Peek: Lost and Found

She is trapped.

She is not sure how that happened, but she is still trapped without comprehending how. Perhaps this is why most of the denizens sent on expedition are able to fly, or to tunnel like the rockslides and wyrms. But they are not the only denizens sent on expedition.

'Preemptive target acquisition' is a complex concept, but one the orb weaver spider can understand, even if she is not the best suited for it: go out and find invaders before they even enter the territory of the dungeon. There are much more proactive spiders, but she is no scion, able to understand the complexities of what the dungeon wants and needs.

She is told to go out and hunt invaders, so out and hunting she goes. She found a large dark area under one of the delver dwellings, full of dust and bottles. The delvers rarely come here, which could make it a place for invaders to coalesce. But investigating showed that, though the dust is thick, it's still too close to the delvers to stagnate. She tried to leave, only to discover the small opening was now covered with glass.

She knows what windows are, but she doesn't know how to open one. What does she do now? With few ideas coming, she explores, trying to find some other exit. She finds a possibility, but she also finds she's not alone. The small hole is large enough for her, but it is occupied by mice. At first, she wonders if she found some stagnation after all, but these mice seem to be mundane.

Her instincts tell her she could slay them and bring back some mana anyway, but she easily ignores them. The dungeon has made it clear: only kill invaders. The mice are not invaders, so she will not attack them. She's still uncertain how to get out.

With no other options, she weaves a web not far from the hole, making herself comfortable as she waits. Perhaps the mice will leave, clearing the hole and letting her find an escape. So she sits in her new web, watching the hole.

It appears she's not the only one interested in the hole, as a delver soon comes down the stairs into the cellar. She may have been able to make a break for the door, but going out among delvers is risky when on expedition. Better to wait.

She watches the delver, slowly piecing together information on it. It seems small, though she is uncertain if that's because it's young or if it's one of the smaller kinds of delvers. It sprinkles some seeds and nuts by the hole and steps back, controlling its breathing as it prepares a stick. Ah, it hunts. Denizens are not the only prey of the delver, and she watches with interest to see how this one works.

This one is patient. It stands still, still enough to be easily overlooked. The scent of delver is noticeable, but in a delver's home, the scent is also everywhere. The mice can also smell the food, and cautiously peer out, noses wriggling, ears twitching, eyes searching to see if the coast is clear.

Cautiously, they venture forth, the allure of food drawing them to their doom. Once they lower their guard, focusing on the food, the delver strikes. The stick flashes, ending the mice in swift blows, but not all the mice are easily set upon. The delver swats at one from the side, instead of smashing down, and sends it flying... right into her web.

The mouse is stunned from the blow, and as the delver searches for its prey, it too is stunned to see her in her web, uncertain what to do. The delver wants the mice dead, but she isn't supposed to kill them, right?

The delver squints at her and rubs its beard in thought. "You're one of Thediem's, aren't you?"

She looks back at him, even as the mouse starts to wriggle and squeak, trying and failing to escape her web.

"Heh, is he so bored he's sending his critters out to deal with mice? Nah, probably not. Well, if you want that one, you can have it. The customer wants the mice gone, and they don't care how it happens."

Does she want it? She turns her attention to the mouse, now hopelessly entangled. If it is doomed, why not earn some mana? The delver doesn't seem to object to it, either. She makes up her mind and bites, the mouse's squeaking quickly fading as her venom does its job.

The delver nods. "Maybe I'll swat a few more your way, hmm? This is looking like a pretty severe infestation, so I wouldn't mind some help."

She simply kicks the rodent from her web, letting the delver gather all the bodies and stash them in a sack, well away from the hole. True to his word, as more mice come out, the ones that try to escape get smacked into her web, and this time she has no hesitation in dealing with them.

It feels... right. It's only after the taming bar fills that she realizes why. Thoughts she never had the capacity for tumble through her mind. She will miss the dungeon. She likes being able to think more deeply. She doesn't mind the taste of mouse. She hopes Teemo doesn't figure out she's wondering what he tastes like now.

And she likes the delver... the dwarf, she now recognizes. They make a good team. She doesn't know if he does anything but hunt mice, but even that wouldn't be so bad.

"Hmm? Wha- oh. I should've figured." He chuckles and shakes his head at himself. "I've heard of people taming Thedeim's critters, but I never thought I'd manage it. Well, come on then. I think this is all we're getting for today. I'll sprinkle a bit of poison for the stragglers and we can collect our pay."

She steps down from her web and makes her way to the bag, deciding to ride on it for now. She has a lot of things to think about, now she has the capacity to.

Like how to better handle mice.

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Inspired by Roger F Tueting, who wondered if any denizens on expedition ever get lost. They sometimes do, and sometimes they get found, too.