Luna nodded slowly then looked up thoughtfully.
“Oh, well, I’m not sure what others eat to be honest, but Falla and I love tree sap, and sweet bugs are sweet too, oh I love those so much. And then sometimes we find a nest of spring beetles, I could munch on those all day,” she said with a giddy smile while drooling a little. Emily stared at her with a disturbed expression as the butterfly girl wiped her mouth and looked back to the child with a curious smile.
“Bugs? You and your sister eat bugs?” Emily asked.
“Yes we do, and sap from trees is good too. Though I think my favorite is the dew from honey blossoms, but it’s been so long since we found a field with those in it,” Luna said with a saddened smile as she thought about it. Emily looked towards the girl with curiosity then showed a disgusted expression.
“Falla’s not bringing me back bugs to eat is she? Humans don’t eat bugs,” she asked nervously. Luna looked at her curiously then up in thought.
“Hmm, well if humans don’t eat those, then I don’t think she’ll bring those back for you to eat since you won’t eat them. What about tree sap, do humans eat that?” she asked.
“Um, not exactly,” Emily said with a weak expression. Luna nodded then looked around carefully.
“Hm, maybe I should try to find that deer Falla saw, humans eat deer, I’m sure of that,” she said curiously. Emily looked at her with a worried expression then down while feeling her stomach rumbling.
“Well, I’m sure Falla will find something… I hope,” she said softly.
“Don’t worry, she said she was going to find food for you, she’ll find something,” Luna reassured hopefully. Emily looked around then back towards Luna with concern.
“But what if she runs into trouble, or if those man-eaters find her, is she going to be ok on her own?” she asked nervously. Luna nodded and held the girl gently by the shoulders.
“She’ll be fine, Emily. We’re giant butterflies, if we even sense there’s danger or trouble coming we can fly away, remember?” she reminded gently as she held her close.
Before the child could say anything there was a rustle from a nearby bush, with a bolas being thrown from the thicket towards the two girls in a sharp spin. Luna looked over with surprise to see the rope and three round rocks flying towards them before the throwing trap hit against her, with the rocks quickly spinning around the two girls and binding them together. Emily and Luna screamed as they dropped down onto their sides, both of them struggling to move as the rope held them tightly together.
“What’s happening?” Emily cried out.
“Danger is coming, and I can’t fly away!” Luna whined loudly as she kept trying to move her arms, her wings having been tied behind her in an uncomfortable fold. The girls struggled about then looked towards the sounds of growling coming from the nearby bushes, with Emily whimpering and trying to move still while Luna held her close with a fearful expression.
“Luna…” Emily said nervously.
“It’s going to be ok, it’s going to be ok, Emily,” Luna tried to reassure with a shaky tone. She watched as a figure came out from the bushes, her eyes widening at the sight as she held Emily close.
“I promise, I won’t let you go.”
*****
Elsewhere in the outerlands Daniel’s group had come to a stop along the trail, with Lucky calmly eating some large grass near him as he was still hitched to the caravan. Standing close to the ride Specca was looking from Daniel’s monster guide in her hands to something in front of her with a cautious expression, the nixie going back and forth between the two as she kept turning the pages to find something in particular in the book. Next to her Alyssa was watching something in front of them with a careful eye while holding her staff in her hands, glancing to Specca then back ahead as she kept on guard from something.
“Well?” the witch asked impatiently.
“I’m
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