Night had fallen faster than a puppy blinking. The sun had decided to make an early trip to bed and gave its shift to the moon. Happy as could be, the moon had shined its brightest once it came to the dark sky above. Basking in the glow of such a beautiful sight was the land of the North. Snow that hadn't been disturbed sparkled like diamonds. Every now and then, one would see the landmarks of different pieces of the vast territory. Glaciers, broken pieces of ice near whatever water supply there was, and a ship frozen in time.
It was around that frozen craft that two wolves, strangers and from different parts of Alacritis, unexpectedly met. After sharing conversations, the female had offered to help him find shelter. Now, they were on their way to find that said place to get away from the cold. Rather for him than her, but she didn't mind going anyway. Eria, who was still new to the lands surrounding Glaciem, was lucky enough to know that a set of caves were nearby. This was where they were headed.
The trip, however long or short in reality, didn't last very long for the pair. Eria had caught wind of the caves, knew of their existance, but she didn't know where they were exactly. However, with her nose and used to being on the alert, she found it. The looming figure of the first mountain she set eyes on seemed to stretch down and want to pick her up. If the mountain had been real, she would have leaped up in a minute! As it stood tall and scary-like, she eagerly walked towards the structure and set her eyes on the base. Its roots were wide and spread a long way, but the break in the side showed the entrance to the caves. Eria looked back at Pontifex, said, "Let's go!" and immediately picked up her speed.
Before either one knew it, they were standing in front of the opening. It was just in time, too, because the wind had started to pick up and clouds were forming in the sky above them. Eria glanced back over her shoulder at the sky, to question the sudden weather change. Her ears flattened and she jerked her head towards the small opening before going in. The sound of the wind increasing in ferocity started to deaden as she went further down, until the ground leveled out. Eria did a one-eighty and waited to see if Pontifex would appear.

The north was surely a much more magical place than the south, especially during the winter. Ivory snow dotted the landscape, shimmering iridescently in the now moon-light. Pontifex had never thought that a place could hold such beauty, but he was prove wrong. The landscape was quiet, not even the chirp of the occasional cricket to be heard. The temperature was beginning to drop significantly; the knight could feel the chill creep along the pads of his paws. He wasn't worried though, Eria was sure to find a place for them to bed down soon enough.


His prediction wasn't wrong. Giant looking mountains loomed in the distance and the sight of them his female companion sped her pace, urging him to follow suit. Pontifex complied easily enough, his gentle walk easing into an easy lope as he followed Eria to the face of the mountain. His golden gaze spotted a break in the seemingly impenetrable rock. An entrance. Eria spotted it easily enough, calling him to follow her and he did, the pair crossing the threshold of the caves. It was pitch black and it took his eyes a moment to adjust to the darkness before he was able to see more clearly. It appeared that they had made to their shelter in the nick of time because suddenly the weather outside began acting up.


Where it was once quiet, the wind began picking up speed quickly, howling to announce its presence. Uncaring of the world outside the caves, Pontifex continued on, following the click of Eria's nails as she moved farther down into the caves before turning back towards him to make sure he'd followed her in. He was a few steps behind her as he stopped, keeping a respectable distance as he threw a glance back at the entrance as the weather began to worse. Think that's a storm? he questioned his companion, nearly certain in suspicion.


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The answer to Pontifex's question was given before Eria could respond. Howling like that of a wounded wildcat came to life outside. The sound effects of the wind's harsh speed and efforts to get inside the crack in the mountain were enough to make Eria nod and say, "Yup." Her light ocean blue eyes watched the sliver of wintery white that could be seen from the entrance and she took a deep breath in and exhaled. "Well, I'm glad that we got out of that in time." She smiled to Pontifex, with eyes twinkling, before she turned to face the welcoming safety of the inside of the mountain. "Let's go spalunking!" She yelped, joyful tones ringing up and around them in various echoes.
From where the two wolves stood, the ground was evenly leveled. Eria made sure to watch her step as she led the way deeper into the cave. She wasn't positive as to how the inside of the mountain would be, but she hoped they didn't come across anything surprising. Eria wasn't a big fan of them, but she dealt with them whenever one popped up. "I hope we find interesting things in here," she said to Pontifex as they walked together. Her eyes roved around the ceiling of the cave and saw that it went low and then rose higher until she couldn't see it.

ooc: ugh. Sorry it sucks. ><

He was surprised how easily the weather could change, especially during the winter. It seemed mother nature was a lot more volatile during the cold season than any other season of the year. When the two had begun to talk it had been just like any other winter night, chilling as the temperatures dropped. It wasn't until they had decided to seek shelter that the weather decided to turn on its head and throw a storm at them. Luckily the pair had been quick enough to find shelter into the caves of the mountain side before the store could catch them unsheltered.


The wind was howling its protest, screaming like a banshee. Audits lowered against his head, the sound of the wind completely displeasing to his ears. He wasn't particularly fond of storms, but they didn't bother him much. His golden gaze flickered to his companion Eria as her light ocean blue eyes met his, her voice confirming what was going on outside. He nodded in agreement, glad too that they had avoided the storm. She flashed a smile at him and he found himself smiling back, albeit a small one, but a smile all the same. It appeared the storm had put her in a playful mood as she called to him for them to go spalunking. He wasn't sure what that was exactly, but he didn't exactly have anything better to do at the moment. With a nod, Pontifex walked after Eria, easily matching his pace to hers as they continued deeper into the caves, Eria expressing her want to discovering something interesting. Who knows, we just might.


OOC; bleh, mines not much better >.<



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Now, it was true that Eria wasn't sure of how the inside of the mountain ran. She had only seen the crevice of its side from a far off observation. As she walked with her newfound companion, she had a slight fear of what the unexpected was going to be like for them. Her light ocean blue eyes widely looked around them as they continued to walk on the current trail.
The ceiling of the tunnel was low across their backs, making it seem like they were moles that were blindly walking into the unknown. She couldn't help but move her eyes up, realizing how close they were to the top of the tunnel. "Hmmm.." she mused out loud, hoping that the tunnel would expand sooner or later. Eria couldn't help but voice to Pontifex, "I can't hear anything from the outside now. Do you think this tunnel leads up to the top of the mountain or down into the heart of it?" Either way, she was concerned about their safety, which was evident in her voice.
Her ears perked and eyes wider than ever, she continued to walk. A side glance to Pontifex made her smile and she tried to keep her pace the same as his. She didn't want to seem too excited about having a spalunking buddy, but her smile probably gave it away. Her tail swept behind her lazily and before they knew it, the ceiling began to rise. There became more room to move around and just as Eria was beginning to think there wasn't anything at the end of their tunnel, there was. Three seperate mountain tunnels were displayed in a small, spacious area at the end of their first leg of the adventure. Eria looked at each one in turn and being unsure was evident across her face. She turned her head to meet Ponti's gaze and eagerly asked, "Which way should we go?"

This first time in the company of another that wasn't his family. It was exactly bad, but it wasn't amazing either. Perhaps he wasn't too excited about being around Eria because he was still reeling from the unexpected death of his brother, but he was doing alright wasn't he? He wasn't exactly sure how these types of interactions went, but it wasn't going too bad. Besides, he couldn't linger on the death of his brother for too long. He had to move on sometime or another.


These caves were surely new to him, perhaps they were new Eria as well? She didn't seem perturbed by the fact that she didn't know the area well. She embraced her new surroundings, plunging in head first to explore. Pontifex simply followed alongside, more or less ready to explore the caves that they were now sheltered in. Audits twitched to attention as the darker woman at his side spoke up, asking him if he thought the caves went up or deeper inside the mountain. I honestly couldn't tell you, but my guess would be deeper into the mountain. From what I've heard, most caves go through to the other side if they aren't just shallow little crevices. But I could be wrong. He allowed his shoulders to rise in a shrugging motion, probably unseen to Eria seeing as though it was nearly pitch black inside the caves. He could tell that she was concerned with the safety aspect of things, but the brute didn't think they had much to worry, if except for a possible snake or two taking shelter or poisonous bugs if at that.


From the corner of his golden gaze the knight noticed Eria stealing glances at him, a smile curling her inky lips as she easily kept pace with him. She seemed to be much more excited about exploring these caves than he was and he felt somewhat guilty. She was doing everything she could to be nice and here he was, moping around. He really should be trying to be more enjoyable but he just couldn't find the energy to muster it. She didn't really seem to notice anyway. And then before them the cave opened up, gaping as he realized that three separate entries opened up before them, each possibly leading to a different spot in the mountain. Eria turned towards him, asking him which one they should take. Pontifex turned to face the three choices, unsure of which to choose. I'm not sure. Any one of them could lead us to who knows where...


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The silent hints of sadness seemed to leak from Eria's companion as their travelling had been quiet. The last few strides from both wolves had given Eria time to take in the surrounding details, including those she couldn't see or hear. Feeling her way around was one way to keep all of her senses alert, and it was because of this that she felt the unseen thoughts that were nearby. She didn't say anything about them at the time. There would be another chance for her to reveal her hurtful past. At some point, she knew that sharing it would help her...she was just nervous about it.
Now, as they both looked at the three tunnels in front of them, they were at a crossroads. Which one would they have to take for safety? She sniffed the air that came from all three and looked to Pontifex with a steady, but warm gaze. "I know that it seems I know the way, but..." she hung her head guiltily, "I don't. I just hope that whichever one we choose to take, it will be the right one." Perking her ears, she slowly looked at the runnel to their left and started to pad towards the entryway. "I hear faint sounds of dripping water down this one..do you think this would be the one we choose?" If he did, then she wouldn't mind finding a pool of water to lap from.
ooc: Better post coming soon. Promise!

He didn't know if he would ever be able to let go of the fact that he hadn't been able to say goodbye to his brother before he'd died. He would never understand why his brother had taken his life. Had there been something beneath the surface that Pontifex had never been aware of? It wasn't like any of that mattered anymore. His brother was gone and there was no bringing him back. That was one mistake the grey and black brute would not be able to rectify.


Eria's voice broke him from his thoughts as she admitted that she didn't really know the place. There's no shame in not knowing things. There's always something that someone doesn't know. He watched her as she padded towards the left tunnel, telling him how she'd heard faint sounds of water emanating from it. I don't see why not. he answered quietly, padding up to her side before surpassing her as he began to walk through the left tunnel.


OOC: Mine's not any better >.<



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The pair walked along in silence, and it was welcomed by both, it seemed. Eria didn't mind that they were quiet. She figured that Pontifex still had his brother's recent departure on his mind. As she thought about her own past's events, she didn't notice the changes around them. The level of the tunnel's ground ascended, making a sharp forty-five degree angle increase. Her brows furrowed at the sudden change of the trail. Looking up from her thoughts, she saw the entrance that came closer with each step.
Eria glanced over to Pontifex before looking back to the new cavern. The ceiling rose up and up, high enough to where they couldn't see it. There wasn't as much darkness in the inside of the mountain as she had thought. Her eyes adjusted to the change of light and she slowly padded towards the middle of the new room. Located in the center was a huge area of water, its surface smooth as glass. It looked like nothing had come to drink from it in a long time, at least, that's what Eria observed.
"Look, Ponti! Water!" she excitedly said, causing her voice to bounce and echo around the cavern's walls. It startled her at first, but Eria recovered with a soft smile on her maw. The closer she got to the small pond, her hope dwindled. "Oh.." she said, "it's frozen." She knew this would probably happen, but the thought of drinking such cold water had made her think otherwise.

A kind of comfortable silence settled between the two, growing until it completely engulfed them. Pontifex didn't feel the need to suddenly break their silence and it appeared Eria didn't either. He was glad that she was pretty understanding. He wasn't sure how much longer he would've lasted around her if she had one of those nosy, pushy, tell-me-your-entire-life kind of wolves. Not long he supposed. Suddenly the path before them became more steep, angling downwards suddenly. The brute took notice right away, slowing down his pace, careful where he put his paws. It wouldn't be a good idea to slip and fall. They were deep inside caves that neither of them knew their way around and far from any type of help as far as he knew. Injuries would be risky. The darkness seemed to lift around them, allowing some kind of natural lighting to slip in, allowing Pontifex's eyes to adjust better to their new surroundings. Before him stood a large body of water. What looked to be a still surface was really ice. The water had frozen even inside of the caves. Eria pointed it out to him with excitement, rushing over to it, realizing that it was frozen at a second glance. She seemed disappointed that it was frozen. Are you thirsty? I could break it open. He volunteered, golden eyes watching his companion for a reaction.



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Eria's head and ears had drooped when the disappointment washed over her mind. She had been looking forward to drinking cold water - from anywhere - since she and Pontifex had safely made their escape from the storm. Now, as she thought about the potential weather outside of the mountain, she strained to see if she could hear it. Silence. That was all there was, and she didn't mind it at all.
The frozen surface, which seemed to be taunting her with the moving water beneath it, irked Eria's nerves. She was tempted to jump across the pond and jump until there were cracks. As she was mentally splashing through the frozen layer, Pontifex's voice spoke up. Her ears perked and she slowly raised her head. Light ocean blue eyes met with his yellow orbs and his offer registered in her mind. "You would-you would do that for me?" Eria blinked twice and her disappointment evaporated. She began to see the ice being broken and the cold water beneath, exposed to the world and to their noses.
Her stance changed from being sad to a bit excited from the thoughts of enjoying something to drink. Eria eagerly nodded as a follow-up for her question answering his own and said, "Yes, Pontifex. That would be wonderful." Looking at the smooth, icy surface of the pond, she playfully cackled and said, "Look out. You won't even know what hit you. Muahaha." She knew she probably sounded silly, but the playful smile that appeared on her face made it more adorable. Eria backed up a few paces, allowing room for Pontifex and the ice that would probably rise and fall in the air.

He watched as her demeanor suddenly changed, her ears dropping, her frame seeming to sag. Eria didn't seem like the type of woman who walked around being sad and Pontifex didn't like the look that was on her pretty face now. She needed to be happy, to be smiling like she'd been just a few a minutes ago and the brute would do what he could to bring back that happy-go-lucky attitude.


His gaze flickered to the frozen water at his side, noticing how it danced beneath the frozen surface. There were only a few inches standing between his companion and a cool drink. Nothing some brute force couldn't fix. Twin audits rotated in the direction of the obsidian woman as she tried to make sense of his offered help. Sure, why not. And then her demeanor changed, her happy go lucky attitude slipping back in. He gave her a small smile before turning to the ice, leaning down to sniff at the ice, placing a firm paw on the ice he tested the resistance, trying to find the weakest point in which he break through the easiest.



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The dryness of her throat made Eria's form antsy. She didn't want to show it to Pontifex, but she couldn't help her front paws pressing into the ground. One at a time, they flexed their claws, pushed pressure onto the earth, then retracted the claws before the next one followed tu suite. Her tail lightly thumped the said ground, but its beats were muffled by the huge vacant air throughout the cavern. Her light ocean blue eyes were filled with an intense fire, the evidence that showed how thirsty she was. And yet, Eria took a soft breath in, closed her eyes, and felt a wave of patience and calmness ride down her form. She knew that she had to wait for the ice to break before she could attempt drinking from the cold water.
Her paws stopped their clenching, her tail remained still, and her eyes opened to watch Pontifex as he prepared himself. She took note of his paws on top of the ice, testing the thickness of it with self-made pressure. Silently, Eria hoped the ice would bend to his will and break without any problems. A light smile appeared across her face and she wrapped her now silent tail around her hind paws, warming them up within seconds. One thing Eria loved about herself was how thick her fur became when she was in wintery areas. The idea of being in Glaciem made her heart flutter and she began to think of her new home as she waited to hear the ice crack and break.

He forgot about Eria for the time moment, focusing all of his energy on the ice beneath him. Claws reflexively buries themselves in the ice, trying to help the brute keep a firm grip on the slippery surface. He allowed both forelimbs to touch the cold surface, putting only a little bit of weight behind him, watching as the ice began to give beneath his weight. There, he'd found the weak spot. Pontifex took a step back, bringing his forepaws back onto the solid rock, gaze intent on the cracking ice spot. Haunches tensed, plume held parallel to his body as he leaned back, forelimbs raising off the ground. The two-toned brute prepared himself as it to jump, but instead of throwing himself out, he threw his weight down, bringing both front legs down on the cracking ice. He was rewarded with a loud crack, veins spanning out from the impact zone. Retracing his steps, the knight readied himself for the second attempt, muscles tensing in anticipation. Again he launched himself down, putting all of his weight down with the impact, the ice giving way beneath his second attack.


Water rushed up from beneath the ice, dancing over his paws. Pontifex gave a sharp intake of breath at the sudden change in temperature, using the edges of the thicker ice to push himself back away from the water and onto the solid rock. Away from the icy water the brute shook his paws out, ridding them of most of the water before turning to Eria. Hope that's good enough.



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She had watched with bated breath when Pontifex began to hit the ice. Her attention had become focused, all other thoughts were pushed to the side and into a box somewhere in her mind. The sounds that came from his weight hitting the ice, the cracks that found their ways across the glassy surface, were all absorbed in her ears. Once Pontifex broke through and water splashed across his paws and the air above the small pond, her small line of focusing became broad again. It had happened: the water had been set free and the surface was broken.
Eria rose from her haunches and softly padded towards the scene. She gave a glance to Pontifex and nodded thankfully, muttering, "Yes, it is," before she lowered her head to the open gap. Her mouth met the cold water and the freezing temperatures sent shivers across her body. Goosebumps rose over her skin, making her fur stand on end as she began to lap it up. Her tongue ran across the surface of the water, which freely moved as she drank and drank. The dry nature of her throat ceased as she continued to drink, not thinking about anything but getting enough for her satisfation.
Finally, Eria had enough. She raised her head, water dripping from her chin and the fur around her mouth. Her head turned towards Pontifex and she gave a wet grin, which spread the width of her dripping fur and its droplets across the cave floor. "Thank you, Pontifex. That was the best drink I have had in a long time." She couldn't help but reach out and nuzzle his cheek in gratitude after that. It was a wet nuzzle and she drew back when she realized he probably wouldn't like water across his face. "I believe it's your turn, if you want some. There's plenty, from the looks of it...and I don't need anymore right now."

He'd done it. He'd managed to break through the ice to release the chilling water beneath its frozen surface. He'd done his companion a favor, since she had after all decided to stop and have a talk with him, the first non-family member to have done that since his arrival in Ala. She'd been beyond kind to him and he couldn't think of a better way to repay her than by helping her out.



Pontifex stood back, golden gaze watching as the obsidian woman stepped forward, dipping her muzzle into the freezing water, her tongue lapping it up as she quenched her thirst. He had dismissed her thanks with a gentle nod of his head, needing none. He'd done it because he'd wanted to; she didn't need to thank him. When she'd finally had her fill she raised her head, turning towards him as she presented him with a wet grin, thanking him again because that had been the best drink she'd had a long while. And then, she reached out towards him, nuzzling his cheek, leaving a wet imprint behind. The brute froze, unsure of how to take her gesture. His golden gaze was rooted to her ocean blue one, watching her before he finally managed to snap himself from his shocked state. You're...welcome. he finally breathed, stirring his paws into action as he moved past her to drink from the icy water.



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Eria couldn't help but giggle softly at Pontifex's stunned reaction. She bet that no one, aside from his family, had shown affection towards him like that. A small feeling of being proud appeared in her eyes, but it gently faded away before anyone could see it. She hoped that for the future, he would have more affectionate nuzzles like that, either with her or another lucky fae. The fact that she enjoyed his company made it a better atmosphere than when they had first met. As she watched him drink from the cold, broken pond, she listened to the sounds that began to become more obvious with the silence.
The ice that had flown from the broken surface had landed on the stones that scattered the nearby pond. Somehow, the temperature had made it melt, causing random patterns of drip, drip to play on her ears. From somewhere, one of the small holes in the cavern's far-away ceiling, a sliver of a winter wind swept down and around to the two wolves. She felt the cold air touch her ears and nose, making her shiver in surprise. Her eyes roved around the cavern and she began to take in the details she had missed when they first arrived. Eria then noticed the natural waves of the wall, evidence that water had once reached the upper levels of the cavern they were standing in. She padded towards the wall furthest from her and took notice of the outlines of animals and sea creatures on the wall. Her eyes widened at a collection of them and she couldn't help but utter, "Woooow..." under her breath. Her tail twitched and she said, "Ponti...come look..."

The brute lowered his head towards the chill water, letting his nose linger above the surface before salmon tongue snaked out of his jaws, lapping at the chilled water. Goosebumps rippled across his pelt from the water's touch, but after a moment he adjusted to it, greedily drinking it in, relishing in the refreshment it brought to him as it slid down his throat to settle comfortably in his stomach. After a moment Pontifex lifted his head, water dripping from his jowls as he turned to look at Eria, watching as she walked to the opposite side of the cave.


He moved away from the water, allowing his body to completely turn away from it, golden gaze on his companion's dark figure as she moved towards a wall. He could out some designs or something close to that on the wall, but he wasn't sure exactly what they were. Apparently Eria noticed them too because she exclaimed in wonder, calling him over. The knight complied easily enough, paws carrying him to the obsidian woman's side as he allowed his gaze to fall over the rock. They were indeed signs, or maybe symbols, he wasn't sure, but they were surely interesting. He had never seen anything like them before.



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Eria's eyes roved over the many carvings that had been made in the wall. Some were close to her eye level; others were up and far above her scope of vision. From what she did see, Eria was astonished and impressed with the way the drawings were done. Her tail flicked behind her again and she felt a bit of fur against it when she did. Breaking her gaze from the wall, she looked at Pontifex and shyly said, "Sorry." Tucking in her tail gently between her hind legs, she smiled at him before looking back up to the drawings. "Who could have made these, Ponti?" she asked, her eyes still mirroring the surprise and wonder that decked her thoughts. Her gaze halted on the rough sketch a few inches away from them. A human stick figure with what appeared to be a spear at the end of his twig-like arm stood next to an animal with a humpback and horns from its head. Four-legged with two 'Y's at the ends were indications of a bison. Eria's mouth began to water at the picture and she softly asked, "What is that two-legged thing next to the bison?" Speech,

He was kind of glad that he'd run into Eria, or else he probably would have never gone out exploring and most likely returned to area around Seracia to see out his sister and find a place to bed down for the night. But instead he was out in some place that he didn't even know, with his new companion Eria, exploring caves and finding symbols drawn on a wall. She obviously had a good eye for exploring because he would have never even thought twice about looking at the stuff on the caves walls. He would have completely ignored them and continued on his way, perhaps to find a way out of the mountain or see where else it led him to.


A small smile danced across his dark lips as he felt her plume brush against his side before she realized that she'd brushed him with it and tucked it between her haunches. He shook his head, dismissing her apology as he allowed his golden gaze to fall back to the stone, taking in the onyx scrawlings on the wall. Your guess is as good as mine Eria. he murmured, brows furrowing together. Who had made these markings on the wall? Surely no wolf was capable of such things or really any other creature. So if not an animal, then what? His attention was drawn back to his darker companion as she set her sights on particular set of symbols. He looked them over, able to easily discern the shape of a bison, though the one beside the bison was foreign to him. Another creature perhaps, one we have never encountered before? he volunteered, not really sure what that figure was.



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