Rhiow's claws relaxed and withdrew, but only because she was more focused on anger - the same anger that had made her want to take out strips of the Lone One's fur, the last time they faced It. Her tail began to switch back and forth rapidly - angrily. She would take the fight to It this time, instead of the other way around.

"Have you tried to wake up lately?" she asked quietly. "Every time I'm about to stop and try, something big like that grabs my attention." Her voice sounded detached - neither as grieved as it had been a minute ago nor as friendly as it was before. "I think that's its goal - to keep distracting us. I don't think it has the power to hold us back if we really will ourselves to go." Not yet, she added silently.