Awkward silence hung for a moment, punctuated only by the chittering and cautious calls of jungle creatures returning now the violence had abated. The lizard creature regarded them steadily, motionless save for the rhythmic contractions of the gill like slits behind its ears. It was obvious the creatures didn't mean instant violence but there was no way of knowing that the choice wouldn't be made soon. Emmaline stepped forward and took the creatures hand and shook it firmly the way Altdorf merchants did.

"Sotek" she told the creature, whose eyes blinked with two seperate sets of eyelids in what might have been confusion. It's hand was cool and dry like a lizards, though it pulsed with vitality in manner more remeniscient of more energetic creatures like frogs. Emmaline stepped past the creature and took the hand of the next creature shaking its hand also and repeating the word. One by one she greeted each of the warband in the same fashion, having no idea what she was doing but unwilling to stop a course of action that so far hadn't resulted in her being disemboweled. 

"Sotek to you as well," she said to the last crocodilian of the group and then returned to Amal who was staring at her in shocked horror.

"What was that?!" he demanded in a hoarse whipser. Emmaline brushed her hand on her tunic and shrugged her shoulders.

"Well I didn't see you coming up with anything," she whispered back. The lizards continued to stand motionless though they looked a trifle less tense now. Perhaps they were just confused. Emmaline reached into Amal's purse and took out the map and walked over to the lizard with the headdress.

"Ummm... I don't suppose you could give us directions?" she asked, pointing to what she took to be the nearest of the pyramid cities. The lizard tilted its head at her in astonishment and then took the map from her hands, turning to face the other members of its warband. It held the map aloft hissed and clicked in its own language, waving the piece of parchment above its head like a battle flag.

"Sotek!" it thundered in conclusion.

"Horray for Sotek!" Emmaline echoed fighting the urge to giggle with suppressed terror.