Valerie kept close to Markus all the way to the forest's edge, her weapon remaining in its sheath as long as she didn't need it. Unlike her partner's weapon it was quite easy to draw when needed. There was still some distance between them and the orcs, but the tenseness that Valerie felt was something she had to constantly fight to keep at bay, to prevent herself from panicking. Her mind was working at a mile a minute, distracting her from being quiet with constant thoughts of what would happen if they were discovered. A quick, bloody death at that point might even be the best case scenario.

Markus said something about the air, and magic in it. Valerie only half heard him, but the whisper held to pull her mind back to the task at hand. She couldn't sense any magic in the air, as she wasn't attuned to those sorts of things as he was, but he was willing to trust that he was right. What she [i]did[/i] catch on the air was the scent wafting from the scene of the carnage ahead of them. It was a wretched smell of death, one that threaten to turn Valerie's stomach and the meager breakfast she'd had. She had to cover her mouth and nose to ward against it somewhat, at least until she could grow accustomed to it a little. She suspected that might never happen.

She followed his pointing finger to the ruins beyond the orcs in their path. Old and scarred stone structures delving into the earth. She couldn't guess what sort of artifacts they might find inside, or what dangers, but she was willing to bet Markus wasn't pointing them out for their sightseeing potential. Valerie couldn't help but think that this wasn't normal behavior for orcs, savage though they were. Laying out the bodies like that, and the pile of skulls... it all seemed a bit much for a feast on the dead. Perhaps the ruins could explain it. Assuming they could get in and out alive, of course.

"Okay," she whispered back, lowering her hand from her face momentarily. "We need to get inside without being seen."