She was tired, but at least the pups were fed and the pack was well. Although for the longest time Nari had put off searching the lower tunnels for the she wolf that Sloane said had fallen in. The young mother had been worried that her pups would see her going into the dangerous half of the cave.Her worry was that they would follow and get hurt in the deep water or the deep crevices that were scattered throughout the cavern. The silver wolf had hoped that the lost female would find her own way out but now worry edged into Nari's heart. It shouldn't take this long to get out of the cave unless the woman was injured or severely confused.
Worry for the stranger finally brought Narimé down to the lower tunnel where the first of three barriers had been placed by her pack mates. Knowing that Sloane, Minka and her other subordinates would be watching the four pups the gray woman tore down the barrier and stepped into the dark tunnel.
Though it was true that the silver wolf knew the blocked off section of the cave, she was still cautious unsure of its safety. Nari and her pack mates had already seen how the water levels would rise and drop drastically depending on the weather and season among the water filled tunnels. She wasn't sure if the rest of the cavern might be filled with water or the same as she had left it.
The woman's wariness was awarded when her front paws slipped into two foot deep water almost immediately after padding into a lower section of the darkened limestone room. This water is probably from those thunderstorms not too long ago.. The silver she wolf tested each step cautiously feeling out her direction and trying to remember the way back to the room with the open ceiling. What she thought was that the stranger would be in that room still either alive or dead.
So it was a complete surprise to Nari when she reached the higher bank on the other side of the water and found very fresh wolf scent. Dropping her head to smell the trail , Nari was sure this was the scent that was left on the white pup Tokino had brought to them. She might be her mother.. Nari had also recognized a stale smell that was oddly familiar to her. She remembered the scent when meeting with Chantille and Tlarx. This woman was a Poison Path wolf!
Now knowing that the stranger might be dangerous to her own pack Nari quickly stepped forward to follow the trail. She hoped all the stranger would want was her pup, though the silver wolf would question the mother as to why the pup had been alone in the woods in the first place. She wouldn't be giving the girl back unless Nari was sure that the stranger was her mother and would take good care of the lost princess.
Like a ghost among the shadows of the walls Nari spotted the sickly white fur blazing through the darkness. Pausing for a moment the young alpha scented the air and noted the stillness of the stranger.
"Hello? Are you awake?" Concern prickled her gray fur and Nari stepped forward to nose around the white womans shoulders and legs. Her blue eyes glittered with concern for the Poison Path mother who simply looked horrid. Skin and bones from lack of food; Nari knew this wolf needed help and fast. The caverns wolves had enough food to spare for now at least.
"Don't attack me now I'm just trying to help okay?" She spoke roughly as Narimé tried to wedge her head under Athena's thin frame hoping the white wolf wouldn't wake up and outright attack her. Once the Poisoned wolfs head, chest, and front legs were over Nari's shoulders the silver wolf gently gripped the white wolfs front leg in order to keep her from sliding off. Then standing up slowly on long gray legs, the whisper caverns alpha began half carrying and dragging the white wolf back towards the water.
"Don't die on me now. Not when you have healthy Aphrodite to see."Nari walked slowly out of the water and towards the entrance of the room. Once there she padded forward readjusting her grip on the white queens front leg and passing through the barrier into the main portion of the cave. The gibbous cavern entrance was not far.
Now Narimé had no clue what to do. She glanced around checking on her pups and pack mates (whoever was in the cave at the time) and couldn't figure out where she was supposed to put the sick mother. Nari spotted Tokino by the pups and let a whine slip out from her muzzle directed towards him. Then the young mother let the white wolf slide onto the soft earth on the far side of the caves entrance opposite the pups. She would have to call for help from Simaea while keeping an eye on her own children.
"Tokino keep and eye on the woman for me while I call for Simaea." The command came from her silver jaws as Nari padded towards her pups to warn them of the danger.
"Yuka, Titan, and Malia do not go anywhere near the stranger unless I say so. She's sick and might hurt you on accident if you scare her." Nari looked at each of the pups with a hard stare making sure they knew that this was an order. The young wolf was sure that the stranger might be aggressive with a bunch of strangers all around her in a strange place. Then she looked at Aphrodite with a calm gaze. "She might be your mother, but in case she's confused please don't approach her without permission okay? It would be bad if she accidentally hurt you. Especially since I believe she was searching for you in the first place. " Nari kept her voice calm. She wasn't sure if the pup would obey her especially with her real mother nearby. Nari would not stop the girl if she did try to approach Athena. She would only defend if the stranger mother did do something to harm her own child.
With the warnings given out Nari raised her head and howled for the black healer to come wherever she may be. Then the silver wolf sat protectively between Athena and her own pups making sure that she would be the first wolf the stranger met if she were to wake up aggressive to those around her.