After some exploring of the land, it was glaringly obvious that whatever was going on, it was happening beneath the earth. He moved them away from that first fissure, where the deepness of it alarmed him. Bringing them to a stop some distance from it, he did what other creatures and wolves were already doing in this land. He could see some of them across the distance, but none came too close to him and his pet.

“Get to digging” He ordered her, and did the same himself. Using his long legs and powerful paws to dig into the earth. Weary all the time of any sudden drops in heights.


"Speech"

Demelza kept to his side as he guided them away from the fissure. Her fright still dogging her heels. The sound coming from below seemed to thrum with the strangeness. She glanced at him as he commanded her to dig, so dig she did. She didn't think digging into this was actually that good of an idea but if her master bid her dig, then she was to dig.

Her paws swept into the sand and soil and pulled it behind her. She joined her hole with his and helped sweep the ground away from the center. She wondered if there were any gems or jewels down there! But what if there was a giant creature that was making that sound and they were digging up their doom?

"Speech"

Ouch!

Flare digs and digs, and when the ground finally collapses, they fall down to the winding tunnels below, suffering a sprained paw in the process.

Ouch!

Demelza digs and digs, and when the ground finally collapses, they fall down to the winding tunnels below, suffering a sprained paw in the process.

Flare and his slave were digging, when suddenly the ground shifted beneath him. His first thought was earthquake and his second was oh shit. He had no time for any others before he was falling, and the ground met him too fast at the bottom. He landed hard, and he landed funny. He let out a noise, somewhere between a yelp and a groan as he felt something twist in his paw.

He pulled himself back to his paws, shaking off the debris and reached forward. Finding Dem, he pulled her towards him. Pulling her into the space between his forelegs as he took stock of where they were and what dangers there might be. All the while trying not to lean on his injured paw.


"Speech"

The sand shifted under Demelza's paws and she was about to pause and tell him something was happening until suddenly she was falling. She closed her eyes as the ground fell away from her, bracing herself to catch her fall. But instead of a safe landing, her wrist bloomed in shocking pain. Making her hiss as she landed hard with a wind-stealing ooomf.

The world was black for a moment until her gaze adjusted to the gloom. Trembling against having the wind knocked out of her and her paw sprained she couldn't tell which way was up. She felt his paws wrap around her suddenly and pull her protectively between his legs. She looked up at his chin, the light from above cast a halo of light around him. It would have been ethereal if he wasn't the master he was, it looked ominous instead.

She looked into the gloom, into the shadows of tunnels spread out around them. The debris from their fall to the side, and several tunnels branched away from them. She looked up at where they had fallen in, hopeful to see a way to climb out but the the roof break was clean and the ceiling of the cavern was high enough to be out of reach.

They needed something to light the way, how might they find a way out?

"Speech"

He stood there a moment, Demelza beneath him until the initial panic began to wane. No new threats presented themselves, and the earth seemed to have settled again. At least… for now. He took a step back from Demelza, and looked at her dusty body. “Are you injured?” He asked her. It might well be a hike to find their way out of these tunnels… if indeed there was a way out. It was going to be rough on his sprained leg.

“I’ve sprained my leg. Tend to it as best you can.” He ordered her, indicating with his nose to the limb in question. He was still on high alert, keeping stock on the area around them. Half expecting another kind of danger to find them.


"Speech"

She remained stationary as he stepped back from her, her green eyes flicking quickly to his movements. He had a limp. She had a limp. Fuck. He asked if she was injured, she lifted her offending ankle and pointed with her nose to her own sprain. He commanded her to tend to his sprain. Right, sure, like she could just pull two bandages out of her ass and wrap them both up. She looked up to the gaping hole above them, tinged an ominous red from the strange red-stained sky. Did any of their supplies and camping equipment make it down?

As he kept eyes on their surroundings she attempted to poke through the debris of their fall. Hah! Yes! As she shifted the sand about she found their camping supplies. Inside was still pristine if a little knocked about. Supporting herself with one leg she reached inside for the first aid kit. Enough supplies for two wolves.

She opened it up and found the bandages. With one, she approached Flare and hesitantly took his leg and gently began to wrap it. Using her good paw and her teeth to maneuver it around.

"Speech"

Flare watched the area and kept an eye on Demelza as she dug around for some of their supplies. When she successfully returned with the first aid kit, he gave her room to bind his leg. Grunting occasionally at the twinges of pain through the limb. Once she was done he gestured impatiently with his free paw for her to place her injured one in his grasp. She did so with only the faintest hesitation, as well trained as she was. He grabbed the bandages left over and bound hers, somewhat mimicking the job she had done. just with less experience and care.


Once he was done, he gestured with his nose towards the first aid kid. “Dish out the appropriate pain killers… for the both of us.” He allowed. He had banned her use of them, but in this case her pain wasn't caused by a need for correction, and he didn't know how long they'd be stuck in her for. He didn't want her slowing then down, and he needed her operational. Then they needed to start exploring for a way out.

She made quick work of the wrapping job. When he gestured for her to place her paw in his she couldn’t help but feel a rush of fear he would take the opportunity to blame their fall on her and punish her. But she knew it would be worse if she hesitated.

He treated her leg the same way she had his and told her to grab the painkillers. She was almost hopeful now! She could have a little? Really? She took out the small pills of dried herbal paste made of cherry and willow bark. Potent pain killers for sprains too. She offered one for him to either swallow or chew. She just swallowed hers.

How could they see down the tunnels and keep track of where they had been? How were they going to get out?


She looked down one tunnel, her ear keeping track of Flares movements. She packed up the kit as well as she could. Should they take the kit with them?