Dragging the fresh corpse of a howlbeast behind him, Kursha trudged through the snow back to his hive. After a full night of tracking, he had finally caught up with one of the pesky beasts and put an end to it. The others had gotten away, but no matter. If he had yet not struck fear into them already, by the time he finished making an example of his this one they would not dare to come within ten miles of his hive. Still, it was slow going. The beast was nearly as big as he was, and after hauling it for several miles, he was exhausted. He would have to put aside the rest of the work for tomorrow.
When the silhouette of his hive appeared against the rocky mountainside, it came as a huge relief. He increased his pace, eager to be out of the cold and relax. He was not in so much of a hurry to cross directly to it however. Skirting around to the east, Kursha approached his hive from the side to avoid the mine field. It had been too long since he had planted the explosives, and he had no idea where they were or if they were still active. It seemed wiser not to tempt fate.
He had opened the gate and was just about to pass through into the courtyard when something made him pause. On the ground there was a small, barely noticeable spatter of yellow in the snow. Someone had come visiting. Suddenly cautious, Kursha peered around the courtyard. It was as barren and dreary as it ever was. He pulled the dead howlbeast inside and closed the door as quietly.
As he made his way across the courtyard, he spotted a few more traces of blood. Gold. A lot like...
“Eli-bug?” Kursha called, entering the main hall. Inside it was dark and quiet.
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