Rangar smiled when he saw Martin coming, but the expression lasted only until he noticed Martin's face.
"How bad?"
"Thirty-six beds are full."
Rangar stopped.
"All of them?"
"There were eight people asking for the last six. Two are already waiting."
His smile disappeared.
Forest Hidden looked peaceful around them. Players crowded the Light Tree's central hub, checking the academy scoreboard, forming dungeon parties, comparing rewards, and arguing over routes through the newest hunting rotation. The farther Martin looked beyond the main roots, the thinner the crowd became.
Rangar motioned toward one of the quieter paths.
"Walk."
Alexandra followed with Kumoe. The curious head had apparently learned nothing from her dried-fruit crime and kept sniffing toward every food stall they passed, while the right head repeatedly dragged her away from anything unattended.
As they moved away from the busiest section, Rangar rubbed the side of his face.
