“It’ll shrink when I leave,” Gibbet said. “Doesn’t matter. Let me know when you decide on a location.”

“We’re close, really,” Imp said. “Could be a minute.”

“Then find me in a minute.”

“Pick the tallest mountain. Simple,” Rachel said. “You’re overthinking it.”

“What if the trees are tall because of soil or whatever?” Kenzie asked.

“Then you’re a few feet lower. Does it really matter?”

“Okay, but… there are other considerations,” Kenzie said.

“Like?” Rachel asked.

“Distance.”

“Vegetation,” Rain answered. “This is pre-human. There aren’t as many trails, lots of woodland where fallen branches and trees are overgrown with their own shrubs and bushes. You can’t walk through that. Which is why Logger Hill might be best. The way is already clear.”

“I can,” Damsel said. “I’ll blaze a path.”

“Then, hm. Stable Hill. It’s rocky, I remember it’s overgrown from discussion about runoff from the hills flooding some houses. It’s close.”

The Malfunctions were very quietly having soup, because they’d apparently skipped lunch with all the patrolling and commotion. The Heartbroken were having hot chocolate scavenged from military rations along with biscuits and salty crackers. Darlene using the fabric of her dress stretched between her legs to hold whole handfuls of the things, and handing them out on request.

There was a game plan, at least for ensuring our side had enough eyes on what was going on. But we weren’t eager to budge. I imagined it as something like standing in a doorway. To go inside, literally in our case, was too much of a retreat. Going out meant leaving the small sanctuary, warmth, and limited shelter provided by the nearby buildings.

And honestly, everyone had experienced mortal fear this morning.

A bunch of small conversations bubbled up. The tactics question had been more of a ‘what if’, it seemed. I wasn’t about to press, not when I wasn’t sure of where I was at.

I was itching to do something but they were just recovering from doing something. It made me think, not for the first time, about how tricky group dynamics could be. Keeping a balance, keeping everyone on the same page.

There was more to it, though. The cliques and groups. Going around the circle of people who had gathered at the fire, everyone had found their groove, and the ones who hadn’t had left.