Foxpaw’s muffled chatter washed over them, his terror evident as he poured entreaties down on them.

Heads bowed together, Twelve and Six read:

Little is known of moxie habits. They are private creatures and avoid people assiduously. However, it is believed they live in extended family groups called sets with a hierarchy based on age. They are rumored to be experts in herb-lore and have a weak latent magical ability. More research is needed on these creatures.

Aggression: unknown.

Danger posed: unknown.

Difficulty to disable: unknown.

“Danger posed: unknown,” Six said. “What good is that?”

Widge chirped his agreement.

Twelve bit her lip and flicked instead to a hair-raising entry on deathspinners.

There are two known species of deathspinners, the tree and trapdoor varieties. The trapdoor deathspinner resides in the south and is much feared by the forest clan of the Great Woods, while the tree-dwelling variant is found in the cold climes of the Fang Mountains. The tree-dweller is by far the larger of the two. Despite spinning a traditional web, it rarely catches enough prey to sustain itself from this source alone, therefore it also hunts on the ground. It is capable of great stealth and surprising turns of speed.

Adults of both variants are heavily armored, rendering most forms of attack useless. However, where the armor plates meet at joints, there seems to be a weakness that may be exploited.

These creatures should not be engaged directly as the chances of success are negligible. At least two teams of Hunters are recommended if contact is unavoidable.

Aggression: 8/10.

Danger posed: 9/10.

Difficulty to disable: 9/10.

Twelve closed the book, and glanced around nervously.

Six cleared his throat, looking every bit as worried as Twelve felt. “I think,” he said, “that we really don’t want to meet one of those.”

Chapter

Twenty-Eight

“What are you doing?” Foxpaw cried high above them, his voice raw. “I can see you have arrows. Please just do it. Right through the heart. It would be a mercy.”

Twelve exchanged another glance with Six, who was suddenly looking purposeful. She knew what he was going to suggest before the words left his lips.

“Look,” he said, pointing up. “That branch is lower than the others. I could fire an arrow with a line attached over it easily.”

“You want to climb up there and cut him loose,” Twelve said. It wasn’t a question.

“Absolutely not,” Dog snapped, trying his best to herd them away from the web.

Six stood his ground and nodded. “I can’t just kill him. But we can’t leave him either. ‘I will never lower my weapons in the face of darkness,’ remember?”

The words of the Hunter’s Pledge usually seemed pompous to Twelve, but somehow, from Six’s mouth, they sounded right.

Dog half sighed, half growled. “Of course. The Pledge.”