Odette was truly enjoying her newfound freedom to explore and look around their mountain home. She was a true spelunker and wherever she could squeeze herself she went. Much to her babysitter’s chagrin. The Akita had all but given up following her, but she was there in case Odette called out for help. Which was only a couple of times when she was just learning her craft.

Today she was out looking for another small cavern to explore, it seemed like they were literally endless and she never knew what she might find. Cave paintings, old items, the coolest rocks.. It was always a guessing game. Her little leopard paws carried her down the main corridor, though she had mostly explored all the obvious crevices she knew there were more and some that went deeper than she had explored.

"Odette"

"Odette!" Selene called out from down a corridor, her tiny frame bouncing off the walls as she ran to catch up to her sister-cousin.

"I gotta show you what Balrog and I found! It's so cool!" She bounced onward to lead Odette to a small crevice close to the clinic, but slightly off the beaten path. The crack in the wall was just widen enough for a larger wolf to slip in. The adults were probably digging at it at some point.

"CmonC'monC'mon!!" She exclaimed excitedly. She knew Odette would love to see what they had found. If really icky, but that was half the fun now. Her tiny body slipped into the dark crack, leading her closer to where the drips of water echoed against the rocks. A strange blue glowing just up ahead.

She sidestepped and looked up at the strange blue stars in the dark cavern. Waiting to see what Odette's reaction would be.
"Selene"

Her stride was interrupted by the sound of her voice bouncing off the walls of the caves causing her to stop and turn around. Selene was easily seen, her brilliant white pelt obvious in the dull lighting as she raced forward. Odette’s cat-like eyes picked up shapes and movement in the darkness with ease, but her almost sister especially.

Selene and Balrog had found something incredible, it turned out. Odette’s eyes widened as Selene went on to race past her, and of course the winged girl followed. "Oh, yeah?” She asked with little doubt as her leopard paws galloped along beside.

They came to a hole in the wall, not so big really. She doubted that the largest among them would be able to fit through it. Especially not uncle bas. The two girls quieted as they entered and almost immediately Ode could hear a steady drip, drip, drip off the cavern walls. Then as if they had emerged into a room that was in the outer reaches of space, Odette gasped softly. How had she not found this before?

All around them were tiny stars, reminisce of the patterns under her wings. And the wet floor reflected those stas, making it feel like the two of them were walking among them. "Wooow…” This might be Odette’s favorite cavern so far.

"Odette"

Selene was bouncing subtly on her pale pink toes, up and down, up and down. Her tail wriggling back and forth with an exuberant energy. She let Odette absorb the scene, taking delight in the other girl's reaction.

The long glistening strands and glowing epicenters surrounded them. She wondered how long they had been here.

"They look like your underwing!" Selene remarked quietly. The sides of the cavern were close and she naturally kept her voice quieter, otherwise the echoes would overwhelm them both.

"I don't wanna touch the water. Balrog and I think the glowy thingies are some kind of wormy bugs and the water might be their poop!" Her nose scrunched up and she stuck her tongue out a sliver to express the distaste she had about it.

"Cmon! How far does it go?" She wondered. She started onward around a corner.

"Speech"

Odette’s silver eyes took in the cavern with a childlike wonder. She had never seen something that could rival the clear night sky like this, and within their own mountain even! As Ode stepped forward, her own little black tail wagging with glee, Selene commented how similar the cave was to her wings and she couldn’t argue. The same blue hues glittered on the ceiling as did underneath her feathers. "You’re right, this is amazing!" She had never felt so connected to their home before.

Selene went on to explain her reasoning for not liking the water, and what she and Bal thought they were looking at. Ode tilted her head, surely something so beautiful could not come from something so disgusting. She shuffled forward slightly and sniffed carefully at the water’s edge. It smelled oddly fresh for being here under the mountain. "It doesn’t smell like poop…" She trailed off, still not completely convinced as Selene’s mind wandered further.

Curiosity clung to the winged girl as well while Slene went forward she followed right along, her leopard paws careful to stay free of the water’s edge. "We should be careful," She wasn’t often the voice of reason but it sounded like something her dads would say. "I didn’t tell anyone we were exploring here…" She was always supposed to let someone know where she was going especially when she was exploring the caves.

"Odette"

Selene's little white tail wriggled back and forth at lightning speed as Odette agreed with her. Exploring was so much more fun with a friend!

She giggled as her cousin-sister mused about the water. If she was about to tease her and dare her to taste it but thought better of it. She was excited to see just how far they could get in here! Curiously as she led the way, she heard Odevoice some caution.

"We're home! Nothing can hurt us here!" She called back, slipping through a crevice that was just wide enough for Odette's wings to slip through. That was when she paused with an awe-filled gasp.

The cavern had opened up into a space big enough for a couple of adults to sit comfortably. The walls were encrusted with glittering clusters of white quarts and deep amethyst, and between them, the worm's glow reflected and refracted through the facets.


"Selene"

Perhaps the reason for Odette’s caution was her single childeness, her fathers were both quite protective over the young girl. They were constantly saying those words to her, be careful or something might happen. Selene had the opposing view to the winged girl, their home could never hurt them surely! Ode didn’t know that she was telling the truth, but she wouldn’t say anything about it. Silently she would steel herself to be even more careful for the both of them. If something happened, no one knew where the two of them were. They could be stranded deep in the caverns forever!
Odette tried not to think of that possibility. They were fine, nothing would happen and the two of them would continue to enjoy their explorations together. Indeed, as the slipped, or struggled more like in Odette’s case with her wings, they continued on to more incredible and fanciful things.
Both girls were stunned into silence as they emerged into the next cavern. Ode’s jaw fell from her mouth in quiet wonder as her silver eyes scanned the refracting crystals. She felt like she had stepped into another world all together. She was quiet for a few long moments, her eyes captured by the brilliance around her before she noticed the glowing coming off of Selene herself. "Oh! Look at your crystals!"


"Odette"