Fool's Gold Chasm a fool's errand

Adora had given herself a job at twilight, and now dawn was peaking up through the autumn canopy and she still had not tired of it. The stout girl's goal was to dig until something happened, but now the hole was so deep she had to really put effort into climbing out of it and all she'd found was rocks and earth that got harder and harder.

Something was going to give, right? The girl did not even know the word infinity much less the concept, could not imagine that it might go on forever. There had to be a change coming, something novel and exciting at the bottom of all this work and monotony. Yet so far, all she had to show for it was a muddied pelt and exhausted limbs.

Still, doggedly, she dug, even when there was nowhere to put the displaced earth. It crowded around her, a claustrophobic's worst fear but she ignored the position she'd put herself and fought past the lactic acid building in her muscles.

ᴠᴏɪᴄᴇ || ᴛʜᴇᴍᴇ

Unlike her sister, Apple had wisely spent the night sleeping, bundled up with several of their siblings who too had more common sense. But as the first morning light crept into the den and Adora had still yet to join them, the cinnamon pup was starting to get suspicious. Her sister had a wicked tendency to go off on her own and get into all manner of exploits, but not on Apolline’s watch. Slipping out into the dawn, she went in search of Adora’s trail, sniffing at the ferns to catch her scent like she’d been learning recently. It made tracking her siblings much easier. Soon enough, she came upon the scene, eyes growing wide at her sister’s work. She could hear the furious digging and approached the hole slowly, peeking over the edge with growing awe; How did she get all the way down there? And how was she gonna get back out? Brows furrowing now, as she began to foresee all sorts of trouble, Apple called into the void in a rather nagging tone: “’Do-ra, whatchu do-in’?” Yes, she could certainly imagine so much trouble coming from this. Thoughts ”Speech”

Auggie'd been in the middle of such a nice sleep. His chubby little legs twitching just so as he dreamt of running through the forest chasing a fat rabbit. He had no knowledge that Addy hadn't joined then that night or that Apple had gone to find her. At least he didn't until the early morning light entered the den and woke him. He blinked awake his maw opening wide with a yawn. His body tensed with a big stretch and as he was more awake he noticed. His sister's were missing and that just wouldn't do.

The tawny boy quickly got to his feet and made his way put of the den. His nose immediately caught Apple's scent that eventually joined with Addy's. So they were probably together, that was good. Then he wouldn't have to go searching them down one by one.

He certainly wasn't expecting to fund what he did when Apple's familiar form came into view. There was going to be a whole mess of trouble when their parents saw this. As he approached he heard Apple's question. Coming to stand next to her he looked into the darkness to see Addy digging, "I'd like to know too," he called into the hole.

It was about time someone else was up! The young girl spun around as her sister's voice drifted down into the hole after her, in time to see Auggie also appear at the edge of her not-so-little excavation project. She grinned widely up at them, still not seeing a single problem with anything that she had done.

"Seein' what's under all the dirt!" she answered without a shred of self-doubt.

"Come down n' help me!"

Adora hadn't really dug the hole large enough for someone else, much less two of her siblings, but that was something that could be changed with some extra paws. Maybe one of them would even point out her lack of exit plan so that could be remedied too. The more heads put together, the better.

ᴠᴏɪᴄᴇ || ᴛʜᴇᴍᴇ

She’d barely finished her question before Auggi appeared at her side, repeating her sentiment in that nosy way of his. Turning briefly to her brother, Apple stuck her tongue out in a rude grimace, showing just what she thought about his parroting. Then she looked back down into the hole, as Adora answered them with a confident grin. Apolline wrinkled her nose, head tilting slightly in consideration. She rather liked the dirt and saw no need to look below it. On the other paw, Adora looked delightfully dirty, her pale fur now matching Apple’s own, tinted by the mud. Really, she doubted they’d find anything, that it simply wasn’t possible to dig deep enough. But then, that meant loads of wonderful play in the dirt, which Apple was all for. So, with a single nod, the mud-pup switched sides, committing to the dirt as she unceremoniously jumped off the ledge – paying no further thought to the tightness of the space, or how she would almost certainly land on top of her sister with all her weight. Thoughts ”Speech”

Auggie had come up to stand beside Apple all the while looking down into the hole that Addy was in. His question was voiced as soon as his darker sister had asked hers. His head turned to look at Apple in confusion at what their sister was doing. That was when he was met by Apple sticking her tongue out at him. He scowled back at her. So what if he'd asked the same question it was obviously the logical thing to do.

Hearing Addy speak from the darkness below them her reply brought even more confusion. "Don't you think you would have found it by now?" He asked into the darkness. Then an order came up from below. She wanted them to help. He really hoped their parents didn't happen upon them.

Apple was the first to jump into join Addy at the bottom of the hole. The tawny boy couldn't help but think this was a really bad idea. Still he took a look into the hole, "Here goes nothing," he said before following after his darker sister.