Brother, Where Have You Been?

Condensation clung to the walls of the cave, moisture in the air making the whole thing smell like mold and musk. It wafted from the depths of the cave, which told intruders that this cave ran deep.. deep enough to penetrate through the dry sands of the West and reach the old waters beneath.

Kane enjoyed the humidity of the air found within the cave, and the mushrooms grew extravagantly along the walls.. feeding on every bit of water that hung on them. The moss was no match for the strength of the roots of the mushrooms, though the glow of the 'shrooms certainly had a beautiful effect as their light danced along the slimy surface of the moss beneath them. The mushrooms invaded every inch of space that they could and preyed upon the moss. This was a war that had been going on for hundreds of years, and yet quietly... Kane slept in complete serenity beneath it all.

His large form was curled together as tightly as it could, though his forelimbs stuck out in line with his spine. His chest was too barreled to pull them inward like a fox could, but his thick neck twisted and curled inward toward his back legs and his tail wrapped around attempting to meet it. He was too thick for them to touch completely, but he was comfortable and warm like this. He was in a dreamless sleep, which was a blessing for him. He had never been a heavy sleeper, and light sleeping habits often twisted the sounds that he'd hear and turn them into bizarre dreams that would leave him confused when he woke. Not tonight, though. He'd traveled for so long and so far with Elias that he was exhausted, ready to sleep for days if he could manage to go that long without being disturbed.

Of course, he couldn't. The sharp bark echoed off the walls and perked his attentive ears immediately, his singular red eye widening as he snapped his head up off the ground and looked toward the cave entrance. He didn't recognize the bark, not really.. but the lurking shadow remained where he was, unmoving except for his creeping nose as it lifted into the air and tried its best to catch any evidence as to who was calling out. The faint scent of himself was all that he could uncover, though... maybe.. it was a little different? Or maybe, that was the mold. He couldn't tell, but... for now.. he simply rested and waited to see if whoever it came in deeper. In the meantime, he got up to prepare himself for a fight if one came. He was no stranger to the ill-wills of unknown wolves, so... he prepared his defenses and waited for whoever it was to come around the corner of the tunnel and face him.