He didn't like the quiet. It reminded him of the Deep Roads. Every sense was on heightened alert. He caught himself looking up several times, as though another of the animals would come at them any moment. Fighting was preferable to the unnerving calm before the storm.

He took cover at the same time that she did against the opposite wall. It gave them a better overall view and kept them out of one another's way if things got ugly. He nodded at her question, giving a silent signal that he'd be going right.

Without a sound, he slipped from the shadows, prepared for a tough go.