Dragoncrest Cliffs dead men tell no tales

too much happened. auntie spoke, and then the sound of shouts were heard in the fog beyond, and wolves circled.
what irked chani the most was that she had experienced such a scent before, and started to piece together that this was —
her fault.
fear collided with generational rage. she heard mireille whisper to shadess, separating children from the grown who would fight.
mireille did not even attempt negotiation. chani watched in horrified shock as her aunt lunged forward, realizing she meant to give shadess a chance to escape.
did they come for that? no. not —
her eyes flickered for the man she had known, and then chani too was jumping forward with a snarl, snapping toward the woman who seemed to have the aplomb of this man. her body curved to push shadess away and back, and she looked in worry for her mother. matant and maman were pregnant! why didnt mireille try to speak?
yet she understood; she knew even as she struck the fray that there was no way in hell anyone here would capitulate without being forced.