He did look back. There saw the hungry maw of vengeful blue stretching out to grab them. Wolves, turned to sheep. And Nate might concede he'd earned the ire of the earth for a multitude of reasons. But Ȟákac'enyu? Not a chance.

Again he resolved that no Being in seat of Judgement, which looked upon all life and deemed it universally fit for condemnation, deserved bowing to. He clenched his teeth tighter around the rune. Defiance was a flaw they'd consistently failed to beat out of him.

Minutes like these were easy. Action and reaction. Blood hot in his heart, offering clarity to cut through the thorns tangling it in quieter moments.

Nose flicked the tip of Elk Charm's retreating tail to assure her he hadn't been swallowed by the canyon. Nate's mouth was too full to speak. But he trusted her sense of direction and followed.

Soon enough the rumble behind them began to fade. Ambush failed, and no other yawning graves opened up around them in retreat. They should keep going a little further though, he thought — just to be sure.