cale silences the second gnoll, before he can complete his thought of fleeing, and sinks a second bolt into the furry beast to make sure.
the party finds itself standing again in the deep woods and the beach, the uninterupted drumming seems to be coming from not more than 20 yards away.
mixed n with the drumming is a slow, rhythmic chant, it rises and falls with the drums. the chant is interrupted occasionally by yelping sounds in the same voice.
the gnols lay here and yonder through the battle scene, a jaw or hind foot still twitching occasionally. their battered scimitars rest at odd angles against their bodies or sink into the vegetation nearby.
loske jak and solomon notice that up ahead the woods seem to break, towards the sound of the chanting.