Volen saw how quickly Penn moved, and he knew he had found someone he could travel the world with. He cleared his head. He was in danger for goodness sake, he didn't have time to think about things like that.
A shadow caught his eye, and Volens thrust his longsword at it, nicking one of the deformed dogs. It called out in pain, but faded back into the shadows. "Penn, take my dagger, these things are too dangerous to fight with bare hands."
He saw another shadow briefly, and then a second one. These creatures had cut off both ends of the alley now.