While Amir is noticing the visual disturbances in the area, Derek is listening; smelling. Those are his stronger senses so with her eyes and his nose and ears, he figures that they're bound to find something, if there's anything to find.
Her question doesn't necessarily surprise him. He's learned that not everyone is blind to the fact that there are people who can do superhuman things. It no longer chokes him with panic for someone to notice that he's doing something most "normal" humans wouldn't do. So rather than act surprised and confused when he isn't, Derek just nods. "Sort of, yeah," he agrees. "Mostly, trying to see if I recognize anything off, because if I know what I'm going up against, I can be more effective, but so far, there's nothing familiar." So they're not working with other werewolves, fox spirits, Berserkers, kanima, or any other number of supernatural creatures with which Derek has been in direct contact over the years. That doesn't mean whatever it is isn't supernatural; in fact, it means very little because they could be facing any number of those exact creatures from a different place than where Derek called home for so long. They could be the same thing with a different scent from a different world and he'd never know it.
What he does know is that they're not completely alone in the area even before the louder indication. Derek holds an arm out to indicate that, while he understands the instinct to prepare, he needs her to try to do so quickly and quietly so as not to interrupt his focus. He's listening for much smaller sounds and it's easy for them to be dwarfed by even the smallest ones that are closer to his ear than they are. Heartbeats; there is that. Derek's still trying to discern whether they belong to the soldiers in the other direction or whether they're up ahead but the breeze and the rustling of leaves confuse it a little. He's out of practice.
He gestures with two beckoning fingers for her to move with him as he slows his pace but changes direction just slightly. He isn't going back, but neither is he continuing straight forward. If the heartbeats become louder, then he can rule out the soldiers of the Perimeter Guard as their sources.
no subject
Her question doesn't necessarily surprise him. He's learned that not everyone is blind to the fact that there are people who can do superhuman things. It no longer chokes him with panic for someone to notice that he's doing something most "normal" humans wouldn't do. So rather than act surprised and confused when he isn't, Derek just nods. "Sort of, yeah," he agrees. "Mostly, trying to see if I recognize anything off, because if I know what I'm going up against, I can be more effective, but so far, there's nothing familiar." So they're not working with other werewolves, fox spirits, Berserkers, kanima, or any other number of supernatural creatures with which Derek has been in direct contact over the years. That doesn't mean whatever it is isn't supernatural; in fact, it means very little because they could be facing any number of those exact creatures from a different place than where Derek called home for so long. They could be the same thing with a different scent from a different world and he'd never know it.
What he does know is that they're not completely alone in the area even before the louder indication. Derek holds an arm out to indicate that, while he understands the instinct to prepare, he needs her to try to do so quickly and quietly so as not to interrupt his focus. He's listening for much smaller sounds and it's easy for them to be dwarfed by even the smallest ones that are closer to his ear than they are. Heartbeats; there is that. Derek's still trying to discern whether they belong to the soldiers in the other direction or whether they're up ahead but the breeze and the rustling of leaves confuse it a little. He's out of practice.
He gestures with two beckoning fingers for her to move with him as he slows his pace but changes direction just slightly. He isn't going back, but neither is he continuing straight forward. If the heartbeats become louder, then he can rule out the soldiers of the Perimeter Guard as their sources.