"So, tell more about the Mouseling Tribe," I requested.
Robi took a nervous nibble of his carrot.
"They are... intense, Ms. Arinya. They live in a place called the Warren-City. It’s a massive network of tunnels and chambers carved deep into the clay of the Eastern Plain. It’s cool, dark, and very, very crowded."
I felt a shiver of pure disgust crawl down my spine. Dark, crowded, and full of rodents? My skin was already itching.
"Wait," I said, a thought suddenly occurring to . "If they grow grain, they need sun, right? Grain doesn’t grow in a hole. That ans the fields are above ground?"
"Oh, yes," Robi nodded. "The Great Plain is covered in golden stalks as far as you can see. It’s beautiful, in a way."
I felt a massive wave of relief wash over and the corners of my lips spread wide in a grin. I sat up straighter, my heart feeling lighter than it had all day.
"That’s perfect! That’s great news!" I said.
Robi blinked, confused by my sudden burst of energy. "It is?"
"Yes! Don’t you see?" I gestured toward the horizon. "When we get there, you guys can take the troller and head down into the tunnels to do your trading. Fenric, Damar, and I can just wait for you in the fields! We can set up camp in the tall grass, enjoy the sun, and skip the whole ’underground’ part entirely. I won’t have to see a single twitching nose!"
I was already imagining it—sitting in a sea of gold, breathing fresh air, while the ’rat business’ happened far beneath my feet. My heart was finally at ease.
But Robi’s ears didn’t perk up. Instead, they pressed flat against his head, and he looked at with genuine pity.
The others too, as if I didn’t know what I was saying.
This made my smile fall. Was there sothing I was missing?
"I... I don’t think that’s a good idea, Ms. Arinya," he whispered.
"Why not?" I asked, trying to figure out the missing piece. "It’s a field. What’s the worst that could happen?"
"The Mouselings... they don’t just live in the tunnels. They own the fields," Robi explained.
I an, that’s obvious. It’s their field, after all.
"What are you trying to say?" I asked.
"They are small, smaller than we are,"
I twisted my lips. I thought they would be at least the size of the rabbits, but nothing can change the genes of those small disgusting beings.
"And they are masters of hiding."
He was listing the qualities of rats so well that my skin crawled.
"There are a lot of them out there, tucked away in the stalks, watching every inch of the land. They have traps and hidden holes every few paces. If you step onto their Plain without an invitation, you won’t even see them before the first poisoned dart hits your neck."
My heart sank back into my stomach like a lead weight. Okay, the rat and mouse beastn were by far more troubleso than the regular rat and mouse.
Ugh.
"You can’t even ’pass through’ the fields without being escorted through the Gate of down below." he continued solemnly. "If you try to stay on the surface while we are below, they will see it as a threat. Or worse, they’ll think you’re trying to steal the grain. They don’t take kindly to predators lurking over their roofs to begin with."
I slumped, the ’light’ feeling in my chest turning into a cold stone of dread.
"So," I muttered, my voice flat with disappointnt. "There’s no way around it. To get the grain, to even get past the territory, I have to go into the tunnels."
"I’m afraid so," Robi said softly.
My fate was sealed. I was going to be a giant tiger in a small hole filled with a million mice. The thought made want to scream, but I just closed my eyes and tried to imagine the bright side of it. The ’adventure’ of it.
’Tunnel exploration.’ I told myself. ’It’s just a tunnel exploration.’
That sounded... Exciting.
THUD!
The ground vibrated, and the rabbits shrieked, diving for cover behind the wooden troller. I didn’t even flinch; I knew who was responsible for that heavy, powerful fall anywhere.
Fenric burst into the clearing, looking like a wild god of the hunt, his skin glistening with sweat and sared with a bit of blood, dragging a massive, black-furred boar by its rear legs. It was a beast of a creature, with tusks that looked like ivory daggers.
"I got the biggest one!" Fenric roared, his voice full of adrenaline and triumph. He slamd the boar down in the center of the camp, a cloud of dust billowing around his ankles.
He stood tall, grinning at with his ruby eyes flashing, clearly waiting for to shower him with praise for being the ’best provider.’
But his grin faltered as a silent shadow swept across the grass from the other side.
Damar glided into the firelight, his long serpent body moving with a terrifying, silent grace. He wasn’t breathing hard, and his skin was perfectly clean. Coiled tightly in the powerful muscle of his tail was a second boar—smaller than Fenric’s, but still substantial.
Its neck was twisted at an impossible angle, suggesting it had died before it even knew it was being hunted.
Poor soul.
Damar released the carcass with a soft, heavy thump right next to Fenric’s. He didn’t even look at Fenric. He just flicked his tongue, tasted the air, and then looked at . He tilted his head slightly, his expression one of cool, effortless superiority.
"Size is a poor substitute for silence," Damar murmured, his voice like cold silk. He shot a scathing, smug look at Fenric’s blood-sared chest. "I didn’t have to alert the entire forest to bring you a al."
"Oh, shut up, you overgrown ribbon!" Fenric snapped, the fur on his tail bristling as he stepped toward the Damar. "Mine fought! It had strength! Yours probably died of boredom listening to you talk!"
Oh wow. I did think they would have a competition, but for them to both bring back a boat each... And one of that size.
Our morning al is assured, I guess.
But they wouldn’t stop bickering. Whether I like it or not, I’ll have to get used to this... Eventually.
I sighed, standing up and stepping between them before they could turn the argunt into a second hunt. I placed a hand on each of their chests—Fenric’s was hamring with heat, while Damar’s was steady and cool.
"Both of you, stop it," I said, though I couldn’t help the small, amused smile tugging at my lips. "You both did amazing. We have enough at here to feed us for days. Now, settle down. Fenric, you’re a ss—go wash in the stream." He whimpered. "And Damar, honey, stop being a snob."
I turned to the rabbits, who were still trembling behind the troller, and watching with unease.
"You guys... Can you help gather more sticks for the fire?"
They agreed, but white eyes lingered on Damar, the fear settling in their chests. Even if they had opened up to , Damar was a completely different case.
"Damar, I need long sticks," I empathized with my hands.
He nodded and glided out.
I stood there, watching everyone work, and decided to focus on the boar.
If I have to face a tunnel full of mouselings tomorrow, I’m doing it on a full stomach.
As soon as they were back, and Fenric was done with his quick wash, I took hold of my possessive, competitive husbands, saying with a cheerful voice.
"Help with the fire. We’re having roasted boar for dinner."
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