Penny could feel his heart thundering in his chest, like it knew he walked with false confidence, like it knew he was moments from danger -- always. He hadn't noticed the eerie silence of the area, though the crimson cast of the water made him uncomfortable. Something, somewhere deep, realized that things weren't right; unease intensifying as they moved further into the range. His pelt prickled at the way the shadows seemed all too large and all too small at the same time, suffocating and vulnerable. He led the way into the darkness, blind, an suddenly even the occasional sapling here and there looked like some weapon or enemy. His hackles began to prickle one strand of fur at a time, footfalls heavy, breaths heaving slowly as he fought for control of his senses.

He snapped out at a bush as he trotted past it, ripping off the twiggy branch and whipping it back and forth before letting it fling away. The leaves stung his mouth as they whipped through, the ones that ripped on his teeth were bitter, and the sensation left him unsatisfied. Not good enough. What was it he sought?

Pennyroyal felt like he was vibrating, and with each shudder of his muscles, he grew warmer. The red haze grew thicker. Was that real, or was it what clouded his mind so?

He felt his self-control trickling away like water down a hill, unsure what happened when the lake ran dry, but following the pull all the same. He felt more than saw his destination, obeyed the summons and headed for the foreign structure with a growl rumbling from deep in his chest. Such a noise had never left Penny, but he seemed unphased himself, picking up into a run.
He flung himself at the side of the flat, wooden box without thought, jaws widening into a snarl. He slid down the edge, anger spiking, and ducked around a corner to check another side, find a way in.

A yawning hole in the wall summoned him, and without ever glancing back to check on Verbena, he lunged for the opening.

Whatever was here, he needed to find it.