Nina and the others searched for another half a day, but there was still no sign of Sal or the others.
She stood staring at the vast wilderness stretching endlessly ahead, her heart sinking a little. The Beast World was unimaginably large—when would she ever find them?
Along the way, she left marks by the roadside. Odian helped her carve symbols into tree trunks at higher spots where they would be easier to see.
As they searched, she left trail after trail of signs, hoping that if Sal and the others were still looking for her, they would notice and follow.
By evening, they found a cave to rest in.
They had barely finished dinner when heavy rain began pouring down again, sheets of water crashing against the earth.
Nina and the phoenix males huddled inside the cave, watching the curtain of rain outside. There wasn't much to do.
Yinny and Didi lay quietly in her arms, gazing at the rainfall with wide eyes. The egg babies rolled slowly back and forth beside her.
