Darion came back through the trees and found Garren exactly where he had left him, standing at the edge of the treeline, not sitting or leaning against anything, just standing.
The knights were further back, among the trees, like shapes in the dark. He could hear the occasional small sound of equipment shifting, a horse adjusting its weight and someone breathing. It was quiet enough. Nobody had done anything stupid while he was gone, which was the baseline he had needed from them and they had delivered it.
Garren looked at him when he emerged.
Darion held up a hand. Good. Then pointed at the ground beside him. Wait.
Garren moved to stand beside him at the treeline edge, and they both looked at the settlement.
For the first ten minutes, nothing visible changed.
