* Media pic of the doorway to the inner caverns.
It took the rest of the night and most of the following day for the Orthos pack to make it up the mountain side to the cave system Penn had promised was waiting for them well above the tree line. The wolves expressed a corporate sigh of relief when their tired limbs finally carried them through the rocky threshold of an enormous cavern. The pack now had a new appreciation for what the Griffin pups had endured while passing through Mouring Cross to get to Orthos territory.
It had been the most gruelling trek of their lives. In the past twelve hours, the pack had often doubted they would make it past the tree line. But the pups had barked and yipped encouragement the whole way and Penn stood like a silver beacon ahead of them leading the pack to safety. So, they had taken courage in these small things and kept fighting until they reached the cave. They were exhausted in body and mind but grateful to have finally reached their destination.
They didn't know it, but they weren't settled yet. Penn hadn't brought them all this way to leave them in this open and exposed cavern where they wouldn't be able to keep warm let alone defend themselves if it came to that. So, once everyone was out of the elements, Penn transformed into her skin at the mouth of the cavern to give them further instructions.
The wind, which roared through the gaping entrance, whipped her knee length glossy black hair all around her limbs and torso, but even so it could not hide the glow of her moon coloured skin. She was still as spell binding to gaze on as she was in the village the night before and a sort of holy hush fell over the pack as they gazed wonderingly at her.
Penn saw that they were in a kind of daze again. She frowned. It looked to her like the climb had been too much for them. She hoped they would be able to snap out of it though because they still had a lot of prep work to do before they could settle down for the night. They would need to seek out smaller caves to live and sleep in, water sources inside the mountain that could sustain this number of wolves, and several wolves would need to go on the hunt or everyone would be going to sleep on empty stomachs. The task of feeding so many mouth was daunting to say the least.
It was a relief to Penn then that the pups were in such good shape after that hike and knew what was expected of them. She could make out some of their snouts in the crowd. They were giving her their full attention expecting orders from her. Penn couldn't help but smile inwardly. These pups had come such a long way. And she knew, with the pups at her side, she could do this. They could all survive this.
Not liking to waste time, Penn cleared her throat and got straight to the point.
"This is only the mouth of the cave. You can't stay here. I need you to get up and move on to the safety of the smaller caves inside the mountain."
She lifted a long slender limb that shone like moonlight itself and pointed at the far end of the enormous cavern. Every eye followed the direction of her hand.
"There is an opening at that end. It's just wide enough for you to file through one wolf at a time. The cave directly on the other side is quite small. It'll only fit about 20 or 30 of you. So, those who enter first, will have to move on through to other caverns. There are quite a few. So, keep going until you can't go anymore," she instructed them.
When no one seemed to move and they were still staring at her with star-struck eyes, Penn sighed with frustration.
"Pups," she shouted in a commanding voice that seemed to startle the pack out of it's trance like state, "take charge of your wolves. Divide them up how you see fit and start escorting them through to the inner caves. Understood?"
Immediately, the pups barked back in response and were up on their paws moving their new families, extended families and even neighbours around so that everyone was headed for the narrow doorway at the back of the cave. Penn was satisfied with this little bit of progress.
While the pups took charge of the scene, Penn turned her attention to Cassidy, "You need to stay and guard the entrance here. Watch the village for signs of fire," she told the girl quietly. "That'll be the first sign of trouble. If you see anything, you give a howl."
Cassidy, still in her fur, transformed to her skins right away so that she could talk with Penn before the woman disappeared.
"Where are you going?" she asked anxiously. She didn't want to be parted with Penn and dreaded the thought that woman was going to run back down the mountain.
"I've got a special spot I'd like to take the elders to," she informed Cassidy with a sheepish grin. "I kind of want to apolize to them for turning down their offer," she confessed.
"What offer?" Cassidy asked with puzzlement.
Penn blushed with embarrassment. Cassidy's curiosity was peeked. What could possibly make Penn blush and look so uncomfortable?
Sighing, the older she-wolf turned sad eyes on Cassidy before admitting, "They offered me a place in the pack as a member before I ran off."
Cassidy gasped and then her eyes filled with tears. Instead of reprimanding Penn for turning them down and running away, she flung her arms around Penn's neck and said, "You'll say yes, wont you? You'll stay with us forever, wont you?"
Penn petted the girl and smiled softly out at the sky and mountain view behind her. She was going to stay. She just wasn't sure if she would stay in the village. But, that's something she would discuss and work out with Troy and the elders at a later date. Once Codax was dealt with.
"I'm going to stick around," was all she could promise Cassidy at that point. "But, right now, I've got a little 'apology' surprise for the elders that I hope they'll like."
Cassidy let Penn go, satisfied hearing that the woman was going to stick around. She could hardly wait to tell the others as she grinned from ear to ear at Penn.
"They'll love it, whatever it is," she encouraged Penn.
Penn nodded with a little smile as she turned and walked back into the cavern in search for the old grey wolves. Wisely, Jackson had kept them back. If they were the first in, they might have walk a long ways before they could rest. But, if he waited until the other caves filled up, the elders wouldn't have to far to walk once they stepped through to the inner caves. Consequently, Penn had no trouble spotting them.
Standing in front of them, with all their snouts turned in her direction, Penn took a deep breath, exhaled a little slowly and said, "I've got someplace special to take you, if you'll come."
The six Orthos elders, who had been lounging on the cold granite floor trying to recoup some of their strength after such an arduous hike, got up slowly but willingly from the floor. Ruuni barked to signal their consent.
Penn nodded and then blocked Jackson.
"I need you to stand guard with your sister. Howl if anything is amiss."
Jackson, to Penn's surprise, transformed into his skin right there to speak with her. Despite the pups having done it the night before, in the dark, and Cassidy doing so just a moment ago, out by the mouth of the cave where it was just the two of them, Penn really didn't think the pups had come to terms with their naked flesh yet.
It was an essential survival skill, to be able to transform from one form to the other, without hesitation (social or otherwise). And she had tried to instill that in the children over and over again during their journey. But, she just didn't realize that the pups had now embraced her philosophy. It made her so proud. They were survivors.
Her musing were interrupted though by an important question.
"What about hunting?" Jackson asked as his eyes looked around the crowd.
"Not alone," she reminded him. "It'll have to wait until the others are settled. And, even then," she said while catching his eye and looking directly at him," you'll have to wait until we round up a few others and I'm ready to go out with you. You are not to head out of the cave under any circumstances without me. Understood?"
There was such gravity in her voice that the boy couldn't help be respond in kind.
He gave a firm nod, even as his stomach let out a growl of hunger, and repeated after her, "Understood."
That was it and in the blink of an eye he transformed back into his fur before and trotting up to the mouth of the cave to stand guard with Cassidy.
A small yip behind Penn reminded her that the elders were still waiting. She turned back to them, apologized for the wait and asked them to follow her. Cutting in line, she led them through the opening to the inner caves. Then, once in there, she directed them through a few other caverns, each one lighting up brilliantly by her presence, until she stopped in the first crowded cave they came. There, she pointed to something up on one of the sloping walls. Illuminated by her radiant presence, the elders saw a narrow footpath on the uneven cave wall leading to a small opening near the ceiling of the cave. The opening was just big enough for a wolf to walk through.
"There's a surprise waiting for you in there," Penn confessed with a hint of excitement in her voice, which was not lost on the elders. "I don't know what it is, but I think you will," she told them with confidence before transforming into her fur.
Once in her fur the light in the cavern multiplied 10 fold. It was like having the moon in the room. For a moment, every pack member there had to shield their eyes. But, Penn was, as always, oblivious. She lept up the little path to the small opening and barked happily at the elders. They watched her and the light she carried with her, that was her, disappear into that dark hole.
Curiosity drove all 6 elders up the tapered trail. They were in no way prepared for what they found on the other side of the little opening.