Zaira's tracks crossed the western road in a pattern that suggested impatience, which was precisely why N'varu ordered the Sandshades to leave them visible.
The colossal beast wanted to turn north toward Sagiri, yet N'varu kept pace beside her shoulder and pointed toward the low hills where the western scouts would search first.
N'varu said, "He told us to make the West look in the wrong direction, and that requires you to keep walking away from him for a little longer."
Zaira's throat vibrated with a warning, then she lowered her head and continued west while the Sandshades spread through the scrub to erase every sign that contradicted the trail.
The task demanded restraint from people who had survived by hiding their movement, since the best concealment now required them to leave a trail that could be read from a distance.
N'varu chose a route across dry soil and scattered stone, where Zaira's weight could mark the ground without revealing how many human feet moved around her.
