Good To See You

Esa smiled gleefully when he said that would like to go with her to that magical place some day. She loved adventure, but sharing the experience with Miksa would be even better. She wondered how often she'd be able to drag him away from his pack duties to come on adventures with her. She'd just have to try and find out. Maybe I will go to meet the pack myself; he said they were kind, she thought, tilting her head and gazing upward, I'm sure I can make a good impression. They won't mind if I want to see Miksa now and again. But that would be for another day. Today, she was here with him and she would enjoy it while she could.

She giggled lightly as he said he didn't really want to take the chance of entering the cavern. She knew why, and she couldn't blame him. Even she was wary, and it took a lot to make her cautious. She was about to murmur that it was okay and she understood, but he surprised her by saying he'd go if only they didn't go too far inside. Her eyes widened, mischief twinkling in her emerald eyes. She blinked, then smiled, nodding to him. She had been about to agree that they shouldn't go, but now that he'd suggested he might go in if they just stayed close to the exit, she couldn't pass it up. She didn't want to be the one to disagree when she had suggested it in the first place. "Of course we won't go far," she assured him, "Even I don't want to repeat our last adventure entirely. At least this mountain looks sturdy, and it looks natural. That last cave definitely wasn't. So this one should hold up."

She was trying to reassure herself just as much as she was trying to reassure her friend. Almost dying in a cave-in was a horrifying experience, beyond what words could describe. She never wanted to repeat it, but since they had both survived it, she couldn't regret it, because she had met Miksa that day and they'd grown closer because of it. She would just make sure she never got caught in something like that again. She met Miksa's electric gaze and then nudged her head in the direction of the cavern entrance before trotting off toward it. She led the way just inside, sniffing at the dirt and clay edges of the cave opening - it definitely looked sturdier than the mines, but she wouldn't be convinced so easily. From within she could hear drips of water and the trickling of a small stream. It drew her curiosity, but she wasn't going to march into the darkness so quickly. Just a few paw steps into the cave, she felt herself unbalanced as her left paw found a steep dip in the floor. "I think this cave is sturdier, but I guess there are some dips in the floor and it's kinda hard to see," she said, realizing that she was probably starting to think with the same careful mentality as her friend, "And I can hear water deeper inside. I wonder if this cave floods sometimes?" The thought made her shudder, but realizing how cautious she was being, she laughed at herself and looked at Miksa, wondering what he thought.