It was midnight, and Peregrine couldn't sleep. Admittedly, spelunking probably wasn't the best way to cope with that, but she was still soundly ignoring Tsiry urging her to turn around. So what if it was the middle of the night? You could never see anything in these blasted caves no matter what time it was. According to the lemur, that was just more reason to turn around. "C'mon Tsiry, where's your sense of adventure?" The lemur reached out and grabbed one of her ears, giving it a twist. Pere winced. "I left it back on that nice warm pile of moss I was sleeping on," her friend answered grumpily. Peregrine cackled. She worked her way down into the mountain by touch and scent. She sword that she could smell something interesting within, and only lies about hidden treasure were enough to keep Tsiry from jumping ship. It was dark and cold, the ocean air fishy and the walls wet. A thin film of slime covered much of the walls, but still Peregrine went on. Somewhere, in front or behind of them she could not say, rocks clattered. She felt Tsiry flinch. "We're gonna died down here, aren't we?" she asked. The wolf decided not to bother responding. For putting on such a hard shell, her new friend could be a real wimp sometimes. "Hold it together, Killer," Pere groused. "I think I see light up ahead." Indeed, they passed into a champer much larger than the narrow tunnel they had been working through. It was airy and markably drier. From a hole in it's root moonlight shone in, illuminating hundreds of tiny stones. It was honestly quiet beautiful. Peregrine gave Tsiry a shit-eating grin, and she yanked her other ear in return. "Talk" "You" Think "Tsiry"

teach me gently how to breathe

This had to be one of her most dangerous adventures yet. Solveiga was exploring again, always slave to her curiosity. But this time she had found herself deep within a cave, in the middle of the night. It wouldn't have mattered what time of day it was, though. No amount of sunlight could make it as far as Solveiga had. She had stopped trying to rely on sight a long time ago, shuffling forward carefully and using her nose and ears for clues of where to go. She had stumbled a couple of times, sure, but considering the circumstances she was doing pretty well. Her small, graceful body made things much easier as she slipped under and around the slick stone walls.

When she had started this journey, she'd had some idea of what she was searching for, but she had long since forgotten. Now she continued on simply to see how far these tunnels could really go. There had to be something at the end, didn't there? Solveiga did not know for sure, of course, but to her such a discovery would be well worth the effort.

And sure enough, soon she could see a faint glimmer of light ahead, and she picked up her pace. Before long she was squeezing her way past one last boulder and taking in the beautiful cavern she had found. It was like finding buried treasure. Her baby blue eyes were wide as she took everything in, and then she slowly began to walk further inside, taking a closer look at some of the dimly sparkling stones. She touched a particularly beautiful green one and smiled, relishing in her discovery and wishing her brother were here to share it with her. Suddenly she sensed that she was not alone, but it was not her brother with her in this cavern. It was a stranger, two actually. One wasn't even a wolf. Curiosity piqued once more, Solveiga turned and tilted her head a bit at the pair who were just arriving in the cavern. Her first reaction was to smile. Company was what she wanted, right? "Hello," she called out to them quietly, her voice sounding loud to her ears as it echoed back, but in reality it was as soft as ever.

Peregrine whipped her head to the side, alarmed that someone had snuck up on them so easily. Atop her back Tsiry puffed out her fur, letting out an alarmed squeak. Neither of them had lived particularly safe lives, so surprises weren't always welcome. Once she realized that it was only a single wolf and now a pack of howling banshees dancing throughout the cavern, she relaxed a bit. The girl was a peachy color and much smaller than herself, with soft blue eyes. "Phew! You about scared the spots right of my arse, small fry!" She gave a nervous chuckle and forced herself to relax the rest of the way. Her fur was slightly more puffy than usual. There was something nice about knowing she wasn't absolutely alone down here. You know, as long as this little wisp wasn't a mass murderer or something. Pere chuckled. Tsiry let out a sigh that was more like a hiss and looked between the two nervously. There were no branches for her to climb down here, not canopy to disappear into. Frankly, she and Peregrine hadn't really been together long enough to trust her with that much. "Didn't think there was anyone else mad enough to venture here at night. See Tsiry? We're not special after all." The lemur scoffed. "Do you mean to insult me? I assure you I'm one of a kind." At that Peregrine had to laugh, her head tossing back as the noise bounced around the cavern. "Talk" "You" Think

teach me gently how to breathe

The strangers seemed startled by her greeting, and she smiled apologetically. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to frighten you," she said automatically, letting out a soft laugh at the words this stranger had chosen to express her fright. Altogether, Solveiga couldn't help but think that these two creatures were quite the peculiar pair. She had never seen a, well, whatever that creature was before. It looked a bit like a monkey, and a bit like a raccoon, both of which the small female had seen in her life. But this creature was definitely a first for her, and it was hard not to stare a little. But then the wolf spoke and Solveiga met her eyes again with a shy smile. Perhaps she was mad for coming down here in the middle of the night. Just then, the creature Solveiga had never seen before spoke up, and her eyes widened a bit.

"I don't mean to be rude, but..." She met the eyes of the wolf in front of her. She figured her question would offend the creature more than the wolf anyhow. "What kind of animal is she?" There were more discoveries being made tonight than she had ever imagined. The gorgeous cave surrounding her was nearly forgotten as she looked at the two strangers who had joined her.

The smaller fae claimed that she hadn't meant to frighten them, and Peregrin supposed that she'd have to take her by her word. She forced er fur to lay flat once again, and chased the tension from her muscles with a gentle shake. Tsiry wobbled on her shoulders, but it seemed to get her back into a more relaxed posture as well. "No fur off my buns, sweet cheeks. So what are you doing down here?" Maybe that was an unfair question, because if she'd been asked the same Peregrine wasn't sure she'd have an answer. There was just something that called out to her from nooks and crannies and places you really just don't belong. Tsiry was learning this slowly and to her great displeasure. As it happened, the pale woman seemed to be eyeing her furry companion. There was a look of confusion on her face, and she asked, "What kind of animal is she?" Before the earthen fae could even open her mouth to respond, Tsiry said, "She is a lemur, and her name is Tsiry." Peregrine chuckled and tried to crane her neck around to catch a glimpse of her new friend. She had a temper that was for sure. "She is a cranky wench who doesn't do well where she can't see the sky. We won't linger long. I'm Peregrine Myre, by the way." Pere turned back to look at the entrance they had come from. The moonlight was so soothing though, it would be a herculean feat to force herself back into the darkness. Better now than when the tide starts flowing in. The thought was a chilling one, and in the shadows she started to imagine she was seeing bones. Peregrine shook herself, trying to get her mind back to a happier place. And fine, maybe she could see where Tsiry was coming from... "Talk" "You" Think "Tsiry"

Again, the peculiar word choice used by this female made Solveiga laugh a little. No fur off her buns? And did she really call Solveiga sweet cheeks? Fair enough, the sand colored woman supposed that she had grown pretty used to little pet names. It seemed like other wolves just couldn't help themselves when they saw a creature as little as her. But speaking of little creatures, her ears perked as the animal she had asked about spoke again. She claimed that she was a lemur, and her name was Tsiry. Solveiga gave her a polite little nod. "Pleasure to meet you Tsiry," she said softly. The earthen wolf then claimed that she was really a cranky wench rather than a lemur and Solveiga coughed gently to hide a laugh. She supposed if the lemur really did have a temper, she shouldn't upset her by laughing at her. And besides, that would be rude, and rude was one thing the smaller woman always tried not to be. The other woman then introduced herself as Peregrine Myre and Solveiga let her tail sway happily behind her. "What a nice name," she said. "I'm Solveiga Derus. And I'm just exploring, really," she added in order to answer the question Peregrine had asked of her earlier. "I guess I was just curious about what lay at the end of all those tunnels of rock. And I have to say, I was not disappointed." The small woman looked around at the cavern they were in again, her blue eyes seeming to glimmer in the light of the rocks and crystals all around them. It really was a sight to behold, though she knew she probably would do well not to linger long either.

The stranger, Solveiga, took Tsiry's barbed tongue with more graciousness than Peregrine could usually muster even on a good day. The lemur on her back harrumphed, not having gotten even the slightest of rise from the cream fae. Solveiga had been exploring, the same as them, apparently. When she claimed to have been pleased with what she found, Peregrine threw her head back and laughed, seeing an entirely different spin to her words. "What can I say, who wouldn't want to find a beautiful woman waiting for them?" She tossed the smaller fae a wink, then crossed the space to brush past her, headed for the tunnel out. On her back Tsiry scoffed. Alright, maybe she was flirting a bit but nothing seemed to phase this pleasant creature. It was unnatural! She had to have a breaking point somewhere, and it was her own gods-given gift to find such points. Fine, perhaps it was her self-assigned gods-given gift, but she'd exercise it all the same. Tsiry had had more than enough of her antic for tonight though, and she pinched the tip of her right ear. Pere winced, and turned back to look over her shoulder. "I'm bound for the surface if you'd like to follow along. I came up with my last words years ago, and it'd be a shame if there was no one else around to hear them." She smirked and winked again before walking into the inky blackness of the earth, it's maw swallowing her and Tsiry whole. "Talk" "You" Think

Solveiga was making all kinds of discoveries today, first with the beautiful cave and then with the lemur creature she had never seen before. But to be honest, the most interesting discovery of all was the personality of the wolf before her. She was so witty, and at many of her little comebacks Solveiga could not help but laugh. She may have been the most glib individual she had ever stumbled across, and it was entertaining just to talk to her. But then, she made another witty response that ushered a different sort of reaction from the small innocent woman. She had just remarked on how she had not been disappointed with what she had found in the cave, and her eyes were on the crystals embedded in the stone ceiling above their heads when suddenly, Peregrine suggested that the sight which had pleased her had been the sight of such a beautiful woman. The beautiful woman being Peregrine, no doubt. Solveiga looked down quickly, her eyes wide. If wolves could blush, she would have been red as a rose. She was beautiful, honestly. But what was she supposed to say now? Agree, deny it? To deny it would be a lie, but to agree would mean more teasing and unexpected flirting. The sand colored woman swallowed hard and opened her mouth to respond, but she was not as witty as Peregrine, not with words at least. So nothing came out. She tilted her ears back in embarrassment but smiled shyly because she simply could not help it. Then the earthen woman tossed her a wink and started coming closer, which of course sent her heart into a flurry. Her eyes widened a bit again and she tensed as the near stranger brushed her form along her own on her way to the exit. Solveiga could not, for the life of her, say that she did not enjoy it. Heavens above, what was happening? Solveiga was still completely silent. Just then, Peregrine spoke again, offering for the smaller woman to accompany her to the surface. She came up with her last words years ago and said that it would be a shame for no one to hear them. At that Solveiga laughed softly again, the joke warming her back up and she shook herself out a bit, taking one last look at the cave and then sighing and turning to follow the wolf and her lemur.

The effect she had on the delicate waif was at once noticeable. A certain sense of pride filled her, and she almost parted her jaws to resume her onslaught but something held her tongue. The other girl was clearly quite embarrassed by it, and there was something so innocent about her that Peregrine felt guilt doing so. It was like toppling over a bird's nest or kicking over any hills. Occasionally fun. Usually a dick move. So her tongue remained held as they passed into the darkness. She'd give Solveiga a moment to collect herself while she tried to visualize the openings and passageways she'd turned through. "Are you from around here?" she asked. It was hard to smell much of anything over the must in the cave, and while her companion certainly did smell of other wolves it was hard to tell if she belonged to a pack or not. Tsiry turned around on her back, likely peering behind them to catch sight of the newest member of their party. It had been hard enough to trust even one of these most-carnivorous canines, and now a second had joined them. This was definitely not what she'd signed up for, and while Peregrine was sure to get an earful of her wrath later, for now she would maintain her manners less the likely savage beast attack. "Please let the record show that Peregrine here has a terrible sense of directions and an even lesser respect for boundaries." Suddenly the earthen fae lurched sideways, causing the lemur's otherwise pristine red pelt to be swathed in slime. Tsiry groaned, and began rubbing the offensive ick off on the shewolf's back, who could only cackle at her distress. "Terribly sorry, Tsiry! I forgot where I was going and nearly walked into a wall," she explained, her voice dripping with innocence and tainted with poorly contained laughter. "Talk" "You" Think "Tsiry"

Solveiga was eventually able to move past the flirting, her heart rate returning to normal and any butterflies that had been stirred in her stomach one by one settling back into place. She sighed again softly, releasing the nervousness which had seized her back there. Really, the poor woman had no idea what that was about. She had never felt that way before. Then again, she had never been flirted with before. And that certainly had something to do with it. She was totally, one hundred percent inexperienced with such things. It was embarrassing. She was an adult now, she should be able to make it through a bit of harmless teasing without getting all flustered. More than that, she should be able to at least come up with a coherent response instead of standing there with her mouth hanging open. Solveiga pouted a little in silence. The little woman was still kicking herself for being so naive and foolish when Peregrine spoke up again, and she had to shake off the thoughts in her head and turn her attention forward. "Um, sort of," Solveiga said, clearing her throat gently so that perhaps her voice wouldn't come out so soft. She wanted to be more tough and carefree like Peregrine. But she would never admit that out loud. "I grew up on an island a little further south," she said. "It was called Nephilim Island. When my brother and I were one, we left and explored the continent together. But now I'm on my own, and still exploring." She shrugged a bit and looked down at the uneven path of stone ahead of her, pretending to concentrate so she wouldn't meet the eyes of the other woman if she happened to look back. She did look up, however, when Tsiry started to give her canine companion a hard time, at which point the canine in question lightly knocked the lemur against a bit of slimy wall. Solveiga tried to stifle a giggle at the look of disgust on the face of the little creature. "What about you?" The smaller woman asked after a moment. "Are you from around here?"

Peregrine listened carefully as the girl spoke, all she could really do while nosing blindly through the darkness. All of her senses were on high alert, so she was keenly aware of the smaller girl behind her. She spoke of her homeland, and how she had been exploring since leaving home. Pere let out a tiny laugh under her breath, she would not have pegged this one for an adventurer! She hummed. "Maybe I'll have to pick your brain sometime, I'm fairly new to the realm and my business sort of revolves around knowing the land." She almost turned around to smirk at the girl before she realized that the inky darkness likely obscured her to the girl, so she didn't bother. She looked ahead, trying to smell any hint of fresh air, and thought of home. She barely remembered it if she was being honest. She knew the lands her father had dragged them through, living the rouge male's life before they were old enough to feed themselves. "S'pose I don't really have one. I was born far away, but my mother died. My father took us along with him for as long as he could. Since then I've just wandered." She was frowning by the end of it, and realized how depressing that must sound. Quick to try and lighten the mood she laughed and said, "You would not believe the wolves I've met, you couldn't imagine. I never knew such creatures existed." Tsiry laughed too and chimed in, "Nor the lemurs!" to which Peregrine laughed as well. A wave of fresh air filled her nostrils and she smiled, knowing they must be getting close. "Talk" "You" Think

The two women continued to try to navigate the tunnels of the cave in complete darkness. Solveiga had enjoyed the little adventuring on her way down, but now as they tried to find their way back out she felt more aware of the tightness of the space, and the lack of fresh air. She certainly hoped Peregrine knew where she was going, so they wouldn't get lost down here. "Feel free," she replied quietly as the earthen woman said she'd like to pick her brain since she was new to the area. "I like to think I know my way around pretty well. I'm good at remembering places and giving directions, if you need them." She was about to ask the woman what her business was, exactly, but then she was talking about her home. Or rather, her lack of one, which made Solveiga frown a little. Everyone should have some place to call home, a place with which they could associate their childhood, a place they could feel safe. But, before the sand colored girl could ponder over such thoughts for much longer, Peregrine was changing the subject again in an attempt to lighten the conversation. Solveiga smiled again, one brow raised in curiosity. "Really? Well, could you tell me of some of the wolves you met?" Maybe continuing to talk would kill time while they searched for an exit. But she felt the little rush of outside air at the same time Peregrine did, and she knew they were close. She looked around and thought that she recognized this part a little bit, and she could smell their own scents from when they had come through the first time and she lowered her head a bit to follow them to the mouth of the cave.

The scent of fresh air, or water and soil and rot, grew stronger. The air became drier and cooler, with the cave itself having mostly been a consistent air mass at least above freezing. The winter night had grown somewhat colder in their absence, it would seem. Solveiga agreed that she could indeed lend her some help, forcing Peregrine to let out a victorious laugh, nearly a cheer. "Hear that Tsiry? I just got myself a date!" She cackled again, but Tsiry sighed and flipped around to peer at the other girl in the slowly growing light. Her large eyes, pupils blown, could just make her out through the gloom. "Peregrine, you're going to frighten the poor thing. Don't worry darling, you deserve better." Peregrine chuckled her head, and bobbed her head in agreement. She changed the subject, pushing past the moment before it had the chance to grow too uncomfortable for the gentle thing. She thought back to the many, many wolves. A thousand rogues and a paw's worth of empire's that stretched from sea to sea. She'd seen wolves of all colors, designs and patterns she wouldn't imagine ever displaying upon a canine's pelt. "Once I saw a wolf that looked like a tiger! Another had a pelt that looked like the night sky, another that looked like flames. More beautiful than you could imagine." She suspected then, and still wondered now, if they were not some manner of demigod or other magnificent creature. Surely nothing mortal, she had heard far too many myths and legends to even consider that they were born of natural means. Ahead of her light broke. She gasped and picked her pace up, breaking into a lope. they had made it! With a joyous howl she broke out into a moonlit cove, sandy and full of brittle, fragmented, ancient stones. She whirled around to see if Solveiga had made it too. "Talk" "You" Think "Tsiry"

Again the conversation would seem to take a slightly uncomfortable turn, but this time Solveiga was better prepared and she fought back the warmth in her cheeks as best she could as she laughed off the joke. And this time, she was composed enough to formulate a response, aimed at the lemur who said Solveiga deserved better than Peregrine. "I wouldn't be so quick as to say that," she said, adding a slightly teasing smile to the mix. Now this was new to her. Flirting, yes, and now flirting back? Well, this night had brought plenty of adventures thus far. Why stop now? She flicked her tail gently behind her as the scent of fresh air grew stronger, and then Peregrine picked up the pace as a glimmer of light shone up ahead of them. The sand colored woman would break into a light run as well, leaping over the little puddles deposited in the sand by the ever changing tide. She laughed as her new acquaintance gave a cheerful howl and then looked back to see that she was still tagging along. "I suppose you didn't have to use those last words after all," she chuckled. "Almost a pity, really. I was wondering what sort of clever thing you had come up with." Not that she was disappointed the woman hadn't died. Certainly not. Solveiga was very glad the two of them — or rather, the three of them — had survived at all. That late night adventure could have taken a turn for the worse, and she was grateful it hadn't. So, now what? Would the two unlikely friends continue to travel on together? "So..." she began, a bit awkward. But honestly, that seemed to be characteristic of her most of the time. "Still want me to give you directions?" Their date as it had been called?

The cold night air had never felt more liberating. It seemed to swell in side of Peregrine's lungs, imbuing her with warmth and energy. When Solveiga asked her if she still wanted directions, the truth was more that she just wanted to wander wherever her gut tugged her. "Mayhaps, but doesn't that take all the adventure out of it? What's life without a little mystery." Tsiry rolled her eyes. This headstrong fae was impossible. Then to her utter surprise, Sol made a joke. A bewildered chuckle broke through her lips followed by a disproportionate gale of laughter. "So you do know humor! I knew there was more to you. I'm an excellent judge of character, you see," she said with so much modesty she could only be bragging. "And my final words will go down in history, I can assure you of that."

The night was brisk, sharper than most so far this mild season. It made Peregrine coltish, and eager to strike out once again. She turned to Solveiga and raised a brow, wondering what the sweet waif would do if she asked her to come along on an adventure. She had a life of her own though, it would not be fair nor responsible to pull her into the uncertainty she faced from day to day. Peregrine knew she was not an easy companion to stick with. So instead she yawned, and said, "Well, I need to find somewhere to sleep for the night. I'll probably set out in the morning, I suppose." Tsiry seemed to have no opinion on the matter. She would be certain to drop by this way again if ever she returned, to check in with the interesting young fae. "Thanks for a fun time, though, I'll see you around," she said with a wink. It would clash with her way of life to linger, to give second thought to her decisions. The wind was blowing her away and she had no choice but to go along and follow the urges of the night. But she would not forget the sandy girl, who she no longer considered a stranger.

-Exit?-

It was definitely a relief to be outside again, and Solveiga stretched herself out a little as if to relieve the cramped feeling that had come from being in such a tight, enclosed space. She then sighed a bit, and put on a small smile as she looked to her right to where Peregrine was readjusting to the cool night air as well. In response to her question, the earthen woman said she'd actually rather keep the mystery and adventure. Go wherever the wind took her, that sort of thing. The smaller woman couldn't deny the faint tug of disappointment in her chest, but she tried to stay bright and pleasant on the outside as she nodded. After all, for a long while that had been the philosophy Solveiga had followed as well. As for her clever final words, it seemed that Solveiga would not get to hear them today, and she chuckled and gave the woman a bit of a wry smile. "Pity," she said again, quite glad to see how Peregrine had responded to her use of humor. It wasn't something she did all that often, making jokes and snide comments. But that didn't mean she didn't have a few up her sleeve. The two were silent for a moment, and then Peregrine let out a yawn and spoke of her plans to find a place to sleep and then set out in the morning. Part of her wanted to know where this bold, adventurous woman was headed next. But that was her business, and besides, she probably didn't really know. So Solveiga just nodded, and gave another smile. "Thank you as well," she said softly. "I hope we see each other again sometime, whenever the wind happens to blow you my way," The girl added, an almost teasing tone in her voice probably brought on by the wink that had been sent her way. After this, she merely gave a small nod and departed, sighing lightly as she walked off into the night. -exit Solveiga-