John didn't sleep much after hearing the sound.
He remained inside his tent, listening to the quiet of the mountain forest.
Every few minutes, he thought he heard something.
A branch moving.
The wind passing through the trees.
Water running over stones.
But none of them were the sound from earlier.
*Clink.*
The memory of it remained in his head.
Metal against stone.
Slow.
Deliberate.
Almost as though someone were working on something in the darkness.
John finally closed his eyes.
Whatever was out there could wait until morning.
There was no reason to investigate alone in the middle of the night.
That was one of the first lessons he had learned during his travels.
Curiosity was useful.
Recklessness wasn't.
---
When morning arrived, John stepped outside his tent.
The camp was already beginning to wake.
He immediately noticed the Soul Raven sitting on the same branch as before.
The creature looked toward him.
John stared back.
"You didn't sleep either?"
