Noctisardor Bypass [raid] going deeper underground

laurel kept her den well-hidden. on this day mahler was grateful for her reticence. he retraced his steps, but now there are was no reason to check to see if a wolf followed.
he knew that they did.
there was to his knowledge one way into the bypass and out of it. now their way into rising sun was blocked by the tangling wolves.
somewhere among them was wylla.
he had not gone to the border after all.
mahler, grim and silent, wended through the deepening brush as the trail of indra and laurel darkened into shadow. eventually he announced himself with a low tone.
"they vill be here soon," he said in a level voice. his eyes fell to indra. abel was not here. 
the man's heart sank as he looked on laurel's face, mostly hidden by nightblack as here the trees had twisted into the opposite of the woodland's namesake.
"come. there is a cave." if he had known that the boy would not be with his mother, he would have stopped to find him. no matter now. the wolves came for laurel.