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Chapter 7 - Ch7: The Lost Forest part 2

Five days have passed since Xia encountered the red junglefowl.

The general appearance of the fowl has a mix of feather colors, with orange, brown, red, gold, gray, white, olive and even metallic green plumage. The whole length is approximately 100- 150cm. The height ranges from 50cm – 100 cm The male eclipse pattern includes a black feather in the middle of the back, and small red-orange plumes spread across the body. The comb of the male is well pronounced in compared to the female. The male comb ranges 3-5 inches which measured from the base of the head. The tail of the roosters ranges 30-40cm and there are at least 12- 20 tail feathers. The Female eclipse plumage is similar to the male except that they don't have long tail feathers, the comb is less than 2 inches and they are generally smaller in comparison to female.

Five days ago, she was about to catch the smaller fowl but Yue warns her that she senses that there are few stronger fowls hiding within the maize plantation and also inside the cavern. To her surprise, there was two strongest fowl inside the cavern. According to Yue, they are the Crown Red Jungle fowl. Unlike the regular jungle fowl, these two fowls are the biggest among all of them and the most prominent characteristics is the color of the comb. Both chickens have a silvery comb.

Xia was studying the habit of the fowls so that she can capture the little ones alive. She doesn't have any confidence in capturing the largest one. The fowls usually asleep when the star is already resting and they are awake at dawn, approximately an hour before the star rises. Most fowls are eating and sleeping in a group. Each group is composed of 10 members. Each group has at least 1-3 roosters and the rest are hens. Xia's target was to capture those who are alone or at least in pair.

The fowls' food is the pink maize in the field. They pluck it using their beck and usually eat it by themselves, occasionally there is rooster who fight due to food and female's attention. She observed the floor in which the male chicken attacked it using its beck and there is 2 inches indentation on the floor. Xia laughs disappointedly and thought to forget capturing the fowls alive. If that beak could make that depression on the ground then if it will hit her body that would be the end of her life.

Xia pondered a bit then she realized that she has the sap earlier. Since she doesn't have the power to capture or kill them, then it would better to steal in their egg.

Xia walks and surveys the area. She found out that there are 10 brooding hens. 2 out of 10 were inside the broken trunk which is separated from the rest. The other 8 brooding chicken is located on the opposite where she is currently hiding, which as a cavern. The biggest fowl is resting near the cavern which is impossible get near from those brooding hens.

Xia observes the two brooding hens and she realized that both hens are a bit underweight in comparison to the rest of the hens, including those brooding inside the cavern. She grabs one jar of sap from the storage space and also took out four bread. She soaks all the bread inside the jar and places all four inside the trunk. The chicken was startled but did not make a noise. They look at the soaked bread with curiosity for a few minutes. Without even standing they peak the bread by extending there neck until all the bread is gone. The chicken's eyes became groggy then retract their neck and rest it to its back and closes their eyes.

Once the hens are asleep, she slowly walks towards the opposite side using trees as a cover. What she really wants are the kernels of that pink maize. She walks around the southern part of the area where most of the chickens and maize are located. Some of the chickens did not finish the entire maize and left the husk with kernels on the ground. She grabs one bread and throws it several meters in front of her. When the chicken heard a small thud sound, the majority of the chicken near her curiously went towards the bread till she heard several crawling and fowl fighting started.

She immediately runs towards the nearest plant of maize and picks up at least 5 cobs. She retreated and hide at the back of the tree and stores all the maize inside the storage space. She cautiously walks towards the northwestern part and traces back towards the center where she meets the bears.

She cautiously walks and hides behind the tree and observed the remaining two bears who are still asleep. She grab one of the used jars with sap. She cut the remaining bread into several pieces and soak it inside the jar. She places several breads on the path towards the entrance where the fowl are residing.

She waited for another two hours until the two bears woke up. When the bears were about to get up she throws 4 pieces of soaked of bread, just a few meters in front of her. The two bears growl and both of them immediately grab some pieces of bread on the ground. Then they follow the trail of bread towards the fowls' residence.

Xia was still cautiously walking while hiding behind the tree. When she saw that the bear was already at the entrance of the fowls' area, she throws the remaining bread several meters in front of her. The bear growl and followed the bread direction. The noise that the two bears created made the roosters became agitated. Most of the smaller fowls are guarding the cavern and the rest are fighting with the bear.

Xia immediately went towards the northern part where the sleeping hen located. When she arrived the chicken was still asleep. She sighs and smiles, "Yue, If I will place them in the storage space will they died?" Yue beep thrice, "Yes and No. All animals and viable plants can be stored in the storage space for 7 days, after 7 days the animals will die but they will not decay because the storage space can slow and sometimes halt the time within the space. The plants, on the other hand, specifically the seeds will lose their germinative ability after 7 days.