Shae would place a hand on Maxine’s shoulder to try and provide some reassurance, “Maxine. Don’t apologize for bringing it up.” She’d smile encouragingly again, “Because of your suggestion, we were able to draw a conclusion from the scenario considered. If anything, it helped us come to a clearer direction. We now know more than we did.” Patting her shoulder a little before letting go, Shae would go back to packing up the cartography supplies so she’d be ready to continue on their way once the professor was ready. She would take directions by Berrus and the captain on where they’d prefer her to be in line.

Faekin barly listens to what the different people are saying, he could not care less how they get out of the jungle but that they do. He simply adds the following 

"The only thing I want to add to our desicision is that if we decide what or better where our goal is, that we stick to it no matter what. If we change directions to many times or do not stick to a plan we could go around in circles for ever without even noticing it. And if we change plans all the time there is just more opertunities for us to offend each other if we do not agree. I mean we are in this here jungle for merely a few days. We still have food, most of our people and water, but that can change quickly. So I do not know if our discussions will always be this calm and reasonable when our sanity crumbles bit by bit. But if we have one goal, there are no discussions or disputes, there is a plan whenever our minds are to clouded to make a sound desicion anymore. So as of right now we are still able to make a reasonable plan. Then we decide by vote. But after we voted everyone sticks to the plan as discussed, no changes no lone wolves , we stick to the plan. Everyone who strais off will be on his own or will even be considered our enemy. I know, I know it sound brutal and harsh but we can not allow ourselfs to wither in this godforsaken jungle.

Realizing how harsh he just sounded he tries to break the tension again "Because in my book our story end with all of us who are still living making it out alive, the ones who have already fallen will not have perished for nothing"

Professor S:

The professor merely looks at Faekin curiously, wondering if he has been affected by some jungle malady with his somewhat aimless rambling.

 "Perhaps we should just get moving," says Snively, "We have a long path ahead of us."

"Right enough talk, Captain you or th' Perfesser ken decide who is where in line   but i suggest we have someone of keen eye in the front"

Maxine helped to pack, of course, making sure that all the eatable mushrooms (collected by her, Shae and Berrus) are on the disk. She would not be of much use as a scout or the course corrector (the one who runs back and fort and makes sure the group moves indeed in parallel to the trail), but she was ready to do her share of plant cutting in front of the disk and watching out for danger as much as she could.

"Agreed. Lets get moving." Shae would just start walking if she had too in order to engage the group and get them moving.

As Maxine is heading off, the group quickly follows in line, with the more capable fighters occupying positions in the column that would allow them to defend them more easily. Evryone was wary of eventual game, or the hunters within the region. After making slow progress through the jungle for almost two hours with Shae carefully mapping their route on some sheets of parchment, they come to another clearing in the woods. Heading the column, Shae signals to the rest to get to cover.

Before you, you see a grizzly display. A tortured and half-eaten corpse of a lizardman is hanging from the remnants of a dead tree in the middle of the clearing. Before it, a large pit trap was dug, and the whimpers of a large and wounded animal trapped inside could be heard. Looking at the set-up, the lizardman in the middle was likely used as life bait, attracting prey through his screams of agony and his fear, eventually drawing in something close enough to trigger the pit-trap, only for it to die in the process.

"I say we avoid this clearing entirely i don trust it

Shae would grit her teeth, understanding why Berrus would make that suggestion, but she was struggling with herself. The cries of the animal in pain wrenched at her. She'd try to gather as much information from scanning the scene with her eyes and listening with her ears. Shae, this could very well be a trap.

This very morning Maxine though that after psychomonkeys nothing would shock or surprise her here. She was wrong. Fortunately (if this word could be used in this situation) there were enough questions to take anyone's mind off that grizzly display.  "I wonder how many hunters will come to get the beast. And when. And from what direction. I suspect we left behind pretty readable trail and whoever comes here will easily follow us, should they choose so. Would be nice to know who are those hunters as well and be prepared to meet them."

yes we may have left a trail,  but the magic as it were of walking in file anyone followin canna tell how many we are

Professor S. looks around the clearing, listens to the sounds of the trapped animal, and tries to recall what kind of being native to the jungle traps their prey this way...

Shae, you can’t understand the animal, as the large panther is mostly whimpering and roaring in pain, and frustration.

Maxine, you can make out another pit trap, hidden on the other approach to the tree, but still ready to be triggered. Both you and the professor recall that the Jungles of Chult are home to several tribes of indigenous and violent goblins, some clans of albino dwarfs, smatterings of lizardfolk colonies, and even occasional halfling outposts, who brave the jungles to try and find dinosaur eggs to raise their mounts to race in Port Nyanzaru, or to help with tasks in their communities. Some rumours even suggest that in some of the ruined temples, cults of Scales had been gathering.

The trap points to a wild and pragmatic kind of brutality that you’d expect from either the dwarfs or the goblins.

"Barzûlegûr!" swore Maxine not without a note of admiration by efficient practicality of the trap. "Berrus, you are right, this is still not safe. There is another trap over there." She pointed towards yet hidden pit. After discussion of who could set the traps - dwarves or goblins, she could add only one thing:  "To be honest, not even sure who I want the owners of the traps to be. My mind tells me it's easier to parley with dwarves, but I would feel less guilty fighting goblins. And in either way, we still can end up as another living bait."

Professor S:

The Professor cringes at the sound of the trapped animal, but he is honestly not sure if he should get involved--the hunters need to eat, too...

"Should we bypass this and keep going or try to rescue this animal from its snare?" asks Snively, genuinely unsure what to do.

i say bypass

Shae would be wincing and covering her ears to try to muffle the sounds of the animal. “I don’t want it to suffer... I want to save it...“ It sounded like it was echoing in her mind. She was torn more now that the professor gave them the option out loud. “I know everything can’t be saved...” She’d press her hands to her ears harder and just keep shaking her head. But I always want to try...

Berrus gives Shae a soft pat on the back  i ken its hard but we have to look after ourselves for the now"

I am sorry but I have to agree. It is too dangerous to help the animal. The hunters may have very well already spotted us. We should be going. 

Maxine simply said out loud the obvious: "A wounded scared angry predator would not thank you for saving it. It will attack. If hunters are around - they will join, angry that we freed it. And as cynical as it sounds - while hunters are busy with panther, they are not following us".

As expected, cynical explanation did not make Shae any happier and Maxine tried another: "On the other hand, we could use a guard - a strong animal, protecting us. Do you think you can get through to the panther and make sure it will stay friendly and protect the group?"