As the two weary travelers came across the slowly decaying sign, Iris raised her eyebrows in an odd mix of confusion and shock. The sign was illuminated by the bright daylight. [i]”Hey Len, What’s that sign say right there?” [/i] she called, her southern drawl seeping from her lips, as she pointed. 

Len gazed at the bent cigarrette from the crumpled pack in his hand, glaring. It was getting harder and harder to find a decent smoke in the world these days. Sighing, he flipped his zippo lighter, letting the flame lick the tip of his smoke. Taking in a deep breath, he blew a ring of grey into the air, before looking over at Iris as she called out to him. [b]“Whaddaya want, Iris?”[/b] He asked, a drawl in his voice to match hers. The question was rhetorical, of course. He’d go see what she wanted regardless. Taking a few steps forward, hand resting habitually on the stock of his crossbow, he stared at the sign that Iris was pointing to. Squinting his eyes in the blazing sun, he read alloud: [b]“Well-come to Virginia. Thas’ all it says, Iris. Well, wait jes a sec now, we got some graffiti.”[/b] Stepping closer, he inspected something that was carved into the sign. [b]“Don’t feed the Langue….the fuck would someone be a-feedin’ them damn Earthworms for anyway? The fuck is wrong with people?”[/b] 

Iris looked at the letters on the sign as Len read them, she supposed that made sense, her illiteracy didn’t help much in the matter. [i]”I could name lotsa’ things wrong with people, but I ain’t here to write your biography.”[/i] she teased, pushing his shoulder playfully hard as they began to trek into this new found land:

[h2]Virginia[/h2]

Len took another long drag from the cigarette, and lightly blew smoke in Iris’ face as she pushed him, letting out a chuckle. [b] “Sheeeiiiit, ain’t like you could read none o what you was writin’ anyway, Iris, so I ‘spect I’m safe.” Laughing, and realizing he might pay for that little comeback, he tossed the butt of his cigarette on the ground, crushing it beneath his large boots. He looked into Iris’ eyes for a long moment, remembering some of their childhood together. He gave her shit sure, but if someone else dared say that to her they’d be eating their teeth. Or a langue would be eating [i]them,[/i] if they were lucky. He chuckled again, fondly remembering the time he got into a fight with a merchant back when they still had a group of people. Iris had kept him from getting flat kicked out. Of course, when you took a swing at the only guy in the group that knew how to “procure” things, it tended to piss people off. [b] “We got ourselves a way’s yet to go, Iris.” [/b] Len said, pulling out his atlas of the US, and pointing to some distant hills. [b] “Over yonder a ways is where we wanna be a walkin.’ ‘Course, there’s bound to be some a them Earthworms floatin’ around.” [/b] Len flashed his teeth in a grin. [b] “Same ones some dumbasses been feedin,’ I recon.” [/b]

A grimace swept across Iris’ face as the smoke of the cigarette was blown rudely into her face. She didn’t like that Len took up such nasty habits, but was getting used to it regardless. Rolling her dark almond eyes she ignored his comment about her not being able to read or write, as they glanced at one another- holding their gaze. Iris looked away first, which caused Len to pull the atlas from his bag and look up their direction. Iris nodded painfully as he spoke, they had been traveling what seemed like forever. [i]”I’ve been wishing some dumbass would feed me.”[/i] she groaned, as the two walked slowly side by side. [i]”With that note, do ya’ think we could stop for some grub? I know you got some of that squirrel still.”[/i] she cooed, giving him a small pout as she stopped in her tracks. [i]”I’ll make the fire if you skin it!”[/i] she pleaded, getting to work on the fire before Len could disagree with her. A hungry woman was worst than a langue any day.

It wasn’t long before the two had a fire roaring, the smell of a slow cooking squirrel being drifted through the air. The last few days it had been raining, so this bright spring day was considered quite a blessing for any living creature.