Alouette regretted her decision to make her sisterly bond with Thoth known to Sekhmet. She could see no other reason for the larger pup’s demand that she follow her out into the freelands. The chocolatey brown, delicate two year old was unable to defy Sekhmet. The multicolored terror was a force both physically and mentally; both traits Alouette was no match for. So, she conceded and tailed her pack mate loyally out of Asteraia to the tunnels of the Grotto. The foreboding opening of the tunnels sent uneasy tendrils through her core. Dens were one thing to enjoy being underground, but homes of bats were another.

Like the diligent follower she was, however, her reservations were swallowed into her paws, which took on a new quality in her nervousness. From delicately smooth, they became fleeting and quick. She almost looked like she were spending more time in the air than she was in contact with the ground. Alouette’s speed didn’t increase however and she remained a shadow behind the alpha pup. Her eyes adjusted to the dim light, and Alouette’s orange and blue eyes flitted from crevice to stalagmite wondering what monsters were lurking behind them that Sehkmet’s presence kept at bay.

She inched a hair closer to this adventure’s leader. When they finally stopped at a place of Sekhmet’s choosing, Alouette relieved her worry by observing no bats clung to the walls or ceiling above them. At least she needn’t worry about rabies on this excursion. She cautiously stepped to Sehkmet’s side, gliding a sidestep away to give the female proper space. Alouette asked quietly, unwilling to allow her voice to echo down the halls of the mysterious cave, ”What would you like to accomplish at the Grotto, Sekhmet?”