Lemme see the bag again, an' we'll see.
Linea shifted her weight to dig for the leather bag, then returned it back to Jack. He nodded, then rubbed Mama, who seemed to be expecting another glider leg, rather a leather bag. She looked at him curiously, and he looked into her eyes.
She was pure confusion, with a fading sense of delight. She clearly was enjoying the cooked glider legs, and had no idea what he wanted her to do with the inedible object.
He had dreaded having to tell her about the creatures they had killed the day before; He didn't want her to be afraid of other humans any more than she already was, as he knew she felt the other travelers were all inscrutably insane aside from him. He really didn't have a choice now, if he wanted to get her help.
"apology", "More food (later)(I promise)" combined with "bad nature-things (are/were humans)"
Mama's perception of her human not being insane took a hit, but he continued after shaking his head.
"She (beside me) looking (for missing friends)" and "Thing (of missing friend)" with a sense of urgency, transitioned to "Smell (this thing) (and bodies) (please)" blended with pleading.
Mama responded with confusion and curiosity "why not (smell it yourself?)"
That was an altogether too common reaction when asking a wild creature to smell something out for you. It was like asking a person to help you find something painted bright red with glitter on it, with a magical glow. They will ask you why you cant just find something like that yourself. Nevermind, that the answer is because you are functionally blind.
He breathed a sigh, and tried to explain how human noses were just plain terrible, and could only detect the strongest of smells.
The expected incredulity washed through him, followed by sympathy and pity-- but she agreed to go check. ... If there was more food.
He agreed, and let her sniff the pouch.
Mama waddled over to the corpses and sniffed on them, first very timidly, then intently. She looked back at Jack a few times during investigation, seeking support. She had doubted his claims about there being "human-smell" inside, but after a closer sniff, she no longer doubted his sanity. Now she wanted to know how he knew, without a good nose. He told her that his nose is bad, but his eye is VERY GOOD. She found that very amusing, remarking how it must be terrible to have lost one, if he needed them that much. It was the only bit of humor in her though. She found the idea that the tree-thing was once a human, (like hers), terrifying. It meant that her human was very much in danger here, and he needed to be safe. She wanted to leave very intently.
He pressured her, and she answered. Not the one who owned the bag.
He looked away from her as he started to get up, to go join her, as he spoke. Not the one yer a' lookin' fer. He stretched and leaned on his stick. I'll ask mama to keep a nose out fer 'em, but these poor bastards ain't yer missin' persons.
He grabbed a handful of the remaining glider legs, and hobbled off toward mama, after handing the leather bag back to Linea.
I hope ye find 'em. he said, as he hobbled away from the fire and further up the clearing, to meet up with the bear.