Mist lay beneath the bridge when they reached the crossing.
Rod could hear the stream but see only the upper edge of the far bank. Water dripped from the thorn growth. The barriers stood where they had left them, their dark timber beaded with moisture.
Theren checked the separation trench before allowing the workers downhill. New runners had crossed in four places. He marked them with pale cloth, and the first crew began cutting while the relief crew carried the pieces clear.
Lana took her position above the first lane. Midnight climbed the fallen trunk and moved into the branches. Through his eyes, she found the briarback sleeping beneath the exposed roots, its flank rising slowly against the bank.
"Still in the hollow." she said.
Rod adjusted the binding on his left glove. Dain checked the ground beneath the first barrier with his heel. Dirk was already on the shelf, laying arrows where he could reach them without looking down.
