We were in position before the moon cleared the higher trees.
The western corridor was a narrow run of broken ground and low scrub that offered just enough cover for light movement without easy escape routes once a group committed. Asher had placed us in a shallow crescent that cut off the forward path and both likely exits. Torren held the far left. Renn and the silent-mover took the right anchor. Asher and I stayed with the center element, close enough to close fast, far enough to avoid announcing the full shape of the trap too early.
The bond between us was tight and constant in the dark. I could track his position without looking. The awareness had become familiar enough that I no longer wasted energy fighting it.
Time stretched. Night insects. Distant water. The occasional shift of
