Horren stood a short distance behind, his bow already drawn and angled toward the horizon, the arrow between his fingers steady.
"Something startled them, perhaps?" he asked, voice low.
"Or they're just cautious," Arlok said from the side, his poleaxe resting against his shoulder as he scanned the open field.
A few feet to the side, Shima crouched low beneath the broken shadow of a crooked tree, her fingers drifting across the bent grass and splintered stems.
"They're close. Something big passed through here too, and not long ago either."
She murmured with keen observation.
Arlok stood a bit further back, he lifted his head and drew a long breath through his nose. The wind shifted direction and brought with it the scent of river water, damp soil, and something faintly musky mixed among it all.
He exhaled through his teeth with a grunt.
