--
She well and truly had not meant to frighten Tony, but with the wind howling in their ears and the snow all but obscuring the form of her cousin not two feet from her nose, Parker had little choice. Of course, she didn't know he'd caught on to their uncertainty (and in her case, her fear), but she could see it in Mati's furrowed brows that all but confirmed her suspicions. This was turning ill, and the storm would surely wipe them all out if they stayed out here any longer. There was no getting back to the Manor now. Wordlessly the huntress changed their course, straying off what was once their path towards the north. It took a moment for Parker to realize that Mati was taking them to the Skip Caves. It was their only choice, with the Manor miles away, and any calls for help would be lost to the roaring winds.
Parker followed along, instincts kicking into gear. Though adrenaline was now feeding into her system, she controlled it with a finesse she'd never felt before. If she panicked now, it would tear the whole party apart and fester inside of them like a virus. The quiet girl knew she had to be as strong as Mati, as the second oldest of the group and to make her mother proud. Savina wouldn't let her fear control her here. She was the Consol, the Commander, and the pillar of the pack. Breathing in, and breathing out, she plodded through the thick snow behind Cypress with a mantra repeating over and over in her head: almost there, just ahead, almost there.
Soon enough, a shadow loomed into view. A grayish-white mound that indicated the rise of the cavern threshold, but it was distorted by the flurries and still a short distance off. But they'd made it. She gave Mati and co. a small woof of encouragement, a smile playing on her lips.
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