Free The Gift of Knowledge (The Gifts Book 2) by Jen Gentry

problems?” Emily already felt tired and wondered how the others kept up this pace. None-the-less, she determined not to be a burden, so she got busy helping to load the supplies up into the carts. Her question went unanswered.    
 
     Emily rode on one of the four-wheelers behind Phoebe. It proved to be a bone jarring ride down a dry riverbed and then through dense forest. Just before sunset, the team came to a halt on a small ridge and began unloading the supplies.
     “We hike from here,” Phoebe told her as she began strapping bags of supplies onto her back. Worn out, Emily still loaded herself up with as many bags as she could carry and followed Phoebe down a ravine and into a clearing that bordered a swiftly flowing stream. Several large tents stood in the clearing encircling a large campsite and fire-pit. There were tables and chairs set up around the campfire, and even though she and Phoebe were the first of the team to arrive, they were not alone in the camp. Several native men sat around the fire, and others were busy at work on different task.
     When she gave Phoebe a confused look, Phoebe told Emily not to worry, these strange men were hired hands. They helped to guard the camp and move it when the need arose. They also happened to be excellent guides to the area.
     “This is Anke. He is Jorge’s younger brother.” Phoebe spoke to Anke in the Amazonian language of Aymara, calling Emily a greenhorn who needed to be watched over like a newborn baby.
     Emily surprised them both when she joined the conversation in perfect Aymara. “Not to worry, Anke, I may be new but I’m a fast learner.” She could not help but feel a little smug when both of them looked at her in complete shock. Then Emily spoke to Phoebe in Spanish. “I guess you didn’t know that I hold a degree in languages.” She smiled, took her bags to the fire and sat down. Anke watched her walk away. Emily didn’t notice that the man crossed himself like his brother had at the sight of her.
 

     Later that evening after all the supplies had been unloaded and a dinner of heated canned stew and bread was served, Emily found herself alone in the tent she shared with Phoebe. She was grimy and dirty with grit in her teeth, but she didn’t care about that in the least, as she sought out her cot and pulled the mosquito netting around her. The second she pulled the thin muslin blanket up to her chin she was asleep.
 
     A couple of tents down Ethan, unpacking supplies in his own tent, heard a rustling outside his tent flap. Then a woman’s voice called out. “Ethan, can I come in? Are you decent?”
     “Yes, Phoebe, come in, I’m decent.”
     “I came to tell you I may’ve hurt Emily’s feelings again,” Phoebe stated as she lifted the flap and let herself into the dimly lit tent.
     “Oh really, and what’d you do this time, huh?”  Ethan continued unpacking his gear as he spoke.
     Phoebe let the whole story of making fun of Emily to Anke out in a rush and ended with a surprising statement.
     “You know I’m really kind of proud of her. I thought for sure she was going to run out of the country when she had to get on that helicopter, but she held her own. And she carried her weight in supplies just like everyone else. I really hate to say it, Ethan, but I think you did a good thing by bringing her. Her knowledge of different languages is going to be very useful, I think.”
     Ethan stopped unpacking and looked at Phoebe with raised eyebrows. “Did you just say I was right and you were wrong? My, my, the wonders will never cease. Well, I guess you’d better apologize to her, again.”
     “Yeah, but you don’t have to be so happy about it, you know. And yes, I’ll apologize, again. But, I’ll do it in the morning ‘cause I think our little greenhorn is plumb tuckered out. I heard snores coming from our tent on the way here.”