They reached the basin floor after several careful minutes. The descent demanded attention, the slope easing only near the bottom where the ground leveled into a broad, shallow bowl.
The air here felt noticeably denser, as if it had settled and pooled instead of moving freely. Each breath carried more weight. Sound behaved differently, too, lingering longer before fading.
The strange bird calls sounded farther away now. The rising notes still echoed from time to time, but they lacked the sharp clarity they had carried on higher ground.
It felt as if those creatures preferred the upper ridges and tree lines. Closer by, another sound had taken their place, softer but constant.
A low, steady trickle threaded through the basin, faint at first but persistent enough to guide movement.
The group followed it without discussion.
The sound grew clearer as they moved, until the grass thinned and the earth split into a narrow channel.
