Nightingale Palisade Starlings of the slip stream

This way. His yellow pools widened as he gave her a small nod, excitement fuelling each step as he followed her direction. The sound of water intensified as they drew near. There were a few streams that made their home near the monadnock, but nothing like the ravine Cheedo had led him to. It still paled in comparison to the magnificent rock in the north, but it satisfied his curiosity. With careful, slow steps the boy maneuvered up the side of the ravine, his yellow eyes fixated on where each step was going to go before he took it to ensure he did not fall. Once he reached the top he paused, his gaze turned to the agouti as he waited for her to make her way up beside him.

The small agouti showed Cyril which way to go to see why she had brought him to this place. He went ahead of her a little and she came up beside him but then walked past him until she came to the edge. Looking down into the ravine a smile crossed her face. She was sure the Kael boy would enjoy what he was about to see. Looking back at him she spoke, “Come here Cyril and look down there,” she indicated with her muzzle. The rushing of the water was louder now as she waited for him to join her.

The little shadow silently obliged to the scout’s instruction. Carefully he maneuvered along the edge of the ravine, following the same path that Cheedo had taken, before he stopped beside her. His yellow gaze followed her own, down to the rushing water as it tumbled over rocks, cutting through the landscape. There was nothing like this place in the tundra, for the majority of the land was barren and bleak. There were a few points of interest, like the small pond he frequented often and the strange towers to the west, but nothing like throttling water below. “So cool!” He exclaimed, offering the agouti a bright smile as his yellow gaze remained transfixed on the water below…

Having directed the boy to come and join her as she looked down into the ravine she waited. She wondered what his reaction would be when he finally laid eyes on what she had brought him there to see. She didn't know if he had ever seen anything like it in his life but if he hadn't she expected he would like it very much. Finally he was beside her looking down into the ravine she didn't take her eyes off him waiting to see his reaction. A smile brightened her features as he uttered the two words that let her know he appreciated what she was showing him.

“It certainly is that and a lot different from the Monadnock,” she stated. While it may not be better because their home had things other places didn't it was still an amazing sight to see the water rushing over the rocks and through the ravine. “I've never seen anything like this before in my life,” she explained, “But when I saw it I thought of you Cyril and how much I thought you might like to see it too.” While she may not be the most traveled wolf she had been plenty of places, she felt it wasn't often one came across something such as this. “Now that you know it's here and how to get to it you can return whenever you want to see it.” Especially if he was looking for a change of scenery.

He nodded in agreement with her statement. The ravine was nothing like the streams that cut through the lowlands and the monadnock. His yellow gaze remained transfixed on the tumbling water, his toes curling into the moist soil as excitement pumped through his veins. He liked that Cheedo had immediately thought of him when she had first stumbled upon the rushing water, for he was not sure he would have found this place on his own. Perhaps, maybe, as he grew older Cyril would find his way down to the rolling hills and scattered forests. “Thanks for showing me,” he murmured as he glanced over at the Whitestone scout, his tail wagging gently behind him. He hoped he would be able to find the ravine a second time—without her help.

When she had found the ravine she had immediately liked it because it was so different than what she was used to. It helped to take her away from the past where as the tundra reminded her everyday of the hardships she'd endured. She liked best that she didn't have to look at her reflect in the water like she did most every pool or stream of water in the Lowlands. The small agouti didn't like the fact she was missing part of her ear even if it was a symbol of how hard she'd fought that day.

A smile crossed her features as Cyril thanked her for bringing him to the ravine. “You're welcome Cyril, I'm glad we could spend this time together.” She knew being a scout took her away from the Monadnock more often than not which meant she couldn't spend as much time with the pup as she wanted. “Maybe if you would like now that you've grown so much we could do some scouting together?” She thought she would offer since she knew he liked exploring and thought Piety would feel better knowing he was with an adult on his explorations. Not to mention he could at least learn a little about being a scout in case he decided that was what he wanted to do.

“Me too!” He chirped excitedly, his tail wagging gently behind him. The blue-eyed agouti reminded him a lot of his teacher, Everly, as they were both soft-spoken and thoughtful. He enjoyed spending time with both of them, as they seemed keen on ensuring Cyril learned all of the important things in life. They were patient with him and encouraged him to do better and he was incredibly grateful for their presence in his childhood.

Scouting? His ears twitched in interest as he tore his yellow gaze away from the spilling water, his smile widening further (if that was even possible). “Yes!” He had already explored most of the lowlands on his own, as the little Kael was exceptionally good at sneaking away unnoticed, but he was certainly not opposed to the idea of having company. “I’d like that very much.” She might know of some other cool places like the ravine! There were still places that remained untouched by the ebony cub—places that Cheedo probably knew about. And, if she didn’t, Everly or his parents would!

“C-Can I lead the way back?” He asked tentatively, a sheepish grin tugging at his lips as his ears swept to the side. He wanted to show the blue-eyed scout that he had been paying attention during their trek down to the ravine.

It wasn't as often as she would like that she had the chance to spend time with the Kael pup just showing him the world. So when she did it was something she cherished. When he said he liked spending the time with her too a wide smile broke across her sandy features, her tail wagging happily behind her. “Well then maybe we should try and make these ventures more frequent.” Which was what brought in her next suggestion.

Taking him scouting with her when she could since she knew he was often busy with Everly or his parents. She felt she'd been lucky to steal him away to bring him to the ravine. Her smile only grew wider when he accepted her offer, “I would too and maybe you and I can discover some great places like this one together.” She'd traveled much of the Lowlands and was now starting to travel further from the pack. She was always looking for information to bring back that might help the Whitestone wolves.

His request was unexpected but accepted with a smile and a nod, “Of course you may,” she said nudging his cheek, “I am sure that you can get us home.” She had every faith in Cyril and if he needed her she would be there to help him.

The boy nodded vigorously at the scout’s suggestion, a smile still pressed against his dark lips. He knew the blue-eyed agouti had been doing a lot of travelling since she arrived in Whitestone, which meant she knew all the good spots. Perhaps they could even find some hidden spots together! He nearly wriggled in excitement at the thought but remained composed, his yellow eyes fixated on the older wolf. I hope so! He chirped, flashing her a wide grin before taking a step back from the ravine’s edge, his gaze trailing to the path they had taken…

His ears shot up at her response. He had not been expecting her to agree so quickly, for this was only his first time at the ravine. But he was pleased to hear that she trusted him with the journey home. Thank you!! This time he wriggled, his lanky body sauntering down the hill they had climbed as he motioned for her to follow along.