She’d set a half-dozen snares already, simple kinds involving slipknot nooses made from thin but strong vines she’d found dangling from a certain kind of tree that grew naturally in this part of the forest. If anything bigger than her fist happened to wander through them, the vines would catch on their legs and tighten the more they struggled to free themselves. She’d also built a couple of deadfall traps using the heaviest stones she was able to lift on her own, propping them up with a series of sticks that, when bumped, would collapse, bringing the roof down. The stones wouldn’t kill anything bigger than a medium-sized rabbit, but at least she hadn’t crushed any of her own toes on the several attempts that had failed. If she’d found a sufficiently deep body of water, she might’ve attempted a drowning trap, but all she’d located so far was one shallow creek cutting a meandering path through the forest.

For each trap, she placed a bit of bait: nuts and acorns she’d plucked from the ground, or various berries she’d come across as she worked. With any luck, one of the traps would reward them. Her work done, she crouched next to Gruff’s sleeping form and said, “Oi.” When he didn’t immediately awaken, she flicked his ear.

“Whozit? Whatzit? Ur?” he said, sitting up quickly, eyes flashing about him before settling on her. “Did you just flick me ear?”

“Mebbe. Ye were fast asleep.”

“Did you think maybe there was a reason for that? I was tired.”

“Well the traps are set an’ I’m hungry.” She’d been hungry for a while now, the ravenous beast inside her stomach gnawing away while she pretended it wasn’t there.

“So go eat, see if I care.” He yawned, stretched, and closed his eyes as he settled back down.

So she flicked his ear again. He came up spluttering, face as a red as a sunburn. “Do that again and I swear to the Mountain I’ll put you in one of your own traps.”

“Ye cain’t stay ’ere. Ye’ll scare away all the game.”

“Do you think they’ll care about me snorin’ away? They’ll probably sit on me chest and enjoy the rise and fall of me lungs.”

“We made a deal. I kept up my end o’ the bargin. Now if ye want to actually catch anythin’, let’s go.” She stood and offered him a hand.

His beard moved as he chewed on his lip, but then he grabbed her hand and allowed her to pull him up. “Narcissi’s Breath, ye must weigh fifteen stones! Where do ye put all that weight in that small body o’ yers?”

“Very funny. Dwarves have dense bones. Cut us open and you’ll find iron.”

“I’ll try that sum time.”

“Ha. Did you ever consider a career as an entertainer?”

“Did ye? All ye’d hafta do is show up lookin’ all grumpy, say a few curse words—I could teach ye sum—an’ ye’d draw crowds all over Finfalla.”