The big man shrugged and motioned to the tunnel entrance: “Let’s go while we can.”
Kip alone wanted to stay and wait for the Commander, especially now they had food. Dion looked as though he agreed till Balph reminded them all that they had been eating the Commander’s secret food stores, and that he likely had no use for men who were too wounded to capture grivor, or fell trees.
At this, they all sobered, remembering the blows they had received from the Commander’s stick on the previous day, driving them forward into the path of the grivor.
Even Prago’s hum turned to: “Not the Commander, no, no, no; not back to Tiglath, no won’t go!”
“In that case,” Balph pronounced, “we must go today and never return here.”
Reko and Mordon gave Dion their free arms and the others gathered any useful items they could carry. Nestor took Prago’s arm and propelled him after the others. The Hugbidtha continued to snore whilst the men set off down the Oak tunnel for what they hoped was the last time. There was no sign of Gabry, and Balph felt a savage pleasure at the thought of the Commander returning and venting his anger on the little sneak. There was an edge of doubt at the corner of his consciousness about letting Gabry bear the brunt of the Commander’s wrath, but he pushed it aside. He could not push aside the niggling suspicion that Gabry would somehow wriggle out of all responsibility and set the Commander against Balph instead, but he would be far away by then, so what could the Commander do?
Reaching the upper cave at last, the silent group filtered out into the wood, blinded and blinking at the brightness even though it was already late in the afternoon.