Chapter 15: Crisis on Aurora

Harg, closely followed by Audrey, moved cautiously through the gloom of the caves and connecting tunnels. The clamor of combat had died down, and by the time they reached the underground room that was their goal it was plain that the fighting had ended in an apparent stand-off. A rank of Shadow People headed by their first friend Ka-Kachima held their weapons at the ready, menacing a dozen or so wolves across the width of the chamber.

"Harg! Tell them we are not their enemies, that it is only Zhordan who we seek!"

Harg called out to the other wolves, a series of barks and whines, and a gaunt gray wolf stepped forth from the pack.

"So, Harg, why have you come here, why have you attacked our friends?"

"They are not our friends, Worgath. When we went forth from here, the Place of the Gods sent us to their world. The Gods are no more, their descendants deformed savages who captured and enslaved us. We escaped, making our way back to this world, but we landed far to the south, in the forests of the Shadow People." Harg quickly outlined what they had found in the southern forests, and how they had defeated the killers who had been led by Steve Jordan. "Now Steve Jordan has been driven away, but he took one of our party with him, Phil-Hadley's dark one called Luana. We must seek the aid of the humans here on our world to go after him."

Worgath and the others were not easy to convince, and there was much growling and arguing, particularly over what was told of The Gods, but reluctantly they accepted the words of Harg and Ka-Kachima. Leading the way through the tunnels to where at last they stood under the starry night sky, he lifted his voice in a cry that would bring the valley's council. Well before the sky to the east lightened, they were surrounded by a pack of graying elders.

"Why have you called us here?" The speaker was somewhat larger than most, his dark fur graying to nearly white under the light of the stars. "How have you brought these Shadow People here, and why did they attack Zhordan's followers?"

"It is a long story, Nar-Dan-Harrath. I will let Ka Kachima tell you what has brought us here." He turned to the Shadow-warrior. "Tell them what Jordan's humans have done to your people."

Even in the highly compressed language of the wolves it was long in the telling, and by the time Ka-Kachima was done the sun was high in the sky. The wolves closed into a tight circle around the travelers, their furry ruffs bristling with anger.

"And this human with you?" Worgath snarled the words as he glared at Audrey, his suspicion evident in his stance. "She is one who was with Zhordan."

"She is mine, and I am hers," Harg answered just as strongly. "She has saved my life, and I have saved hers. Arralf-Hastha and I have taken her into our pack, along with the dark female Luana, Phil-Hadley and Charley-Burke."

Catching at least the flavor of Worgath and Harg's words, Audrey pressed closer to Harg's side. Worgath's neck fur smoothed somewhat, and she let herself relax against Harg just a little bit.