Tess Petalspindle's Arc

Chapter 2 of 3

Tess followed the mantis's directions through the undergrowth, the millipede's trade maps tucked safely in her memory. The moss beds sprawled ahead, thick and springy under her legs. Pink light filtered through the canopy above, turning everything soft and rosy. She reached the first moss bed and stopped. The shortcut wasn't marked on any chart she'd seen. If it really bypassed the rockfall, she needed to walk it herself, measure it, mark the landmarks. A real map required real knowledge, not secondhand directions. She stepped onto the moss, testing its give. Firm enough for most bugs. She'd note that. Movement caught her eye at the far edge of the moss bed. A pink stink bug emerged from between two fallen leaves, shell glossy in the filtered light. Tess had never seen this bug before. The stink bug froze when she spotted Tess, antennae twitching. "Didn't know anyone used this path," the stink bug said. Her voice carried an accent from somewhere beyond the eastern mountains. Tess's mind raced. A traveler who knew the moss beds well enough to use them as a route. Someone who'd crossed terrain Tess hadn't mapped yet. "I'm Tess Petalspindle. I guide trails here in Blush's Oasis." She moved closer, keeping her stance open. "You came through the moss beds from the east?" The stink bug nodded slowly. "Been using this shortcut for seasons. Faster than the main trail, especially now with those rocks blocking it." Tess felt her chest tighten with something between excitement and frustration. This bug had knowledge she needed. Knowledge that had been here all along while she'd been checking the same blocked paths. "I'm mapping the Oasis," Tess said. "Every trail, every shortcut. Would you show me where this path leads?" The stink bug's antennae relaxed. "Finally someone who cares about the quiet routes. Follow me." Tess marked the spot in her mind, adding the stink bug's name to her mental list of contacts. The map was growing, one meeting at a time.