Ellie goes quiet, backing up and into the trees, melting into the cover of darkness in the moonlight. She wishes for snow, even if it would make their tracks easy to find. It's quiet.

Ellie follows him more slowly, cutting a track farther back into the thicket and then staying still. Even Joel may not be able to spot her from her vantage point, but it gives her a good view of the trail. Their wait seems to stretch onward, before the bandits finally appear.

Just one is visible, but he's whispering to someone else.

"Fuck, lost them. I thought they were taking the trail."

"There's no other good path up. They have to be here. If we get the girl first, the old man'll be easy. We've just gotta keep her alive."