He turned around and took in the whole of the den. He saw Katherine settling down into her niche. She was feeling, and shifting around the soft coverings that coated the den floor. He watched as Nicolas yawned and leaned back against the dirt coated wall. Achelois found her niche and sat down also enjoying her handy work. William sank down and lay back among the soft, warm natural made rug of the den floor. He couldn’t have done a better job and he hadn’t felt this much at home in a very long time.
He must have dozed off because he started when he heard Aceso and Charles squeeze through the crevasse opening. He listened to them navigate the shallow corridor and watched as they emerged into the wolf den. He grinned as Charles and Aceso both stood there, just inside the entryway gaping at what they saw.
Aceso’s claws scrunched at the deep soft ‘carpet’. Her tail drooped slightly in a relaxed posture. Charles stood staring at the once black walls that were now a deep forest brown his tail was almost limp hanging behind him.
“Mom and dad’s back everybody,” Nicolas shouted. William looked over at the man and shook his head.
“This is amazing,” Aceso said.
“Why is there dirt all over the walls?” Charles asked.
Achelois piped up. “We did it to help insulate us a little bit from the cold of the stone. We could have done a better job with some mud and maybe some clay but, Aceso didn’t give us a whole lot of time.”
“It’s fine for now,” Aceso interrupted. “We don’t have time for the finer points of comfort. You guys did just fine.” She looked at Nicolas and Achelois. “Thank you, both of you did more than I expected and more than I ever could have hoped for.” Nicolas shrugged off the compliment, but Achelois grinned, her tail was thumping the wall behind her. Aceso took in the whole of the group, her tail rose once more in her command posture. “We have something to show you.” She turned to look at Charles. “Have a peek outside and make sure that we are still alone so we can exit without attracting attention to our den.” Charles turned and disappeared back into the crevasse.
“Are we going to go on a field trip?” Nicolas asked with mocked enthusiasm, his tail wagging ridiculously behind him.
Aceso ignored the comment and stood there waiting. William stood up and saw that Achelois and Katherine were standing as well. Only Nicolas remained on the ground. William wasn’t going to say anything. He was sure that Aceso could handle him.
He didn’t need to wait very long because Charles peeked his head back into the den. “We are alone, Aceso. If we are going to go, there would be no better time.”
Aceso nodded and turned to follow Charles out of the den. William stepped to the crevasse and followed. He squeezed through the narrow rock opening and picked his way around the folded entryway into the forest and moved away from the den entrance. He moved into the surrounding trees and found Aceso and Charles kneeling near two closely growing tree trunks.
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William made his way over to them and kept his back to the group. He kept his attention outward looking and listening for anything out of the ordinary. He assumed the ready posture that he had seen Ares take up many times. His tail was stiff behind him. He smelled the faint scent of Achelois and Katherine move up behind him to join the other two. He couldn’t pick out Nicolas yet, but he was sure that was exactly what the Scout of the pack wanted. He didn’t waste any effort trying to detect him, he would show up or Aceso would have another little teaching session with him. After only a few moments he smelled Nicolas join the rest of the pack.
While he kept his attention outward, he listened closely as Aceso addressed the pack. “Whatever test the Elders have in mind for us, it will come without warning. I want at least two of us on guard outside at all times.” William heard the slightest groan come from someone, he guessed it was Nicolas. “If we get caught inside our den we are finished.”
There was a moment of silence behind him. William scanned the surrounding forest looking and listening for anything. He spotted movement along a tree trunk. He darted left only to realize that it was just a squirrel running down the tree. William relaxed but kept his vigilance outward.
“I want the two guards to have a broad patrol only coming close to the den but never in front of it. Charles and I have rigged a passable den entrance along a clump of large boulders over there.” William glanced behind him to see where Aceso was pointing, then turned his full attention back out toward the forest. “That will be where you will patrol in front of. If you get taken, that at least that will give those of us inside the den a chance to get out and defend ourselves.”
There was silence behind him. The forest around him was suitably quiet. There were still the sounds of the cavern and the forest. There was nothing that alerted him to any danger, at least not yet.
“Who shall take the first rotation?” It was Charles’ deep voice that asked the question.
“You and Achelois will take the first rotation.” There was a brief pause then Aceso continued, “William, you and Nicolas will take the second.” William nodded but kept his attention on the trees around them. “Katherine, you and I will take the last rotation till morning.”
William looked out around him. The cavern lights had dimmed to an almost starlight glow. He hadn’t noticed it since his eyes had gotten used to the gloom of their den. How could I have missed such an obvious detail? It was night in the cavern and that fact had been completely lost on him. He found himself wondering about what other details he was missing. He knew that in those forgotten or ignored details their test would come. He turned back to his pack.
He heard Charles speak. “There is a small stream near our false den entrance. And there are many places that are defensible around that area. If you stay alert, you should be able to hold off any attack until the rest of the pack can get to you.”
William took notice of the silence behind him. It seemed like every one of them was silently thinking about what Nicolas had said about a traitor being in their midst and the taint of that side comment seemed to permeate the pack.
“All right” it was Aceso again. “Charles and Achelois you know what you have to do. See you in a couple of hours.”
William didn’t like the idea of being alone with Nicolas for several hours but then again, he really didn’t have a choice. He kept watch on the outlying forest and heard behind him two sets of soft paws start to run off to his right. He glanced behind him to see the others start to get up and make their way back to the den.
Keeping his full attention on the quiet night around him he backed slowly toward the entrance of his pack’s den. He really wanted to know what was being prepared for them out here. He could already feel the familiar tension rest between his shoulder blades and stiffen his neck.