The woman who emerged from one of the back rooms was smaller than most aranae and had some of the most human-like features of anyone I’d seen since we left the orphanage. She still had the bottom half of a spider, but she was no more than five foot eight and her torso was more human than any other sub-species of aranae.

  The mask of humanity somewhat slipped with her chin and mouth. Two sharp plates of chitin that ended in points below her jaw covered some of her face, like a pseudo-mandible. The woman lacked any kind of visible nose, while three pairs of mono-color green eyes dominated the vast majority of her face.

  Looming behind the woman was a pair of the large tailed aranae, both of whom had multiple tails and sported carapace thicker than I’d seen on any other. Both women were so large that they had to angle their spider frames slightly to even slip through the door frame.

  Maggie was the first of us to move as the spiress entered and stood to make a shallow bow. She’d told us some of the proper protocol for meeting with a member of the aranae elite and we followed her example, although with varying levels of success. Ellen had the best, most formal bow while Nora’s was too deep and slightly crocked compared to Maggie’s.

  “I am pleased to meet you all. Sit, we have much to discuss.” Spiress Virtanen said.

  The Spiress’ Trade Tongue was much better than I’d heard, although she still possessed a faint trace of the choking sound every other aranae I’d heard had.

  I watched with curiosity as the spiress matched her own instructions and positioned herself above the finely decorated curule. She didn’t do anything we speculated she might, however. Her legs curled up on themselves like a dying spider’s and latched onto the bottom of the chair in specialized holes I only now realized were part of the geometric design.

  “Let’s begin. As you may know, I am Sylvi of clan Virtanen. Survivor of the prime brood and potential heir to the Sapphire Heart. You may call me spiress or Sylvi.”

  None of us gave a reaction to her titles. Sure, it was easy to gather from context that they were impressive, but none of us knew enough about aranae politics to get why the titles mattered. Something passed through the gaze of the spiress. Her features were too alien for me to read and the emotion passed fast enough I almost could have imagined it.

  “As you are no doubt aware, the four of you have been marketed as a premier defensive force. Ideally suited to holding contested locations. Which is exactly what I intend for you all to be doing during the three weeks I own your services.”

  That was news to me, and not at all how I thought they’d pitch us. With Nora’s ability to obscure line of sight and attack from all directions, plus Mika’s ability to scan a battlefield combined with Ellen and I’s combat style and they’d market us as ambushers or a skirmishing force. Yet Arnhild must have come to a different conclusion because she’d marketed us as almost the exact opposite.

  “In line with that. I have a border fort in need of reinforcement where you all would make excellent additions.”

  That sparked a few questions and I could see in the faces of the others they had a few of their own, though Nora beat us to the punch to be the first.

  “If I may ask a few questions, spiress?”

  “You may.”

  “My party and I would like to know what role we are expected to fill in the defense and the current situation of your fort.”

  The spiress peered at us for a long moment. With her monochromatic eyes, it was hard to tell where she was looking, but I had a feeling she had one set trained on each of us.

  “I suppose you have a right to know. You are slated to be entered under the direct command of my general as elite troops. As to the fortress you are being sent to, it is located at an important chokepoint on the front and the Mirthrun worms have marshalled their forces outside its walls for three weeks now. We expect them to launch the first assault within the week.”

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  “My thanks, spiress.” Nora said before she turned and looked to the rest of us.

  We’d talked about this on the carriage ride here and rather than override Nora as our face, we would whisper our questions in her ear.

  “Spiress, if we may, what are the troop counts for both sides?”

  “You need not worry about my troops. You have your duty as adventurers. A duty I paid heavily for.”

  “Of course, Sylvi.” Nora said conciliatory. “Speaking of duty, who is it we’ll be fighting?”

  “I am at war with the tribal deputy of the First Oracle tribe, a troglodyte if there ever was one. We have been at each other’s throats for years now.”

  “Spiress, a final question. Do you happen to have a map of the fort we will be defending?”

  “Certainly.”

  Looking behind herself the spiress waved a lazy hand to one of her guards who drove the butt of her spear into the floor in a short three beat rhythm. The sound must have been a code because the three-headed woman stepped from her place by the door, all three of her heads bowed low and her legs slightly bent.

  “Sanna, fetch the map of Cavern 238 B-1.”

  “Yes spiress.” Sanna said, lowering her bow until the connection point between her spider and human half touched the floor.

  Awkward silence filled the room, but luckily it took no longer than a minute and a half for Sanna to return with a large roll of parchment under her arm. The spiress rose as the woman entered in the same careful way she’d sat down; her legs slowly unhooking until they hit the floor. Without a word, she led us to the table on the right side of the space. With an imperious gestured she waved at the table before us for Sanna to put the scroll down.

  Sanna spread the map in the center of the table to reveal a detailed drawing of four connected caverns. The four split naturally into two sections, the first being a single massive cavern, and the second being three smaller caves connected to each other through a myriad of small tunnels. Connecting the two sections was a single large tunnel. In the tunnel was a drawing of a fort labeled Forward Fortification 2574.

  We spent a few minutes in near silence, each of us scanning the map for features to ask questions on. Besides the obvious chokepoints both between the two sections and between the smaller caverns, the map had portions where dense mazes of spikes existed, and just behind the fort leading into the larger cavern was a drawing of a switchback slope.

  At some point Mika drifted over to me and the two of us quietly discussed the various features on the map. I made note of the slope while he pointed out that connected to the larger cavern was a tiny one, no bigger than the size of my fingernail in scale. Nora and Ellen joined the conversation once they noticed the two of us talking and pointed out spots of interest they’d spotted. We also noted things that were left off the map, such as where the goblins camped.

  The four of us huddled over the map, our heads together, but out of the corner of my eye I noticed Maggie walking over to the spiress to talk. Subtly shifting my attention, I noticed how the guards, who had remained behind the spiress the entire time, reacted to Maggie’s approach and how the spiress waved them off without looking.

  By the time we finished pouring over the map, Maggie was back to where she’d originally stood, and Nora had all the questions we wanted to ask.

  “Are there any strategic resources within these caverns, spiress?” That had been Ellen’s question, and while it was a valuable one, I knew that should mercenaries have asked that of the forest, I would never answer it.

  For a while the spiress paused, and it seemed like she would not answer, but she surprised me.

  “Aside from the land itself, there is not. These caverns have been contested for centuries, and have long since been stripped barren.”

  I wondered whether to take the spiress on her word. She could be lying in order to keep us from thinking outside our duty as hired weapons. However, taking her at her word raised more questions. I understood the value of land, but barren land wasn’t worth a thing. What was the point of trying to hold these caverns?

  “Thank you, spiress. If I may ask, what side is under your control?” Nora continued.

  Again, the spiress, hesitated. An alien emotion passing through her many eyes.

  “I control cavern 238 B-1, the largest of the four.”

  I knew nothing concrete about fighting in caverns and wasn’t arrogant enough to think my knowledge of combat and warfare in the forests would perfectly transfer over. I knew enough, however, to understand having a wide open space to retreat through if required was always preferable to having to retreat along narrow corridors.

  “And this small offshoot cavern, is it also under your control?” Nora asked, pointing to the tiny cavern that clung onto 238 B-1 like a pimple.

  “It is. It was once a nest of maws, but they have long since been cleared.”

  “Are we currently using it for anything?” Nora inquired further.

  “It is where the livestock are held.” The spiress deadpanned, impatience seeping into her tightly controlled voice.

  “And this cluster of spikes here in goblin territory?”

  Nora noticed the spiress impatience and asked quicker than she had the others. The words bunched up against each other.

  “A pillar maze. It happens when the stalactites are allowed to grow too long unchecked.”

  “Our last question, spiress. Is whether the goblins have any important sites we should be aware of?”

  “The only features of notes are their camps here and here.” Sylvi said while pointing to spots within the same cavern. “And their muster point here.” She said with a finger pressed against the center point of the cavern that adjoined her own.

  “Thank you for answering our questions.” Nora said with a small bow of her head.

  “A small matter. You all must be tired. I will arrange for someone to take you to your quarters. It is my intention to leave for the front within the next ten hours.” The spiress’ tone made it seem like a question, but we all knew a dismissal when we heard one. Nora accepted it with grace, and Sanna was called to lead us away.

  With small bows, the five of us made to follow Sanna, but before we could leave the spiress’ chambers, she called out to us.

  “I will have my servants collect you nine hours from now. Be prepared to leave, for every minute you cause us to delay, I will dock your pay by a silver mark. Do I make myself clear?”

  There it was. The spiress had been patient and almost warm with us since we arrived, but I’d been around enough officers to recognize when a person expected obedience.

  “You have our word, spiress.” Nora replied, keeping her cool well.

  Maggie was a different matter. Once she heard our pay threatened, she turned around to glare at the spiress.

  Now truly dismissed, Sanna took us to our room, stopping when we were only a floor above the ground and leading us into the smallest version of the room I kept seeing again and again. As we all moved to get settled for the night, Sanna asked.

  “Is there anything you will need for the rest of this cycle?”

  None of us did, and we told the woman as much.

  “So be it. May you wake.” Sanna said as she slipped out of the room.