Cassian and Simon finally made it down into the valley in one piece.
Cassian's arm had fully regenerated—well, almost. It still looked strange, thinner and shorter than his other one, more like it belonged to a child. But it was growing, slowly thickening with each passing minute. Still, the rapid healing had drained him. His legs felt unsteady, and his vision swayed every time he blinked.
Simon wasn't doing much better. After fighting rats all morning, sprinting for his life, and then hauling them both down a cliff, exhaustion was written all over him.
With nothing else to do and no safe path forward, they rolled the dice and decided to rest—betting on the chance that their pursuers would take time to catch up. They found a shallow cave tucked into the side of the valley wall, hidden behind a curtain of thick roots and vines. It wasn't much, but it was shelter.
