Milo wasn't surprised about her sudden promotion, but she wasn't very happy about it either. Specifically, she didn't like how Rye's eyes widened a fraction upon the word, snake. He looked akin to a child that just got a piece of candy. Not missing a beat, he ordered Milo to be the hunter and Kim to be a cook, before continuing on down the remainder of the line. 

The curious looks and stares of the others made Milo fidget and confidence shrink to her shoes. On one hand, Milo felt she satisfied the humanity in her conscious for allowing Kim to take her place as a cook. But on the other hand, she now felt a growing wariness and stupidity for giving up her place of comfort. 

Oh the joys of not being selfish. 

Rye clapped his hands loudly, startling Milo. "Alright, that's everyone. I need all hunters to put away your things pronto, we have much to discuss with my other troop of hunters. The remainder of you can get started on your duties, my other men should be working about in the large tent." 

There's more people? Milo looked back into the tents and sure enough there was movement of other people bustling about carrying baskets, food, and other supplies. She guessed it would make sense because Rye certainly couldn't do it all, but what she really wanted to know just how many people were on Rye's expedition. And if they consented to be here.

Milo hurried to the closest, less dirty tent with Kim following her steps closely. The mud scwelched against her worn sneakers, slapping mud up her jeans and some even onto her shirt. Between the humidity and muddy walking trail, she was glad to have brought several sets of clothes. 

"Milo- I'm so sorry-"

Kim was apologizing insistently behind her, making Milo's headache grow worse. She didn't bother to respond now, much too worried about guarding her luggage from the new strangers on 'Camp Rye' and getting a decent tent to sleep on later (honestly a quick nap right now even sounded appealing). Luckily, she snagged the tent right before someone else did, some middle aged woman whose glare appeared borderline murderous. Milo didn't care as she practically threw her luggage outside the tent's entrance, standing her ground as the woman glanced her over once before moving along. 

"Stupid people. Stupid expedition." Milo grumbled, opening the tent and looking inside, her jaw going slack. 

"You've got to be kidding me!" Milo wanted to die on the spot of the amount of gnats swarming her very warm tent. The temperature inside had to have been near 90 degrees, practically absorbing every ounce of the sun it could and magnifying it like an oven. On top of that, the offensive bugs clung to the sides like another layer, the infestation likely from Rye's lack of proper care. She held back a hurl as several of the small, gray bugs flew out onto her arms that she vigorously tried to shake off. Kim stepped back hurriedly in surprise beside her, her small shriek interrupting her apologizing rant. 

"Here- I think I have a candle in my bag we could use to fan them out?" Kim offered, hurriedly zipping down her suitcase pocket and pulling out a bright purple-colored bath and body works candle whose fragrance reminded Milo of a unicorn in an lavender garden. 

Milo looked between the heavy fragrance and the swarm of gnats, deciding the candle to be the better of the two evils. She wasn't sure if it even would repel the bugs, which then she'd be stuck in an odorous infestation. 

"Do you have a lighter?" Milo questioned, raising her brow while swatting her hand at the few bugs trying to fly at her face. 

Kim smiled in confirmation, diving back in her bag. "Yes, here- I'll light it and you can just shake the tent walls while the lavender pushes them out." 

"I didn't know lavender repelled gnats, I thought it was like citronella or something?" Milo stepped over to the side as Kim lit the candle, placing it inside the tent before looking back at Milo. 

"Lemon, lavender, citronella. Those are the top three, though when I'm at home in Tennessee I always used apple cider vinegar and honey. The gnats would fly to the mix and get trapped in the honey, killed by the vinegar." 

Milo raised her brow, "Well I learned something new." She didn't really have many bug-problems, and even if she did, an exterminator would be called the next day. Rye was in serious need of bug repellent among many other things. 

'I'm not even going to think about the mosquitos...'

It took around five minutes for the candle to have enough aroma, and to Milo's shock, many flew out from just the odor. With a few shakes on the tarp, they flew off and out to become a problem with some other poor tent. Milo rubbed the sweat across her forehead, pleased by their efforts, smiling at Kim in thanks.  

"No problem! Is it ok if I bunk with you? I don't think there's enough tents for everyone..." Kim trailed off, looking around at everyone else who was trying to get their belongings straightened out in the tent. A few stood off to the side awkwardly with their belongings, Rye obviously not having enough tents for everyone individually. 

"I suppose it's more your tent now then mine from that candle." Milo chuckled, opening the flap for Kim to put her stuff in there too. Kim nodded appreciatively, shyly putting her belongings to the opposite side and mindful of leaving her muddy boots outside the tent. There wasn't a ton of room, but Milo wasn't unhappy about it. She'd rather have at least a considerate and pleasant bunkmate than someone random, and at least now she figured Kim could watch her stuff in the daytime if Rye kept her out in the forest all day. 

Speaking of Rye, Milo could only imagine what he had in store for his 'supposed group of hunters.' His whole expedition about them 'catching a Naga' couldn't possibly be real. It had to be code for something else, like just plain snakes or something. It all made her chest squeeze in worry of something bad happening, like a cut going infected or worse... getting snake bit. 

With no communication and Rye's shady character, Milo really felt she was in a horror movie where everyone would die before they could return home. 

Her worries made her throat involuntarily feel tighter. She needed to make it out alive, whether she lasted till the end of the several weeks or found some other way of communicating to the mainland. Rye had to have some form of communication stowed away somewhere. If she could find where his quarters were, she may be able to contact someone and return home sooner. And until then, she would write down everything: about Rye's misleading and fraud against GlobalHealth, and much more importantly...

About the Amazon. 

Milo smiled at the thought, her real reason for coming here in the first place. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad if she could conduct a few small expeditions of her own...

Kim was suddenly right next to her, her hand falling on Milo's shoulder. Her eyes looked akin to a puppy, sorrowful and her voice clear with earnesty, "I'm still sorry, Milo. I should've just laid low like you did, but between this whole expedition going haywire and Rye looking so scary, I just clammed up and said whatever-"

Milo sighed, placing her hand on top of Kim's. "It's ok- It'll be alright. These next few weeks will go by fast and then we'll be outta here." Milo smiled reassuringly. 

She hoped.