Blacktail Deer Plateau The Gathering of the Clouds

Disappointment flickered across his features in the way that the wind tousled his coat, there and gone in an uneven sway. It would have been wise, he thought, taking out the competition before it had a chance to better group itself and infringe upon them more. But it would have been just as unwise to invite the trouble, least of all anything that would set him loose in the wilderness in the state it was in. So he let silence fill the void for a moment left by Raleska's decree; he would obey, if only because the cons outweighed the pros.

"Another day then, for him, and for us." It was a quiet, stark statement.

"Were you patrolling before?"