Disclaimer: Everything doesn't belong to me, except Jakum and the traders.
Lost World is Coote/Hayes's, etc etc.
Author's note: First Lost World fic. Am quite a greenie to the whole layout of things, so constructive criticism would be very helpful. Apologize for any loopholes, and the like. Hope you'll enjoy it.
She stumbled through the jungle wildly, the rain soaking her through. A taller figure was behind her, his arms flailing as he pushed past fronds, all the while gaining on her. He finally caught up with her. Grabbing her elbow, he spun her around.
'Miss Veronica, we cannot go on. With this storm, we'll never get to the treehouse.'
She wrenched her elbow out of his grasp.
'What makes you think that I can't find my way around, after spending my whole life here?'
'It's not that,' he said, attempting to placate her. 'I'm just saying we should camp somewhere. Stop for the night.'
'Fine, you can take a break. I'll see you in the morning.
'Maybe.'
The man sighed in frustration. Every time, their conversation had boiled down to a situation where it seemed that he was patronizing her.
The wind howled around them, stirring the leaves into a random dance upon the muddied floor. She had been true to her word about being able to navigate around the jungle. And with surprising ease, he noted.
'When we reach the treehouse, you have to go alone,' She slipped her knife from the waist holster. He eyed it warily.
'Proof for George and the others that you're an ally, so you don't have to waste time explaining what had happened.'
"Miss Veronica, where are you going?'
'I have to go to the Zanga. We cannot defeat the traders alone. There are too many. If they outnumber us, we. we will never save him.' She turned away, but still he saw the tears that ran down her cheeks, mingling with the rainwater.
'We will,' he placed a hand on her shoulder, a gesture of comfort. 'I promise.'
Her smile, though weak, spoke volumes of thanks as she accepted his reassurance.
'Come on, we're wasting time.'
After about half an hour of walking, she stopped at a wide fork in the path.
'This is where we split. Take the right fork and follow the path for about an hour. You should see the treehouse by then. Tell the others to meet me at the Zanga village as soon as they can.'
'Will you be alright Miss Veronica?' She nodded, mouth drawn into a tight line, her brow furrowed in worry. She took off towards the left fork before she suddenly turned around, ran back and hugged the surprised man.
'Jakum, I appreciate all that you have done for Ned and I. Thank you.' And with that she disappeared into the forest.
Jakum stood dumbfounded for a moment, rain dripping off his crudely woven hat. That woman was full of surprises. Her mood swings were so random; he might just get dizzy trying to keep up.
'Professor Challenger! Lord Roxton!' The three explorers looked over the balcony in surprise.
'Who on earth is that?' Marguerite was extremely distrustful of strangers, especially when they appear in a thunderstorm shirtless, donning a misshapen hat, and grasping a knife in one hand.
'Never seen him before in my life,' Roxton declared as he snatched a rifle from the rack.
'Miss Veronica sent me to tell you that she needs you to meet her at the Zanga village. Your friend is in great danger.'
'Malone is in danger?' The skepticism was still in Marguerite's voice, though accompanied with concern.
'She gave me her knife to prove that I'm a friend. But we must hurry!'
'Roxton, I don't know about this.'
'Challenger, what do you think?' John always turned to the older man for more 'logic-based' answers.
'He looks, well, non-threatening,' Marguerite rolled her eyes at this. 'But if he's really Veronica's friend, and is telling the truth, then I think we better hurry. Goodness knows what Malone's gotten himself into this time.'
'That's the whole point! How do we know if he's telling the truth?'
'Marguerite, will you calm down?' John threw her a bemused look. 'His knife isn't much use against this Webley now is it?'
'Oh where have I heard that before,' Marguerite grumbled as she followed the men down to the elevator, grabbing her revolver, just in case.
'Stay right there,' Challenger called out as he hurried out of the elevator. 'And don't touch the wires.'
The three pushed open the gate carefully, scanning the surrounding trees for signs of an ambush.
'Miss Veronica said to meet her at the Zanga village,' He thrust the knife handle-first at Challenger, who involuntarily jumped back. 'Her knife.'
'Well, it is hers,' John scrutinized the man from under the brim of his hat. 'And he's not armed, from the looks of it.'
'Is that suppose to make me feel any better?' Marguerite scowled. By all accounts, his goons should be leaping out from behind them at any minute.
'My name is Jakum. I escaped from the slave camp with Miss Veronica.'
'Slave camp?' Roxton threw a worried glance at the Professor. 'What was Veronica doing at a slave camp?'
'She and Ned were captured. Early this morning, when they were leaving the Zanga village, as Miss Veronica told me.'
'So Veronica and Malone got captured and you played Good Samaritan and helped them,' Marguerite challenged Jakum with a cynical stare. Jakum threw his hands up in frustration. Why did he have to meet all the stubborn ones?
'Yes. Look, we're wasting time. She needs you to meet her at the village. She's getting the villagers to help rescue Ned.'
'How do we know we can trust you?' John sidled up to Marguerite. Her suspicions were rubbing off on him.
'Because if you don't Lord Roxton, then we might not get your friend back alive,' Jakum almost hissed with impatience.
'My master has a tendency to kill rebellious slaves.'
There was a long, uncomfortable pause before Challenger spoke up.
'We'll go,' he ignored the shocked looks the other two gave him. 'We can't afford to forfeit Malone's life on our. uncertainties.'
'Even if it means our deaths?' Marguerite was incredulous.
But Challenger had already taken the lead, with Jakum following closely behind. 'We might as well take that chance then,' Roxton muttered as he slung the rifle over his shoulder and started off with Marguerite through the rain.
Author's note: First Lost World fic. Am quite a greenie to the whole layout of things, so constructive criticism would be very helpful. Apologize for any loopholes, and the like. Hope you'll enjoy it.
She stumbled through the jungle wildly, the rain soaking her through. A taller figure was behind her, his arms flailing as he pushed past fronds, all the while gaining on her. He finally caught up with her. Grabbing her elbow, he spun her around.
'Miss Veronica, we cannot go on. With this storm, we'll never get to the treehouse.'
She wrenched her elbow out of his grasp.
'What makes you think that I can't find my way around, after spending my whole life here?'
'It's not that,' he said, attempting to placate her. 'I'm just saying we should camp somewhere. Stop for the night.'
'Fine, you can take a break. I'll see you in the morning.
'Maybe.'
The man sighed in frustration. Every time, their conversation had boiled down to a situation where it seemed that he was patronizing her.
The wind howled around them, stirring the leaves into a random dance upon the muddied floor. She had been true to her word about being able to navigate around the jungle. And with surprising ease, he noted.
'When we reach the treehouse, you have to go alone,' She slipped her knife from the waist holster. He eyed it warily.
'Proof for George and the others that you're an ally, so you don't have to waste time explaining what had happened.'
"Miss Veronica, where are you going?'
'I have to go to the Zanga. We cannot defeat the traders alone. There are too many. If they outnumber us, we. we will never save him.' She turned away, but still he saw the tears that ran down her cheeks, mingling with the rainwater.
'We will,' he placed a hand on her shoulder, a gesture of comfort. 'I promise.'
Her smile, though weak, spoke volumes of thanks as she accepted his reassurance.
'Come on, we're wasting time.'
After about half an hour of walking, she stopped at a wide fork in the path.
'This is where we split. Take the right fork and follow the path for about an hour. You should see the treehouse by then. Tell the others to meet me at the Zanga village as soon as they can.'
'Will you be alright Miss Veronica?' She nodded, mouth drawn into a tight line, her brow furrowed in worry. She took off towards the left fork before she suddenly turned around, ran back and hugged the surprised man.
'Jakum, I appreciate all that you have done for Ned and I. Thank you.' And with that she disappeared into the forest.
Jakum stood dumbfounded for a moment, rain dripping off his crudely woven hat. That woman was full of surprises. Her mood swings were so random; he might just get dizzy trying to keep up.
'Professor Challenger! Lord Roxton!' The three explorers looked over the balcony in surprise.
'Who on earth is that?' Marguerite was extremely distrustful of strangers, especially when they appear in a thunderstorm shirtless, donning a misshapen hat, and grasping a knife in one hand.
'Never seen him before in my life,' Roxton declared as he snatched a rifle from the rack.
'Miss Veronica sent me to tell you that she needs you to meet her at the Zanga village. Your friend is in great danger.'
'Malone is in danger?' The skepticism was still in Marguerite's voice, though accompanied with concern.
'She gave me her knife to prove that I'm a friend. But we must hurry!'
'Roxton, I don't know about this.'
'Challenger, what do you think?' John always turned to the older man for more 'logic-based' answers.
'He looks, well, non-threatening,' Marguerite rolled her eyes at this. 'But if he's really Veronica's friend, and is telling the truth, then I think we better hurry. Goodness knows what Malone's gotten himself into this time.'
'That's the whole point! How do we know if he's telling the truth?'
'Marguerite, will you calm down?' John threw her a bemused look. 'His knife isn't much use against this Webley now is it?'
'Oh where have I heard that before,' Marguerite grumbled as she followed the men down to the elevator, grabbing her revolver, just in case.
'Stay right there,' Challenger called out as he hurried out of the elevator. 'And don't touch the wires.'
The three pushed open the gate carefully, scanning the surrounding trees for signs of an ambush.
'Miss Veronica said to meet her at the Zanga village,' He thrust the knife handle-first at Challenger, who involuntarily jumped back. 'Her knife.'
'Well, it is hers,' John scrutinized the man from under the brim of his hat. 'And he's not armed, from the looks of it.'
'Is that suppose to make me feel any better?' Marguerite scowled. By all accounts, his goons should be leaping out from behind them at any minute.
'My name is Jakum. I escaped from the slave camp with Miss Veronica.'
'Slave camp?' Roxton threw a worried glance at the Professor. 'What was Veronica doing at a slave camp?'
'She and Ned were captured. Early this morning, when they were leaving the Zanga village, as Miss Veronica told me.'
'So Veronica and Malone got captured and you played Good Samaritan and helped them,' Marguerite challenged Jakum with a cynical stare. Jakum threw his hands up in frustration. Why did he have to meet all the stubborn ones?
'Yes. Look, we're wasting time. She needs you to meet her at the village. She's getting the villagers to help rescue Ned.'
'How do we know we can trust you?' John sidled up to Marguerite. Her suspicions were rubbing off on him.
'Because if you don't Lord Roxton, then we might not get your friend back alive,' Jakum almost hissed with impatience.
'My master has a tendency to kill rebellious slaves.'
There was a long, uncomfortable pause before Challenger spoke up.
'We'll go,' he ignored the shocked looks the other two gave him. 'We can't afford to forfeit Malone's life on our. uncertainties.'
'Even if it means our deaths?' Marguerite was incredulous.
But Challenger had already taken the lead, with Jakum following closely behind. 'We might as well take that chance then,' Roxton muttered as he slung the rifle over his shoulder and started off with Marguerite through the rain.