It was hard to see them in the gloom, but she would see two silhouettes, the closer one barely recognizable as Eli. "You realize how difficult this is going to be to explain, right?" he said flatly. "You've put us all in a very difficult situation."
There was a silence for a moment before the silhouette replied, his voice warmly familiar. "I just wanted to see the birds with her, Eli."
As her eyes adjusted to the dark, she would see bodies on the ground, completely still. Eli sighed heavily, looking down at the ground. "She's back at the cave, Aug, and she's scared to death. She thinks you're done for. What do you propose we do?" "I mean, I got hit pretty badly. It's not like I'm completely unharmed."
She quieted, wiping her tears and putting on a brave face, creeping forward to investigate as she picked up a rock.
Eli turned immediately, unsheathing his knife and advancing as a reflex. He paused when he saw Aspen. "...Price?"
There was a silence and Eli studied her, his gaze sharp. He was completely still, but Aspen would know him well enough at this point to recognize the fury bubbling underneath the surface. "Get back to the cave right now," he said quietly, enunciating every single word as if he were stabbing each one.
He stepped closer, tilting his head. "Get the *squee!* back to the cave, Aspen, or I swear to God..."
