The irregular wave continued to rise until it was halfway as tall as the cliff we stood on. For the most part it crashed uselessly against the cliff face though the force of it did shift some of the cave entrance rubble around. That wasn’t nearly as daunting as the creature that had formed the wave.

It rose out of the water like a battering ram. Bulbous head protected by three wide layers of pale pink crest. It looked to be made out of some sort of stone but that was impossible. Bone? More pale pink ridges protected the snake-like beast’s body. It didn’t look like it should be able to bend with those harsh ridges or swim smoothly with its sheer size, but the monster slithered quickly forward through the water despite that.

It was headed right for the demolished cave entrance. For us.

I gripped my spear tighter. Glanced at Mishtaw. Run or fight?

She was making the same calculations I was. No cover here to hide behind, no chance of a surprise attack. We might have the upper ground but we didn’t have the reach and power to bust through the protective ridges, not at a distance and, most likely, not up close. Up close meant being on the rock pile with bad footing and maneuverability and a high chance of slipping into the water where the creature had the advantage.

Our mission was the caves. But our main plan hadn’t been entirely successful and now we had little time to enact a new one. Two whisper women and three seedlings against—

“Get away!” Mishtaw’s yell cut through my thoughts.

We were right next to the edge. She started to sprint as she yelled, headed away from both the cave system and the cliff face. I scrambled to follow after her and saw the others do the same out of the corner of my eye.

They all had the advantage of long legs. Even Juniper was faster than me and she was younger by a year.

A grating crash came from behind me as the creature slammed head first into the pile of rubble we created. Smaller splashes and thunks followed as the rocks were thrown further into the cave and into the air around us. I dodged out of the way of one the size of my head. It left a groove in the ground by my feet.

A second large slam. The ground shuddered and I had to catch my footing as I felt something give. More large splashes and I risked a glance back. More of the cave’s ceiling had crumbled—most likely the creature’s doing.

Had that been the plan all along or had the Lady Blue thrown subtly and caution aside in favor of spitting in the goddess’s eye as soon as we blocked her wind stream?

It really wasn’t fair that such a strong, giant creature could fit in the gap in the cliff that the broken cave entrance made.

We kept running and the ground kept shuddering as the sea creature thrashed and bashed its way further into the goddess’s territory. Other, random spots caved in as well, weakened by the water crashing through earlier and the continual aftershocks. Nor did I doubt that the fish hadn’t been hard at work weakening the cave system’s support if this was the way things were going now.

Hattie stumbled. Then Mishtaw stumbled and Hattie sank knee deep on her next step as the ground crumbled out from underneath them. They leapt for the level ground in front of them but couldn’t clear the distance without properly pushing against ground they no longer had. The slap of two people hitting water resounded out from below.

I immediately started to slow down and aim for the side of the new hole. Juniper and Idra tried to avoid going in as well but they weren’t lucky enough to have the same clearance I did. They had only been a few steps behind the whisper women.

Juniper let her feet slide out from under her and twisted. Trying to grip onto the ground to slow her momentum and stop her from disappearing down into the dark, but there was little to grip on the side of the hole other than snow. She went over the edge with a yelp.

Idra took the opposite tactic and ran faster at the hole, aiming to leap over a short distance to the ground that hadn’t crumbled on her right. She made the jump, but the ground couldn’t take her impact and collapsed beneath her feet. I heard the slap of her hitting the water.

I skidded to a halt a few feet away from the new hole. I didn’t have any desire to get any closer to the edge. Not with how fragile the ground had demonstrated itself to be. Backing up a few steps, I considered my options.

A rampaging sea creature and fallen, trapped squad members who were most likely hurt in some capacity. If the creature heard us, if it knew where we were, and it could fit down this cave branch it wouldn’t take the thing long to overwhelm them even with Idra’s shield. She could only maintain it for so long, especially under heavy attack.

I doubted it would help if I tried to join them in the tunnel and taking on the creature on my own would really test the limits of my ability not to die. Could I survive being bitten in half? Crushed against a stone wall?

My gut said yes but I didn’t exactly want to test what being “alive” in such a state was like. And I had no guarantee of full recovery.

I couldn’t speak on the winds to get help but the outpost wasn’t too far away. Hattie’s squad members were still there. If the winds had calmed down enough they might be able to do it. Had one of them had black lips? I couldn’t remember.

Still, I’d be more useful going to check than standing here. I ignored the urging of my healer’s training to see how badly they were hurt and left. Better to go and hurry back than give away their position with my voice echoing down the tunnel by trying to check in with them. Besides, checking on them would meaning crawling to the edge of the hole and risking another collapse.

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I sprinted.

My breath felt like it was cutting my side open and the cold air dried out my mouth and throat. It didn’t take long for my limbs to weigh me down and my face to pulse with heat. I wasn’t used to pushing myself like this. Sure, I had sprinted during the game of Hunter’s Quarry and when Fellen and I were fleeing from the bane pack, but I didn’t have a physical threat nipping at my heels this time.

I kept running anyways.

One of Hattie’s squad members was halfway inside the tent they rigged up, checking on the fire, while the other stood keeping watch. We caught sight of each other at the same time and, with her head no longer tucked down into her cloak and covered by its hood, I saw that her lips were black.

She called out to me. “Where are the others?”

I dragged in a deep breath. “Can you speak on the winds yet?”

Her long face tightened in a grimace as I stumbled to a stop in front of her. “No, they’re still too volatile for me. Though I welcome that the wind’s screaming has stopped.”

The other woman pulled back out of the tent and looked between us. “What’s happened?”

I filled them in as quick as I could. The pair quickly decided that Beet, the whisper woman, would travel through shadow and see if the squad members we had left behind in the forest had better luck or if they could join us. Most of the fog had been blown off in this area, but that was no guarantee that the released winds had done the same for the rest of the coastline. The pine tree shadows still weren’t as strong as I was used to them being which was why the pair had kept their tent and fire setup going.

I waited with her fire starter, checking over my supplies and weapons to fill the time. We didn’t talk. She had her own things to check over.

Beet returned a handful of minutes later with Melka following after. No one else appeared.

Beet explained, “The fog still isn’t fully cleared where they were though they felt the wind return. Eliss returned to camp to see if any help can be found there and the fire starters will hunker down.”

Melka was strapping on gloves with rock chips stitched over the knuckles. “Aye. I would have brought another along but the shadows aren't what they need to be today.” She adjusted the spear on her back and eyed me. “Where to?”

“This way.”

The fire starter stayed behind to make sure the fire stayed strong in case any more help tried to make it through while Beet and Melka followed at my back. I paced myself better this time, though I still tried to go as fast as I could without exhausting myself. I wouldn’t be much help in a fight if I couldn’t convince my legs to move.

It didn’t take long to return to the hole and I warned them about its fragile nature. Melka stayed back while Beet took off her shoes—which was confusing—and slipped up to the edge on her belly. I saw the reason why for her odd action a moment later when she reached a hand under the lip of the hole before following it with her other and flipping over the edge. There wasn’t the telltale splash of a body hitting water though I heard a voice hiss in surprise from down below. Not all dead or unconscious then. I felt a tightness in my shoulders that I hadn’t acknowledged lessen.

Melka gestured with her hands. “Her hands and feet can stick to a surface when she wishes it.”

My eyebrows rose. “To anything?”

Melka shrugged.

I didn’t press. More soft sounds from below. Movement and…voices? I glanced over to the main cave tunnel where the sea creature was still rampaging and causing the ground to shudder. It was awfully close to where I guessed the tunnel the others had fallen into connected up with the main tunnel. So far it had seemed to ignore us but if it heard…

Beet reappeared from the hole and came over to us. “Everyone’s alive. Hattie has a bad gash on her head where she got clipped by a falling stone but they wrapped it up. The others also have a few cuts and bruises but the water cushioned their short fall. I’d carry them up but I don’t think the ceiling would support two people.”

As if simply bandaging a head wound was all there was to it. She could still bleed out if they hadn’t put enough pressure on it and there was always the risk of infection.

I glared up at Beet. “If it was just the wall you think you could get them up?”

“It should support us.”

“How much ceiling is left?”

She frowned. “Three feet on this side, maybe two on the other.”

I was really tired of falling.

But having her pull them out was a much better plan than trying to sneak around the sea creature to see if the rumble from the cave entrance was still piled up enough to get them out or wandering around looking for some other unknown exit.

I walked around to the other side of the hole and snapped out softly, “Watch out.”

I waited to hear signs of people moving out of the way but from what I could tell they were already gathered against the opposite edge. Then I did what Fellen had idiotically had done on the stone bridge and jumped.

The ground didn’t budge.

I stomped and jumped and stumbled a little as another shudder rippled out from the sea creature’s activities. Beet and Melka watched me like I had gone insane until I gave up and pointed at the ground beneath my feet. “This side seems pretty sturdy.”

Understanding dawned on their faces and Beet came over and tested it with her own weight. It held. She climbed down and started bringing the fallen up. The other seedlings first since they were lighter and wouldn’t strain the way up as much and then Mishtaw and Hattie.

They all looked the worse for wear, waterlogged with small cuts and bruises from the stones that had fallen with them or that had lay hidden under the water. Hattie was definitely the worst off. She was having a hard time focusing her gaze and when I checked her head wound it was still bleeding. I got weird looks for that, but only fear of the goddess’s wrath kept me from pulling out the healing herbs I had stolen. I didn’t think she was in danger of dying, but she wouldn’t be much help in a fight and she’d have a scar if the cut wasn’t tended to properly.

Mishtaw looked torn and tired as she switched her attention between the other squad leader and the sea creature. After a long moment she focused on Melka and Beet. “Can either of you take her through the paths?”

Melka shook her head. “Not as they are. Nor has contact been made with camp yet.”

She didn’t say what we were all thinking: no one could imagine the camp falling, not with the root wall surrounding it, but given the way the day was going we couldn’t deny the possibility of it at least being under attack and dangerous.

Mishtaw nodded. “One of you should take her back to the outpost then.”

Melka considered her. “And you?”

Mishtaw eyed the sea creature. “I had thought to get more reinforcements before facing that thing, but they seem to be sorely lacking, and if it reaches the forest…”

If it reached the forest we might be dead anyways. The goddess had condemned a region for one pine tree getting burned down and I doubted that the thick headed sea creature would contain itself to just one if it got that far in its mission to open up the cave tunnels. If multiple trees were brought low…I shuddered.

We needed to stop it.

The trouble was figuring out how.