Kaela, on the opposite flank, spoke up, her voice low and even: “If the fawn were alive, it would cry when it can’t find its mother. If there’s been no sound, either it’s dead, or this doe is scouting ahead.”
Ethan nodded slightly: “You’re right. And if she’s scouting, the old plan has to change.”
He didn’t look back, only pulled a piece of dry charcoal from a cloth pouch and drew a new symbol on the nearby tree trunk, three slashes, then two dots above, meaning: “Observe – no action – wait for response.”
The deer stepped once more, almost fully entering the guiding path. But its gait wasn’t steady. Its forequarters light, muzzle flicking from side to side, as though still testing the scents. It paused by a small tree, bent its knees, and sat, oddly, for an animal in a state of suspicio
