"Spot." Johannes repeated to nobody in particular, then fell silent again. He was grateful the children were not the talkative yappy kind. He much preferred the sound of his own even breathing and any occasional huff from the dog.

Moving far enough from the outpost to be out of everyone's sight didn't make him relax. He trudged on and on through the dusk, and only once it was completely pitch black did his pace slow. He didn't stop entirely, only slowing enough to make quiet conversation with the others.

"We should make camp for the night." 

Finally Johannes stopped in his tracks, taking a deep breath. Everything smelled like petrified wood, dust, and dampness. Sliding his backpack off one shoulder, he swung it around to his front and unzipped it. Pulling out a folded cloth tarp with a quiet rustle, he zipped the backpack back up and slung it over his shoulder again. He held the tarp out to Ezra, smacking him in the chest with it so the boy could grab it in the darkness.

"Hold this. Don't lose it. That's our cover." Johannes dug in a pocket for something, and shortly thereafter was a scratch, then sudden flame! He had struck a match, which barely illuminated the area. It wasn't until he held it to a wick inside a small folding metal lantern did the group have much light to see anything at all.

"Hurry now. We'll find something to string this between. It doesn't have to be fancy, just enough to keep the wind and the rain out."