Chapter 443
To my knowledge, every time in our brief history together with the ants and the royals had made themselves known, there’d been a pattern. The ants around the mouth of the hole that led downward started acting differently before we had any information. Then, after one of my people approached, it wouldn’t be long before they would have the ants touch on their mind. Given the communications we’d had before, I’d expected much the same thing when I finally engaged in talks with this qualified decisionmaker. That was, in fact, not what happened this time.
When the suns rose and the snow had long since melted on all but the tops of the highest peaks, the ants near the surface changed. No longer were the slightly different breed of ants we were asked to hunt present. Not at the entrance found in the middle of our city, nor in any direction for at least a half dozen miles in any direction. Instead, the large, dark ants of our nameless possible ally were all that could be seen, and whenever one of my people approached, the ant would snap its massive mandibles several times in a threat before backing themselves into the underground. When I myself approached, there was no difference, and I had no idea of what was happening.
Days passed like that, my hatchlings going without opportunities to hunt or to train on the enemy ants, and I forced myself to the mouth of the cave and shouted down for an answer. Nothing happened at first, though the slight noises of moving ants along with my [Tremorsense] reminded me that they surrounded the mouth of the burrow. Finally, the touch of a foreign mind made itself known in my mind, though it was the first time that one of the Royals showed any haste or frustration..
What is it?
The touch of the insect's mind was hurried and tense. “Is the person that I’m supposed to be talking to here? Or is there something happening that I should be concerned about?”
She has not arrived. A reception area has not yet been prepared. It will take time. Why are you bothering us?
Deciding to be honest, I answered, “My little ones have been training on your enemy ants. It would seem that your extermination of them nearby has been continuing apace at such a level that my young are unable to learn what they need to to survive.”
The young must learn, she agreed, but the young do not exist without the mother. There will be none of the usurpers found nearby. Find other subjects for their hunts.
As they so frequently were, the ant was entirely inflexible, and I didn’t want to continue to have to deal with her terse attitude. Instead, I nodded once and bid her farewell, as I turned to find out what to do to keep the little ones occupied. Fortunately, that question was answered as two of the stir–crazy Alphas got it into their heads to fight for dominance between them. Since they’d been kept busy and focused on leading their packs, there had been precious little opportunity for them to feel any desire to fight directly amongst themselves, instead only competing through the results of their packs. Now, with excess energy and continuous growth, they demanded some measure of satisfaction for perceived slights from each other.