"Isn't this where we started out?" Eranae asked, stretching her neck to look above.
"Your observation skills are pretty good," Pearl said. He was squatting down, touching the ground with closed eyes.
"Really?" Eranae tried not to blush, "I thought it looked very similar to where we started."
Pearl rose up, opening his eyes. He looked around to check for signs. Claw marks on the upper bark of trees, strands of hair stuck to twigs, earth distorted with paw prints, they were all signs of its presence. They were necessary to make sure that the lifesong Pearl had sensed wasn't astray.
He walked back to Era, holding out his hand for parchment and charcoal. Era removed the required items from her belt satchel and handed them to Pearl. He held the parchment with his left hand and scribbled in it thoughtfully.
"We are going to do this the quick way," Pearl said, as he continued scribbling.
"Which is?" Era asked obliviously.
"Here, look at this," Pearl showed her the parchment which had a rough map drawn on it with several cross marks scratched over it, "This is the beast's territory, and this is the trail it left behind yesterday."
"It prowled that close to the village!" Era gasped, "That's too bold for a wild animal."
"Yes, but look here." Pearl pointed at a mark beside what represented the stream in the map, "It also visited our campsite, not the stream but our campsite specifically."
"You think it can sense us?" Era asked, not sure whether to be worried or indifferent.
"I hope it can, or our aura at least." Pearl replied, "I have a plan in mind. My mother told me about it being used when a similar beast entered our village's grounds."
Eranae nodded, "How can I help?"
"You will find out soon enough," He told her, as he began walking in the direction of the first cross mark, "Follow me."
Reaching the point, Pearl began setting up a trap while Era brought him the materials he needed to build it. It took them a good while to finish since the trap was designed for a beast that was as large as a polar bear.
Finishing it, Pearl walked them to another point of the trail. This one was a bit far from the first point. There, Pearl began setting up a different kind of trap. It took a little less time to finish than the first one. After that, the two went to another cross marked point and started setting up a third kind of trap.
Era didn't ask much, since Pearl had already started looking fatigued by the work.
"We are halfway through." He sighed, finishing the third trap.
"Halfway?!" Era grunted with irritation, "How many more are you going to make?"
"Just enough for the plan to work, or to at least get proper results," Pearl answered, "And why are you so worked up about it? You don't even look tired."
"But you do!" Era reminded, "At least take a break."
"Alright, alright, Mum." Pearl raised his hands in surrender, "A small break cannot hurt, I guess."
And rest he did take, just for a while though. Then, they went back to work. Pearl set up the same three types of traps again but this time in a different order. Era was confused but didn't say anything to Pearl because he tended to have better explanations if they were not prompted out of him.
They finished the last trap, which was a replication of the second type of trap, just a little while before the sun set. After that they returned to Nanarin to spend the night.
"So, Eranae, do you know what exactly is a Terash-Eratan?" Pearl asked as he lay down on his sleeping cot, curled up into the woolen blanket.
The cabin they were given by the Alderwoman had a single room with a fireplace and two sleeping cots. Eranae's sleeping cot was on the other side of the fireplace, opposite to Pearl's. She, as usual, was trimming the unruly bits of hair that had gotten too long. Era, unlike Pearl, preferred keeping her hair to shoulder length which was long enough for her to tie an honor knot.
"Isn't it some kind of ursine creature?" Era guessed, "The traps we set up were suited for bears."
"Well you aren't wrong, but Terash-Eratan is more like a canine beast." Pearl told, "You would know it was Night Warg in your stories, since it's nocturnal and all."
"Night Wargs!" Rel yelled out of nowhere, "Filthy pests! They really get on my nerves."
"You don't even have nerves," Era reminded but said the words out loud.
"What?" Pearl asked, confused.
"Sorry, it's just Relkanar'idelan," Era informed, "She revealed that she isn't particularly fond of night wargs."
"Oh," Pearl nodded, "Can you ask her why has she been so awfully quiet as of late?"
But then Pearl jerked up, turning his head to the side as if he were listening to someone. He did that whenever talking to Rel. He nodded and mouthed the work 'okay'.
"She is saving up her energy for something more worthwhile," Pearl interpreted, answering his own query.
"And I think we should too." Era added, "Good night."
"Yeah," Pearl pulled up the blanket over his face, "Good night."
The next morning, Era woke up earlier than Pearl who didn't make her wait for too long. Once the two were up and ready, they set out to inspect the traps they had laid on the trail. The spirits of fortune had favored them.
All the traps had been triggered but only one of every kind had been destroyed. This meant that after being trapped in one, the beast destroyed it and seeked the other one of that kind to activate it. This was the sentience Pearl had talked about.
"It seems your plan worked, I think." Era told Pearl, "What do we do know?"
"Now, we should get some hunters from the village." Pearl told, "The next part of the plan might require extra hands and some folk to act as distractions."