Erika felt much better the next morning, Helga has slipped back to her bed at some point which had set Erika off blushing again, that had continued all through breakfast until the red was replaced with the pale of horror. Erika had been quite happy till she ran into Sigurn who was leading a droog by the bridle and grinning like a wolf.

“So… you said you had trouble with the droog?” She’d said, her voice so innocent and kind.

Erika had tried to run but being a vitki didn’t give you much stamina. Ten minutes later the expedition was trundling away across the dewy plains again but this time with Erika rattling back and forth atop a droog of her own instead of her in comfortable wagon, THEN Sigurn had said she needed to understanding scouting and sent her off ahead with Bjorn and now finally Bjorn had gone crazy and stared salivating at the ground.

“It’s a hole.” Erika said with finality as she half fell off her droog.

Bjorn the Bear-strangler laughed. “It’s not just a hole, its dinner!”

“I’m not eating a hole.” Said Erika firmly.

Bjorn opened his mouth and Erika glared. “Say it Bjorn just say it, I DARE you…” With an effort of will Erika let Odium spill from her well causing a patina of colours, like an oily rainbow to radiate from her hands.

Bjorn, twice her height and a dozen battles her senior, smiled down indulgently at Erika and her tough act. “Fine Erika fine I will be good, now are you going to help me?”

“Help you what?” Erika said. “And aren’t we supposed to bring food back if we find it?…”

Bjorn shrugged. “I’m a scout so it’s a perk, now help me get my spear lined up.”

Erika sighed a little but didn’t see any harm in it, instead she helped Bjorn get a long spear down from the saddle of his droog which moved next to Erika’s and chuffed happily.

“How are you going to eat a hole?” Erika asked facetiously, she knew there must be something edible down there but had no idea how Bjorn intended to get it to come out.

Bjorn just smiled mysteriously. “Wait and see.”

Taking up the spear Bjorn laid it flat against the bottom edge of the rough hole and, ever so gently, scrapped it side to side.

*scratch scratch scratch*

After a moment he repeated the gesture, moving the spear forwards minutely.

*scratch scratch scratch*

Erika was staring down the hole intently, there… just at the edge of the light…. Something was moving!

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*scratch scratch scratch*

And there it was, a horned mole, big and fat its eyeless face protruding into a long snout and hundreds of bony spikes poking out if its fur and scrapping along the stone… make a sound just like Bjorn’s spear.

Next to Erika Bjorn shifted his stance slightly, foot planted firmly his arms bulged, muscles exploding into motion, pinning the mole to the stone floor right through its head.

“Now we feast!” Bjorn half sang hauling the long spear back out of the hole with the mole firmly fixed on the point. “You want some right?”

“Uh… if you don’t mind?” Asked Erika staring at the mole in astonishment, she’d read about deep moles of course but never actually seen one.

Erika looked at the lizard for a moment more, it was quite heavy in her arms and the blue mottled skin was a little unappetising. “Do you want me to roast it?”

Bjorn scratched his head and frowned. “I thought it was the Spirit Makers that could summon fire?”

Erika shrugged. “Any vitki with an ignited Fylgja, Spirit Maker just means specialist in Fylgja spells but as long as you’ve unlocked it you can use the spells and the associated element.”

“And you have?”

Erika blushed embarrassed. “Ah no... I just like talking about magic… uh but I can cook it! I'm a life shaper after all… one moment.” Taking a deep breath Erika sank her fingertips into the moles meat and pulled on her Well again shaping the story of the spell into one she’d learned years back; she’d never thought she’d actually use it though.

[Heat Blood] activated swallowing the mole in a cloud of red steam, a moment later Erika passed it to Bjorn who expertly butchered it… maybe she should have let him do that first? Erika wasn’t sure but Bjorn didn’t say anything just handed her a few slices of mole meat. It tasted surprisingly pleasant for such “wild” food, a deep rich taste with a harsh edge to it that reminded her of the smell of pine. Erika wolfed the slices down happily followed by the rest Bjorn offered up to her.

“Ok… holes have great food in them.” Eriak admitted grudgingly.

Bjorn smiled and bowed. “You’re welcome you’re welcome! Someone showed me that trick first time out, thought I’d pass it on.”

“So, the scraping attracts them?” Asked Erika mulling the idea over.

“Yup, just scrap a spear near one of these burrows and sooner or later you get a mole.”

“Do they think it’s another mole? Its spikes sounded a bit like your spear on the rock, maybe they think it’s another of their kind calling for them?”

Bjorn shrugged re-slinging his spear as he expertly remounted his droog. “A better theory than I’ve ever had, but I’ve never had one.” He turned to smile at Erika obviously wanting to show she wasn't being dismissive. “Honesty though Eri only cunning women care to think about that stuff, its good you do don’t get me wrong but I’m just paid to hit people.”

Erika conceded the point with a shrug and a smile. “Eri?”

“Your names long,” said Bjorn grinning.

Erika’s smile turned rueful. “No, it isn't, its as short as yours.”

“Mines long to.”

Before they could continue a distant trampling sound became a closer trampling sound and the rest of the expedition pushed through the scrubby stand of trees they’d been hidden behind. Erika scrambled desperately to remount her droog as Bjorn rode ahead again merging back into the mass of riders.

“I thought you were scouting?” Asked Alvis with wary eyes but a small smile.

“We… stopped,” said Erika lamely. “I… thought I’d seen something but I hadn't.”

“Oh really?” queried Alvis smiling fully now. “Was it tasty?”

Erika’s eyes widened making the man laugh. “You’ve got juice on your chin.”

Cursing softly Erika wiped her face roughly. “I don’t know what you’re implying.”

“You’re a terrible liar Eri.” Called back Bjorn as the expedition laughed.

Erika smiled and waved away the teasing.

If only you knew she thought.