Come down, come down sweet reverence

Jynn stared into the large, dark mouth of the cave. It stretched open before her as though the earth was yawning and showing its long stalactite teeth. The air outside was cool but the west hadn't been hard with winter yet so the foliage was still green. A large tree grew up on the left side of the mouth of the gave, a skinny green vine looping through its branches. Foliage in various sizes grew up around it but none of the sunlight reached inside the mouth of the gave. She looked in and all she saw was black. Pitch black. Jynn bounced back and forth on her feet, deciding if she wanted to go in or not.

Audra had grown a bit restless lately staying in the moors. Having spent the first few years of her life traveling around Boreas, she wasn't used to having a home just yet. So, off she went in search of a new place to find. Winter's chill was far-reaching across the land, but as she moved west, the foliage surprisingly stayed green in this area. Curious, the small wolf wandered toward the blackened mouth of a cave. As she approached, her honey-brown eyes fell upon a taller, slender, red, and black wolf who was also peering down into the depths. Wondering what she was doing, Audra paused for a moment before sending out a quick yip in her direction. Approaching with her tail hung low, but ears forward and a small smile on her lips, she wanted to make sure her demeanor wasn't threatening. After all, she was a lot shorter than the other female, but still. "Anything interesting down there?" Audra mused as she stepped up alongside the towering girl. Glancing away from her and into the dark depths, her eyes widened. The stretch of blackness seemed to go on forever and the way down was steep. The only reason she could find in herself to go into that hellhole would be the possibility of finding different sorts of fungi...

Come down, come down sweet reverence

Jynn paced in front of the mouth of the cave, her nostrils flaring as she took in any scents the air could offer her. It was musty and cool but she detected no scents of other predators. During this transition time of autumn into winter it was hard to say if a cave held a hibernating bear or not.

Jynn jumped when she heard yipping. She glanced behind her to see a small woman approaching, her large ears perked up curiously. "Oh, hello!" The earthen woman stopped before her and inquired about the cave but Jynn only shrugged. "I have no idea. I haven't gone in yet but I think I will. I don't smell any bears or predators around here so I think it should be safe. You want to join me?"

2/20

Her ears flattened a half moment as she noticed the other girl jump. "Oh, s-sorry didn't mean to startle you!" Audra quipped, a frown on her lips as her tail tucked a bit further. Glad that the other didn't take too much offense to it, her eyes turned back to the cave. Peering into its dark depths, her own nostrils flared, taking in the same musty, cool scents that wafted up to them. "W-well, if there are no predators, I d-don't see why not," Audra shrugged back in response with a smile on her lips. Wagging her tail, she looked back up to the girl. "I'm Audra, b-by the way," she spoke sheepishly before glancing back down into the dark. Curious, excited, and nervous all at the same time, she reached up to touch a calming paw to the satchel around her neck. If they were to get hurt, she could surely take care of their wounds. Her lessons with Paladin had been helping and she was more confident in her work these days. "You ready?" Audra tried to sound more confident as her legs trembled a little. It was quite a steep trek into the cave...

Come down, come down sweet reverence

Jynn wondered at the unusual way the other woman spoke but she was more focused on the fact that the woman, Audra, was up to go exploring with her! Jynn's tail started to wag. "Nice to meet you. My name is Jynn." Exploring was just so much more fun with a partner, especially one that seemed friendly.

You ready?

Jynn nodded confidently but as she approached the mouth of the cave she moved slowly, calculating her steps. Once she crossed out of the sun and into the cave she was surprised at how much cooler it was. The temperature difference was night and day. Jynn carefully placed her paws as she moved deeper into the cave. "Careful here, it's steep." Once she was again on flatter ground she felt more comfortable. "So, Audra, are you an explorer to?"

3/20

Following close enough behind the taller Jynn, her golden eyes were cast downward to watch where she stepped. Small pebbles slipped over the edge as they made their descent into the dark. As soon as they were far enough down the path and out of the sun, a cool chill settled over them. It was a nice feeling to be out of the bright surroundings of the surface where winter was too much of a threat. Nodding silently to Jynn's caution, her eyes didn't lift up until they were no longer on the steep decline. Once upon a flat surface, Audra rolled her shoulders and continued to casually follow Jynn, allowing her to take the lead. "Y-yes, I enjoy exploring Boreas," her words became more confident as she grew more comfortable with her new companion. "There's a lot of different scenery around here," she mused as she looked up to the cavern's ceiling. It definitely was spooky down here. "Have you explored a lot?" Audra asked, glancing back to Jynn for a moment before taking in more of her surroundings.

Come down, come down sweet reverence

Jynn bent her head and sniffed lightly at the ground, taking in the strange scents of the cave. What was particularly surprising to her was that there were all sorts of vegetation growing just inside the cave. She was surprised anything could grow in such darkness but perhaps at certain angles the sunlight managed to shine right into the cave. She listened as Audra spoke and nodded in response to the woman's question. "Yea, I've seen a good amount of lands, mostly in the east though. I really haven't seen much of the west yet. What about you? Are there certain types of lands you like to explore more than others?"

4/20

_________________________________________________________________ Light scatterings of nails against rock echoed in the shadows. Audra was sure it was just rodents, but she still looked around anyway. Peering into the dark with narrowed eyes as Jynn sniffed at nearby foliage, her ear turned slightly. "Be careful touching any of the plants," Audra's quiet voice warned, "anything that grows in the dark like this might be poisonous." It wasn't to scare her new companion but to make sure she wouldn't be leaving the caves alone. Taking a few steps toward a trickle of water, she glanced at Jynn over her shoulder. "I prefer the west, lots of lush valleys and forests, but the south is nice too. There's a beach with black sand I visit often," her voice was wistful as she remembered the stormy beach that glowed in the evening. "I haven't had much opportunity to make it out east yet, and the north... ugh no thanks," Audra laughed a small, tinkling laugh as she kicked a smooth pebble off into the dark. Listening to its echoes, it sounded as if it never stopped, continuing on into the depths of wherever this cavern led to. _________________________________________________________________ A  U  D  R  A

Come down, come down sweet reverence

Jynn had been about to sniff at some of the vegetation that lined the cavern floor when Audra warned her that they might be poisonous. Jynn jerked her head up. "Oh, yikes, really?" She carefully stepped around the plants, seeking to move further into the cave without poisoning herself. As she did so Audra explained that she liked lush valleys and forests. Jynn grinned. " Yea, the north is rough. I explored a few territories up there but it gets too cold for me. Don't get me wrong, I still want to explore all of it some day it's just a lot." Last time she was there she had to wear a mountain goat skin and wrap her head and feet in hides just to manage the freezing temperatures. Jynn continued to scent the air, relying on her nose due to the lack of light. "So, how do you know about poisonous plants? Are you a healer?"

5/20

_________________________________________________________________ Not sparing a moment to follow Jynn deeper into the dark, she wasn't about to get left behind. Carefully toeing around the tendril of plants, she nodded. "Mmm, yes, but I don't know for certain," Audra mumbled this, not wanting to be misleading either. Eyeing the shadows carefully, she was cautious as they found their way down a path. Only having been to one northern land before, Audra nodded in silent agreement. "Maybe in the summer when some of the snow has thawed," the smaller wolf offered with optimism. Maybe, just maybe the north wasn't so threatening during that time of the year. Just thinking about the snow piling up as high as the sky made a shiver run down her spine. Jynn's question made her smile beam in the darkness. Though they were already relying on their other senses to lead their way, she was happy to indulge in information. "Yep, I wanna be a great healer one day. I know some, what most plants are and some basic salves. It would be a dream to have others come to me for healing," her voice was dreamy as her aspirations came to mind. Stumbling over a rock, a small yip released from her. "Sorry," she said quickly, straightening herself and making sure to walk more carefully. "How about you?" The question was soft but tentative, hoping her new friend would like to share about herself. _________________________________________________________________ A  U  D  R  A

Come down, come down sweet reverence

Jynn continued to move deeper into the cave but she paused at one point to look behind her at the opening they'd walked through. The mouth of the cave was like a strange misshapen orb. "Oh, no need to apologize. I think that's neat! I never really learned much about plants." She knew a few basics, like not to touch poison ivy or eat foxglove but nothing that would be super useful in healing another's ailments. "I just want to wander and explore. Some day I wouldn't mind starting a band for other wolves that just want to wander and explore." She really wasn't interested in raiding or causing disturbances.

Jynn jumped suddenly as a mouse ran across her path. "Whoa, there are critters down here. That's surprising. I wonder if there are any bats?"

6/20

_________________________________________________________________ Audra knew everyone had their preferences. She hadn't really met a lot of others who enjoyed healing until she'd come into contact with the Valhalla pack. They seemed to covet healers in their arsenal as if they were ready to tend a whole army. It had pleased her and she enjoyed their company, but she was on the fence. Traveling around Boreas was fun and she saw the allure that drew Jynn in. But it was also extremely dangerous. Boreas was home to many large predators such as cats and bears. That Audra wasn't entirely prepared for. Staying within the safe boundaries of pack lands would ensure her survival. She hoped Aurielle wouldn't mind her leaving every so often to do her own exploring. "That's a really neat idea," she replied as they both paused, her gaze following Jynn's back to the mouth of the cave. From here, it was a distorted opening that grew smaller and smaller with each of their steps. Suddenly, Jynn jumped, making Audra take a step back. Looking around for the culprit, she smiled. Mice were cute and harmless, but definitely too quick to catch for a snack. Her ears flew back at the mention of bats, her wide eyes glancing up to the cavern's ceiling. "Bats?" Audra murmured, her voice quiet as she'd never seen one of those before. Out of the corner of her eye, she had seen something shiny blink a few times, but she had assumed it was just water dripping down. Maybe it had been a bat. "Well, I hope that bats and mice are the only things in here," her voice trailed off as they continued deeper. _________________________________________________________________ A  U  D  R  A

Come down, come down sweet reverence

Jynn eyed the ceiling of the cave warily. She didn't mind bats but she was not a fan of being pooped on and she did not want to be walking below a bunch of them. So far though she didn't smell much in the way of guano. Further in the cave Jynn did find a small pool with some strange little plants (salvia) growing around it. Jynn wondered if the plants had any use and also if the water was drinkable. She decided to pass on the water but was curious if Audra knew anything about the plants growing here. "Hey Audra, do you know what these are? Are they useful for anything?"

OOC: 7/20 If you want to gather some herbs while they're exploring just let me know! I saw Salvia in the herb guide. I might have to google for more cave plants that aren't on the list.

_________________________________________________________________ As they rounded a corner, her eyes crossed over the small pool Jynn stood beside. At the edges, a green plant with fuzzy leaves sprouted around, happy with the dark and dry air. Tilting her head to the side, she stepped up beside Jynn to take a sniff of it. Wrinkling her nose for a moment, she smiled. "Hm, I think I might know what this is," Audra hummed as she plucked a leaf from one of the stems. Taking it gingerly between her teeth, she let her tongue taste a small portion of it. It was bitter at first, but the sweet after-taste made her smile. "I think Paladin calls it Salvia," her voice was quiet as she dropped the leaf into her pouch. Carefully picking a few more and dropping them inside, she looked to Jynn with a smile. "There are a few uses for it, I believe," her voice trailed off as she glanced around the cave some more. Not expecting there to be any other vegetation this deep underground, she looked back to the plant. "Its main use is more of a party effect. Eat enough of it and you start to see things," Audra spoke carefully. While her new friend was a traveler, that didn't mean she enjoyed partying. "It does have other uses if I can remember them," she stepped away to sniff at a few rocks and the pool beside the growing plants. Could there be more herbs here? From what her studies with Paladin and Legacy included were more healing plants than psychedelics, but she thought only fungi grew down in places like this. _________________________________________________________________ A  U  D  R  A

Come down, come down sweet reverence

Jynn watched with fascination as Audra sniffed at the plant and then pulled a leaf off for further examination. She mentioned someone named Paladin and stated that the plant was called Salvia. Her fascination only grew as Audra explained that if you ate the plant you'd start to see thinks. Jynn shuddered. "Bleck, no thanks! I was exploring a cave in Auster and I thought I saw a chicken on my travel companions head. And rocks were talking and stuff, it was bad!" She'd make note not to eat any weird plants but at least she didn't see any of those strange glowing pools in this cave. "Whose Paladin?"

8/20

_________________________________________________________________ A hearty laugh escaped Audra's throat at Jynn's blatant disgust. "Chickens on your heads?" She exclaimed, her belly tightening as she gave her head a shake. Taking her time to examine the plants near them, she figured it was a good moment to rest their paws. In the dark, it was hard to see, but she hoped they'd be able to find some other plants deeper within. "Sometimes, if you eat little bits of it, you won't see things, but it can help calm you," Audra offered as she plucked a few more leaves carefully from the plants. Since no one was down here very often, she figured it wouldn't hurt to take a lot of it. Jynn's question made her ear turn and she smiled. "Oh, he's an older healer that helps teach me things," she responded without thought. It was true and Paladin truly wasn't anything more than that. Before placing her new pile of leaves in her pouch, she set them on the ground. Taking a step or two over to the water, she filled her mouth with some of it before letting it dribble over the vegetation she'd gathered. Once it had been suitably damp, she gingerly picked them back up to place into her pouch. "Keeping them damp prevents from drying out if I want to use them sooner," Audra offered, knowing that Jynn probably would think her odd if she didn't explain. "Do you think there are other plants here? I haven't ever heard of this place before so I'm curious," her voice trailed off as she squinted into the darkness. While her heart raced for a moment, she was all too curious to know more. _________________________________________________________________ A  U  D  R  A

Come down, come down sweet reverence

Jynn smiled as Audra laughed. In hindsight it was pretty funny. She was glad she saw chickens and heard talking rocks rather than something really scary. Audra went on to explain that in smaller doses it would help her feel calm and not hallucinate. Also, it seemed Paladin was an older healer and instructor. Jynn's head tilted to the side as she watched Audra drink some water but apparently she didn't swallow the water, she dribbled it on the herbs. She must've seen Jynn's confused expression for she explained that keeping the plants damp would prevent them from drying out prematurely on their journey.

"Interesting! Ummm…. I don't know, let's see what we can find!" Jynn worked her way along the cave walls, following a path that lead into another chamber in the cave. This chamber also had a pool. Along the rocks grew thick moss. "Hey, do healers use moss for anything?"

9/20

_________________________________________________________________ She was quick to follow Jynn as their paws crept farther down a slim path. Taking care not to slip or step on anything dangerous, she turned after Jynn into a large cavern. While it was quiet, Audra sense maybe something spooky about the place. In the middle, a pool of water sat still and undisturbed. Encircling it, rocks covered in moss grew in abundance. Tilting her head in a curious manner, she approached the moss with a few sniffs of her nose. Never had she seen moss this deep before, let alone not in a forest. "Yes, I mostly use it for dressing wounds. Since it's thick and pliable, it's easy to apply, but it doesn't taste good," her words were quiet but interested as she poked at some of the fuzzy moss. "I'm sure there are other uses if you dry it out," the words were an afterthought as she plucked some gingerly with her teeth. It was bitter and made her tongue coil back in her mouth. Dropping some of it into her pouch, she looked to Jynn. "This trip is turning out to be better than I hoped it would," Audra's words were encouraging as she took another look around the dimly lit cavern. _________________________________________________________________ A  U  D  R  A

Come down, come down sweet reverence

Despite little interest in becoming a healer, Jynn was still fascinating to learn what these clever wolves could do with plants that she often wouldn't give a second sniff. Audra explained that moss could be used for dressing wounds. "Wow, I had no idea. Plants seem a lot more useful than I ever realized." Jynn bent her head and sniffed at the moss. The fact that Audra said it tasted weird tempted Jynn to reach out and lick a patch. She shook her head at the strange earthy taste and swallowed sharply. "Bleh… I see what you mean. Seems like they absorb a lot of water. I'm guessing they absorb blood to and that's why you use them in wounds?"

10/20

_________________________________________________________________ Audra enjoyed teaching her newfound friend. It was nice to be the one with some sort of experience for once. Nodding her head energetically, she smiled. "Yes, they're perfect for absorbing blood and if I put a salve on, it helps keep it packed on the wound too." Taking a piece of the moss from atop a rock, she bit back the bitterness for now and dipped it gingerly into a pool nearby. As the water trickled from her piece, she picked up a paw and placed it firmly on her leg. Lifting her mouth, she smiled again in Jynn's direction. "See, it sticks pretty well! Would help if I carried bandages with me, but those are hard to find," she said as she placed her paw back on the ground. The moss felt weird on her leg, but it was easily shaken off. She hoped Jynn wasn't getting bored listening to her drone on about healing stuff. Glancing around, a mischievous smirk licked at her lips. "It would be a funny prank if someone covered themselves in moss and pretended to be a monster!" Audra said playfully as she tossed a bit of moss atop her head. It hung slightly over her eyes as she made a sort of "ooo-ing" noise in Jynn's direction. "Especially in this dark cave," her voice trembled a bit as she looked behind them. Darkness hung heavy around them as what little light cast over their bodies. There couldn't possibly be anyone else here. Shaking the doubt from her head, she shivered. _________________________________________________________________ A  U  D  R  A