The Inn of Coming Wealth - 36

They stopped before the bounty board and were silent for a long time. Several new marks had already appeared on the board: one was a silver pollen print from the Spirit Bee tribe; another was a dark brown claw mark left by the beast that stayed to guard the night after being injured; and a third, a very fine, pale gold scratch, like a thin thread blown into the wood by the wind—this was left by Asu's fingertip, with no words, only a signal: this place can be entrusted. The tiger-tribe woman reached out, stopping a few inches from the board, not touching it, as if waiting for something. The bark of the board trembled slightly, and then a line of text appeared: "The Queen Bee of the Spirit Bee tribe lost her way in the night mist three days ago. The last perceived coordinates are in the barren land three hills north of Black Wind Valley. If any life can bring the Queen Bee back safely, the Spirit Bee tribe will offer the first spring nectar as a reward." After reading, the tiger-tribe woman asked no further questions, merely glancing at the dragon-tribe man beside her. "Three hills beyond," she said. "Are your wings still up for it?" The dragon-tribe man shifted his shoulders slightly, as if he hadn't stretched them in too long. "They are." The tiger-tribe woman stood before the board for a moment, then reached out and left her mark below it—a shallow claw print, with neat edges and even force. The board accepted it, like catching a falling leaf.