Morning came too soon, and with it, the inevitable planning session. Leah sat cross-legged, furiously scribbling notes in the dirt while Titan stood guard nearby, as silent as ever. His massive frame was hard to miss, even if he was barely moving.
"So, what's the plan?" I asked, gnawing on a piece of dried meat. It was the last bit I had left from the food we'd brought, and my stomach was already planning a protest.
Leah didn't even look up. "Bait, fire, and fewer impulsive decisions on your part."
I gasped in mock offense. "Impulsive? Me? Never!"
Okay, maybe she had a point. Leah had seen me act impulsively more times than I liked to admit, usually when I was around the guys. But this time, I'd been more careful. I didn't want to end up hunted by Tink's wife or any of the other wives for dragging their husbands into a dangerous mission (￣ヮ￣;)
She shot me a glare that could've frozen the sun. "You're lucky Titan was there to drag us out. Next time, think before you dive headfirst into a squirrel-infested grove."
"Fine, fine," I muttered, waving her off. "But what's the bait? And don't say me."
Leah smirked. "It was my *first* thought."
I groaned. "What about food? Like, something better than their shiny fruit?"
Leah paused, considering. "Could work. But it needs to be irresistible to them, something they can't find here."
"Meat, maybe?" I offered. Who doesn't love meat? No animal hates it, right?
"Not just any meat," Leah replied, narrowing her eyes. "Cooked, seasoned, something that screams 'delicacy.' These are smart creatures. They'll know a trap if it's too obvious."
True, those little bastards had figured out who I was even after I'd changed so much. If I was going to use food, it needed to be foolproof. It had to make their little squirrel brains go wild. I wasn't about to be outwitted by some fluffy rodents.
"Great," I said, clapping my hands together. "I'll cook something so good, those squirrels won't know what hit them!" Maybe add a little poison to spice things up? Hehehe(*≧ω≦)ﾉ
Leah raised an eyebrow. "You? Cook?"
"Hey!" I protested, hands on my hips. "I'm a woman of many talents!"
Leah's skeptical look didn't exactly scream "believe in her," but I didn't care. Titan gave a barely perceptible nod from the side, and I took that as his way of agreeing with me. Thanks, Titan. You're the only one on my side ( ´¬`).
---
By noon, I had set up a makeshift stove and was furiously grilling skewers of spiced meat. The smell wafted through the camp, drawing curious glances from nearby wildlife.
We got the meat from Titan, who had hunted a couple of boars earlier, he was really proficient with it. I feel like he said it was for us to eat. Such a caring guy~
( ´ ▽ ` )
"This better work," Leah muttered, eyeing the sizzling meat. I could see the drool practically dripping from her mouth, but she wasn't going to admit it. My stomach was growling like a beast, but I kept it together.
"It will," I said confidently, though my stomach felt like it was hosting an earthquake. The hunger pangs were real. "If not, at least we get a good meal out of it."
Titan stood silently nearby, his watchful presence reassuring as always.
As the sun dipped lower, we approached the grove again, this time with our bait in tow.
"Remember," Leah whispered, looking serious now, though her drooling face kind of ruined the effect. "Don't engage unless absolutely necessary. Let the bait do its job."
I could see her hesitating to give it to me, she really wants to eat it, huh?
"Got it," I replied, gripping my sword tighter just in case things went south.
We placed the skewers in the clearing and retreated to the shadows, settling into our hiding spots. I could barely stand the tension, but Leah was calm, focused. She'd done this kind of thing before.
---
The first squirrel appeared within minutes, its nose twitching as it caught the scent of the meat. It hesitated, its sharp eyes scanning the area for danger, but then it couldn't resist. Slowly, it started inching closer.
Soon, more squirrels appeared, their fluffy tails flicking excitedly as they surrounded the bait. Oh, they were cute, alright, but they were also so damn clever. If only they weren't such resentful little creatures.
"Now?" I whispered, unable to hide my excitement. I'm terrible at waiting.
"Not yet," Leah replied, her voice barely audible. She wasn't moving a muscle, just waiting for the right moment.
We waited until the clearing was full of squirrels, each one practically drooling over the meat. Then, with a small nod from Leah, Titan stepped forward. And with that, the magic happened.
I couldn't believe my eyes as Titan released a burst of magic, his hands glowing with energy. The ground shook, and a massive barrier of shimmering light enveloped the squirrels, trapping them with the bait.
"Finally!" I said, stepping out of the shadows. No more waiting!
Leah smirked, crossing her arms. "Now we negotiate."
The squirrels, realizing they were trapped, turned their beady eyes toward us. Their leader—an especially large one with a scar across its face—chittered angrily, clearly not impressed. I'm calling him Scarface 2 from now on.
"Think they'll listen?" I asked, staring at the angry squirrels, whose tails were fluffed up in irritation.
Leah shrugged, not a hint of fear in her expression. "They don't have a choice."
And so, the negotiations began—with me glaring at Scarface 2 and Leah doing all the talking. I tried to look as tough as possible, but honestly, I was just trying not to laugh at how ridiculous this whole thing was.
Tomorrow? Another day at camp, and hopefully fewer squirrels.