{"Keep close to Nature's heart."}
We were ready to attack, and then it screeched and by the blood, I heard men die screaming, heard a beast roar in the pits of war, but nothing like that. It shattered through my skull like glass, made my bones ache, and my heart clench. Rou doubled over, hands clamped to his ears. Rolan let out a string of curses in some old tongue and tried to stand his ground.
I could not move, and then it screeched again, louder, like something had called to it. And then just like that, it vanished. Gone. No smoke, no flash. Just… gone. The wind kicked up in its wake, cold and sudden, leaving silence so thick it pressed on my chest.
We just stood there, "What the hell was that?" I finally croaked; my voicewas hoarse.
Rou straightened; his expression unreadable. "A warning," he said. "Or a retreat."
Rolan shook his head. "No. That was not for us. That was for something else."
The silence held a little too long. Like the mountain itself was holding its breath.
