Bab 267: Relaying news

"Come out," I order quietly, beckoning towards the blackness. "There is no one left here. Come out."

For a moment there is silence as the bleakness of the night washes over the land, a silence so stark that one might presume there was nothing there to begin with. But then a small series of rustles make themselves apparent in the bushes below the terrace, followed by the glitter of nocturnal eyes.

"Welcome back friends," I greet lowly, careful not to raise my voice for fear of who might be listening. As expected, my welcome is not received verbally as the two sets of eyes blink in unison, growing against the darkness. They never have been the most talkative of creatures. In fact, on most accounts they prefer not to talk at all, only doing so when deemed absolutely essential.