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"Spirits protect this Spirit." Maulká said softly, standing over the small earthen mound that marked where the remains of the wolf had been buried. She had been fond of the creature, probably due to its vicious nature, and felt some regret at its death. Still, it had served her well enough, though its failure to kill one of the queer catch-creatures had been disappointing. Leaving the mound, Maulká slipped into the jungle.
As she walked along, Maulká kept to the deepest shadows, cursing the sun. For a while she had thought of trying to find Nephil or Bestialán, who presumably had left ahead of her. Now, though, she was enjoying hunting on her own. It irked that Nephil had beat her to the supplies first, but the wolf had been amusing. The fallen trees and branches were a nice piece of work, but she could not tell who had set them, even when one fell as she watched.
Ahead, the creatures had reached a narrow canyon. They slowed, and Maulká took the opportunity to examine them more closely. They were stout, beast-like creatures, but they spoke like men, and several men traveled with them. She did not recognize the elf, never having seen one before. Creeping closer to the group, Maulká saw that one of the creatures had momentarily set down the pack it carried next to a rotten log. And in one hollow portion of the decayed wood... Maulká slipped forward silently and caught the snake behind its head. She undid the top of the pack and dropped the animal inside before closing it up again. Then she vanished back into the trees.
The band of catch-creatures continued through the canyon, and Maulká became nervous. If they continued, the creatures would pass right by the entrance to the caves. She didn't want them to find that entrance, though she knew know reason why it was upsetting. They would never survive in the tunnels. Perhaps it was that there had never been any fighting in the caves. Knifings, yes, but never outright battle.
The lessening of the foliage inside the canyon would make it difficult to follow the creatures, Maulká realized. After a moment's thought, she walked a short ways into the canyon and began climbing the rocky wall. The walls of the canyon grew closer as they rose, and at the top they were only a few feet apart, leaving the canyon in shadow. Climbing through the narrow opening, Maulká discovered that if she lay flat on the ground beside the rift she could drop stones into the canyon while remaining unseen by those below. Selecting a stone about the size of her fist, she moved along the rift, seeking her quarry.
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