Moonspear Running with the boys

Wildfire replied in the positive, though the shakiness and pitch of her voice said otherwise. As soon as the single word was out of her mouth, she suddenly pivoted, and Floki stiffened reflexively. He poised to usher her out of the cave, but she only went so far as to lay down in its entrance, sucking in deep breaths of fresh air to calm herself.

Floki turned and lowered himself to his belly next to her, shoulder to shoulder and hip to hip. He licked her cheek reassuringly, his tail stirring against the stone behind him. "You did great. Baby steps," he reminded her with a gentle smile. His expression then sobered. "That does sound like it was really scary, though. I can't imagine being lost underground for that long," he said; he had no reason to fear tunnels, but thinking of the lack of sunlight and oxygen made him uneasy.