Face {Un}death

In the days after they collapsed floor of the canyon acting as a funnel for the tide of undead, the men worked hard to fist through the rubble searching for survivors. In the deep, inky black of the underground, work was slow and dangerous. There was, however, the promise of hope as one by one, they managed to extract survivors from the rock. Many injured or malnourished after days of being pinned beneath the rubble. Food was already growing scarce, but the scouts had managed to locate some edible mushrooms, and signs of some small animals. It was scant eating, but enough for them to survive, for now.
After finally going two days withough finding another survivor, the band made the hard decision to stop their search, and to begin focusing on their own survival. Before they left, however, there was one last thing to do.
One man kneeled and held out a hand, allowing the small rat to run up to his shoulder. He looked back over the group, suveying the men. It would take too long for them to dig their way into the caverns. The only hope was to find another way to the surface, and with any luck, find their way back home.
Calling on his connection with the forces of nature, he imparted a message to the rat to deliver home:
"The Hawke's Cowl Lives."