Gii’da felt giddy, like she did before a hunt. Something about the anticipation just made her blood burn with excitement.

  “We need a plan! I saw about a hundred goblins in that village, and they seemed a little off..” That huntless Marcus whined, he was always being too hesitant with his fancy sword and overpolished brigandine. Gii'da doubted he knew how to fight like a real warrior.

  Why did she go with these southerners? It seemed the only thing they knew how to kill was the joy of the hunt.

  “Fine, plan. What is their territory like?” she knew she should be more interested, after all, knowing the land and your prey is one of the most important parts of a hunt, it just was so boring!

  Gii’da preferred to explore and experience it all for herself, not listen to some soft southerner whine about problems.

  “- and then the chieftain's hut is in the middle, and is likely where the food is stored. Any questions?” Marcus was saying.

  Gii’da realized she had daydreamed through his entire report, but she'd be damned if she admitted it!.

  Lucius looked at the ground. “I'm concerned about the bridge, if they aren't fooled and cut the ropes, then that chasm would be nasty to cross, especially if we're on it at the time.”

  Ohh! Marcus had drawn a rough map, that should be enough for her to figure his plan out.

  The arrows and sticks and other markers could have been Arcane Sigils for all the sense she could make of them. Couldn't he have labeled anything?

  “That's why we'll be trusting in your magic to distract them Lucius” Marcus replied to him.

  Ick, magic. The southerner magic was nothing like the tribal shaman's. At least the shaman DID something instead of just staring into thin air.

  Gii'da shuddered.

  “Ok, let's get going, I'm ready for breakfast!” Marcus said, rubbing his hands together in a very untrustworthy gesture. Gii'da realized she must have missed more of the conversation. It'd be ok though, she grinned, it's goblin skull crushing time!

  __

  The approach to the village was quiet, Marcus had already found all of the spikershrooms. Those things were little nightmares; anything living was enough to set them off and spear you like a winter boar with thorns the size of javelins. Gii'da felt uneasy. Normally stalking like this would appease her hunter's spirit, but this time, why did she feel the hair on her neck stand up. She hated the feeling that she was the prey. She hadn't felt like this since her mother had. . . She shook her head and cleared her thoughts. She needed to stay present in the moment. Every step they took twisted the moldy spores into the air around them.

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

  It was a danger to even breathe. No one wanted rot lung. They had tied cloths around their faces, but Gii'da knew there was only so much that could do, even snow could get past face cloth given enough time.

  Perhaps what was so concerning is the entire cavern, with all the fungus and molds seemed to sway or pulse in unison, as if it were a beating heart to some giant or. . .

  CRUNCH

  The noise made her pause as she looked behind her.

  “Sorry,” Lucius whispered.

  Delvin patted his back and made hand signs that Gii'da knew all too well.

  He knew the hand signs of the Kh'orrish hunters? She thought him a thoughtless southerner, but now? This man held surprises. What other secrets did he know

  - Focus on the hunt - he signed to her, - You're going to be buying us time if we are caught when we get in there. -

  - Thanks - Gii'da signed.

  He'd known she had been distracted in the meeting. At least she knew that soon she'd be able to have a glorious battle. She grinned as she crawled forward.

  The bridge was ahead of them, what was the plan again for getting across?

  A single sentry was on the other side of the bridge with a wide barreled drum. The growth seemed to pulse along with the heartbeat of the cavern. The goblin just rested, sitting on a large toadstool. Its toes entwined with the soft, fuzzy mold of the cavern floor.

  After nodding to Lucius, Marcus went first. For all of her distaste for his dress and manners, the man was as surefooted and quiet as one of the best Kh'orrish hunters. He got about halfway across the bridge when the sentry twitched.

  Lucius cast his spell.

  A soft net of colors draped itself over the sentry, floating down like the spores around the cavern.

  Marcus toed his way to the other end of the bridge and quickly grabbed the sentry from behind, one hand covering its mouth as the other slipped his knife into its armpit. The goblin went limp like some grotesque parody of a child in Marcus’s arms. He gently posed it, and other than the ichor staining its tunic, it looked like it was back to enjoying its blissful nap.

  Marcus waved them forward.

  Gii'da approached the bridge, and looked into the fissure below. If not for how deep it went, the multicolored fungi carpeting the fissure walls and water falls from two small streams would have made it beautiful. As beautiful as an Icewyrm that is. She hesitated. Would the goblin bridge even hold her? She hated heights, and the gently swaying almost haphazard construction of the bridge, with ropes and fungal planks tossed together in maddening savagery looked like a death sentence.

  She felt her heart beat, Thump-thump. She couldn't be afraid, but she couldn't do this. Something felt wrong. If she crossed, she felt that she would die.

  She felt a hand on her back. - Don’t worry, just keep your eyes up ahead and just take each step slowly. - Delvin signed to her.

  Forget keeping her eyes up front! She shut her eyes, and slowly took a step, gripping the ropes tightly with both hands.

  It'll be fine, I'm just walking along some southerner stairs.

  Everything is fine.

  She knew she was lying to herself. She could feel the give from each and every plank. One of these steps would give, and she'd be plunged into the fissure. Maybe she should have found a husband instead of coming south? They could have hunted the snowdeer together and. . . Suddenly her foot felt air.

  She gripped the ropes tighter, she slowly looked down, her foot was in a small gap between a plank, and the cliff face. She leapt for the solid stone.

  Forget it all, she was getting off this thrice damned bridge!

  Delvin and Lucius followed her

  “Well that wasn't so hard, was it?’ Marcus asked with a small smile

  Gii'da glared at him, if she could throw spears with her eyes, she'd make him a pincushion.

  “Come look at this.” He said, ignoring her glower.

  The limp sentry was sitting there, with a bulbous fuzzy growth on the left side of its head.

  “Does that look normal to you?” he asked.

  Somehow, part of her wished she was back on the bridge.