| "Does the wall breathe or is it merely rock? Do I dream or do I wake?" |
| — Faolan when he steps into the Cave Before Time in Lone Wolf, page 113 |
The Cave Before Time is a cave with many paintings on its walls. Faolan finds this cave wandering the Outermost looking for Thunderheart. Some of the paintings show the history of the Wolves of the Beyond, including times of the Long Cold and of Fengo leading the wolves to the Beyond.
Description[]
The Cave Before Time is a deep cave with different paintings on the wall and many tunnels and passageways. There are images of different animals, the same spiral markings on Faolan's paw, constellations, a byrrgis hunting formation, and the Ring of Sacred Volcanoes, with owls diving for embers. On the ceiling is a depiction of a collection of stars resembling wolves. There is little water with rats and bats as a source of precious food.
Many of the drawings tell the story of how the wolves migrated with the help of Fengo from the Always Cold to the Beyond. A separate room contains "the most magnificent of all the paintings," that of the Ring of Volcanoes, colliers, and the Ember. To Faolan, the pictures look incredibly real, as he can hear the sounds of animals panting as they are shown running. There is a reverant spirit in the air, and Faolan described the cave as a beginning, unlike the Cave of Souls, which is an "ending."
Most of the paintings are of animals
History[]
Before the Books[]
Before the books, Eo, Finoula, and the first Fengo recorded their sightings and some of the Beyond's history in the Cave Before Time.
Lone Wolf[]
In Lone Wolf, after returning to the Beyond from the Outermost, Faolan discovers the Cave Before Time. He takes note of all the images he observes, including that of animals, the spiral marking, a constellation, and a byrrgis. He spends many days there, not sleeping or eating because he is fed by the stories on the walls. He clears the passageway that leads to the paintings of the Ring of Volcanoes and sleeps there, the smell of his birth mother mingling with the images. Faolan decides to leave to search for his mother and siblings.
Frost Wolf[]
In Frost Wolf, Faolan, Mhairie, Dearlea, the "Whistler", and Edme take shelter in the cave after seeing a Skaars circle. Faolan has a dream where he records the sighting of the Skaars circle.
Spirit Wolf[]
In Spirit Wolf, the "Whistler" is in the Cave Before Time during the earthquake. This may be the only reason he survived.
The Cave Before Time is described of as beautiful by Faolan, though Edme found it strange.
Afterwards, Katria and Airmead rest in the cave after the battle where Airmead was injured they were found by Faolan, Edme, Mhairie, Dearlea, the "Whistler", Myrr, Banja, Maudie, Toby, Burney , and Gwynneth on their journey to the Distant Blue. That night, Faolan discovers his third gyre soul, Fengo and the beautiful bone of a twisted femur.
Later, Heep led his rout to the cave following Faolan and his group to the Distant Blue, inferring that if any wolf could find a better Beyond, it was Faolan. Caila came to her senses there. She turned on Heep and ran out of the cave with Abban.