Navigation - Whisperer's Gorge

It was time for another escape from the pack lands, though Esarosa didn't plan to go far. Not for today, anyways. She needed to stay far enough away that she would not be noticed - didn't need anyone asking questions or making a fuss over the bite wounds she'd acquired the last time she was away from the pack. But not too far as to be missed. So, she'd just get to know the neighbouring territories, since the west was all new to her, anyways. There would be a time for exploring further. So from the Whistling Willows, she crossed the border into unfamiliar territory, into the Whisperer's Gorge. As her paws carried her down into a dry, stony gorge, she wasn't surprised to find the lack of moisture, despite appearing as though it had once held a river. Most places in the west seemed to be dry, with a few inhabitable green spaces that stood out like sore thumbs against the rest of the arid, sandy landscape. Still, this place was fascinating in its own way. It looked bland at first, but as the midnight-hued female made her way further down, she could see ahead that the gorge curved in different directions, and she could see the openings to several passageways already. Where they led was difficult to determine, but it would be interesting to explore and find out. However, she wondered if it would be dangerous to go alone. She didn't know how long the gorge was, nor how many different openings and caves there were. It would be easy to get lost, and it didn't look like there was any water at all - what if she never found her way back, and died from thirst? No one would even know where she'd gone. Hesitating, she decided she'd wait to find someone. She came back to the border, wondering if anyone would be along soon. And who would want to explore with her? Probably not their alpha... he had better things to do. Who else did she know in Argead? Oh, perhaps Ullr would want to seek out new lands, or... Steel! He was a difficult wolf to read, but something told her he'd definitely want to check out this new place with her. Right? Well, she could be wrong, but it was worth a try. At least she wouldn't have any weird hunting adventures for him this time. Now, where would she find him? With a thoughtful look in her emerald eyes, she sat down, looking to the distant willows as she wondered where she ought to start looking. She took a moment to smooth down her ebony coat, hiding her wounds under thick layers of fur - lucky for her the bites wouldn't stand out much, if at all. Now maybe, if she thought about it hard enough, Steel would make an appearance - so, she sat and she waited patiently. "Speak" "Listen" Think

Steel was used to wandering. He was a vagabond by nature; he had no real place he felt truly at home in, and so to keep himself from feeling too restless, he needed to move. His paws carried him away from the verdant lands that Argead had claimed, further west; these lands were largely unfamiliar to him. The more fertile grasses of the valley slowly tapered off, into a dry gorge that cut through the earth like a knife. His steps were aimless and he had no real direction in mind. But a familiar scent touched his nose, one that was unmistakable - and one he was rather surprised to encounter here. Curious as to what Esarosa was doing here, he'd continue into the gorge, padding carefully down a sharp incline he'd stumbled upon. The land was dry, so not terribly slick, but seemed dangerous in its own right. One wrong step on a bit of loose rubble could mean a quick tumble, and who knew how far. From above, it'd seemed like little more than a dry riverbed, but upon descent he realized the gorge was quite old and seemed to weave in different directions. Some even underground. It was a bit.. creepy for his taste, but interesting. His nose wrinkled as he inhaled, tasting the air again and getting a better whiff of Esarosa's scent before trekking onward. She'd struck him as quite adventurous and quite a bit more willing to face danger than himself, and so he was surprised when he scent led right back up the side of the ravine and away from it. Frowning slightly, he'd begin his ascent once again. It didn't take long to find her, sitting peacefully - it didn't seem like she was busy with anything, perhaps just resting. His pace quickened slightly as he drew near her, his head tipping to the ground as he offered her a nod as he came from her side, so as to not startle her.  "Hey," he'd call out gently, his voice tentative. Maybe she wouldn't even want to hang out with him? What did he know.

Esa turned suddenly as she spotted him out of the corner of her eye. Had it really worked? It was like she'd summoned him just by wondering about where he was. Delighted, she turned to face him, amused to see that he was tentative, and his voice was soft, like he wasn't sure if he'd be welcomed. She tried to keep her expression neutral, gazing at him quietly with emerald orbs. "Hey," she replied with a coy lift of her brow, "Fancy meeting you here." She blinked at him, then looked away to the territory she was curious about. He'd just come from that way; actually, it was possible that he'd followed her scent trail straight back here. Was he looking for her, too, or was it just a coincidence? "Have you been following me?" she asked, looking at him again with a questioning glare, her eyes narrowing. Was she just being too mean? She finally broke into a smile, trying to meet his ruby red gaze. "Just kidding, actually... I've been hoping I'd find you," she admitted, her tail swishing, "I wanted to check out the gorge... are you up for it?" She wondered if he'd be interested in checking out a new place with her, and she hoped he hadn't already been there by himself. She didn't want to seem like a wimp, but she'd gotten herself into trouble herself before, and she knew she'd be dead if she had been alone that day. She'd just been lucky to have a companion while exploring that day. "Speak" "Listen" Think

There were few wolves he cared enough to actually interact with of his own accord, let alone one he would willingly approach. Though Esarosa had seemed quite enthusiastic at their first meeting, and every time she'd met him since, he didn't really know if she wanted to hang out with him; not really. Maybe she was just always like that. Either way, he wasn't naive enough to not notice that she looked genuinely pleased to see him. But she was.. much calmer than she usually was, and he blinked quietly as she greeted him. "Yeah," he'd reply, his voice soft. It was a bit of a coincidence. He hadn't left Argead specifically looking for her, but he'd noticed her scent and he had followed it for a short while. Her question caught him off-guard though, and he'd gulp quietly, averting his gaze like he'd been caught. "I.. no," he started, stammering slightly. "I wasn't following you," Steel finished, though she said she was just kidding. He tried to smile back, but the expression was slightly forced, but finally he brought his gaze back up to her own. She admitted that she'd been hoping to find him. Why? He was always around Argead, and not terribly hard to find. His brows furrowed as he considered this. "Sure," he'd offer, and though his words were a bit hesitant, he'd nod to confirm his desire to join her. He wasn't sure if he'd be terribly interested alone - he didn't love caves and the crevices of the gorge seemed a bit too creepy for his taste, but he wasn't ready to pass up an offer to spend more time with Esarosa. "Have you been here before?"

Esarosa smirked with amusement as the male shifted uncomfortably under her gaze, clearly taken aback by her sudden questioning. He was hesitant to answer, stammering slightly, and the look on Esa's face . Why did she like teasing quiet wolves so much? They just made it so easy! She could see his forced smile, and how he hardly looked at her as he tried to convince her that he hadn't been following her. Of course, she knew it wasn't like he'd been stalking her or anything, he'd just come across her by chance. A lucky coincidence, for her. She jumped to her paws excitedly as he agreed to join her, even if his answer sounded less than enthusiastic. But it seemed that was just how he was. He didn't get overly excited about things, even if he was interested and wanted to join in. If he really didn't want to hang around, he'd just leave, right? Her tail waving now, she shook her head as he asked if she'd been here before. "Nope, this place is totally new to me," she explained, looking down to the gorge again, "I was going to go check it out, but I don't think it'd be safe alone. But if you come with me, it'll be fine." She smiled at him, glad that he'd agreed to come with her. "Why don't we get going?" she suggested, turning away from him and heading toward the steep decline into the gorge, "I can't wait to see all of the different caves and passageways. It's cool to imagine what it used to look like." She trotted off, her paws moving away from the cool grass as it tapered off, turning to bare stone. Just ahead was the place she'd made her earlier descent, and she would go down carefully once more, careful not to trip. Then she'd look back, waiting for Steel to come along, watching in hopes he also wouldn't lose his footing. "Speak" "Listen" Think

Esarosa always seemed so.. happy. So care-free, while Steel felt the weight of the world pressing heavily down on his shoulders. How nice it must feel to be unburdened - he knew she must have demons of her own, and he was exaggerating a bit, but she sure did a good job at hiding them. His gaze found her again as she smirked, visibly amused at his discomfort; he would've sighed if it had been anyone else poking fun at him, but he'd refrain for now. His own eyes lit up at her excitement, though his facade remained somewhat stony as he regarded her.  "Same here," he admitted with a slow nod.  "Caves are a bit weird," Steel would admit a bit tentatively. "And it could be dangerous. Just don't leave me down there alone." His voice was hoarse from not being used - he tended to speak in short sentences and infrequently, whenever he was able. He cleared his throat as his gaze left her to focus on the gorge nearby. "Good plan," he would agree solemnly, turning to move at her side as they padded toward the sharp incline of the gorge. "If you lose me here," he'd start, his voice quiet and somber, "Tell Faria where I am. She'd want to find me." And besides his siblings, wherever they were, he wasn't sure anyone else would risk it to come find him. He was only half-joking - a touch of seriousness, though typical of him, laced his words. He let a soft exhale of warm air escape his throat as he began to descent, moving carefully and with purpose as he glanced sideways at Esarosa to make sure she was fine.

Esarosa let her eyes skim over his facial complexion as they moved side by side, noticing the way his eyes lit up with some excitement, while his expression remained the same. Stony, revealing nothing. She listened as he spoke, somewhat glad that he also hadn't been here - they could share in the newness and mystery of the gorge together. Her excited smile then dropped into a frown that caused her brows to furrow as he seemed to become more tentative than usual, and he asked her not to leave him down there alone. Her head tipped to the side as she pondered a response - did he really think she would leave him behind? She felt a little disheartened that he would think so little of her, and it showed on her face as she looked to the ground, watching where her paws stepped. She supposed they really didn't know each other that well yet, and it was only natural for him to worry. Her ears folded back as he continued, asking her to inform Faria should they become separated from one another. She glanced at him briefly, before her eyes cast downward again. "That's the blue star lady who's always with Mithras, right?" she asked to confirm, trying to ignore her dismay about his concerns. As they reached the bottom of the steep incline, she paused in her stride. Emerald orbs shifted more purposefully toward him, hoping that he would meet her gaze for just a moment. She couldn't continue to ignore her sudden heart-sunken feeling. She had to reassure him, let him know that she wasn't going to just ditch him, no matter how creepy or dangerous this place turned out to be. She spoke now in a soft tone, hoping that he would hear the sincerity in her voice and believe her. "I wouldn't leave you alone anyways, Steel," she assured him, glancing to his ruby red eyes, "What kind of friend would I be if I abandoned you? If worst comes to worse, you bet I'll find Faria, and anyone else who can help." Would he do the same for her? She didn't have family to turn to in these lands - friends were her only connection, the only ones to whom her existence mattered. But her only other friends were in far off places - by the time anyone else wondered where she was, she'd be dead if she stayed lost in place like this. "If somehow you lose me instead," she continued on, a strange melancholy in her tone, "You'll be the only one to know... So make sure you find me." She would finish speaking with a slight smile returning to her face, her tone and expression brightening once more, though she would remain serious until they'd resolved their concerns of safety. She'd never really been one for thinking too far ahead nor worrying so much, but Steel's cautious nature and serious tone had swept over her and she couldn't ignore it. The summer sun was shining overhead, the brilliant day inviting them into adventure, and Esa hoped it would soon win over the tentative cloud that hung over them. "Speak" "Listen" Think

It wasn't that he actually thought she would leave him there, but it was a real possibility. What if he slipped and fell into some crevice that she couldn't reach without getting stuck herself? There was some risk when it came to exploring places like this - it was a risk he was willing to take, but he wouldn't fault her if she chose to leave him behind rather than risking her own safety. In his head, it only made sense. Still, Esarosa looked distraught over it, and his nose wrinkled as he regarded her for a moment, his pace slowing.  "Yes,"  he would reply simply. She was known as the lady who was always with Mithras. Great. Just what he wanted. Esarosa seemed visibly uncomfortable at the thought of leaving him alone, to stay lost or die or whatever - he shrugged a bit dismissively at the thought.  "Of course," he'd reply, a bit more fervor in his voice now. Steel wasn't entirely heartless. Perhaps a bit selfish, but he liked Esarosa's company. She was one of the few who tolerated him. His ears pulled back, flattening briefly against his skull as he considered their exchange of words. With that, they would begin their descent. The side of the gorge, luckily for him, was jagged and uneven in some places, providing his paws good places to grip onto as they went down. This place would be terribly dangerous in the rain, he decided, and he was suddenly grateful for the day's crisp blue sky, which was relatively free of clouds. While his crimson gaze was mostly focused on the stony surface below his paws, it briefly rose to search their path ahead. "See anything that interests you?" he'd inquire, casting a quick glance at his travel partner.

Esarosa was a little confused by the look that crossed his face as she tried to ask to confirm who Faria was. His answer was a simple 'yes', and while that didn't surprise her, his expression did. He looked... irritated, or was he disgusted? Faria was the lady that was always with Mithras, right? Why did that seem to upset him so much that it actually showed on his face? After all, he had requested her assistance if anything went wrong. Her brow furrowed a little as she tried to understand, but it was no use as he didn't elaborate, or make any further indication as to what had bothered him. Now she couldn't help but to worry that she'd ticked him off, but she didn't want that feeling to linger. She wanted to have fun while they explored the bone dry gorge. Some of her worry was dissolved by his next response to her, and though his words were short, his tone held more zeal. Esa was glad for the change in his sudden sourness over the mention of Faria. Maybe one day he would tell her about that, or maybe one day it wouldn't matter anymore. Black paws sliding slightly on the steep decline, she tried to hang onto the deep grooves and jagged edges. Carefully, they reached a flatter surface to walk upon, and from here they could see the arrangement of caverns and tunnels ahead. It was kind of starting to look like a beehive. Where did they start first? She turned to face him, her emerald gaze meeting his ruby red eyes as he glanced at her briefly with a question. "See anything that interests you?" She looked around them - everything looked kinda interesting. Esa looked back to him, trying to muster a smile in hopes that the mood would lighten - was she just too fixated on his little facial expression from earlier? "We should try to check out some of those tunnels," she suggested, nudging her head toward a cluster of narrow-looking caves, "What about right over there? Let's see how far it goes." She'd start to trot toward the opening of a tunnel, peering inside when she got there. From here she could see that many of the tunnels were connected, and they weren't quite like caves, as the tops open and light shone in brightly. Very fascinating indeed. "What do you think?" she asked Steel, glancing behind her to see if he was coming. "Speak" "Listen" Think