Bearclaw Valley You must be, or you wouldn't have come here

His efforts to stand were futile, as much because his body wasn’t responding well to his mental commands as having Arielle’s weight on him. It would take a little while before the effects of being stunned would wear off enough for him to find his feet. Panic smashed through him in waves. Stillrift? How could that be?!

The Saints, he slurred, rolling his wild-eyed gaze to the sky above. No, no, the Saints could not have infiltrated this far into the Valley without resistance. Unless everyone else was dead. Val? he wondered at once, pushing aside every soothing word Arielle said as he sifted through his confusion. In that moment, he realized he didn’t really care about anyone else in Ursus, but Val...

Val was worthy. He was a friend. He was like a brother, even though they’d only known one another a short time. Is Val okay? he asked, blinking hard when his head began to ring again. There was something wrong about asking that, something... But he couldn’t grasp what it was.