, and that was due to Bangua taking the time to help her. She smiled at him as he rounded a corner with a stone in his mouth. He put it down on the floor in front of her, looking interested in it before he looked up at her to see her reaction to it.

Bangua was enjoying his time with her, as well. They had been there for two days now, just digging around in the earth, exploring the area chunk by chunk, making sure to look over as much as they could. It was more entertaining than either one had anticipated, and they were both hoping that neither would bring up needing to end the adventure any time soon. Maybe to find a new place to dig through, but not to part ways just yet. Bangua had never really had a friend before, and he was glad to spend time with her. She smiled at him and he felt his brain get a little fuzzy. She was so pretty, and he liked making her happy, as best as he was able to.

He could really get used to it, in fact.

"That's beautiful. I've never seen that blue before, on rocks from around here! Where did you get it?"

"From the river bank not too far from here. It was the prettiest one I found, but there were a lot of nice stones. Probably other, strange stuff that the water has washed down, as well. It's like a little basin or a lake, where a river ends. I'm sure it's the final resting place of anything that gets washed down the river." He nodded his head, not too familiar with the area but remembering a river he had passed and walked by quite a distance while traveling in this direction. It had stretched for a while and had a lot of speed on it, though the basin he had found now was quiet and still. He nodded his head in its direction and Cheneta looked over her shoulder thoughtfully, though she could not actually see the river from where she was standing.

"Let's go look for more there, then! This area is picked over anyway. And if there are more like this or even stranger and unique things over there, then I'll be able to trade for much better stuff, or have some of the craftsmen make something pretty out of them! It would be so much fun!" She laughed and picked up the rock, putting it in her pack and bouncing off. Bangua watched her go for a moment, smiling at how happy she seemed, then moved to follow her after a beat, not wanting her to get too far away from him. He had to hurry a bit, laughing as he called out for her.

"Hold on, not so fast!"

She did not slow, though, laughing as she bounced away toward the scent and sound of water. She reached the bank soon enough, skidding to a stop and sinking a bit in the soft ground around the bank. It was not sloshy mud, at least, and she did not get stuck in it, but it was damp and she had to pick up her paws a bit higher to avoid stepping where she did not want to step. She did not mind dirt, but she certainly did not want to find a mud sink and get stuck in it. That would just be embarrassing, and with Bangua watching, she did not want to do anything to embarrass herself.

Bangua caught up to her once she stopped, his fur much lighter at his feet and showing all the mud and dirt from the bank. He did not stop like she did, though, wading into the water thoughtfully. She watched him, then moved to examine the bank while he stuck his head under water to see what had settled in the basin itself. She was giddy with excitement, bouncing around, looking at everything she could, making sure nothing was worth taking with her. She did not want to leave anything behind, especially if there were things like the stone Bangua had found. She managed to find a few more pretty looking stones and interesting bones, her pack getting fairly full now. She only had space for a few more items, so she would have to start getting selective.

And then she would have to go home.

That thought made her frown, and she looked out over the water to see where Bangua had gone. He still had not surfaced and she hoped he was alright, and not stuck on something or somehow in trouble under the water. She grew a little more nervous as more time started passing, longer than she thought he should be under the water, but in a burst of water and a large splash he appeared, with a strange looking plant in his mouth. It must have taken him a bit of effort to pull it from out of the water, but he carried it over to her.

"I don't know what this is," he said, putting it down on the floor in front of her, "but it might be useful, or something a healer might want? I mean... strange plants can be used for things like that... right? Maybe they would be interested in it because it's not something they've seen, and might trade you something nice for it."

She smiled at him for taking the time to get her something just for trading, surprised that he was keeping her goals in mind and helping her so directly. She moved to him and gave him a nuzzle, though it made her a little soggy to do that. He looked stunned and shuffled his paws, then smiled at her dumbly.

"Your... uhm. Your bag looks pretty full..."

"Yeah, I'll have to go back to my pride soon..."

"Yeah..."

"Would you... want to come with me? At least... at least to walk me home?" She looked at him hopefully and he smiled, obviously holding back just how excited he was for her to ask him. He nodded his big head, his thick mane rippling and splashing water.

"I would love to do that."

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