Whisper Caverns What a coincidence seeing you here

Namid 'Star Dancer' The fae had returned from going on a brief hunting excursion, deciding that she should try to pull her weight as best as she could in her new home. It didn’t seem right that she sit around while everyone else around her was busy, and she didn’t like sitting around anyways. Sadly, she hadn’t had many chances to actually do what her rank had assigned because everyone had been so busy. The pack was larger than she’d thought it would be and there were still many that she still needed to meet. However, there was one wolf that she was very…uninterested in seeing at the moment that she knew was somewhere in the confines of the territory. Looking for evidence of the cache, she buried the hare she’d managed to capture. It was a strange thing for her to do, as when they’d caught something on the reservation it was normally used and eaten very quickly. Here, it could sit for a few days before it was touched which seemed like a huge waste to her. But, food was food and whatever went toward helping them all stay healthy she was happy to provide. As she turned, the very wolf she’d been avoiding came into her field of sight. Ever since joining Whisper Caverns the Star Dancer had been more than careful to not come into contact with @Bishop. After their last encounter she knew that she was not welcomed anywhere near her or @Rook and her agreement with Bishop should have ensured that she not come back to the pair. She knew that meeting the yearling was unavoidable, but putting it off seemed to always be the best option at that time. This time was no different than any other time as her auds automatically flattened to her skull, head lowering as well as her tail as she turned and tried to as quietly as possible move out of the line of sight of the she-wolf without being noticed. Find a place where there's joy, and the joy will burn out the pain.

(This post was last modified: Jul 29, 2014, 05:04 AM by Namid.)

Since fishing the day before had gone a bit better than he had ever imagined, Rook considered giving himself a sort of "day off" - meaning that he was going to "stay home" for once and simply mind the borders that the Lady Narime, her sons (by now, Rook had realized that Titan had an age mate brother), and the rest of the pack. He had just been making his rounds when he spotted a familiar pale-furred figure skulking about with her head low. An amused grin plastered itself on his ivory muzzle as he stopped just yards from her, chuckling. "You're not trying to avoid me, are you?" he asked, his tail wagging at his back as he addressed her. "'Cause if you are, I'm afraid it's much too late now..." He approached her with a leisurely spring in his step, his tickled grin still apparent as he waited for her to explain exactly what she was doing. He tried to meet her eyes, to gauge the emotion there in those almost-likely-colored irises. "How have you been? What are you doing here?" The second question was not even accusatory, but curious and genuinely inquisitive. Since he and Bishop had opted to join Whisper Caverns, all he had known was that Namid had not had plans to join a wolf pack, at least, not any time soon. The last time he had seen her was when she had the whimsical idea of following a strange Raven into a secluded part of the Irisdescent Lagoon. That had been a little more than two weeks ago. Hints of the pack's collective scent - the aroma of damp earth and wet stones - came to his nose from her pelt, but he opted not to pry, wanting to hear for himself what had brought his friend to the outskirts of Whisper Caverns along the Meadow.

Chances are I have a BEN WHISHAW gif for that.

I'm thinking that we'll just continue until @Bishop wants to jump in c:

Thoughts are like burning stars and ideas

Whisper Caverns

They flood and stretch the universe

The silvery pelted fae had just almost rounded the corner when she was met by a very familiar face. She stopped abruptly, back-peddling a step as she slowed her now quickly beating heart. The boy had scared the living daylights out of her with his sudden appearance, and if she’d been older she might have worried she’d been going through a heart attack. Nearly automatically she was met by a barrage of questions, and she didn’t really expect anything less. She found herself smiling in amusement and happiness at it, and was slightly stunned by how much she found she had missed it in that moment. It made her forget whom she was trying to get away from and focus on her reunion with her companion.

“Oh shoot. You have caught me, and just when I thought I had been being sneaky,” She chuckled. There was an obvious kidding note in her voice, making it apparent that she definitely had not been avoiding the tawny male. Of course, the same couldn’t be said for his twin with a darker personality. “I have been good, how have you been? Is everything treating you alright here? Have you found anything new?” Now it was her turn for a barrage of questions. The question of any new finding had been directed toward the herb he’d been trying to find for his father, or at least that’s what she was pretty certain he was looking for. Either way she hoped that he had at least found something. That thought brought her back to mind that she had been trying to get away from Bishop and suddenly her anxiety spiked again. A wary look shadowed her pale features as she gave a quick glance around, ears lowering slightly in nervousness. Taking a breath she steadied herself, settling her heterochromatic gaze back on Rook and offering up another small smile. “I found I missed being around other wolves more than I thought I would. Anyways, what more could I learn than from being in a pack? I am already learning much, and even get to teach others what I know. It is quite amazing, and everything is so strange,” The Star dancer replied, her tail beginning to wag slightly.

(This post was last modified: Aug 14, 2014, 12:16 AM by Namid.)

Her playfulness charmed him and his tail continued to wag, even as she went on to disclose that she had missed the company of others. Quite frankly, Rook thought he had lost her for... well... forever - or, at least, until she had made up her mind to join a pack. She had, to begin with, admitted to him at the time of their first meeting that she was not quite ready to find herself as someone's subordinate. His inner self let out a captivated sigh; he did like to listen to her talk. It had been one of the few things he had deeply missed (aside from his homelands beyond Relic Lore, his aging parents, and the family he had left behind). "I've been well," he stated. "Busy... somewhat... but well. Lady Narime, and the pack, have been very kind to allow us, me and my sister, to stay." His smile seemed to touch the triangles on his face and show on his masked face at last. He opened his mouth to utter something but quickly closed it as he took a good look around, his ears swiveling to and fro as he attempted to sense if any others were nearby. It seemed to him that there weren't, and as he looked back to Namid, he let his grin take on a more boyish quality. It was the sort of lop-sided simper that was more likely to belong to a young cub rather than a maturing gentleman as he believed himself to be. With utmost care and the smoothest of movements, he inched closer to her, speaking in a whisper that was meant only for her to hear, "I missed you." He tried hard to remain in place, and keep himself from stepping back in concern over her personal space. The usual timbre in his voice returned, though, as he stood, and his tail, which had stilled for the briefest of moments, fell back into a gentle swaying motion. "I thought maybe I wouldn't see you again."

Chances are I have a BEN WHISHAW gif for that.

Thoughts are like burning stars and ideas

Whisper Caverns

They flood and stretch the universe

It made her happy to know that he was treated well, that he was focusing on things that would help him and take his mind off his family sometimes. While it was always good to remember where you came from, she was afraid that sometimes it went to his head and could darken his caring, beautiful heart. He didn’t have to do everything on his own like he’d set out to do in the first place, now he had Bishop and Namid to help him on his search if he so wished. She would be there for him now, because she cared for the little bugger more than she would admit. Ok, maybe not little considering he was bigger than her already as a yearling. But the point still stood.

Rook had opened his maw and she all but leaned forward in anticipation for his words, her smile brightening. But, he closed it and began to look around them. The look on his face was like that of a pup with a big secret meant only for their best friend. It was so childish, adorable, and she held back a chuckle at the expression. Then, she froze as he inched toward her. The Star Dancer had no problem with close contact, but with her companion she knew that encounters this closer were reserved for affection toward those he trusted and cared for. She stared in wonder as he dipped his head and whispered his precious secret to her, for only her ears.

I’ve missed you.

Those words nearly made her fall over. Her cheeks heated beneath her pale pelt and her head tilted at an angle. The younger male then moved away, as she inevitably knew he would, and she felt the loss of his presence in the back of her mind. Just in those few words he’d shown that he’d missed her just as much as she had him, and it made her feel warm on the inside.

Her seemingly permanent smile gentled, softening her features as she hesitantly moved to return his gesture with a gentle bump of her shoulder to his before moving a step away herself. She’d wanted to show that she felt the same as him, and the simple gesture to others would seem playful possibly but Namid knew that between the pair it meant their strengthening friendship. That they were there for each other as much as a friend could be. “I missed you as well, Rook. The conversations I had with myself while I was gone were never as good as the ones I have with you. I had to come back, you’d get into too much trouble without me.” Namid teased affectionately. Her heterochromatic gaze danced with her light spirit and her tail began to wag gently behind her lithe build frame.

"I missed you as well, Rook," she admitted. The Lyall's heart swelled, tickled in the meantime from her comment about how she had had conversations with herself (for a while there, he thought he had been the only one to do such a thing). Then there was the jest again, the lilting notes in her voice that made him just want to keep his smile plastered on his face forever. "Trouble?" he questioned, quite taken with her now that she had suggested such a terrible thing. "Pleaaaase... Since when do I get in trouble? Aside from, well... you know... trying to catch catfish." A few chortles fled from his throat, his bottom eyelids coming up to make his mismatched eyes into the shape of two captivated crescent-moons. If Bishop or any one of his family members had half of the spontaneity and pleasantry that Namid had, he probably wouldn't have been so enthralled as he was with her. His mother and father's affinity for truth and other solemn matters were partly to blame (mostly it was because of his upbringing and the expectations that had been placed on his shoulders since he was a cub); but, Namid... Namid was one of those individuals who effortlessly pulled him out of shell. "Do you want to come with me to the caves?" he asked on a whim. "I recently found a good spot where we can see the pack den and watch others come and go as they please." His tail wiggled in an excited manner, canting his head briefly to one side as he collected an additional thought, "It's not too far away and not many have seen me up there. Would you like to hang out and maybe talk there?"

Chances are I have a BEN WHISHAW gif for that.

Thoughts are like burning stars and ideas

Whisper Caverns

They flood and stretch the universe

His laugh, his genuine laugh that wasn’t forced but merely just flowing from him, infected her. She couldn’t hold back the giggle that forced its way up her throat, and she didn’t stop it after she’d herself been thrown into a full on laugh. It was just so easy to be this way with Rook, his charm easily affected anyone around him with good nature. Everything almost seemed to be effortless, just like breathing and she didn’t worry about him judging her or thinking badly of her. It was as if they had known each other their whole lives, or as two well-known friends who had gone their separate ways but come back together and could begin where they left off.

"Do you want to come with me to the caves?" This was something new to her. Obviously she knew there were caves around them, their main den was situated in a giant cavern. This was how they had gotten the name Whisper Caverns, or so she assumed. Of course it could be assumed that if there were one den as giant as the Cavern there would be other caves located nearby, as that was usually the case. Since joining the pack she hadn’t had the chance to explore many of them, if any of them, and she decided that if she were to do so it would best be with someone who obviously knew the area better than she. “Of course, it sounds interesting. I would love to! I have not had the chance to explore these famous caves I have seen scattered everywhere. I suppose I should, no?” She grinned, her body already wiggling around with excitement. Another chance to learn something new, this whole pack thing wasn’t turning out so bad after all. Moving to his side as she usually did when they went on a walk or to travel she waited for him to lead them off, excitement and thirst for adventure evident in her glowing gaze.

♫ Always Summer - Adrian Johnston

It seemed his little chance meeting with Bear, just hours before, had been momentarily forgotten. Right now, this was all for Namid, to catch up to her and get to know her a little better than he had before when they had first met. Bear, whether Rook liked it or not, would come to mind much later, when the night was too still and nothing, not even Bishop's steady breathing, could draw him back into the tendrils of slumber... She said that she would love to join him and with an enthusiastic skip in his step, he began walking towards the heart of the Whisper Cavern territory. "Over here, we'll go this way," he said, all smiles. About halfway there, he looked over his shoulder at her, his jog turning into a frivolous sprint within seconds. "Race ya there!" he called. Only until his paws reached a certain terrain - the well-traveled paths of their fellow pack members - did he gradually slow to leisurely stroll once more. His tongue extended over his bottom teeth, the tip of it curled between his lower eye teeth; the panting rhythm exuded from his lungs a welcome ache. He led her towards the large mouth of the cavern where the orange sands that made up the clearing floor were bare of any sort of foliage. "Hmm," he hummed, staring at it for a while before walking off to his left. "I think it might be a bit easier to head up on this side, it's closer where the little nook is but a little steeper to climb." For a time he seemed to navigate easily around the slope that lent to the construction of the underground caverns. When he started to scale the hillock (it really wasn't anything like the side of a vertical cliff, but it wasn't the side of a grassy knoll either), his steps became more cautious. "Careful," he lent. "The dew on the grasses here get a bit slick. Once we're almost at the top though and looking down over the cavern entrance, we'll find it." A few times, he was the ideal gentleman, heading back down when he felt like he needed to be there to 'catch' Namid if she lost her footing. There was no doubt that she could handle herself, though; he just wanted to be sure that she was fine... If Bishop were with him, he figured she might have rolled her eyes at him, scoffed at his Samaritan-like ways. In more instances than one, he was glad it was just the two of them. The place, this semi-roomy depression in the ground, really only had room for two decent-sized, adult wolves. Once they were near the top where the ground evened out and the treeline circled around the entrance of the cavern, he went about with his nose on the ground, retracing his steps with his tail casually waving behind him. Where the tall grasses had been flattened from the summer storms and shaped by the shifting earth, he stopped alongside two moss-covered stones. Then, after poking around a bit, he parted a dense curtain of yellow and green blades and springy twigs with his head. He beamed at her, excited now to at last have someone to share his newfound hiding spot, "In here..."

Chances are I have a BEN WHISHAW gif for that.

Thoughts are like burning stars and ideas

Whisper Caverns

They flood and stretch the universe

Turning in the direction that lead them even further into Whisper Caverns territory, the yearling led them along. She took in their surroundings with a curious glances, trying her best to commit as much of it to memory at that moment. It would come with time, she knew that it would, but it still didn’t hurt to try. She was so focused on paying attention to the scenery that she almost didn’t hear or see Rook speed up. Auds swiveling in his direction in a slightly startled, jerky movement she watched as he suddenly surged forward. Catch me if you can, he dared her. Her lips pulled up into a sly grin, tail wagging rapidly. Oh, it was on. Bursting into a dead sprint she made her way after her tawny companion, her body streaking like a silver comet across the land. The Star Dancer’s muscles surged with power under her pale hide, lengthening her strides until she was soaring, barely touching the ground beneath her paws. She reveled in the sensation, a happy yip escaping her jaws as she flew as swift as the wind she felt she was one with.

Rook slowed after what seemed a very short amount of time, making her lip pull down in a sort of pout. Her jaws hung open, soft pants escaping her maw as her tongue lolled out to the side to allow more air flow. Her heart was racing and the blood was pounding in her ears, but she enjoyed it all the same. They continued on the path wordlessly, just enjoying the company they had lacked together for the past few weeks. In retrospect, two weeks wasn’t a very long time. But, being away from someone you cared about could make it seem a lot longer than that measly amount of time.

As he pointed out their new direction, her gaze traveled to the incline he spoke of. Her muscles, which were already burning from the run, slightly complained at the mere sight but she was all for going for it anyways. A little exercise never hurt anybody. Following his lead up the incline she heeded his warning about the slick grass, which caused her to dig her toes into the ground a little more for a firmer hold. On occasions he would slowly down a bit, giving her glances as if to make sure she were alright. Every time he did this she gave him a small reassuring and thankful smile to show that she was alright. It really was chivalrous in a sense for him to be keeping track of her. It made her feel protected in a way, and cared for. Being cared for wasn’t something she’d felt in a while, and it was nice to know that feeling again.

Once they had reached the top of the caverns, much to her body’s displeasure, she followed along at a leisure pace as Rook sniffed here and there before stopping beside two rocks. Sensing they were very near their destination, she adamantly committed the area to memory. Wonder and awe widened her heterochromatic gaze as she looked around them, light filtering through the swaying foliage above them and bringing the scent of damp earth and fresh air. She closed her eyes for a moment and tilted her head back, soaking in the sunlight and the peacefulness of the area. If this cave was anything like the current surroundings, she simply couldn’t wait to see it.

It turned out that she wouldn’t have to wait long, as his voice brought her out of her trance. In here… he bade her. Opening her gaze once more she turned with a wide smile, eagerly moving toward him. “I am coming!” She replied.

Perhaps he had underestimated the space. While waiting for Namid to catch up, he peered into the space. It was nothing more than an indent in the land, the slope that made up the ceiling of the caverns, with a wall of dirt for a back wall and a curtain of grass and foliage to enclose it. For a while he supposed if he curled up into a tighter ball than usual, both he and Namid could fit with a little bit of wiggle room. Really, though, taking into consideration the flexibility of the overhanging greenery, there was more than enough space for the two of them. Hearing her catch up to him, he lowered himself and slipped into the little grotto with a rustle. Momentarily, as he situated himself, crawling on his elbows and pressing his back against the cool earth, only his tail poked out from between the verdant curtain. Only once he was comfortable with his hind limbs tucked up against him and his forelimbs kept as close to him as was physically possible and comfortable, he pulled his tail inside, draping it over his hock. A smile graced his face, though, now that they were truly alone, he had to wonder what they could possibly discuss in private. His shyness threatened to get the best of him, but he did well to remember that Namid had been the first individual he had decided to trust. In spite of all that Bishop had said, about Namid having a hold of him and distracting him from the reasons why they had come to Relic Lore, he still felt that she was a key piece here. As if there had been a reason for the two of them, of all the wolves in this part of Canada, to meet. Rook patiently waited for her to settle down, to make herself cozy, and once she had he averted his gaze, staring at the light that painted the leaves, vines, twigs, and grass an assortment of green hues. "I don't know what it is about you," he smiled at her, his tone barely louder than a whisper, "that draws me to you. I wish I knew... It's as if I have met you before."

Chances are I have a BEN WHISHAW gif for that.