"There's nothing there," his uncle said.
Another drop fell, landing squarely on the lantern and dripping red down the glass.
"It's from a dead squirrel," he said. "Or a bird."
He handed the lantern back to Ashyn, who stared after him as he walked away.
"Is he mad?" she whispered to Ronan. "There are no birds here. No squirrels. What's going on?"
"I don't know," Ronan said. "We saw things last night, and again today. In the forest. Shadows. Noises. After the blood moon."
"Blood moon?"
"When the moon turns red. It signifies--"
"--a breach in the spirit world. I know." She remembered last night's cloud-covered moon, the tinge of red in the sky. Then she shook her head. "If there was truly a blood moon, someone would have noticed. Moria and I have to perform a ritual."
"We saw a blood moon last night. Didn't we, Uncle?"
At first, his uncle pretended not to hear. When Ronan repeated the question, the older man shrugged.
"You said you saw it, too," Ronan pressed.
"Then perhaps I did. It's a nanny's tale. Doesn't signify."
"I think it--"
"Doesn't signify. We need to get the girl to her camp. Move out."
Ashyn looked around the camp. A clearing had been cut in the forest, and four small tents had been erected for the villagers. Sleeping blankets lay on the bare ground for the guards. In the middle, the campfire still smoldered; the smell of it had led them the final stretch. Packs lay ag
ainst tents. But that was all she saw: objects. No people.
"Must've gone looking for the girl." Ronan's uncle stamped through the clearing. "She was late. They went searching."
"All of them?" Ronan said.
"She's the Seeker. Valuable."
"They'd leave someone to guard the camp," Ashyn said. "That's the rule."
"Doesn't signify."
Ronan turned on his uncle. "Stop saying that."
His uncle raised a hand to cuff him, but Ronan ducked out of the way and lifted Moria's dagger. His uncle looked at it, blinking, as if his nephew had rammed the blade into his back.
Ronan lowered the dagger. "It does signify. You know it does. Something happened to the villagers. All the villagers."
"What do you want to do about that?" Ronan's uncle stepped toward him. "If there's someone--or something--out there, then there's not a blasted thing we can do except be careful. Now grab supplies. We'll follow the ribbon back to the village."
Ronan's uncle rooted through packs, grabbing food while Ronan stood at the clearing edge.
Ashyn stepped closer and lowered her voice. "You said you've seen things in the forest. I ought to know what I'm watching for."
"Shadows, mostly. Sometimes a noise. It's always gone when you look."
Ashyn nodded and reached for her pack. That's when she heard a sound in the woods. A soft whisper like the wind. Except she felt no wind.