Once the chaos came to an end, it left an odd hush over the clearing. After a few timid moments,it began to fill with the usual sounds of the forest.<br/><br/>"And when," came Dane's reply, "Have you ever known life to be so?" It was a bleak observation, one that had been soured by the painful reminder of his failure. He'd never be able to run far enough apparently.<br/><br/>He'd been cleaning off his blade, working to remove the grime from the thick oily skin of the beast and the blood that beaded over the hilt and onto his hand. It had, in the moments after the pain, provided something to focus on. He'd always been one to lose himself in familiar tasks.<br/><br/>Once it was as clean as only a bit of dirt and his gloves could get it, he turned to his companions. Dane walked with a noticeable limp toward Caine who was in the process of prodding the contorted corpse with one boot. As he approached, his eyes locked on the...thing that had, in moments before, used the voice and vision of his dearest friend against him. His face contorted in disgust as he kept his distance, afraid it would change again.<br/><br/>"Vile thing," he muttered quietly.<br/><br/>Caine bent down, placing a boot on it's chest while he jerked the dagger free from it's forehead. wiping it off on this leathers, he turned to look at his taller companion.<br/><br/>"Yeah, certainly an ugly looking little beastie. Face only a mother could love, if that is a face that even has any sort of mother." He shook off the thought of there being more. "Thankfully it wasn't much use past it's big friend and all their...little...ones." He looked up and around, frowning.<br/><br/>The owls had fled to safer ground, no longer held by whatever terrible force that had gripped them.<br/><br/>He shrugged it off and turned before looking for Ace. Seeing him, he gave a smile though it was only because he was glad to see the man had survived such a simplistic little fight. The smile faltered once he realized he'd been wounded, which looked like concern despite being the furthest thing from it. He was disappointed.<br/><br/>Dane took in a slow and deep breath, filling that large chest. A few cracks came, the last causing him to give an involuntary twitch. Once he let it back out, he turned and came to look at Ace as well. He ran his gaze once over him before settling on his leg. Though he didn't frown like Caine, he moved over to him and motioned to it.<br/><br/>"I'll have a look," he said. "I've got a bit of powder to stop the bleeding, unless it's too deep. Then we'll burn it shut." It was quick field triage, again the mindset of a soldier. Close it up quick and get moving. You never knew what was coming next and peace after a battle was never guaranteed.