Hush Meadow Secret Caverns

<i>12 degrees F. Starts at 9ish in the morning - ends at 4ish in the afternoon
12/10/2012 - Clear skies, after a recent covering of snow</i>
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RE-Hunt while Willow Ridges caches are low
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Hush meadow.

Once again Narimé found herself traveling through the large meadow. The stiff dead grass poked up through the soft new snow as she plodded along over the cold barren landscape. Hunting had not gone well recently. Nari growled annoyed at herself. She had known that hunting was going to be difficult during the winter months, but she had to push herself and get more food. After checking the caches the silver hunter was appalled to see how little food was left in the den. So that night she had headed out to scout and see if she could find any herds of elk or deer to hunt in the surrounding landscape. Then maybe she could call some packmates to start a hunt.

So far nothing. Not a trace of any game animal was found. Narimé struggled to keep herself from snarling in frustration. She had been away from the pack for about a week now and still had not found even a scent of deer or elk. The first day she had traveled to Fireweed Rise in search of food, and then the second day she found herself in whisper marsh hoping to find something to bring back to the den. After scouting the lands around Drooping Willows Nari once more returned to her favorite hunting area in Hush Meadow. All she could find was the decomposing last remains of the infected zombie deer that the pack had hunted nearly a month and a half ago.

Why can't I find anything? A silent snarl lit her features as she continued her little routine.

Walk, pause, look, scent, walk, pause, look, scent.

She continued running the whole meadow from dawn till the hard sun shown down tilted to the west. Not once did the young hunter even scare up a hare as she searched for prey. This worried the young wolf and tempted her to head back to the pack and ask for Skanas help. The older wolf might know where the game animals could be found during the snowy season.

Pausing to look at her surroundings once more Nari noted how she had covered the whole area and was advancing towards the northern most parts of the meadow. A ridge of conifers to the north marked the edge of the meadow. Narimé knew that the dotted landscape of tree's and whisper marsh lay to the northwest of her current location. She could see the tilting dead trees dotting the marsh and the next ridge of mixed deciduous forest in the far off distance. That land was very far away, but the clear crisp air and sky allowed for a good visual of faraway things. While she started forward towards the ridge of conifer trees she dodged around small scattered rock outcrops. Some of these outcrops would have larger coulders sticking up out of the frozen ground whereas others had smaller stones the size of Nari sitting quietly half out of the earth.

Admiring these random boulders and wondering how they had formed there the young woman came to one of the larger boulders and scented around it. Who knew these things were right on the edge of the meadow? Of course Nari never noticed that there were indeed more boulders in the meadow, however those boulders were settled just under the topsoil with numerous grasses growing over them.

Her curiosity was getting the better of her. After pausing for the hundreth time and quickly assessing that there was once more no game animals around, Nari began trotting up the edge of the conifer forest through the rock outcrops. Glancing around at the strange area in her hunting grounds Narimé was aware of a few icy spots, but of course that was what claws were for. What she was not aware of was a hole under one of these icy spots. With a sharp "CRACK!" the ice broke and for those few seconds that Nari felt herself falling the girls mind and heart raced only thinking....

Oh shit!

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHEEEELLLPP!!" Her voice boomed echoing loudly through the hole as she fell into the darkness.

Panicked barking was followed by a loud thud and crushing of dried leaf litter sound. Then all was silent.

.OOC: She is not dead. She is currently knocked out. And no there is no way in or out from the hole Nari fell into. Meaning if someone does find her they can't help unless they throw food down to her. She will have to find a different way out of the cavern. Please look in plots area for an update on this threads plot. Will be editing and adding pics of the hole and the cave after posting this.2nd exit (In Northeast corner of Iridescent Lagoon within thick forest)3nd (still unknown) exit closer to drooping willows forest The 3rd exit is small, and inside the cavern the route to get to this exit is too small for any "adult" wolf to fit through as there are fallen rocks in the way. (So technically not an exit for Narimé)

Here's a map of the caverns!

Cavern Tunnel Map

(This post was last modified: Nov 17, 2014, 02:49 PM by Narimé.)

The meadow really wasn't much to look at with the seemingly endless sheet of white coating it. Sibyl much preferred it that way, a prairie wolf through and through, and with quick steps she scuttled easily up and down the slight curves of the plain. She liked to make herself useful, and it was with a sense of duty she stopped atop a little mound to scan the field for prey. She was thoroughly disappointed to see a lack of, well, anything really. She could smell the faint odor of wolf, but no animal that she could really sink her teeth into. It was a bit disheartening, but Grizzly Hollow wasn't really lacking in their stores so all would be well even if she returned empty-handed.

There was still much of the day left and with weather like this Sibyl figured it would be a good idea to try elsewhere for a meal. She had turned around and was headed back towards the tree-line when she heard a loud crack that caused her to nearly jump out of her skin. A wolfish bellow and barking followed, then silence. Sibyl stood stock still, a little bit scared by whatever the hell that had been. She really didn't want to go find out what had happened, but she couldn't help but think about some poor wolf stuck in some sort of sticky situation, alone. After all, she'd tripped and fallen in a ditch in the Meadow once, and was lucky enough that a steely yet kind wolf had found her and pulled her to her senses and safety. She didn't want anyone to die out here just because she neglected to take a look.

Sighing, she moved towards the direction of where the ruckus had come from, and was startled to find a gaping hole concealed in a ring of snow and broken ice. It was the sort of thing that might be easy for one to trip into, but Sibyl made a habit of keeping low as she walked, and had caught it in time to stop. Her brow crinkled as she stared at the hole... "Broken... Ice? ... Oh... Ooohhhh." Her eyes widened and her mouth was agape as realization dawned on her. She carefully placed her paws along the edge of the hole and she peered down into the inky space below. "H-hello? Anyone down there?"

Sibyl wasn't sure whether she wanted to hear a response back, or not. She dreaded to think that anyone was actually down there. If no one answered her, she could assume that no one was even in there. Another troublesome possibility was that a cave monster had gobbled them up already. She shook her head, dispelling the horrifying thought. No, not a monster. It was more likely they'd bumped their head or something. Carefully scooting back from the edge, she waited.

(This post was last modified: Dec 28, 2012, 03:52 AM by Sibyl.)

Cali loped easily, enjoying the brisk winter air. Her coat was thick and lush and as pristine white as the blanket of crisp snow that she traveled over. This was her season. While she loved the spring and all of the new life that it brought with it, as an arctic wolf, she was in her element in the winter. A thick coat, sturdy body and powerful legs, even if they were a bit on the longish side for an arctic wolf. Now she had the perfect camouflage that was denied her the rest of the year.

This was the reason that she was away from her territory for the first time in quite a bit. Today, she would focus on hunting rather than guarding. Her strong and healthy form also craved a good run, which was the reason for her destination. She was off to see the beautiful lagoon that young Narime' had told her about. She could visit a new area, satisfying her curiosity, and catch something for the pack caches on the way back, satisfying duty. The plan was perfect and she was pleased with herself and looking forward to the day.

The terrain started to change and she began to see more trees and the ground became a bit more rolling, albeit gently. Cali came to a stop, letting her pink tongue loll out of her mouth for a moment panting softly. The run had felt great and she was completely invigorated by it. As she looked around a bit, she realized that the land looked vaguely familiar. She had passed through her, quite a while back when she'd first met the dark and regal fae, Elettra Archer in the nearby willows. From what she remembered of Narime's directions she was getting closer to the lagoon, just a bit further southward maybe. Apparently she had missed it when she'd first arrived in relic-lore.

Just as she was getting ready to start off again, her keen ears caught a distressed yowling that was abruptly cut off. Her brows furrowed with confusion and her emerald eyes darkened with worry. That hadn't sounded good. She was to far to be able to detect exactly where it had come from, so she took a few hesitant steps in the general direction, hoping to hear more and wondering just what she would find. It had sounded like a frightened wolf. She had to check it out...

The snowy fae worried that she'd simply been to far away and wouldn't be able to find whoever was in trouble. She would continue to search anyways. Then the slight breeze cooperated and brought something more distinguishable to her sensitive ears. "H-hello? Anyone down there?" This voice was not panicked it seemed, but quite concerned. Without hesitation Cali trotted off in the direction of the voice. At least now she knew where to go. It didn't take long for her to come into view of a small multicolored fae peering down at the ground, seemingly at nothing.

"Is everything all right?" Her brows were furrowed once more in concern and her compassion and willingness to help r came through in the kind tones.

(This post was last modified: Jan 06, 2013, 09:34 PM by Cali.)

Never Underestimate a Heart of Fire...

Guess I'm going to wake her up now.. :P

Cold.

Dark.

Sand burned her nose as she breathed lightly. Narimé drifted in and out of consciousness. The left side of her head was swelling up and it was the pain of her headache that woke the young woman up. For afew more minutes Nari became aware of the dark around her. Aware that her body ached and that her head felt as though it was split open.

Oh.. was it..that hole.. I fell down the hole right? She gathered her thoughts slowly working past the pain in her head. Twitching her body a few times the silver she wolf tested to see if anything else was hurt.

Right back leg, check. Left back leg, check. Right front leg, aaouch.. nope. Right back leg, check.

As her eyes adjusted to the dim light of what she thought was her earthen coffin Narimé noted that the worst pain came from her head and front leg. Though she also could feel dull pain in her back too. The young wolf did not try to get up. Nari simply lay comfortably on the cold floor the hole as she registered everything around her.

Distant voices echoed from someplace. At first the silver youth did not realize that the voices were from just above her, but as time passed she realized something. If there are voices then someone might be able to help me! She angled her ears around still trying to figure out where the voices had come from. Her eyes were finally starting to see the glittering walls of limestone that surrounded her resting place. However Narimé still couldn't see the wolves who had been talking.

"..he..llooo.." Her voice cracked softly while the silver wolf tried to stand up. Where were the other wolves?

"Is anyone there?." Nari's voice called out more strongly. Her ears squished to the sides of her head as they were greeted by the numerous echoes of her voice bouncing off this..."cave" that she had fallen into.

(This post was last modified: Jan 07, 2013, 11:53 PM by Narimé.)

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The meadow had been a place he had never visited…for he hadn’t visited many of the lands in Relic Lore quite yet. Even he knew he would have to start looking at some of the lands sooner or later. Even though he felt as though he needed to stay rooted in one place, he also needed to know some of the landscaping of the lands. His paws were not moving for the time being though as his eyes darted around the area, curious as to what was going on around the time. His own massive head moved left and right, taking in the pretty lands before him. White hung off of every little thing, making it seem as though he were in a crystal cave. His peace would be short lived though, for no sooner did complete silence ring over the area that a wolf’s yowl caught his attention.

If it would have been anyone’s howl he definitely would have went…but considering he knew who the voice belonged to, he rushed. Without a second glance at the beauty before him, he wasted no time in running through the meadow, his own mind racing, yet keeping everything together so it wouldn’t clog his brain. If he hadn’t known Narime’ so well he would have thought that it was someone else…but considering how much the young girl spoke, he knew it was her. His paw steps did not slow down, and neither did his heartbeat. Even when he arrived at the scene his heart beat did not wavier, though his speed did.

Upon his own arrival two other wolves came into his line of view…in front of a hole. His nose sniffed the ground before landing on the small hole in the ground, then back to the two wolves who just happened to be standing right over it. In an instant he turned into a warrior, his fur bristling and fangs exposed. It would be the first time he would utter a full sentence since entering Relic Lore. Opening his mouth he snarled at them, "What did you do to Narime‘?" And just as soon as he had uttered the words did the younger fae’s voice greet them…from deep underground. Snapping his jaws at the two other wolves, his golden amber eyes glinted in anger, as if he were giving them the command to back away from the small hole. He knew some part of his brain was screaming at him to be sensible…that would have been the Thorben gene in him. With a shaky breath, instead he asked another question, "Did either one of you push her?"

(This post was last modified: Dec 20, 2012, 09:36 PM by Guiness.)

Pillar of Strength

It seemed Sibyl hadn't been the only one to hear the cavernous commotion, and it wasn't long until she saw a whitish shape making it's way towards her. Sibyl could only assume it was with the same curiosity and concern she had felt herself which had drawn the arctic wolf to the very spot. The other female's soothing tone and kindly demeanor reminded Sibyl a little bit of Jaysyek, and instantly Sibyl trusted her. Sibyl sort of shrugged at the woman's question, her head ducking down. "Well, I don't know ma'am. I thought I heard a voice coming from down there." Sibyl pointed her nose to the hole. It was then that a distant, echoey call came from within the earth. Sibyl thought the voice sounded somewhat familiar, but she couldn't quite place it. Sibyl glanced to the white wolf, a troubled look on her ruddy face. "Someone is down there," She gasped.

Sibyl was about to poke her face back over the opening to answer the voice when a russet male came barreling onto the scene. Sibyl's eyes widened at the realization she did in fact recognize the owner of the voice once he had said the name, Narime'. With ears and tail tucked and her entire body bowed down, she started to inch backwards, both away from the pitfall and the angry beast of a wolf. It was almost funny to think that anyone could imagine the tiny wolf shoving anyone, anywhere. But with the charge coming from a snarling white set of fangs, the little wolf didn't find it funny. He'd calmed down a fraction, from gnashing teeth to seething, but his accusation made Sibyl whimper pathetically. "N-no, sir!" She gulped. Sibyl's eyes flicked to the white wolf, wondering if maybe she could hide behind her.

(This post was last modified: Dec 28, 2012, 06:04 AM by Sibyl.)

There were others somewhere.

Raising her head and finally attempting to stand Narimé heard the voices...and snarls, of those above her. By now her eyes had fully adjusted to the gloom and the young woman was positive the wolves weren't in the cave with her. So then where?

Light filtered down around Narimé as rays making her silver pelt and the stone around her feet sparkle like diamonds. Looking up she stared at the light coming from outside hurting her eyes. The occasional movement of a shadow in front of the light caught Nari's eyes before she had to close them filled with tears. Staggering sideways, head still hurting, and front leg lifted Nari moved out of the light and let her eyes adjust to the darkness again.

At first the sound of a growl above had worried the wolf, but then she heard the males last query and realized that it was a voice she knew. If only barely knew for the wolf almost never spoke.

"Guiness is that you?" She called up wondering why he was so angry. Was he mad that she had fallen down here? Or maybe... Angry that she had been gone for so long without bringing a meal back? Nari did not know. She tried to listen to his answer past the sounds of dripping water echoing from the far end of her resting place.

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His golden amber eyes searched both of the females and found the small one to be quite harmless, though the other one was silent, she seemed quite far away from the hole. His brain instantly told him to calm down, though it took a small while for his fur along his spine to lie flat and for him to calm down. His large form, which was easily bigger than the two in front of him, crept near the hole. When he got there, he barely heard Narimé’s voice calling up to him. At least she knew it was him…somewhat. With a snort he clawed at the whole, glaring at it with his own eyes. If he could have fit, he would have jumped down to the young female to stay with her and keep her warm, for he was sure it would have been quite cold for her in the cavern. With a concerned glance into the hole, Guiness was disappointed in himself…he could barely fit his head through the hole, and he certainly wasn’t going to try.

He jaws parted and his booming voice echoed into the cavern. It was a deep voice, but it was also, usually, easy to hear, "Yes it is me. Do you have you any major injuries?" It was probably the first time she had ever heard him utter so many words…and probably, right now, was the time she had ever heard so many words come out of his mouth at once. When it came to protecting his family, Guiness was all business, as if he were simply in the military. Her tail was snapping behind him, as he took a glance at the other two females to make sure they were keeping their distance, before turning his attention back to the hole. He would stay here with her, and travel with her, somehow. He wouldn’t let the small female be alone in this. He would be there for her until she found a way out, if there was one, and he would not let her fall.

Pillar of Strength

The other wolf seemed the littlest bit nervous, but answered her query politely. Cali's emerald eyes widened as she peer at the hole before the tiny she-wolf, realization dawning on her. Someone had fallen down that? The hole was small, barely big enough to fit through standing, so the poor wolf had apparently fallen straight down through the broken ice. They had never know what was coming.

Just as she was about to move forward a few more paces to get a better look, the largest wolf that she'd ever seen appeared and in a fit of anger, seemingly accused them of actually pushing his friend Narime' down the hole. Cali drew her head back and her mouth fell open in shock. She and the other fae, apparently, had merely come to investigate and help if they could. How dare he accuse them of such a thing without getting the facts first?

The white wolf was quite annoyed with him, no matter his brutish size and when she saw the tiny fae cowering away from him and looking her way in desperation, her ire rose a few more notches. Instantly, Cali moved closer to the other woman, protectively. "Now, just wait one minute, you over-sized lout! You can't just come storming over here and accusing us of foul..." Her tirade was cut short by a faraway sounding voice that came forth from the shattered ice hole. She clamped her mouth shut on the rest of her words, relief flooding through her as she realized that the other wolf had indeed survived the fall and was lucid.

Cali let a relieved sigh out and gave the smaller fae a reassuring smile. The brute seemed to have calmed down somewhat although he did continue to keep a wary eye on the two of them as all of them waited to hear the report on the extent of the fallen wolf's injuries.

(This post was last modified: Jan 06, 2013, 09:34 PM by Cali.)

Never Underestimate a Heart of Fire...

She listened to Guiness voice and noted the concern within it. The dull ache in her back and front leg was puny compared the sharp pains radiating from her head. Sometimes the pain was o bad that her vision blurred.and the silver wolf had to close her eyes. She barely noted that Guiness was actually conversing with her. Which was in itself, very unusual.

"Yeah, my head hurts a lot.. and my back...and my leg, but mostly my head.." She whimpered from her dark place far below the three wolves.

"Maybe I should get some sleep for now. Then my headache might get better." She told herself while glancing around at the cave. It seemed as if there were three tunnels attached to Nari's resting area. Looking at the tunnels from her comfy spot on the cold earth, Narimé noted that down the first tunnel closest to her the sound of running water could be heard. Her blue eyes tried to peer down the tunnel but all she saw was inky blackness; as if that tunnel had no floor.

Closing her eyes once more batting away the fuzziness clouding her mind Narimé lay quietly. Her paws scraped at the sand and stone floor while she waited for the waves of pain in her head to cease. Tipping her gray head to the side the young woman opened her eyes again and peered down the second tunnel. From her view point Nari could see the low roof of the tunnel and glazed columns of limestone connecting the floor and ceiling. The silver she wolf saw many stagmites and stalactites sitting motionless along the walls of the wide tunnel. She wondered quietly where that tunnel led to. "Maybe I will check that one out first thing tomorrow." She thought while gazing at the low cieling of tunnel two.

Switching her bluish purple gaze to the third tunnel Narimé peered down into its dark depths. She saw another low cieling but this alien looking tunnel had a very smooth look to it. However this third tunnel was not as wide as the second; instead, it boasted more stalactites in this section of the cave than in the second tunnel.

Knowing what she was going to do now Narimé let her tense body relax. There was no way out from above. So instead she was going to have to find some way out. "If there was one hole in the ceiling than there have got to be more holes and exits somewhere. I have to get out..." She stopped her thoughts from straying onto worrisome things. Things like starvation or the possibility of freezing to death. As long as she kept moving and searching Nari believed she would find a way out.

"Guys! I think I'm going to rest for now.. See if I feel better in the morning. Then... Then maybe I'll start looking for a way out okay? So don't worry about me I'm okay for now.." She tried sounding as best she could to keep Guiness and who ever else was up there was worrying. Though honestly Narimé knew that this was a very bad situation. If there was no way out then she might have to keep lying to the others outside and tell them that she was going to be okay. "What am I stupid? They know how dangerous this is. I won't be able to make them feel any better about it either..." She chastised herself while laying her throbbing head down onto her soft gray paws. Perhaps sleep would bring her better dreams and maybe a good idea when she wakes in the morning.(This round done when Sibyl, Cali, and Guiness finish)

(This post was last modified: Dec 31, 2012, 10:08 PM by Narimé.)