The pace toward the eastern ravine was not the same as the pace they had used to reach the western forest line, nor the one that had carried them across the broken terrain toward the northern collapsed road.
Liam and Asher still moved quickly, cutting through the forest with practiced control, but the sharpness had eased by a careful measure. Their speed remained decent, enough to keep the task from turning comfortable, yet no longer so demanding that every stride required constant explosive adjustment. Above and slightly ahead, Raven carried Celia through the breaks in the canopy, her wings beating in a steady rhythm that matched the altered pace below.
Nearly three hours had passed in almost continuous movement.
