As soon as Erkin announced the completion of the Rite, the tribe wasted no time in departing. The remaining members joined the unmated few and children to swiftly dismantle the camp. They tore down the makeshift pens that held the wild goats, setting the creatures free to return to the woods.
Under the cover of darkness, they marched through the night. Some of the wolf-men transformed into their full animal shapes and ran ahead as scouts, gathering information and guiding the rest of the tribe. Everyone remained vigilant, listening for the presence of other beast-men in the darkness, but they encountered no one.
The younger children were carried while they slept, while the older ones trudged on out of necessity. The human women and the three witches—Min, Erden, and Ilay—relied on their wolf-men partners with their sharp eyes to lead them through the dark.
