I let Wren’s pack thump down softly next to me as I settled across from the other two. Breck had a large bruise blossoming above her right eye and down across her cheek bone. I wouldn’t be surprised if it turned into a black eye, too. She also had a variety of small cuts that I could see, but she didn’t act like she even noticed them. Fern’s right forearm had a bandage tied around it and she had a few smaller cuts that I could see, but overall none of us were terribly injured. Even if my fingers itched to double check the wound under her wrapping, I couldn’t do any more than she had already done.

They had an extra spear laying behind them along with two knives. So, I wasn’t the only one who had taken time to recover resources.

Fern nodded at where Chirp had fluttered down onto Wren’s pack. “I’m glad you were able to recover more. I wasn’t sure if anyone else had taken to the shadows and we didn’t have long before the bird insisted on taking us to the festerlings’ hatching ground.”

A handful of questions pressed at me, but rather than waste time with the ones she had partially answered I asked the most pressing one. “Are they close?”

Breck tilted her head to indicate the area behind her. “There’s three more low hills that way. The spiders are in a large tree on the edge of a creek after that.”

I stilled. That wasn’t far as things went. If I had somehow lost track of the arrows I could have been stumbling in the creatures’ base now and been overrun.

Fern continued Breck’s explanation, “The others are being guarded at the tree’s base. We…” she trailed off before rallying, “There’s also a family being held with them. Two adults, two children.”

My stomach sank. It’d be difficult enough to rescue our own group members without the addition of four more hostages. If they were all knocked out by the…festerlings’ spit then we wouldn’t have nearly enough hands to fight the monsters and drag away the prisoners. The more ruthless side of me insisted that we just leave the unknown group to fend for themselves. The rest of me didn’t like the idea of abandoning the family, especially if they were right next to Wren and Juniper and the others.

“Did you see Nii and Ulo? How many spider creatures?”

Fern gave me an assessing look as I took control of the conversation again, but she answered the questions. “They were there with the rest. We could count ten, but festerlings are difficult to spot in the forest, especially at night. Best guess? There’s around twenty to thirty of them. That’s how many are said to normally be in a clutch.”

Twenty or thirty of the creatures. Against three of us—and they were a lot harder to hurt. I felt my face settle into the same grim expression they were already wearing. It wasn’t winnable odds. If we could set fire—

But no. None of us had the ability and, even if we did, the idea would be more than idiotic with all of the goddess’s trees around. She had condemned an entire region just for one tree being harmed; I didn’t want to know what the punishment would be for possibly starting a forest fire.

I focused on Fern. She knew more than she had said so far. “What else do you know about them?”

The Sapling pressed her lips together before relenting after a few moments. “This is Beastwatcher business, but they must have missed the clutch on their last pass through or the Mad Spinner dropped it after they were gone. Festerlings are her work. Have you heard of the Spinner's Mark?”

I just gave her a flat look and waited for her to get on with it. Of course, I knew what all the Named blessings were called. I had gone over that scroll in the nested library more than once to learn the ones that hadn’t been forced into my memory during my childhood training.

Breck also kept silent and gave a flick of her head to let Fern know she should keep going.

Fern nodded back at us and continued, “I don’t know the full story, but the goddess warped the Spinner’s blessing. That’s why they have those crystallized wounds. They grow and the flesh underneath festers until it kills them. The Spinner can’t make them whole anymore.”

“Why don’t they fight to kill?” Breck this time.

“They were made to help subdue difficult tribes, defend the border, but not infringe on the goddess’s right. If we were animals they wouldn’t care, I think, but they still follow that basic rule for people even though the Mad Spinner can’t control them anymore, not like she could before her blessing was warped.” Fern’s expression became grimmer. “Now their captives die from dehydration or starvation because there’s no one they won’t attack when we try to take them back, unless the Beastwatchers kill the clutch.”

My voice was dry as I asked my question. “And the Mad Spinner is allowed to roam around despite all of that?”

Fern’s voice grew tight. “The goddess served Her punishment, so she’s beneath Her notice now. She’s no longer recognized as a whisper woman, but no one can overrule the goddess’s judgment. So the Beastwatchers held her, since she had been one of them, but she broke free and has been difficult to catch.”

That didn’t exactly inspire much confidence in that sect of the whisper women. I held in a sigh. “Do you know the festerlings’ weaknesses? I don’t think they can see because they don’t have eyes, but they still were pretty accurate when they attacked us last night.”

Breck shrugged a shoulder. “If they’re anything like the spiders in Haggler’s Cliffs, then they can sense vibrations or heat.” She paused before adding, “Or both.”

Fern nodded again. “Both, but I think they have a more limited range on sensing heat. And you have to strike at them on the joints or in the mouth or wounds if you want to have any effect, like I said before. Their spit works fast, but it’s only effective if it touches skin.”

I surveyed our little group, trying to think through the possibilities of how we could fight them or slip the others away underneath the creatures’ notice. “Can you make a rough map of their base?”

Breck set to work using the space between us and the twigs and leaves around us. It would be better if I could see the area with my own eyes, but I didn’t want to risk drawing the festerlings’ attention when they had already surveyed the area.

Fern frowned at me. “I’ve already sent word now that we know where the hatching grounds are. This isn’t something we can handle, especially not just with the three of us.” Chirp twittered irritably and she ignored him. “A hunter squad will be sent as soon as one can be spared.”

“And how long will that be?”

She drew back slightly at the pure ire in my tone before answering, “A day or two at most.”

Breck snorted. “Slow.”

Fern drew herself up. “They know the festerlings won’t kill them outright. There are higher priorities that can’t wait.”

A day or two, possibly more, lost and with little hope of our deadline to find the Rookery adjusted as well. My gaze met Breck’s before she went back to finishing up her makeshift map.

We weren’t going to just idle away the time here waiting for the whisper women to show up. Not if there was a chance we could take care of the problem sooner. Not when Wren and Juniper…and Nii, Ulo, the men, and the family were all being drugged senseless on monster spit.

Breck started pointing out the general lay of the land to me. The main, large tree by the creek’s bank, the way the creek had carved some of the ground free from around the tree’s roots, the various other smaller trees and bushes around. I got out my scenario practice stones and started to work through different options.

Perhaps we couldn’t take on all the festerlings in a frontal assault, but that didn’t mean we were completely useless. Rawley hadn’t taught me traps and poisons and repeated ‘everything is a resource’ more times than I could count for no reason. Breck had her weapon and hunting skills honed through what seemed like a whole childhood’s worth of experience. The festerlings’ senses would make things more difficult but we could still sneak around, make preparations.

If Fern deigned to help us, she had all of the goddess’s boons and more control with shadow walking. I didn’t know much about her other skills, but she was in her fifth year at the Seedling Palace. That had to translate into at least a decent amount of skill and experience.

I glanced to the side where Chirp was hopping on Wren’s pack. Perhaps the little glutton could be of use too.

I smiled, just a little, as a plan started to form in my mind. It might not be the safest or easiest course of action, but I didn’t think I could sit in this little clump of bushes for the next two days and not do something more reckless. The spider creatures needed to be taken care of and it didn’t sit well to wait for a random group of whisper women to come rescue us.

I was a Sprout now. I had made it through Flickermark. I had fought sea monsters on the shore. I could take care of a couple dozen wooden spiders. Not in a fair fight, but I could do it.

Besides, they needed to be paid back for the cloudy, sickening terror I felt after I was poisoned with their spit. No one and nothing got away with messing with my mind without my permission.

Breck sat back from the map, watching me. “Got an idea?”

I tilted my head to the side. “What do you think about rescuing Wren, Nii, and the healer while I distract the monsters?”

She shrugged. “Can you do it?”

My smile turned a bit sardonic. “I won’t die and I’ll do my best not to get caught.” I shifted my gaze over to Fern. “It’ll be easier if I can travel through the shadows.”

She crossed her arms. “This is an unnecessary risk.”

“You said arriving at the Rookery without the whole group reflects badly on our performance. I assume getting rescued by a hunter squad reflects badly too?”

Her jaw clenched. “This is beyond the scope of the test and your skill.”

“Only one way to find out.”

She didn’t respond, but I thought if I kept pressing her, little by little, she’d give in. If only so she didn’t have to feel guilty about being the only one to do nothing when the team she was supposed to be watching over was nearly all captured.

So I told them the details of the plan before I slipped out of the bushes to quietly go collect some of the bloated graspers I had seen on my way through the woodland.