Novis felt a strange sense of unease as he wandered the sandy soil. He had been feeling a bit under the weather ever since he entered the desert, unwelcomed memories invading his mind. He hated dwelling on the past, especially the parts including his birth band, but the oh so familiar scenery brought back recollections of his childhood — the days of walking, the tough training, the siege. All these thoughts were harsh contrasts to his default, optimistic outlook. He had many days, even months before winter set in if he remembered correctly, but the man didn't want to stay in the desert more than he needed. However, he could not teleport, so he would have to occupy his mind until he reached The Bifrost, a place he wasn't sure was even real.

Among his travels, he came across a gorge. Steep cliffs and winding tunnels hiding whatever mysteries they held inside. Though the gorge's walls were nowhere as dangerous as he had seen at The Polar Sound, a plunging drop could still result in injury if a wolf fell the wrong way. Novis did not keep this in mind as he neared the edge of the cliffs. He stood on a shorter portion of the canyon, staring down in an attempt to see what was down at the bottom. All he could see was shelves and tunnels and perhaps the occasional bush. He was a bit underwhelmed by the sight, but curiosity and a childish sense of anticipation brought him closer to the edge. He had a naive hope something could crawl out of one of the tunnels, something, anything other than the infinite amount the sand he had been forced to look at for hours. Though Novis was not stupid, he had his moments. Standing close to an edge of a cliff with unstable, sandy soil was one of them.

It took Novis a moment to realize the ground below him was slowly shifting downward, only noticing when the earth gave way entirely and sent him rolling down the gorge head first. He yelped in surprise as his body bounced and tumbled down the edge of the ravine only to come at a sudden, crumpled stop. A dull pain engulfed the entirety of his body, but after forcing himself to stand, he found nothing seemed to be broken, nothing other than his pride. He had not fallen far, so he would only add bruises and small scratches to his already scarred skin. He shook his pelt of the mixture of sand and stones and started assessing his situation.

He surveyed his surroundings, coming to find that he was on some sort of shelf. He did not fall completely to the bottom, but he fell far enough that he couldn't climb back up the side of the cliff if he tried. Thankfully, one of the many tunnels was situated on the shelf, winding in unpredictable ways under the ground. How convenient.

The phantom rarely left the northern territories anymore. Mama was growing ill as she neared the end of her life, and the youth was terrified. However, as winter approached they knew they needed to collect some herbs before they disappeared. It was already late in the season, and Olya's old stores were well beyond depleted. Without treatments for their mother's ailments, she would surely not make it through the winter. The pallid wolf did not want their mother to die. Couldn't bear the thought. Not with the rest of the family having disappeared entirely. Everyone was gone, and only mama was left. Without her, they would be horribly, terribly alone. What, exactly, had drawn them into the cavernous tunnels of the gorge was a mystery. Not much grew in these underground areas, and they were likely wasting their time. However, the cool and damp eased their nerves. Time stilled in these liminal spaces, and worries fell away. The world didn't exist in places like this. Near the entrance to one particular tunnel, a broad leafed plant was still growing. (Salvia) It hadn't realized that winter was approaching, it seemed. They stooped to sniff tentatively at the herb, wondering if it might be useful. Using their elbow, they shifted their satchel to rest against their flank so they could examine the herb more closely. At least, until someone went tumbling down the ravine. Gods above, this was not the time for accidents. Winter was approaching, damn it, and broken bones would spell and early grave. Sighing heavily, the young shaman watched the smaller wolf collect themself after the fall. The ledge that had caught them was only a few hundred feet to their right, so they could watch the entire scene play out uninterrupted. Nothing appeared broken, based on how the wolf moved afterwards. However, a closer exam might be warranted. "Are you alright?" they called out gruffly, thick accent forming a strange burr that caught the consonants of their speech. Pale brows furrowed, they waited for a response. "speech" REBEL JUST FOR KICKS

He flicked his ears at the sound of a voice. He twisted his head to see a white dot in the distance, down at the bottom of the gorge. "Ya! I'm fine!" he called back, his voice artificially deepened to sound more masculine. He flashed a smile to further convince the stranger, but he was unsure if such details could be seen at such a distance. "Just a few scratches and bruises, nothing serious. One second, there's a tunnel over here. Let me see if I can get down to you," he added, gesturing to the shaft before trotting into the mouth. Even though nothing was broken, his left front paw twisted painfully during the fall. Its tenderness prevented him from putting too much weight on it and he walked with a slight limp as he traversed the tunnel.

This one was quite short, spiraling downward with the occasional fork. His sniffed the stale air and was capable of choosing the right paths back into the open, now at the same level as the stranger. He closed the distance between them, trotting toward the newcomer while favoring his left leg. Only after he had gotten close had he realized the wolf may not even want company. They could have just asked if he was ok because it was polite. He slowed, stopping at a safe distance from the canine. Though he always assumed the best in others, it did no harm to be cautious. "Uh, I'm Novis. What are you doing?" He asked, a feeble attempt to start a conversation. His tail swayed in a friendly manner as he waited to see their reaction.

It didn't take long to yield a response from the other wolf. "Ya! I'm fine!" they called out. "Just a few scratches and bruises, nothing serious. One second, there's a tunnel over here. Let me see if I can get down to you," they continued, before disappearing from view entirely. While they waited, the phantom resumed their examination of this unfamiliar plant. Whether or not it could be useful was yet to be determined. So far, it had been the only possible herb of use. Other than a few dandelions poking up here and there, nothing seemed to grow in this gorge. It was a shame, really. There wasn't much time to consider the usefulness of the herb, however. A stranger, presumably the one who had taken a tumble only a few minutes ago, appeared in the shadows of the tunnel up ahead. The pallid titan lifted their head to examine them more closely. A similar patch to their own lay across half of his face, and his build was rather stocky. As he approached, the young shaman noted that he favoured his left forepaw. Ah, so he had been injured. "Uh, I'm Novis. What are you doing?" he questioned gruffly. They hummed quizzically, before remembering what they had been doing just now. "Ah, yes." they muttered, mismatched optics sliding back to fix their gaze upon the unidentified plant. "I've been making my way south in search of herbs to bolster my stock for the winter. However, this is the only plant of note in this area." they muttered, frowning at the broad leafed plant. It was truly a mystery, whatever it was. Then again.. two toned gaze flicked up to the stranger. "Say, would you perhaps be interested in testing it? If the effects are.." Choose your words wisely, Divo. They frowned a moment longer. "Negative, I will be quick to treat you for the ill effects." Yes, that sounded about right. It had been a while since they had last spoken to someone who wasn't their mother, and thus returning to speaking proper English was taking them a little longer. ooc. Divo wants u to do drugs. For science. "speech" JUST A FULL TANK AWAY FROM FREEDOM

Novis listened to the stranger's explanation, however, the addition to the wolf's words caught his attention. They wanted him to eat something they didn't know the effects of? "That doesn't seem very safe..." He murmured, crouching down to get a better look at the herb. It looked like any other plant, though he wasn't much of an expert on what a normal plant should look like. The stranger didn't sound very confident either, only mentioning they would help if anything were to go awry. It wasn't the most comforting words he had ever heard, but it was better than saying nothing at all.

He sniffed the plant carefully, not sure if even it's scent could cause side-effects. It even smelled normal, though its scent was similar to one he had found as a pup. His mother said it wasn't harmful but was more geared toward adults. Maybe this plant wouldn't be harmful to him. He didn't have anything better to do anyway. Plus, he was an adult! He could do what he wanted!

"No what? Sure. Just make sure I don't die." He joked, flashing a wide grin at the young wolf. Though his tone was playful, he hoped they would take his request seriously. He wouldn't want to die because he had made a stupid decision. He took a few leaves of the plant, leaving enough for the other canine to take if this herb turned out to be helpful. It was bitter and hard to swallow, though that seemed to be the standard for most flora. He sat back up, waiting for any effects. Nothing was immediate, though he didn't expect them to be. Despite just eating a possibly toxic plant, Novis didn't seem to care. He just waited patiently of the side-effects of the herb to work, his gaze wandering as though searching for something amiss.

After a few minutes, a few of those spent tending to a few abrasions on his leg, he stopped mid-lick. "Ok, something off here." He spoke aloud, looking back to the shaman only to notice they seemed off-colored. Much more vibrant and bright. He didn't know why, but that struck a chord with him and he started to chuckle. "Whatcha doin' lookin' all... glowy like that?" he slurred, his mind starting to feel fuzzy. It was a nice kind of fuzzy, like a warm pelt had been wrapped around his brain. It was... strange.