I would like you all to accept this chapter as a Christmas gift to you all. And just so you know, nothing particularly bad happens in this chapter. Also, I'm sorry for the late update... again.

The Secret Army:

Into The Valley of Death

" Mum, I'm hungry!" Fisk yawned quietly.

" Did you want me to go get you something?" Coon asked.

" No one is leaving this cave until everything settles down outside, understand!" Kara growled, this time snapping her jaws for emphasis.

Shortly after arriving in the cave, each of the wolf pack members turned into their human forms and turned the medallions on their necklaces. Since then, the medallions had made it possible for the pack to speak in their human voices while they were still in their animal forms… at least, that's what it sounded like to all the non-morphers. This particular conversation had been going on for what felt like hours. It was the fifth time that the grey female had asked the alpha female for food… and it was making the escapees hungry just thinking about it.

From what Katie could gather - and this was in her half-asleep state - the wolf pack leaders were a brown wolf male by the name of Shiro and a grey and silver female by the name of Kara. She also figured that Kara was easily angered with the way her mood was at that moment, but something about the alpha reminded her of her stepmother.

A sigh escaped her lips as she remembered her parents. Her father taught agriculture at the local university; that was what attracted Demeter to him… that and his obvious 'green thumb'. But it wasn't until she was ten that her father chose to move on with his life and find someone else. It took him two years – in which Katie had found out who her mother really was – but eventually he found a nice woman in the next city by the name of Annie. They got married that spring and, when Annie fell pregnant the next year, she was as grumpy as ever.

Unfortunately, Katie's mind was that cold and that tired that it couldn't make the connection between the two women.

Currently, she and Melissa were huddled together underneath Ice's and Tena's parkas and resting on a female brown wolf whose name she already forgot. Somehow, she was able to remember that Ice was the silver and white male and that Tena was a really light grey, almost silver wolf with no other colour except the blue of her eyes. When first introduced, the blond roman, Octavian, made the mistake of calling Tena white. The she wolf got so annoyed with him that she stomped her foot and yelled that she was 'silver not white'.

It was thanks to Dakota that Octavian's life was spared for another day. The son of Dio – Bacchus must have been hallucinating again (he did that sometimes) because he instantly called the silver wolf 'a silver angel sent to save us from the depths of the Underworld'. That instantly settled the she wolf down with a slight blush across her cheeks. The only problem was that it also sent a small snarl erupting from Ice's wolf lips. It was a clear warning for Dakota not to go near Tena ever again.

Now, both Tena and Ice were out in the snowstorm that had started not long after the pack had entered the cave. The two of them were supposed to be on patrol but the black wolf guarding the entrance had already brought in two rabbits and one small bird since the two silver wolves had left. Both Shiro and one of the other males (a black and brown wolf morpher) were quick at preparing the rabbits and bird for eating. Katie hadn't had the heart to watch them work.

When the rabbits' blood was passed around in one of the animals' organs, she almost fainted. The sad thing was everyone had to drink some of the blood and eat whatever meat they were given.

Raw.

It wasn't long after that that Dakota had curled up on top of a cream and brown wolf and started dreaming about Kool-Aid. Thankfully, that same wolf had offered his parka to the boy before he fell asleep because it looked like the alphas were keeping a close eye on the wolf.

Now, Katie couldn't seem to get to sleep despite the others from Bunker Six managing it. Will was next to her, on her other side, trying to give her some of his own, small warmth. It was a friendly gesture, but the daughter of Demeter wondered if it was that that kept her from sleep. Both Will and Octavian were having those rare, dreamless sleeps that night. Melissa, on the other hand, would occasionally sleep talk – or rather order someone about. And Dakota… well, Dakota was dreaming about Kool-Aid.

But Connor was having a cold and restless night that night. He was sleeping on the other side of Melissa, so Katie had an easy view of him shivering as if he were out in the snowstorm naked. Occasionally, she would hear him sneeze and she'd worry that he was getting sick. It wasn't the first time that someone had died from illness. In fact, those sneezes were the reason why Connor had the most parkas on; three in total, including Shiro's. But even with them on, he would not stop thrashing about.

" Quiet now, you three. The others are asleep." Ice's gentle voice made Katie turn to the front of the cave.

Shiro was leading three new escapees in from the snowstorm. As they made their way into the circle that the wolves had created to try and keep the humans warm, Katie seemed to recognise two of them. But, like everything else her brain wasn't registering on, she had no idea who they were. All she could make out was that there were two boys and one girl.

" Shiro, what are you doing?" Kara growled. " Forget that, what are Ice and Tena doing?"

" Following orders." Her mate replied.

" I thought I ordered them to stay on patrol around the cave?"

" They are on patrol, but I gave them other orders as well."

" You what?!"

" How else did you think we were able to feed the others? I told Ice and Tena to try and hunt. Don't forget that Tena has one of the best senses when it comes to hunting… especially in the snow."

" What else did you tell them to do?"

" I told them to go back to the labour camp to try and find more inmates as well as more information. We're going to get into trouble when we get back anyway, so we may as well make this beneficial in some way, right?"

" Fine. How many more are we expecting?"

" At max, another three. But I've given orders for them to try and find CSA members. When they get back, I'm planning on sending Coon and Fisk out to do some hunting."

" Terrence Monako! Your daughter is fifteen years old! I will not have her out in the middle of a snow storm when there is danger about!"

" Okay, okay. Calm down woman. I'll take watch over Marik when the other two get back, then the three of them can get some sleep. But we are going to need more food."

" We'll focus on that when the snow storm passes…"

Finally Katie's eyes closed and she slipped into sleep, worrying about Connor, Travis and everyone else she could think of.

Morning came too quickly for Shiro. During the night, Coon - a white wolf with tan stripes on his face, back and tail - woke him up at the entrance of the cave and offered to relieve him of watch duty. He hadn't meant to fall asleep. It just sort of happened. At least everyone was safely back in the cave when it happened.

With a sigh, he turned to where Connor lay. Also during the night, Flame had traded places with Rust in order to keep the son of Hermes warm. Unfortunately, the 19 year old omega had to start an argument with the one year older delta and that led to Kara waking up and yelling at them both about the argument. And with the way Kara was at the moment, Shiro didn't want anyone to stress her out. Eventually Rust - the brown wolf with dark brown mouth, toes, underbelly and eye patches - gave in to Flame's demand (with aid from Kara's orders) and he traded places with the brown and cream omega.

It turned out to be a good thing, though. Connor had started getting hypothermia. By trading places with Rust, Flame had initially saved the boy's life. And it was that which will get Flame a position as a delta… once everyone was awake. By law of the Elders, all members of the pack must be present during the ceremony. Shiba would have to be told when they find her. Something like this, with what both Ice and Flame had done, could not go unnoticed.

" I'm getting too old for stuff like this." He heard Aron mutter before a yawn erupted from the black and brown wolf's jaws.

After his own yawn and a couple of stretches, Shiro stood up. He was in his wolf form so as to keep warm during the night and the cold, but looking around at the labour camp escapees, he was beginning to wonder if it was wise of him. With a shake of his head, he banished the thoughts from his mind and turned to face his beta.

" What do you mean, Aron?" He asked, rubbing his eyes with his paw.

" Looking after pups like you. It gets tiring. I can understand why the General gets frustrated all the time. Life is all work and no fun these days. Us older folk, we're just getting too old and tired what with all the running and digging and jumping that you young'uns do. Now, I'm just talking in general, not trying to assume your position or get you to take pity on me or anything like that, you hear?"

" I understand. But don't forget, with age comes wisdom. And that is why you are my most valuable advisor."

" Thank you, Shiro. You're right."

" I'm glad my father's last wish was to have me as Alpha and you as my Beta. But I hope you're still young enough for a hunt?"

Aron tilted his head to the side, curiosity clear in his old, green eyes. " You're calling a pack hunt? So close to enemy territory? And with the escapees?"

" Not all of us are going. Especially not Kara, Flame or the under aged. But there'll be more on the hunt later on. I want to call a meeting first."

" As you wish, Alpha."

With a short growl that was instantly followed by two short barks, Shiro ordered the rest of his pack to awaken. It was only a matter of minutes before the Whitewater Wolf Pack was awake and alert to their Alpha's words. The demigods and CSA members took a little longer to wake, though. It was still early, even for the camp. And with everything that had happened during the night, they wanted to sleep as long as they can whilst still thinking that everything was a dream. Of course, Kara had to say something about them sleeping in.

" Ellenes! Proseko!" She growled in Ancient Greek before switching to Latin, " Romani! Animadvertere!"

The effect was instantaneous. Every single one of the escapees shot up at attention; Connor even swaying from the effort.

" Woah there, buddy. You take it easy." Flame ordered gently, quickly transforming into his human form and managing to hold the younger Stoll steady.

" Did I just hear an order from an Omega?!" Kara growled.

" I didn't mean… It was just… a gentle suggestion for… for his safety. Yeah. That's what it was. I was just looking out for the son of the Lord Hermes."

" Peace. Both of you." Shiro sighed.

He had transformed shortly after calling the meeting and was once more in his human form. To be honest, he looked cold. But when his jacket was returned to him by Connor, he refused to take it and instead gave the other two jackets to two more escapees that had arrived during the night; his own currently rested around Connor's shoulders. Slowly he passed his eyes across everyone in the cave – pausing slightly when he reached Flame's eyes - before finally resting them on the eyes of his mate.

" Flame did not mean to order any of the pack members when he said that, Kara. He was only talking to Mr Stoll, not trying to push anyone's nerves. He meant no harm."

" Don't you tell me he meant no harm. He was the one who tried to fry us alive in our own hut! I won't have him making any orders – to the pack or anyone else – while I'm around! As far as I'm concerned, he is an omega to everyone!" His mate snapped back.

" Actually, that was an intoxicated Charles Whitlam who set the hut on fire, not Lucas Hudson."

" I don't care who it was! Our family was in danger! Our lives were in danger! And both of them were at the scene of the crime therefore making them both eternal omegas in my eyes!"

" Will you calm down? Take a deep breath and think about something happy, something you enjoy. Remember happier times and remember to breathe calmly. Don't make me go into hysterics like I did with Chloe." Shiro ordered his mate.

" Dad." Fisk muttered under her breath, clearly not comfortable about the situation.

" Shiro is right." Aron's voice came from the pendant around the brown and black wolf's neck. " We all should calm down. A meeting has been called, not a war."

Silence fell in the cave. For a while, no one moved. Finally, Connor had to sit down; his head starting to spin from standing too long. He was followed shortly by the other escapees and introductions of everyone in the cave. It turned out that the three escapees that Katie had seen enter the night before were Mitchell from Aphrodite, Lou Ellen from Hecate, and nine year old son of Nemesis, Fernando Cortez. Since Katie had fallen asleep, two more escapees had joined them: a mortal by the name of Liza Kori and Laurel Nates, a daughter of Mercury who was assigned to Camp Half-Blood at one point.

Once introductions were over, the meeting began. To Kara's disappointment, Flame was promoted to Delta status thanks to his quick thinking in the survival of Connor Stoll. It came as a surprise to most of those in the cave when they found out that the brown and cream wolf was actually a son of Vulcan.

Ice was also given the promotion but no one, not even Kara, had expected him to turn down the offer. His exact words were that 'the pack needs an omega'. Upon this discovery, Tena nearly broke down into tears. It took the announcement of a well needed hunt to get the thought off the teens mind… and a smile from Ice that seemed to say that it wouldn't last long. Little did anyone know, but that hunt was going to find something other than food.

" What is that thing?" Coon asked.

The entire wolf pack, as well as the escapees, had found themselves at the edge of a steep valley. It was obvious that Kione had something to do with the frozen weather where they stood and back at the labour camp due to the fact that the snow stopped at the valley edge. The valley floor and the other side of the valley both remained untouched by the white, frozen water. Save for the few spots where it was obvious that logging had occurred, the valley floor was a blanket of green and brown trees. Massive rocks could also be seen surrounding the barren area at the centre of the valley. But it was the thing in the very centre that Coon was talking about.

In the very centre of the valley's barren site stood a white, single storey building. From the height the wolf pack was at, it looked a medal podium had been kicked off the edge of the valley and had sunk into the ground on impact. But with the way the escapees were looking at the building and whispering to each other, the building wasn't just some random cabin in the woods. What was worse was that it had taken most of the day… and the sun was beginning to fade.

" It looks like a building to me." Marik replied, a sly grin on his wolfish face.

" That is the Grotto. It has to be." Will deadpanned.

" The place where Connor's brother is?" Aron asked, having overhead what had been said back at the labour camp.

All he got in response was a solemn nod from the son of Apollo.

Not long after that, Shiro appeared. He and Flame had gone to find a quick and safe way down into the valley. Judging by the looks in their eyes, things hadn't gone as planned.

And now we have dictionary time:

Ellenes! Proseko! = Greeks! Attention (in Ancient Greek)

Romani! Animadvertere! = Romans! Attention (in Latin)