Fool's Gold Chasm bene gesserit

August 31st; Early afternoon; Overcast Clouds; 58.91 ° F, 14.95 ° C.

For one reason or another, Adelard had not imagined himself as a Leader for this long. Honestly, he had expected Huddy to be back by now. Holding down the fort thus far had proven to be an easy, yet tedious, task. It was not uncommon for him now to rise in the evenings and patrol in the darkest hours of the night. Sleep came in heavy at daybreak, and the afternoon sun would keep him until it was time to rise again.

Today was different.

After Woya had gone to scout, Adelard had resorted to sleeping as his body required. He rested when his bones ached and his lids grew heavy; but, when and if he was able, he was always on the move. The fact that the cubs were close to being weaned only emphasized his need to care, provide and protect. He had just returned from a sprint around the northern borders. His limbs were still itching to run. But, after only having a few hours of sleep, he knew he could afford even the smallest of respites.

His large, lumbering frame maneuvered into the Chasm's main cavern. For a split second, he blocked a part of the gray afternoon light, casting a momentary shadow upon the rocks. Heavy paws gripped at the moss-covered stones before he found the cavern landing. At the water's edge, he sprawled out into a sphinx-like pose. An ever-watchful guardian reflected back up at him in the underground pond. He lifted his head, amber eyes blinking as they searched the cavern walls for the glimmer of pyrite. With the summer sun overtaken by cloud cover, the walls did not glow. Instead, they only sparked, influenced by the water's surface. A wistful smile found his jawline as he let his mind wander to his sister. Aubine had been gone for a whole moon cycle now and his world was all but destroyed.

(This post was last modified: Mar 06, 2022, 02:21 AM by Viorel.)

         

ADELARD

heat stroke, bring the fire black smoke, I take it higher

Enera didn't usually spend much time in the central chasm anymore. She had so much exploring to do, and had taken to spending more and more time playing with @Marrah. She loved her Sister-Friend dearly.

Today, however, Marrah felt a little lethargic and decided to stick to the familiar, poking her head in and out of the various caverns the chasm had to offer. She hadn't been in the cave that gave the chasm it's namesake yet, and she knew it was here somewhere.

She thought she found it when she smelled another wolf here, one she'd met only once. The girl cautiously stepped on. The only other time she'd seen the man was when that stranger had showed up in the territory.

Then she followed his gaze to the cavern walls and her eyes grew wide in wonder. The walls sparkled. Having never seen the cavern in sunlight she didn't know it's true beauty, and so she was gobsmacked by the glittering.

"Why do they do that?" she asked from the entrance, voice louder within the cave than she'd intended.

Longing stung at his nose and the corners of his eyes. The only logical reason why Aubine had not returned was that she had gotten lost. Concern touched his brow. Maybe she had resented the way he had risen as the Chasm's Leader. That was a possibility...

His black-lined lips turned downwards. All those months learning how to be her brother's most-ardent supporter gone to waste. Adelard could not speak for her explicitly but, if asked how he was, he knew he could not mask how he felt abandoned.

When Enera's voice echoed into the cavern, the Leader's head turned from the wall. His gaze fell upon the little crown of cream and white. This one was Rhaegara's. The pup that had talked to the rogue at the border.

"Why do they do that?"

His ears perked up from their lax position at the sides of his head. He blinked, recognizing the genuine curiosity in her voice. An attempt to smile was clumsy along his jaw, "The light." As simple of an answer as it was, he hoped it would click, "The sun makes home sparkle."

         

ADELARD

heat stroke, bring the fire black smoke, I take it higher

Blue-green eyes scanned the walls at the older man turned to look up to her before answering her question. He was smiling, and she took that as the okay to scramble down into the cavern with him. She had to focus on her feet; the very ground wanted her to fall. It was worse than mud, but didn't stick to her.

When she finally made it down, only slipping a little bit, she slowly meandered across the space to stand near, but not right beside, the stranger. He smelled like home, like the pack, and he'd come to protect them when the stranger had arrived, but she still didn't really know him. She wanted to be friends, though, and he was smiling at her. She was still learning to read expressions, so it was the smile and not the emotion behind it she saw.

"But it's cloudy out," she said. "The sun's hiding." she cocked her head and stepped closer to the pool, gently reflecting her own face back at her. She wondered how deep it was, if she could swim in it and if she could get Marrah to come play here with her.

Her head tilted as she gave him her take on the actuality that was the here and now. Adelard watched as the cub fixated on the glistening surface of the underground pool.

"Well," he began, his tone dancing the fine line between haughty and affectionate. Truth be told, he did have quite a soft spot for the Fools Gold Chasm youths, despite not being related to any of them. A smirk crossed his face then, a sudden whim running off with his mind. His initial and proper explanation came trailed by something more fanciful. "Well... the sun's always out during the day but, if you ask me, I think it's because this place is full of magic."

Behind him, his tail flicked, wondering if the girl would buy his boyish ruse. 3-ish-month-old cubs still believed in such enchantments, right?

         

ADELARD

heat stroke, bring the fire black smoke, I take it higher

Enera was still enchanted by the pool and slowly reached out a paw to gently tap its surface. Ripples spread from her toes across the dark water until the reached the other side, where they died. She watched in fascination. The water here was far calmer than the ponds outside; this water almost was still. It had been, she thought, until she'd touched it, and she almost felt bad.

Then the adult gave another explanation to the glowing walls and Enera turned wide eyes on him. "Magic?" she breathed, focused on his face to see if he was serious. She saw nothing there that she interpreted as a lie, and so her awed gaze roamed the cavern walls once again before darting back to him. "What kind of magic?" she demanded.

"Magic?"

Adelard smirked now. Ahhh, there was still time yet to instill a bit of magic and wonder in this one's waning monthling days. He watched as her eyes scrutinized the glittering wall before falling back onto him. "What kind of magic?"

He didn't even have to think, but he stalled just for fun, wanting to keep her guessing, "I think... I think..." His head tilted to one side and then the other as his tail flip-flopped to one side and back. "I think it's from the Spirit of the Vale." Hopefully, that was mysterious enough.

"She is the Keeper of this place and she entrusted it to us, the wolves of Fools Gold Chasm... to keep you safe." In his head, he pictured a lithe, ethereal, lupine being leading Hudson, Saga, and the rest along into the ferns. "We arrived here well before you were born, wanting a place to keep you warm and happy... and well-loved." The last part came unexpectedly, but he still held her gaze as if she were one of his own. He smiled, "You might not see her, but the magic is there. It is what you make of it. You can do anything if you only put your mind to it."

         

ADELARD

heat stroke, bring the fire black smoke, I take it higher

Enera watched the adult with rapt attention as he thought. She fidgeted. What kind of magic? She needed to know! When he finally answered, it only raised more questions. She opened her mouth to demand to know who the Spirit of the Vale was even as he answered, and she quickly snapped her jaws shut and sat, focused on the promise of a story. She didn't hear a lot of stories from the other adults in the pack.

Her head cocked when he explained why they found a place to settle. "But you said I wasn't born yet," she said. "How could you know you wanted a place to keep me safe if I wasn't born yet? What about Marrah an' Aweho an' Caelyn?" She gazed around her. "I think you picked good," she said firmly.

Enera squinted at the cave mouth and at the sparkling walls, trying to find even the shadow of a mysterious magical wolf that may have gifted their home to them. She crinkled her nose. "But I want to see her," she complained.

"But you said I wasn't born yet." Ooh, this one was sharp as they come. Sharp as a thistle. He nodded in a patient fashion, golden eyes trained on her every spark of awe. A small chuckle was to be had as she named her agemates. Of course, he could say the same for them. This was the safe haven that they had needed. For the next generation, even if only for a short while. In time, he was sure she would realize the value of their hidden hideaway.

"I think you picked good."

Another snicker. He thought too soon. "Glad you approve."

He could have stared at her for all eternity. An ever-watchful guardian. But, then, one by one, there came the wrinkles on that sweet, dark-furred muzzle. "But I want to see her."

His close-lipped grin softened. "She is very shy," he explained. "She will only come to you if you need her. But, maybe... Maybe when you are older, you'll meet her."

         

ADELARD

heat stroke, bring the fire black smoke, I take it higher

had a dream so big and loud

JUMPED SO HIGH I TOUCHED THE CLOUDS

Enera wrinkled her nose in disappointment at the profession that she wouldn't get to see the Spirit of the Vale until she was older. She wanted to see her now. But mama was trying to teach her patience, and so Enera would try to be patient. Try. But that didn't mean she wasn't going to ask more questions in the meantime.

"Have you seen her?" she asked. "Did she show you the Chasm so you could live here? Is that how you picked it? How long were you here before we were born? If she's shy, why did she come out to show you you could live here?" She paused to take a breath and only then remembered that she shouldn't ask questions so fast, or she wouldn't get an answer. She couldn't bring herself to be sorry though, and merely watched Adelard with bright eyes and waited to hear what he would say.