Slug sensing

Sorin looked over casually and raised one eyebrow as Nissa sniffed tentatively at the dry soil. Unsatisfied, she moved an arm s length to the right and sniffed the ground again. She moved six more times before she found what she was looking for: a small hole in the dirt. A small patch of bright green lichen grew in a spiral pattern above the tiny hole, Sorin noticed. Even Smara watched Nissa quietly.

Then the elf began digging. She dug with her hand, carefully piling the sandy dust next to the rock as she worked. After a good time at it, Nissa began to hum. The hole deepened. It was not morning anymore when Nissa began to heave. She pulled three times before looking over at Sorin and Anowon. They approached the hole.

"It's soft, so you have to grip hard", Nissa said.

"What little gift have you found here in the loam?" Sorin said, glancing over at Smara as he bent and took a handful of what felt like a wine skin filled with jelly. It had not rained in weeks, yet the soil was damp at the bottom of the hole.

Smara cocked her head at Sorin. She gave no indication she had understood his taunt.

"Now pull", Nissa said.

It took six heaves before it came free. A large, bright red blob of material popped out of the hole.

Sorin jumped back despite himself. Anowon bent for a closer look.

"A grit slug", Nissa said. She collected dead limbs from the low and gnarled evergreen shrubs clinging to the cracks between the rocks, and built a small fire.

"What will you do with that?" Sorin said of the fire.

"Cook the slug", Nissa said.

***

In the Teeth of Akoum, Chapter 9