A scent of the wind beckoned him from his usual patrol of the Polar edge. It traveled along the warm breeze cutting through the frosty mountains of his newfound home. Arousing Cifarelli to investigate what could be something of interest. Nose to the ground. Ears shifting every which way, he could not help himself. Steps now picked up in pace as rock became grass. That soon shifted into hard gravel. The area reeked of old history. Past situations even he knew nothing about. A few faint markings of others lingered around. But, they weren't what brought him to the area. In front of him stood a gaping mouth. No eyes. No ears. Just jagged rocks that resembled teeth. A creature of unknown origin. The black plague took time to look around. Gaze observing every inch of space with deep concentration. The entire ordeal took quite a bit of time as he left no rock unturned. No blade of grass was unsniffed. A few bugs scattered the moment he flipped over their place of hiding. Birds escaped from their perches the moment his paws landed on the base of trees. He took breaks. Scratching at his side. An itch quickly being relieved before returning to the investigation of the grounds. Cifa was indeed thorough in his work. With no other in sight. Not a single-pack scent in the general vicinity. It was finally time to descend into the entrance. Walking with confidence further inside the throat of the beast. His body was now nothing but a distant memory the more he traveled through the belly. What lies ahead he did not know. He just knew it was time to stop being lazy and return to the mission at hand. Or rather.... paw. "Speaks"

Calista glided effortlessly over the rocky terrain, her fur brushing against the jagged edges as she traversed the landscape with the silence of a shadow. Her sharp eyes absorbed the subtle details of her surroundings, discerning the old scents lingering in the air. Amidst the past odours, a more recent aroma would pique her curiosity, prompting her to move purposefully towards its source.

Approaching the mouth of a cave, Calista's keen senses would detect another presence. Intrigued, she paused in her steps, choosing to observe the figure from a discreet distance. As they disappeared into the cavern's depths, an irresistible urge led her to follow suit, each step as careful and quiet as possible. Yet, her attempt at stealth betrayed her when a cascade of stones beneath her paws disturbed the eerie silence. The clattering announced her presence unmistakably, which would definitely draw the attention of the stranger to her. Unperturbed, she remained composed.

The woman acknowledged the inevitable revelation, she abandoned her concealed stance and emerged from the shadows with an air of confidence. "Looking for something?" Calista inquired, her voice a velvety monotone that revealed nothing of her prior surveillance. Her gaze, seemingly detached, masked the fact that she had trailed the wolf into the cave. With ears perked, she awaited a response that might unravel the purpose of their shared exploration, all the while concealing her own intrigue.

Vision adjusted easily to the lack of light looming into the background. There wasn’t a spot unturned or looked over the more he progressed into the dark depths. Some smells tickled his nose. Causing him to sneeze in retaliation of its invasion. Which masked the sound of another. He didn’t respond right away. An ear pulling into the general direction of where a woman spoke so freely. Her perfume nothing but forfeit and unknown. Has she followed him inside? Cifarelli drew back a breath. Nostrils flared in the partake of the female’s particular aroma. Eyes flashing back over his shoulder to ensure she was indeed alone; before, he chose to address her. "Nothing in particular." A single paw flipped over another rock. Well, what he thought was such until it made a noise that made him cringe in annoyance. Sharp and rippling the sound traveled against the stone walls. "Are you?" Cifa flicked his tail. If she were to be his companion, he may as well show some type of home training. Right? Heh. "Speaks"

In the dimly lit cave, the stones' cascade failed to betray Calista's presence, muffled by the sudden sneeze from the man before her. The musky scents hung heavy in the air, though they didn't seem to bother Calista as much as they did the stranger. She pondered briefly if it was her more resilient nose or simply a difference in tolerance. When her query drew his attention, their gazes briefly met, and she noticed his quick scan of the cave to see if she had company with her.

A fleeting smirk crossed her lips as she scanned her surroundings, limited by the cave's poor lighting. "Nothing in particular," he replied. Her ears slightly forward in curiosity, watching his reaction keenly as he resumed inspecting the rocks. A particular stone produced an unpleasant noise, one that didn't sit well with her, yet she maintained a stoic facade, unwilling to reveal her discomfort. "Are you?" His voice broke the silence once more, prompting a contemplative hum from Calista. She wouldn't confess to having followed him; instead, she allowed that suspicion to simmer if he did think that.

"I was merely curious about who was in here while I rested," she replied in a smooth, monotone accent, feigning annoyance with an exaggerated sigh, despite feeling otherwise. It was a calculated move to gauge the nature of the wolf she was dealing with. "Will you venture further into the cave or continue tinkering with those rocks?" Her question hung in the air, a subtle challenge in her tone, curious to see his next move.

"I have nowhere particularly to be." His words were clipped. Leaving no argument to question him any further. If he wanted to be annoyed or pestered he surely would have brought one of the many Saxe members along. Another rock was flipped over in a way of sheer pettiness. A smirk slipped over those black lips as he moved further inside. There was a heaviness in the air that caused him to take short breaths to control his breathing. History from moments he could not and would never understand lingered in the atmosphere. It was drawing him deeper and deeper into the cave's throat. Mission? To reach the belly and be digested by whatever lay within. Long metal trails took on the ground beside him as if leading him to where he wished to be. The female surely followed as her scent remained near him; but, at a respectable distance. Was she lost? Bored? Either way, Cifa pressed on with the intent of exploring more of this unknown earthly beast. Light held no power the more he wandered. Had it not been for his sense of night vision, who knows where the Saxe male would end up. Tail lightly swaying behind him. Nose occasionally sniffing at the ground or air. He proceeded with more confidence in his step. A thought forming into that of a question t'wards the female. "What's your name?" "Speaks"

Calista continued to tread lightly in the dimly lit cave, her footsteps nearly silent against the rocky floor. The distant echoes of the unnamed man's movements reached her ears, prompting her to maintain a respectful distance, her senses attuned to the subtle nuances of the environment. As she watched him venture further into the cave, flipping rocks with a certain defiance. Calista followed suit, her curiosity unquenched. The air grew heavier, laden with the weight of untold histories, and she found herself inhaling its mysteries, savoring the peculiar atmosphere.

When he broke the silence with a question about her name, Calista considered her response carefully. "Calista," she answered in her smooth, monotone accent, the name rolling off her tongue effortlessly. There was a pause as she continued to navigate the rocky terrain behind him, choosing her next words with a calculated grace. "And you?" she inquired, a subtle challenge lingering in her voice, as if daring him to reveal more about himself in this cavern. The darkness only seemed to deepen as they delved further into the cave, leaving ample room for the secrets that lay within its belly.

Cifarelli brow roused in an arch. There seemed to be an endlessness to the way their path ventured deeper. Curving around bends that seemed to appear as if guiding them t'wards something in particular. No urge to turn around or be on guard didn't come to the surface. So he saw no reason to stop from continuing on. Paws leading on just as silent steps which matched the woman's. "Cifarelli Saxe." He stopped then. Wanting to better get a view of who'd decided to take time out of their day to follow him. What he saw did not surprise him at the least. She looked quite plain compared to the female's of his family. Such a dull blonde coloration splayed over her features. Narrowed snout and reflective yellow eyes peered out to him through the darkness. "I did not expect such a dull female. Beautiful, none the least. Just... dull." The Saxe male did not care if he hurt her feelings. He was outspoken and cared not for what others thought of how he talked. It was best to be honest than to lie to the face of others. "Speaks"

Calista's keen eyes glided over the uneven walls of the cave, her thoughts weaving through the labyrinthine passages. The staleness of the air mingled with the dampness, a testament to the age and neglect this cavern had suffered. Her gaze shifted towards the male, his name echoing in the cavernous space, bouncing off the walls. "Cifarelli Saxe," she repeated, the words rolling off her tongue with a certain elegance despite the broken cadence. Her eyes flickered with a subtle amusement, she paid no mind to his appraisal of her, letting the comment linger in the air like dust particles caught in the dim light. "Beautiful, none the least. Just... dull." His words sliced through the silence, but Calista remained unperturbed.

"Dull, perhaps, but beauty is not my concern," Her voice held a low, melodic quality, the accent adding an unique touch to her words. She continued to navigate the treacherous path, her paws moving with calculated precision. As they ventured deeper into the cave, Calista's thoughts echoed with a hint of intrigue. She observed the unsafe foundations with an almost detached interest, marveling at the resilience that allowed this place to persist against the test of time. The exploration of the cave became a dance between the hazardous terrain and the unpredictable dynamics between her and Cifarelli.

A low hum emitted from her and her eyes flickered towards the cavern's depths. "Perhaps we should head back before we lose our sense of direction," her words held a subtle warning, an acknowledgment of the peril that lurked in the shadows. She turned towards Cifarelli, her gaze steady. "There are other paths to tread, ones that are far more exciting than wandering in the dark. Unless, of course, you find the thrill of uncertainty appealing." A mischievous glint sparkled in her eyes as if inviting him to venture into realms beyond the confining walls of the cave, where the unknown promised both danger and exhilaration. The choice, it seemed, lay in whether he was willing to embrace the uncertainty or remain ensnared in the familiarity of the shadows.

Calista’s voice invaded his ears and swirled the very walls of his mind. Silencing whatever thoughts that once lingered there. He didn’t quite know if it were the way of words she spoke from her sultry tone. But, it caused him brief pause. Eyes of crimson blood staring unblinking into the darkness ahead. Could there be more to explore? He surely knew there was; however, in order to continue his knowledge of these new lands. There had to be time for more discoveries and explorations than here. It was decided the moment Cifarelli turned away from his current path to seal the distance between himself and the dull blonde woman. Her scent much stronger now to the point it nearly choked him. Unlike his other male counterparts, he himself did not show much attention to the opposite sex. Killing and slaughtering. Hunting and exploring. The Saxe male gave those categories more time. To rape a female, hear the screams of her agony or even the whimpers of submissive pleasure did not go away. Just like the others he wished for this to happen one day. Not now, though. Now he only wished to further his knowledge of what lay east, west, south and north. The band of Saxe’s were merely trying to find a place to call home. He’d taken note of the several wafting scents of other packs that rested just along the borders of territories they passed. It all irritated him to no end; yet, he said nothing to the larger of his siblings. Sephiran. Maneuvering back to the entrance took no time at all. Not caring to once look over his shoulder to ensure Calista had followed. Something telling him she did so without hesitation. The summer sun no longer held a high position as it once did when they’d entered. Settling slightly lower and descending ever so slowly over passing time. He took this moment to stretch out his limbs. Toes spreading apart with a deep yawn pressing against his chest. Cifa could see the female much clearly now. "Perhaps you are far more beautiful in the light. Versus the darkness." He said nothing more as he awaited for what adventures she’d promised him. Now that he no longer traveled the mine’s walls. Where would she lead them to go? "Speaks"

The woman's ears twitched, capturing the echoes of Cifarelli's contemplation within the cavern's depths. She followed behind him, attuned to every nuance of his movements. As they emerged into the fading daylight, she nodded in agreement with his observation about her beauty in the light versus the darkness, a faint grin playing on her lips. "Light can reveal many things," she replied, her voice still carrying the subtle brokenness in its cadence. "Perhaps, we find shelter and rest a bit before venturing further," Calista gestured towards the horizon, her eyes narrowing against the descending sun. The notion of a brief respite lingered in the air, a shared understanding that they could recharge before delving into new territories.

Her thoughts, however, delved into a different realm. A curiosity about Cifarelli's background simmered beneath the surface, an eagerness to uncover the secrets concealed within his history. This desire for information was not just about the lands around them but also about the man walking beside her. She kept these musings to herself, understanding that unraveling the mysteries of his past could be a delicate dance. For now, she aimed to subtly weave a connection that would encourage Cifarelli to stick around as they explored new lands, providing ample opportunity to uncover the truths she sought.

As the sun dipped lower on the horizon, casting a warm glow over the landscape, Calista turned gracefully towards Cifarelli. "We decide where to go in the morning," she suggested. Without waiting for a response, she began to walk, the subtle sway of her hips and a flick of her tail invited him to follow, leaving the mysteries of the cave behind.

exit