DON'T TELL LIES IN HEAVEN [OPEN]

To appease his ever ravenous curiosity, Nagendra had, despite his aversion to the cold, slipped deeper into the reaches of the snow-covered north. He carried with him a very faint, prickling sense of danger that crept up along his neck like a spider; he was new to these lands, and he was aware that he had no clue where he was going. He had come from a rather temperate environment, and would not know how to survive should he get lost. However, alongside that lingering alarm, there also was a smidge of excitement. Risks gave life substance.

For a while, he saw nothing but snow and ice, slipping farther and farther from the only landmark he knew – the dry riverbed. His high spirits began to dwindle as the cold seeped farther into his flesh. But then, oh joy! he saw it! It was but a dark shape pressed into the snow, but it brought his mind relief. Even if it was just a rock to look at, it was something besides the white, white, white (although he found that it would be wrong to dislike the endless expanse of snow – that in itself was a marvel to ponder upon). He picked up his pace some, thin legs lifting extra high to pull above the snow.

As he came closer, Nagendra could see that it was not a rock, but a hole. A cave, in fact. He paused momentarily outside, his body stiff and his tall ears perking as an expression of childish curiosity played across his face. The breeze tugged at his wild fur as snowflakes caught on his eyelashes. He blinked, and then sniffed. He couldn’t smell much here, with the overpowering blank smell of the cold, and the dusty scent of the cave drifting out. Caution was something Nagendra held close, but kept quiet. It was ever-present, but would never direct his actions more than his curiosity would. And so as he became aware of his own caution, he also knew that he would be going in anyways. He supposed if something attacked and ate him, then he just wouldn’t be too surprised about it.

Still holding himself rigid and tall, the wolf pranced in, each narrow foot barely touching the ground. He halted just a few feet in, with the breeze that scooped at the cave brushing at his hind. The first thing he noticed was that it was much nicer in here than out there. Snow peppered the entranceway and piled in a few small nearby crevasses, but farther in, there was none. Next, the markings on the wall. Before he could examine them much though, his attention was demanded solely by the figure of another. A small female, just visible in the dim light, stood up ahead. Could it be possible that many wolves lived in here, taking shelter in this sanctuary from the snow? He sniffed again subtly. No, it didn’t seem so. Then allowing himself to relax, an amused and sharp smile danced across his lips. ”Hello there,” he crooned, grinning slightly. ”Am I intruding?” She looked pretty.