<strong>Eshalu - in the wilds of Dra Sirdu, contemplating the prisoner</strong><br/><br/>"You are right," Eshalu nodded, hoping that daylight would grant them another opportunity to track the giant Saurian alpha and perhaps retrieve Lazerette, "the night is unnatural here, but by day we can seek the trail again. We should stay close and prepare ourselves if the Cold Ones ever return."<br/><br/>The visible terror in the spear-lizard prisoner's movements was to be expected - whatever lurked in the night would quickly make short work of it, whether bound or not. If only the spirits of the accursed island were communicative enough to say whether the sacrifice of the reptilian captive would placate them or win Eshalu their favour. She knew some of the more bloodthirsty dryads in her own lands - those with the crimson hair, and the wild, feral eyes - would have appreciated the Saurian's lifeblood fresh from its throat. Given the entity she had sensed in her vision, though, attempting to contact the local divinities was at best a foolhardy enterprise.<br/><br/>"We should stay close together, and be ready to defend," Eshalu said, settling next to Aeryn, spear flat on her lap, her gaze fixed on the terrified prisoner, covered in the blood of its comrades.  "The captive Cold One will only draw attention to our site. We should either kill it and burn its remains or find another site."