"That doesn't seem safe," she observed.
Especially when in the next moment they almost set fire to a curtain.
"The pathfinder said they're afraid of fire."
"But maybe setting ourselves on fire isn't the best answer," Eva said uncertainly.
One of the men nearly did exactly that as he jerked back at something Eva couldn't see, his torch straying perilously close to the torch assembly line.
"For Rava's sake, you'd think this was their first battle," Laurell muttered, stalking toward the two.
The two's motions were jerky and uncoordinated as they struggled with the bow and arrow. Something even Eva knew was unusual for a warrior.
She shadowed Laurell, her friend's wounds making her gait a little stiffer than normal.
"What do you numbskulls think you're doing?" Laurell barked, her tone impressive. She carried as much authority as Caden in that minute.
They swung around, their skin beginning to darken to the color of wood. Little veins of green climbed their necks toward their eyes.
Laurell jerked back with a hiss.
"Help," one of them moaned.
The skin on their chest and hands was distended, lumps forming under it.
Laurell didn't hesitate, her blade clearing its scabbard as she sank it into the first's chest. He collapsed, gurgling. The lumps burst, yellow pollen spewing forth and dancing on the air.
Fiona was there in the next second setting the air alight as the pollen met the fire and ignited.
A rag was shoved into Eva's hand as Fiona shouted. "Cover your mouth. Don't breathe it in."
The two women worked fast, killing both and setting their bodies and the air around them aflame.
They backed up, Ghost and Roscoe flanking them.
"This is a whole new level of fuck-uppery that I'm not ready for," Ghost muttered.
For once, Roscoe didn't argue, instead nodding mutely.
"Lucky I was on hand, Laurell," Fiona said, propping a hand on her hip, the torch brandished as if it was a sword. "Otherwise you might have needed some pruning."
Laurell glared daggers at her friend. "Laugh it up, lazy britches. Maybe I'll tell the group about the time you got stuck in a fire beetle hive."
That had Fiona's expression sobering. "You wouldn't dare."
Laurell straightened. "Wanna bet?"
Fiona's lip curled. "Get to the back, invalid."
Laurell's eyes darkened at the reference to her wound. "Live it up while you can. This'll heal soon enough."
Eva waved her hands, distracting the two before the fight could carry any further. "Shouldn't we do something about those?"
Eva pointed at the two fist size bugs made of woody vines binding together metal legs and a metallic stinger.
"We've found it less dangerous to let them work it out of their system," Ghost whispered to Eva.
"That way we don't get roped into the ridiculousness," Roscoe added.
