East of the Sun

Chapter 16

A wave of relief poured through her. The weaver had mentioned moths, so she should have expected them, besides the cocoons would have to transform some stage of insect into something else. The moth must be the resultant adult of whatever had twitched inside.

Bryn watched as it circled restlessly in the light, never satisfied with its position. What was it doing hatching in mid winter? Though, she supposed it didn't seem like mid-winter so deep beneath the earth. Here, the temperature was rather mild. What though, did it eat? The worms, the weaver had said, consumed gold dust, what about their adult forms?

Rute flicked the creature away with his paw and it flapped wildly to compensate, landing, disoriented for a moment on the stone wall.

"That cavern is a fair distance within," he muttered, turning back to the map. "Our biggest danger will be getting lost in these passages, we cannot even be certain that the map is comprehensive. There are likely tunnels and passages not represented here."

Bryn shuddered, imagining wandering in the mines until their supplies dwindled, not able to find their way out.

"We could always mark the way," Nkemdilim pointed out.

"With what? I did not bring that much rope. I suppose I might leave a trail of supplies and pick them up as we exit."

Nkemdilim snorted. "You so easily forget the uses of your form. Do as your animal side does and mark the passages with scent."

Animal side...surely Nkemdilim wasn't suggesting they pee on the walls? She tried to hide her embarrassed flush.

"I am not doing that," Rute stated dryly. So they were talking about peeing on things.

"Not even when it will save your life? You should reconsider your priorities," Nkemdilim told him.

"What about pine pitch?" she interrupted, both...beasts looked at her. "The torches are pine pitch and rags right? I know that stuff smells strongly. Couldn't we, I don't know, rub one of the ends along the wall to mark each passage we take? Would you be able to sniff that out?"

"That's actually a good idea," Rute said at last.

"What do you mean actually?"

Rute was saved from having to answer by the return of the moth. That thing really wanted to be close to the torch. It's long fuzzy antenna in danger of getting singed.

Rute waved at it impatiently, and for a moment it took a passing interest in his paw.

"Aaaahhh," he yelled sharply pulling his limb away. A drop of blood was vivid on his white fur. Bryn looked in horror at the wound, a small dished out chunk of skin and fur was missing. It reminded her of the corpse at the entrance.

"Since when do moths bite?" she asked frowning. No one answered her, they were busy watching the fluttering creature as it dove again and again toward the torch. She was beginning to get a terrible feeling about the mines.

She turned from the map to look again at the walls, clumps of cocoons sat everywhere, dozens of them. If they were all to hatch, and the moths were somehow carnivorous...they were in deep trouble.

"I don't think the weaver was as unbalanced as we thought," she announced.

"So it appears," Rute frowned at the tunnel.

"Do we go farther?"

"We don't have much choice," he hesitated. "If we are lucky most of the creatures are trapped in cocoons and not free adults." Something in his tone suggested that he didn't believe luck would play a factor.