The dogs of war ran as a pack. The spiked lightweight armour glinted in the speckled moonlight as they passed beneath the forest canopy. Their red eyes, black fur and sharp white teeth were ready for anything as they moved through the snow. Their mission while possibly deadly was not the most terrifying they had been on. The scouting missions to the outerlands alone were the worst. At least tonight they ran as a pack.
The pack stopped in the shadow of a giant oak, their breath and eyes the only signs they were there. Dethroar led Killhound to the edge of the tree's shadow to look over the cliff. In the distance a castle lay surrounded by fortified walls. A light shone from the watchtower, and small warming fires could be seen along the castle walls.
The pack stood alert to the sounds of the forest. Dethroar decided it was all clear and led the way out of the shadows to the steep path hidden amongst the thick undergrowth. Snow rained down as they pushed through and began their descent. The steep mountain goat terrain slowed their pace. As they padded silently towards the cave of Caravader. As the dark entrance loomed their hackles began to rise.
They gathered at the cave mouth, Dethroar with his teeth bared paced the entrance, a strong growl rose from his throat. They would never normally venture to this place and enter the dark cave, especially at night, but this was the shortest, most hidden way to the castle.
Nightcrawl joined Dethroar, his keen eyes scanning the darkness, calmly with a sniff they moved forward. Nightcrawl signalled to keep near the cave wall. Single file they entered the foreboding darkness along the side of the cave. Immediately the ground began to slope downwards and the steady drip drip could be heard but not seen in the gloom. They edged forward all of them attentive.
Suddenly a grunt from Nightcrawl stopped them, they crouched. Drip, drip, drip. Nightcrawl turned to Dethroar with the pack close behind them. They crouched in close, tensing together sensing danger ahead. The deep rumble began again from Dethroar. The pack knew this sound, he was ready for a fight, whatever was ahead Dethroar would attack. They knew they had to follow Nightcrawl and not look back.
With a snarl, Dethroar leaped from the front a flash of red light burst from the place where Dethroar tore a piece from a bearlike creature they could now see as it was lit by it's own wound. How it had crept close they would never know. They fled and followed Nightcrawl's footsteps leaving the snarls and sounds of battle left behind them as they rounded a bend in the almost pitch darkness.
They ran across a large cavern towards a glow emanating in the distance at the furthest reach of the cavern. A wall of sound descended from above with the high pitched screech of a thousand voices. They began to be bombarded from above by large bat-like creatures, their pace quickened to full gallop, the bats slamming into the armour around their shoulders, knocking them sideways, and into each other. The sounds of clashing shouldered armour scarcely heard above the din. They pelted on towards the light.
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A deep crevasse blocked their path ahead, either by luck or by Nightcrawl's amazing senses they were running towards a narrow gap. With no break in pace Nightcrawl launched across the cavern snapping at the bats in the air as he flew to the cliff on the other side, landing in a cloud of dust turning to watch the others leap. At full pace they barked and snapped as they leapt, all caution left behind.
As they began to land Nightcrawl streaked off leading them towards the light from the small narrow tunnel in the distance. He didn't look back until he reached the entrance and turned inside as the bats screamed and flew up into the darkness not liking the light. The flying creatures retreated a safe distance from the entrance screaming a concert of disagreement.
Nightcrawl counted each wolf as they passed into the tunnel, counting eight. No Dethroar yet. The other wolves looked around in amazement, surrounding them the tunnel walls glowed with gems, stones and crystals. The light hurt their eyes as they adjusted from the darkness behind them, as wolves of the night they usually preferred darkness, but they knew it was safer to be in the light.
Nightcrawl turned his watchful gaze from the dark entrance, they must continue their journey without Dethroar, he would have to find his own way... if he survived. They descended deeper down the twisting tunnel, the lights from the walls shone bright in places, and began to fade to a glow as they travelled on. Nightcrawler made his way left and right through the maze of tunnels. The walls became damp and the floor became muddy and sticky. The roof seemed to be getting closer to their heads, when they felt like their spiky armour was about to scrape the roof they stopped.
The sound of whistling wind on leaves could be heard in the darkness ahead. Nightcrawl led them to the entrance outside that was masked by bushes and buffeted by the wind. Relieved they pushed out into the thicket, hidden and onto the precipice. Hidden in the bushes they could seen below into the night to the castle. There would be no graceful descent along the loose rocky slope below them. A rock-slide had destroyed the narrow descending pathway. The slope, covered in loose rock, was not impassable but it would be almost impossible to do in silence. Given their proximity to the castle they would be surely heard by the guards. They began to mill around the edge of the thicket, no Dethroar to help decide the next plan of action, it was Killhound they looked to now. Their choices seemed grim. The catacombs behind were about as inviting as the guards warming themselves along the castle walls.
Killhound stood like a rock against the night sky watching intently, it would be his decision next as he scanned the valley below. A glint of armour and a flash of red eyes caught his attention. Dethroar, somehow was below them near the castle walls. Killhound cocked his head and watched, he knew to be ready, something would happen, it always did with Dethroar around. Then he heard it, a howl and shouting, on the other side of the castle, near the entrance. They watched as soldiers got up from their fires on the wall and rush towards the noise, as more shouts rose in the distance.
Now! They all leapt from the precipice onto the rock slide below sliding, leaping and crashing with an avalanche of loose rocks towards the bushes below. The cascade of rocks and wolf, crashed through the bushes at the bottom of the valley undetected. The sounds of screams and another howl from the entrance, Nightcrawl looked up, no one above was shouting, or shooting arrows at them. Quickly he led the pack behind the castle to the back where the refuse from the castle flowed out of a tunnel. Through the tunnel they would go and into the castle. Their mission was about to begin.