Day 1 Morning

[Amaterasu]

“Looks like we need to pick up the pace!”

"I guess so. Although I can't see any incoming flood far and wide, or even any sea." She double-checked however and, seeing no incoming tidal wave, calmed back down. "I would rather take a bite after we cover some distance, though. Who knows if we'll get the chance for that again."

Hours passed as they walked, getting from one strip of forest to the next. It was much slower than just covering ground out in the open, but it did protect them from people running into them. She felt like several of the people, including even the more humanlike individuals, were out for blood - to eliminate competition before they could get in the way. And what was worse, she wasn't even armed. Whilst following Somerled closely she kept an eye out for any potential ambush routes, trying her best to stay on guard, and looked about for a weapon. They were on an ancient battleground, right? Warlock must have made some serious cleaning-up if there was not a single rusty sword to be found far and wide. She muttered something under her breath about bad luck. She wanted to help Hero Teucer, but how could she do so if she had no means to gain the relics he needed?

Eventually a grumble from both their stomachs coming almost simultaneously made Amaterasu purse her lips, and she reached out to poke Somerled's arm. "Hey... I think it's best if we use the time while we're still in the forest to find something to eat. I'll go forage for roots and berries over that way, is that alright?" she offered, vaguely pointing into the forest. "I came through a number of thickets before finding you, I saw that there's fruit which might be tasty. I'll try to save some for you, okay?"

When Somerled agreed to take a hunting moment Amaterasu headed out and slid into the thicket. Gathering berries, roots, fruit, edible tree bark and a handful of insects which looked disgusting but actually didn't taste all that bad was the least of her problems. There might be animals or people... the place was almost too good for an ambush. A rustling in a bush caused her to stumble backwards and give a high-pitched shriek, and she tripped over something hard. Moments later she was on her rump, beneath something a little softer, with a good part of her gathered provisions dropped. She was thankful for the miko dress and its wide sleeves which had caught at least some of the stuff. The rustling turned out to be a simple rabbit that was as afraid of her as she had been of it - it hopped away and disappeared among the trees very quickly.

Now what had she tripped over? And what... what was the soft thing beneath her that she had landed on? She got up, turned around and...

... gasped. A corpse, surprisingly well preserved but stripped of its armor, was lying in the forest, semi buried underneath moss and rocks, staring up at her out of empty eye sockets. Another poor soul that had not been given a proper burial?! She couldn't allow for this. Not caring about that Somerled was probably waiting, she grabbed a large rock and put it behind the skull, then covered the fractured bone in moss, twigs and more rocks until it was rudimentarily buried. Just as she was placing a handful of sticks to make a makeshift symbol to guide the poor soul to the River Sanzu so that it may enter the Afterlife, she realized that it was missing an arm. Had it been chopped off in battle? She turned, and found the limb in question with a clear trace of foot on it. So that was what she had tripped over. She picked it up and was about to lay it next to the grave when she realized how well preserved and hard it was. It sure didn't match a proper weapon, but... well, it could be used as a blunt weapon, or to keep a sharp blade from digging into her own body.

"Warrior, I beg of you, assist me on this day... I wish you no ill, but I will need your limb so that you may aid me in battle, but only for a time. Know that your sacrifice will aid me in aiding others, so in death you fulfill your destiny in protecting the weak from the strong. Your spirit can move past this plane with no regrets." She muttered, then plucked a handful of reeds and made an improvised belt to hang the arm onto her waist with. She must look like an idiot now... Somerled might laugh. But, so long as it worked, it was okay. Now where was her friend...? She moved out of the forest, eating what provisions she had gathered to sate her growling stomach, and looked around.