<div align="center">(https://elliquiy.com/elluiki/images/1/1c/Cellar.jpg)</div><br/><div class="floatleft">(https://elliquiy.com/elluiki/images/6/68/Ishimug.jpg)</div><br/><strong>Tiny Threats</strong><br/><em>Evening </em><br/>As the sun set on Lone Wolf Orchard, an owl roosted in the high hickory tree scarred by lightning. The wise old bird knew, as Ishi did, when the field mice ventured out from their hidey holes. As soon as she spied the first adventurer coming up the dirt road, Ishi gave a big six foot wave through the trees. The porch lanterns were burning like a solstace night. Maybe she was expecting a whole party of mercenaries at her humble little farmhouse. One could never tell, when casting a line out to the general adventuring public, how many would show. The promise of hard coin usually brought at least one. But, at a conservative estimate, there were enough troublesome mice to go around.<br/><br/>"Hiya!" she called out. Ishi was not the kind of woman to live in fear out here alone, darting from the shadows of strangers. "You must be here for the job. I'm Ishi." A pitcher of tea and glasses to spare had been laid out at the corner of the porch, and she paused to refresh herself before grabbing her shovel. "There's six silver in it for you if you manage to clear them all out. I've tried putting down traps, but the little guys are too smart for them." Around the side of the house, to the broad trapdoors of the deep cellar she led the way. "You might have to share that reward with one or two more. I'm sure you can work something out, adventurer's honor and all."<br/><br/>Ishi would not accept help with the cellar doors. She wedged her spade in under a trapdoor handle, and levered it open as best she could, letting it tumble open the rest of the way with a startling bang. A wipe to her brow, and she circled around to lever open its twin. "Whew." Lantern light poured down the wheelbarrow ramp into a cool earth and cobblestone maze of kitchen produce, farm supplies, and wine racks. Ishi was inordinately fond of her wine. Cobwebs crawled across the clutter, and true to her word, sacks of grain had been torn open by little claws. Her light could spy no sign of the critters, but with a careful listen, there was the meagerest of squeak. The culprit was still here, alright.<br/><br/>"It's getting late, I'm heading inside. Come on in when you finish, okay? The door's unlocked." Ishi set down the lantern. She spied a feeble white potted plant sitting there on a cellar workbench, and considered it with a tongue to her cheek. "Um, I'll just get that out of your way." It went with her back up the ramp, shielded from moonlight or gentle breeze by her hand. "Right. Get to work!"