The water mage anticipated feeling resistance. She anticipated having to concentrate hard to keep her spells up. But a sound called the things into withdrawing and made her preparation unnecessary. For now. She didn't like it. She could almost sense Nolan was upset about it, and as soon as they disappeared beyond her barriers she turned her attention to him to see him looking more disgruntled than she saw him in the guildhall on the noisiest of days. But it seemed he quickly came to the same realization she did - they needed to remain clear headed, if not for being able to properly react to the beasts regrouping then to at least properly communicate with the guardsmen they were accompanying.
Seeing the nod to follow, Ria wasted no time dismounting and jogging lightly to catch up to him. As much as she was uncertain if lapsing concentration on her spells was viable, she knew how long it took for the magic to dissipate and determined it was worth the risk. They needed to plan and even if she were to concentrate long term they would need to be quick to implement a proper plan. It wouldn't do to be regrouping themselves and be caught proverbially with their pants around their ankles.
An alpha meant more danger; they had a leader. She dealt with plenty of dangerous beasts in her homelands that were even more deadly when they had an alpha commanding them. Much like a unifying commander could turn people dangerous enough on their own into deadly units with proper direction. They couldn't wait for the attack, they couldn't see to initiate an assault on the beasts, and it sounded like they were trying to negotiate help from warmages that were unlikely to come because of the guild. Which only left one true course of action as far as Ria could see it.
Her mismatched gaze drifted toward the netting she crafted overhead and tapped her finger to her chin. There was always a way to work around obstacles. You just had to be flexible. "
The mission is to get this cargo to its destination. An alpha and our inability to see the Asterins right now eliminates the ability to properly plan a counterassault." The recap was necessary to help her process, and as the wheels in her head worked, she needed to recap out loud.
She dropped her finger as her attention turned to Nolan. While she wasn't fully certain exactly what he was capable of, she knew he was strong. She trusted his combat expertise more than she trusted her own. "
Perhaps the best course of action is not to prepare for an assault or reinforce a defense here, but to mobilize. This area is secure. For now, certainly. However, I believe you and I are better suited in rallying further away from this location. If we can get them within reasonable distance of our goal, you and I can split off and create a distraction - if not fully eliminating the threat - and so the shipment can reach the destination. I can create a dome shield that should prevent the beasts from breaking through - "
unless they hit it enough it takes too much energy to maintain, she thought but tried to keep the mental note from expressing on her face. "
and drop it once we get to the right spot, but I'll need to ride with someone so I can focus entirely on maintaining it. What do you think?" She always trusted her defensive magic. It was the only thing her father ever considered any good from her and she was not afraid to give it her all to provide defense for the others.
Welp, there was no time like the present to proceed. With their marching order in line, and a quick calculation of the air temperature of the area, Mark adjusted the temperature of the area they walked to create a gentle breeze that pulled their way. It was pure calculation - not something he ever attempted - but the trick to hunting was staying downwind. The trick to being downwind was knowing the direction of the wind, and the direction of the wind was dependent on temperature (among other things) creating a negative pressure system in one direction. If they wanted to stand the best chance, this was it. There was only so much he could do about how noisy they were, and he hoped Adelyn took to heart the instruction to step carefully. The girl didn't seem like she went stalking through the woods to spy on animals, too much of a city life girl.
This wasn't an area he was familiar with - and given the species of animals he was completely unfamiliar with, he supposed it would do to become more acquainted with the terrain - but there were still some carry over principles to properly walking the woods. Stay aware of your surroundings, mind your direction, and watch your footing. The last thing he needed was for one of them to sprain an ankle before they were ever in danger from the beast. He didn't like the snipers nest they were putting their back to, but he just had to trust that Sergeant wouldn't take aim at any of them while they were so far removed from the town; that would be an easy way to get rid of some foreigners, for certain. Sergeant, likewise, was putting trust in the guild to help reduce further threats to the townspeople and his garrison. It was just easier to assume Sergeant was going to hold the reason to trust the group on higher regard than to stab - or rather shoot - them in the back.
Mark waited until they were almost a mile and a half out before silently signaling the other two to walk more carefully and get down lower. He took more care with his footsteps and watched more carefully for the location they had been described the creature resting in. He didn't want to take any chances they might spook it, and being low meant they could hopefully duck out of sight faster. With Adelyn between them, it also meant he could get her out of harm's way easier should the thing sense them and decide to attack.