Nobody moved toward the footprints.
Robert stayed where he was and looked at the trail without rushing toward it, studying the line it made across the valley floor from where he stood.
The prints led directly toward the densest section of ruins at the valley's far end, entering the shadowed spaces between the buildings and disappearing from view at a point where two collapsed walls created a narrow corridor. From this distance, he could not see what was beyond that corridor.
Sai crouched at the beginning of the trail and examined the first several prints without disturbing them. He worked slowly and systematically, the same way he worked through any evidence that mattered. He measured the length and width, assessed the depth relative to the surrounding dust layer, and studied the edge definition of several prints in sequence before standing.
