“It’s not just speaking that we have to becareful of. It’s the way we move too.”
Eamon stood and adjusted the sword at hiswaist. Buck edged over to peer around their little rock shelter,taking a closer look at both cliff sides.
“We’ll spread out so if it attacks, the resthave a better chance of doing something,” Eamon said softly. “Weknow its weak spot now. We have a chance.”
Shea’s expression said ‘what the fuck is thatgoing to do?’
“This is what a scout does, Daisy,” Buck saidwith a jaunty grin. “We go where others fear to tread. It’s whywe’re the best of Hawkvale’s Army. Men fight for the privilege ofbeing a scout. Father’s train their boys from birth for the solepurpose of joining our ranks. Who wants to be swinging a bladewhile hemmed in on their left and right when they have a chance attrue glory? We slay beasts, and we’re not afraid of anything. Noteven death.”
Buck drew his blade, crouched before lookingto both sides and above, and then moved forward, walking as lightlyas possible.
Eamon’s large body was framed in the openingas he looked back, giving her an inscrutable look before he toomoved into the ravine. Unlike Buck, he didn’t crouch or hunch as ifexpecting a beast, but he did give everything a once over beforestepping quietly out of their hiding place.
Shea sighed and drew her blade. She couldn’tlet them go alone. They didn’t know it, but pathfinders had asimilar mentality and were considered just as elite among herpeople. If she let them go alone, her dignity would never bearit.
Here goes.
As she stepped out, her body tensed for ablow that never came. She moved carefully, picking each foot up andsetting it down softly before shifting to move the other foot,ensuring that she didn’t accidently kick any pebbles or step toohard. All the while she was on the lookout for any odd shapes,weird outcroppings or movement in her peripheral vision.
Buck had made his way to the cloth flutteringfrom the cliff. After scrutinizing the rock around the fabric, hepulled it down. He examined it before sticking it in his belt andreturning to the middle of the canyon.
A tunnel, about half the height of Eamon,burrowed into the soft rock of the cliff. She edged around it,leaving a wide space between it and her. The empty blacknesstaunted her with what might be waiting to pop out. It was too smallfor an adult beetle to fit through. It had to be one of the onesthe mother had dug to lay her eggs.
Shea crossed in front of it as quickly as shedared. Buck, on the other hand, approached stealthily and stuck hishead in, trying to see into the black.
When he caught her eye, he gave a shrug thatsaid he was curious.
These guys were crazy.
She followed Eamon, keeping an eye out andher weapon loose in her hand.
Still no sign of the others. Where did theygo? It wasn’t as if there were a lot of places to hide. The sheercliffs offered no shelter, and there were no boulders or trees toconceal themselves behind. Just rocky dirt. And burrows.
She froze, twisting to find Buck sticking hishead down another one.
They couldn’t be that dumb, could they?
Eamon had stopped moving and was giving theburrows an assessing glance. He looked over his shoulder and tiltedhis head at the dark hole.
Yep, they could be that dumb. Shea mouthed acurse.
That’s why Buck was so all fired curiousabout the damn things. He thought their people might be inthem.
He backed out of the latest one and shook hishead at Eamon.
To those unfamiliar with the shadow beetle,it would have made sense to seek shelter in one of the smallertunnels. The shadow beetle was too big to follow. It would seemlike the safest place if you didn’t know about the hundreds,possibly thousands, of eggs filled with ravenous baby shadowbeetles, just waiting to hatch.
Buck straightened and pointed at the tunnelhe just checked, making the sign for tracks. It was no bigger thanwaist high and only about two feet across. He’d found severalfootprints in the dirt in front of it.
They shared looks of equal distaste.
None of them wanted to head down into thedark. Eamon rolled his eyes up to the sky as if to say ‘why me?’while Buck rested one arm against the stone and covered hiseyes.
Eamon crouched to the side and cupped hishands around his mouth whispering as loud as he could into thedark, “Vale? Anyone? Are you alive down there?”
Buck and Eamon tilted their heads, trying tohear a response.
Shea turned partially away and raised herweapon as she scanned the canyon. When no response came, Eamon duckwalked a few feet, trying hard not to bump his head on the ceiling.He repeated the call.
