Gad froze, hand tight on Mira's arm. "Scouts."
"How many," she whispered.
"Can't tell yet."
Bellan stirred at the sound of their movement, and Gad pressed a hand against his shoulder before he could speak, shaking his head once. Bellan understood, going still, eyes wide in the dark.
The voices moved closer along the ravine below, boots crunching over loose stone, torchlight flickering faintly against the rock walls beneath them.
"They're not on this ledge," Mira breathed. "They're below us, following the ravine floor."
"For now," Gad said.
They stayed pressed against the rock, barely breathing, as the torchlight passed directly beneath their position, two soldiers moving in a slow search pattern, weapons drawn but relaxed, clearly not expecting to find anything so soon.
"Commander
