Phantom Hollow There's no place like home

His name was Dante and, somehow, the introduction allayed her fears. Wildfire thought she actually recognized that name, yet she couldn't place it. He distracted her from her thoughts by mentioning a river that led to Big Salmon Lake. She found herself heaving a sigh of relief. Once they arrived at the lake, the young Outrider was confident she could find her way home from there. If memory served, she would actually be able to see the caldera from the shoreline.

He could have pointed her in the right direction (or just mentioned which direction the lake lay) but Wildfire hoped he would take there personally. She took a few steps, then paused, waiting for him to fall into step beside her and potentially lead the way. Meanwhile, maybe she would get to know a little more about this Dante, who knew of the Redhawk wolves but didn't seem to hold anything against her for her affiliation.

Before she could ask him any more questions, he sprung one on her. "I'm not sure. I mean, we went into the caves beneath the caldera when the storm hit. Then I thought I saw Nigh—uh, my brother, I mean—sneak off. I went after him. But either I imagined it or he went a different way, 'cause I didn't find him. I got lost down there." Her breath hitched in her throat and she shuddered. "It was really dark and quiet. It freaked me out, so I ran... then I think I must've hit my head because I woke up with this." She paused long enough to lift a foreleg to point out the goose egg above her eye.

She resumed not only walking but talking as she finished, "Then I followed a light and came out to find myself in this creepy forest." Phantom Hollow (not that she knew its name at the moment) was already receding behind them as they roved in what she loosely guessed was a southwestern direction, assuming it was the morning after the storm. So far, Wildfire didn't even realize it was actually a whole day later than she thought.