Frra raised his twig-spear with a determined look. 'Stay behind me, Irra,' he whispered.
Before the beetles could pounce, Irra suddenly had an idea. 'Wait!' she shouted, holding up her pouch. 'We have nectar crumbs. Enough for everyone to share!'
The lure of the sweet treat distracted the beetles momentarily, giving Irra and Frra just enough time to spring into action.
While the beetles scrambled for the crumbs, the two ants leaped off the log and landed safely on a clump of moss below, tumbling into one another but alive.
Frra grinned. 'Nice thinking, Irra. See? I told you we make a good team.'
Their escape didn’t last long. As they resumed their search for home, they unknowingly wandered straight into another spider's domain.
Sticky threads clung to their legs, slowing them down as the shadowy figure of the spider descended from above, its many eyes glinting with hunger.
'Uh-oh,' Frra muttered, gripping his twig-spear tightly. 'What do we do now?'
Irra’s quick mind worked furiously. 'Spiders
don’t like vibration!' she whispered. 'Frra, use your spear to shake the web!'
Frra nodded and, with all his strength, began tapping and jabbing at the strands around them.
The web quivered violently, and the spider hesitated, its legs recoiling at the disturbance. Seeing their chance,
Irra and Frra worked together to tear through the weakened silk and scrambled free just as the spider lunged at the empty space they had occupied.
'My spear works!' Frra cheered, though his twig was now bent and frayed.
Irra rolled her eyes but smiled. 'Let’s keep moving before it comes back.'
As they ventured deeper, the forest darkened, and noises grew louder. Chittering and rustling filled the air, and soon they saw the source: a battalion of warrior ants from the neighboring Shadow-vine Colony.
'Intruders!' barked the leader, his massive jaws gleaming under the dim light.
'Seize them!'
Irra and Frra darted in different directions, narrowly avoiding the soldiers' grasp.
These were no ordinary ants; they were twice the size of Irra and Frra and equipped with sharp mandibles and spiked armor.
Escape seemed impossible.
'You’ll serve as our slaves!' growled one of the warriors, snapping his jaws dangerously close to Frra’s antennae.
But Irra, ever the strategist, noticed something: The Shadow-vine warriors moved in perfect formation, relying on their leader’s commands.
She quickly whispered her plan to Frra. 'Follow my lead,' Irra said, and Frra nodded, trusting her completely.
Together, they lured the warriors into a narrow crevice between two rocks. The Shadow-vine ants scrambled to follow, but their size worked against them, and they became wedged in the tight space.
Using bits of bark and Frra's battered twig-spear, Irra and Frra sealed the opening, trapping the soldiers inside.
'Teamwork,' Irra panted, grinning at Frra.
He smiled back, though he was clearly exhausted. 'Let’s just hope we don’t run into anything bigger.'
As the sun dipped below the horizon and the forest grew even darker, Irra and Frra finally spotted a familiar landmark: The Great Mushroom Grove.
They had passed it earlier that morning when they first wandered into the Wild Wood.
'We’re close!' Irra exclaimed, her heart swelling with relief.
But just as they thought they were safe, a sharp croak echoed in the distance.
