Phantom Hollow There's no place like home

Not at all! Thanks for joining. :)

She managed to find a puddle amidst all the detritus. Wildfire drank deeply, then lifted her head and surveyed her surroundings warily once more. She knew her directions (never eat soggy worms, she thought dimly) but since she had traveled underground, she was entirely disoriented. Even spinning slowly in a circle, she didn't recognize a single landmark. It didn't help that the storm had ravaged the lands, disguising them beneath strewn branches, fallen trees and other destruction.

Wildfire jumped when she spotted movement to her left. She crouched, squinting, then realized it was a wolf. She slowly rose again. Incapable of howling or even yelling, she unleashed a small bark to announce her presence, then began to pick her way toward the stranger, a male by scent. She lost sight of him momentarily between the towering, bare-branched trees and furling mists, but followed her nose and ultimately drew up in a small clearing, stopping about four yards from him.

Usually rather reticent with strangers, the mildly battered youngster blurted, "I'm lost. Can you tell me where I am?" She almost went on to add something about helping her find her way home, yet Wildfire was by now conditioned not to offer up too much identifying information right off the bat. First, she would have to gauge whether she could trust this fellow at all... not that she had much of a choice, given the situation.