A dark, gaping hole was set in the snow-covered hill. I thought it looked a little like the nostril of a giant dragon. The darkness scared me, though I knew my flaming tail would dispel some of it. The werewolf and the vampire didn't seem worried, so I decided to just go with it.

The two entered the cavern. The vampire muttered some words, and a bright light lit up the brown, stone walls. I watched as the spiders and other crawling insects quickly made themselves scarce, hiding in the crevices between the rocks. The cobwebs were so thick with dust they drooped down.

'This place will need a thorough cleaning if we're going to make this my home,' I said to Thoysal, counting on the telepathic connection to still be open.

'I may just help you with that. I don't like staying at dirty places, either,' he replied, still carrying my bottle.

They walked into a side room. It was large enough to have fit several tables and benches, but now all that furnished it were some rocks. Some light fell through air shafts.

Thoysal put me down on a flat rock and took a step back. "This will take some work. Will you ask some of the Gamma's to help?"

"Yes. They'll be glad to get out of the mines, even if it is to chop wood," Sila replied, looking around the room. "We'll only need two of them, and ask them to restock every once in a while."

"That should be plenty to keep a fire going. And there are more than enough trees in your territory, as well." The vampire started piling the loose rocks in the corner.

I watched as the Ira got a faraway look in her eyes, as if completely elsewhere with her thoughts. Moments later, her eyes became focused again. She said, "They will come soon."

"Very well. I suppose I should get a broom," he replied, and vanished. I cried out in alarm.

"Don't worry, Zanixa. He can teleport. He'll be back any second."

Just as she said that, he returned, this time with a broom in his hands. I stared at him in awe and surprise. How had he just done that?

He started sweeping the floor. 'You will have to get used to me doing that. Teleporting is faster than running or walking. It saves time.'

'Dubren said you don't die. Doesn't that mean you have plenty of time?'

He chuckled. 'Even then, why waste time? I can still be killed. You never know.'

'If you can be killed, then how do you not die?'

'I can take a lot of injuries before I 'die'. Technically, I'm just unconscious for a long time while my body heals, but most call it 'death',' he explained as his broom sent clouds of dusts into the air. 'The only way to truly kill me, my so-called 'final death', is to burn me while I am 'dead'.'

I looked at him and tilted my head, remembering how he had edged away from the hearth earlier. 'That is why you don't like fire.'

'Was it that obvious? Yes. As fire is the only way to kill me, I am more careful around it.'

I nodded. It made sense. I was more careful around water, too, like he was around fire. How awful it must be to be hurt by fire... I couldn't even imagine it.

A while later, Thoysal paused his sweeping to look at the entrance. Two people walked in, each with logs stacked up on their arms. Sila greeted them. "Ah, Osmen, Shana, thank you for coming."

"No problem, Ira. We are happy to help," one of them said. They put the logs in the corner. "We have more outside and will be bringing it in."

The pile of wood kept growing as they brought more in. It would be taller than me if I stood next to it in my true size.

"That'll be all. Just let us know if you need any more, Ira."

"Will do. May the goddess be with you," she replied.

"Goddess be with you."

I looked at Thoysal in slight confusion. 'What goddess do they mean? There're a lot of them.'

'They mean Esnain, goddess of the hunt, rainbows, healing, and the wild. She once created the shifters. Although they technically belong to Daskil, they are about as fond of him as we vampires are, and pray to Esnain instead,' he explained. 'The title 'Ira' means 'Rainbow'. It means that she is the pack's rainbow, that she will take care of them, cheer them up when their morale is down, and protect them when needed.'

'Is she actually a rainbow?'

The vampire chuckled. 'No. She is not.'

"What did she say?" Sila asked.

"She wondered if you are actually a rainbow, given your title."

She looked at me, smiling. "Ah, I see. No, I am not a rainbow, but I am the closest to the Rainbow - our goddess. It's what makes me one of the two leaders of the pack. I ensure everyone inside the pack is happy, as well as the goddess. My mate is the one who ensures everything outside the pack is running smoothly. He works on relations with other packs or important groups and carefully watches our borders. That way, we keep everyone secure and the pack will prosper."

'Oh. I see,' I said.

"She somewhat understands. It's hard for her to comprehend, as firefoxes live alone, unless they have a mate or kit. The entire concept of a pack is new to her," Thoysal relayed.

"That's okay. She'll understand in time. Now, most of the dust and cobwebs are gone. It's about time we start building a fire."

The two made a small pile with dry twigs and kindling. With a few muttered words from Thoysal, it caught fire. One small piece of wood at a time, the flame grew.

The vampire looked at his creation. "It's about time to let her out, wouldn't you say?"

"Yes. Pull that cork off."