Into The Earth, Boardwide Plot [aw]

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Alright, this is the beginning of the plot that will ultimately put the alphas in their new positions. Anyone is free to join. But be prepped for some reading at first...


The mountains, once more. On her last trek, her journey had been interrupted by a tiny golden colored fox. It wasn't a bad thing per say, but the wolf was aching to convene with the spirits. She was still learning many things. Every day was a new experience and a new skill learned. She wanted to talk with the elder spirits, which had been her intention on her first trip into the peaks. Spring's blanket still covered the mountain in a sea of mosses and wildflowers, flowering bushes, and new, pollinating trees. It was a fantastic site and a pleasure just to walk through the scenery. Aison, the tiny chipmunk who governed the larger wolf, was fluttering about the ground, having a good lunch for himself, snacking on the seeds and tender shoots of plants. Calypsis, again, would eat nothing on the mountain; it was not hers.

She'd be returning to the spot that she had come upon on her first visit. For some reason, it drew her back, like she belonged there, like there was some unfinished business between that little piece of land and water. The journey was quick this time and it wasn't long before the path became familiar. The chipmunk and the wolf traveled in silence. It was certainly not that they were uncomfortable with one another, it was just that they both knew the gravity of what Calypsis was about to undertake, and neither had anything to say about it. Moments passed and the trees began to thin slightly again, and then, there is was, a ribbon of water peeling over the side of a steep cliff, dissolving into individual drops, spilling into the pool below and reassimilating with the river once more.

The wolf turned her head, looking back at the creature on her back. She nodded her head, and then turned back towards the rushing water, each drop going on, moving on without a notice of the wolf. "We're here Aison." Be strong Phi. He could give her no other advice and she knew it. Calypsis had never spoken directly to the spirits before. Of course, like every good shaman, she had listened, she had heard their whispers and their voices, but she had never spoken back, and she had never asked them to speak to her. The wolf had always listened when they spoke, but now she would have to ask.

Slowly, she stepped forward, her body slipping into the cold water. The liquid seeped through her fur and chilled her, but it was required. The pool had not deepened since the last time she had been here and again, as she made her way to the very center of the pool, the water only lapped at her chest. She was staring the falls in the face. Their roar took over her ears and she could hear nothing else. The mist was collecting quickly on her face and forming heavy drops on the ends of her fur. Her eyelids shut slowly and she relied only on her mind, her other senses, to guide her. Aison, perched on her neck, remained alert, but silent. The burden was on the wolf, this was not his place to speak. The water fumed in Calypsis's ears. It blocked out all the other sounds of the forest, and yet, the more she stood facing the great beast, the less intrusive the sound became. It quieted, slowly, almost imperceptibly. She still could hear nothing of the forest, but the falls became quieter. The flow did not stop, the water did not wane, all was as it had been. It just seemed as though the volume of the world was being turned down.

She focused all of her mind on the spirits. All of her senses seemed to be on high alert. She could feel everything. It seemed as if the water itself was seeping into her body and feeding her more and more energy, circulating it like the blood pumping in her veins. She could hear her blood above all else, the dull, steady pumping. Eyes still closed, the wolf felt compelled to move forward, towards the falls. She lifted a paw and it felt heavy, laden down. But slowly, she compelled her body to go forward. Any wolf in their right mind, witnessing such and event would think the lady crazy. From the surroundings, it would be easy for the average wolf to see that nothing lay behind those falls than more rock. The cliff that the water fell from was nearly solid rock, and it showed no sign of variation. It was a wall. A rock wall. But still, the lady moved forward, urged on by an unconscious feeling deep inside of her.

It was only a few steps before the wolf was very literally nose to nose with the falls. Her body was now completely soaked if only from the mist and the spray of the cascading liquid. Still, it seemed she was meant to go further. The lady stepped further. She only barely felt the tightening of the chipmunk's claws on her back as he prepared himself for the raging waters. The water stung her nose as she pushed through. It rained down on her head forcing her head down just slightly. Torrents of water cascaded for her and formed their own tiny rivers in her fur. The purple and pink and blue hues of her coat were only accentuated by the water. The wolf continued to push through the falls, the water now slapping at her back and finally, as she moved on, over her hinds and her tail. To the on looker, a large, healthy wolf had just disappeared through a waterfall and into a sheer rock face.

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OOC: Quotes from http://www.ilhawaii.net/~stony/quotes.html

IC:

Ayita stepped one paw in front of the other. "Ayita do you know where you are going?" Mausu's voice chimed in her ear. He nipped at her ear trying to gain her attention. Ayita's ear twitched as she made a quick shushing noise. She needed him to leave her be for a few moments. Mausu scurried a head looking about.

Ayita looked forward to smell a familiar scent. Ayita let a smile lace her maw, Calypsis was near by. Mausu scurried around her paws, "Ayita that female is near I saw her." Ayita nodded stopping to let her companion scamper up on to her head. At least out here was much nicer then being in that town. She had to admit after she left that decaying place she had a bit of the creeps.

Ayita padded along the wind blew lightly and Mausu chanted lightly in her ear as they walked. Everything had a spirit, everything had life it just was up to you weather or not you stopped to listen.

"What is life? It is the flash of a firefly in the night. It is the breath of a buffalo in the wintertime. It is the little shadow which runs across the grass and loses itself in the sunset." Mausu spoke softly. His voice was always calming and she knew he spoke the truth.

The mountain's path was lightly worn many wolves must have crossed through here Ayita thought as Mausu continued his sayings. Ayita looked at the lake that lay ahead of her as she saw Calypsis standing there. Ayita looked out to the blue lightly clouded sky as Mausu chanted she lifted her head to the sky. She emitted a howl that sang with the wind. As the two intertwined, Mausu smiled to himself looking to the sky.

Ooc: Lexii, there’s some gmode please tells me if you don like it and I will change it ^^ Also sorry I really dont like this post -- still trying to get into her xDD I'ma gunna hav'ta change her personality on her appy to fit what she had become xD Anywaysssss, you can read post now ^^It had been just a day since they had had their little confrontation, they had walked for some time in silence and then Anubis found them a place to sleep and they slept, still without a word. Shanti had curled up, off the side and on her own, away from his black form as it melted into the night, and kept her eyes closed. Her ears were alert, however, and she listened to his deep breathing for awhile and thought that he must be asleep. Of course he probably wasn’t, and was probably listening to her deep breathing thinking the same thing. This breaths, consistent, slow, and deep calmed her a little, and slowly, surely she felt her muscles relax, felt those short cords lose their tension that was gained from the day. She body felt heavy, like something large and warm was laying on top of her, pushing her into the earth. Her eye lids, which were already closed, started to push even further down and she knew that even she tried her hardest to open them she would never be able to pry them open. No… she was falling asleep… she took in one deep, long intake of air and let it out slowly and she gone in lala land.------ **SNOREEEEE** ok not really, she does not snore, but you get what I mean haha ------She heard his deep voice calling her name and moaned in her head, not wanting to get up, but the voice was persistent and she slowly opened her eyes, having to blink a few times to get them clear. She stood on long white legs and stretched her muscles, opening her jaws in a large yawn as she did so, then looked around at Anubis. He seemed…. Calmer then yesterday, but who knew, he could cover up his anger, Shanti thought, or at least I think she can. If not then he is a lot calmer then I would have thought. She kept back a laugh at that and then walked when he said that they had to be on the go yet again.They walked for a few hours when she had asked for a rest and he had complied, finding a warm clearing and sitting down. They had been silent all day, and she tense with it. Shanti liked to talk, even when most of the time it was fighting over one thing or another, and not talking was like putting a huge weight on her shoulders. The silence made her tense and edgy, and every time any noise what so ever reached her ears; a breaking twig, the fluttering of a bird as it took to the air, the rustle of the leaves, she jumped. Anubis probably knew this, and, thought Shanti, probably enjoyed watching her wither under the presser of the silence.Then he got up and went to hunt, and she stayed. After a few minutes, however, she heard a howl and she stood, ears up and eyes curious. Not caring if Anubis would get mad or not, she walked towards the noise. Perhaps she was doing it just to anger him… you never knew, not even she knew, it was like a subconscious thing. She walked quietly, not wanting to walk into a situation that she did not want to be in, and by walking quietly that meant that she could walk away just as silently. She soon heard the roaring waterfall and, within the next moment she saw a wolf walk right into it. Wait what? Shanti tensed as she watched the back, hips, and lastly the tail dissapear into the waterfall. In her own homeland she had had a waterfall but behind it had been a rock face, she had no idea that there might be a cavern behind the curtain of water, and so to her the wolf had done the impossible; walked into a wall of rock.It was then that she saw the wolf who had howled. Shanti cuffed, letting the female know she was there, and then walked up to her; close enough to talk with ease, far enough that she could dodge a attack and run towards her mate. ”Where… did that wolf go?” Shanti asked, her white fur tense as she glanced back at the waterfall as if expecting to see the wolf still there with its nose stuck against the rock behind the water.

This post has been edited by Shanti on Apr 10 2008, 11:45 AM

I hope I have this post right

The wind, refreshing and clear, blew wistfully about the trees, letting them rattle and shake like an ancient dance taught from one generation to the next. The only other noise rocking the earth was the patting of paws hitting the cool ground. A large grey figure strode confidently through the forest, but where he was heading… not even he knew. Dust went where ever he please actually, not caring much about what effect it might have on him. He’d dealt with worse probably, and it’s not like he was pounding around on pack turf.

”Why so anxious today Dust?” Caidy spoke softly from behind the large grey wolf. Her lithe form bounded from tree branch to tree branch and occasionally off a rock. Dust always liked watching his spirit guardian take flight; she seemed almost perfect, unlike him. Thinking about those thoughts were prohibited though, and instead the wolf kept his green gaze on the path ahead.

”I’m not anxious, but I can smell something up this way that has made me curious.”

Right then the foliage broke away and a rocky edge jutted out over the land before. Dust looked at the scenery with admiration, before Caidy had to break in with a few of her own words. ”You know that curiosity killed the cat right.” When Dust turned around the spirit was grinning crookedly, and so he gave off his own crooked grin. Dust had his own reply for this, and said it with a humorous tone.

”Yeah, but, satisfaction revitalized it.”
Dust was still grinning when the silence revealed a soft rumbling noise not too far away. Picking up his ears, the brute turned his head in the direction of the sound.

”I wonder what that is…,”
he mumbled to himself before looking at Caidy curiously. She just shrugged before jumping on his back as Dust ran toward the noise, bounding over rocks with great cautions. He didn’t want a sprained left, not now. And so he went.

It only took a few minutes to reach the noise of a tumbling waterfall. It was actually pretty loud, how Dust missed it before was beyond him. It was there that a loud howl rang out over the falls. Dust turned his head to listen to it better. Yeah, it was coming from the falls. He looked back once at Caidy, who was only looking at the falls now, before moving onward. What he saw was a bit disturbing; a wolf just walked into the falls and disappeared. There were two other wolves here as well. Dust didn’t want to get involved, and luckily his mostly grey coat blended in nicely with the rocks. He was higher up than the other two wolves, but wanted to get closer. He slowly made his way down the high rock point, making little noise other than the rumbled of rocks sliding down the mountain side.

This post has been edited by Stardust on Apr 10 2008, 06:53 PM

Anubis really didn’t go to sleep. Actually, he hardly ever slept ever since he was younger for when one was sleeping, any manner of things could sneak up on them and kill them out rightly. His father had taught him that, taught him to be diligent and always keep his eyes open. So, yes, Anubis was indeed tired and he did wish he could curl up next to Shanti and sleep, but this was nothing more than useless wishing. One reason being the aforementioned facts and the other being the simplicity that he wasn’t going to give into her. They had had an argument earlier in the day and there was no way Anubis was going to be the one apologizing to her. No way.

So, after Shanti drifted peacefully off into a deep slumber, he slowly got up and stretched. Shaking himself, he tried to get the blood flowing through his veins, tried to wake his muggy senses, and began scouting the immediate area. His first priority, always, would be Shanti and her welfare and safety was placed above all other priorities. When he was sure that he had searched the area well enough, he returned to find her still sleeping, a small scowl making the corners of his mouth turn down. Why did she have to go speaking about love and commitment? They both knew that neither of them would be able to love the other…at least, Anubis knew that she would never be able to love him. It was a give, a fact, and fate had merely placed him with her so that she could have someone wait on her paw to paw. What a nice little slave for the Alpha’s daughter.

His anger flared deep in his chest, licking at his ribs and lungs like a hungry fire. His pupils dilated and his mouth grew dry, his talons making small indents in the earth as he tried to hold onto that which was still and stoic. Giving into the rage inside of him, which had been born into him, was getting harder and harder not to do as the days pressed on. That’s why Anubis was hoping that with them finding a pack would mean him finding a stable balance between the monster inside him and the wolf outside. He would have to, he believed, and in finding that balance, Shanti would be safer as well. Stiff legs took him backtracking away from her form until he reached the tree line. Only when his body became one with the shadows did he turn and leap away, running at breakneck speed as to calm himself.

It was only when the midnight sky was giving up its pigment to that of the sun did he return home, about an hour of sleep gained away from his charge. Coming upon her, she didn’t stir nor wake and it only made the onyx colored brute shake his head. She was most vulnerable without him and she didn’t even know it. He roused her as gently as he could, but he didn’t trust his voice enough to mutter even a good-morning. To say that he was still angry would be a good guess about the placement of his feelings, but with his stony expression as they meandered through the land, who could really say?

When it came about noon-time, Anubis decided to find them both something to eat so that they could keep up their pace. Sure, it had been hard going the past few days, but he was sure that they would reach some type of pack…eventually. That’s what he thought about as he stalked two plump rabbits for their brunch, one for himself and one for Shanti. His gobbled his down quickly, the other resting under his right paw and kept away from scavengers of any kind. Only when he was finished did he go back to the place where he had left her…only to find her gone. Immediately, panic swept into his system and he would’ve given into it had he not had the strict face of his father in his mind. So, gripping the rabbit tightly in his powerful jaws, he placed his quivering nose against the ground and inhaled. Catching her scent immediately, he trotted off in the direction she went, conveniently ignoring the howl that had just been let loose mere moments before. It wasn’t Shanti’s so why worry?

He found her conversing with another female, about what was beyond him however. He meandered quietly up, a shadow upon Shanti’s side and dropped the rabbit at her paws before glaring at her, his eyes telling so much a story that his lips needn’t move. Yet, Anubis felt something should be said. “Why did you run off like that?” he growled, his ears arching high, his tail curled over his back and his attention solely upon his mate, the other female as well as the rushing waterfalls ignored for the moment.

This post has been edited by Anubis on Apr 11 2008, 12:40 PM

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I'm going to go ahead and reply, but if others want to join in, please feel free. I think this thread will be best with a lot of wolves....
Also, sorry there isn't much interacting, but you know, trance state, etc.

JUST A NOTE: The other wolves may go behind the falls, but for some inexplicable reason, the entrance is to small for any of the wolves to fit through, they can only peer inside. It'll be explained later, the cave is going to become part of the site...


The waterfall had crashed over her and her fur was now completely drenched, but from the wolf's expression you would think that she didn't even know. In truth, all of her senses were piqued and it seemed as if she could feel every individual drop run down the fur on her sides, her legs, down her muzzle, she could feel every one. The lady had been drawn into the raging torrent of the waterfall and not even she knew why. She hadn't even thought that she might only meet solid bedrock. Luckily for the wolf, she did not. The rocks seemed to part behind the falls, an opening just a little wider than a wolf, a perfect entrance to a secret cave. The roar of the water was diminished behind them. Again, Calypsis's ears were filled with sounds of only what was in front of her.

As her paws slowly lifted, one after the other, carrying her body into the earth itself, she was astounded with what she found. In front of her opened a vast cavern. There were sounds of dripping water and a distant, echoey sound of a small stream weaving it's way through the rocks and further into the heart of the planet. For some reason, fully beyond the grasp of the multi-hued wolf, the cave was not dark as one would expect, in fact, in was lit with a brilliant bluish light. The light reflected off the slick, moist walls of the cave and made the entire room shine and sparkle. There were small stalactites forming all around the ceiling of the cave and as Calypsis moved into the large expanse hidden below the falls, she could not force her eyes away from the beauty of it all. Now inside, her paws were the only thing that remained immersed in water. The cave's floor, thanks to it's proximity to so much water, was perpetually covered in little more than an inch or so of water.

Outside, there was a bit of a gaggle of wolves forming. Calypsis had not thought that anyone had seen her. Well, truthfully, the thought had not even crossed her mind. One wolf had howled loudly, but the lady hadn't even flicked and ear. There were two reasons for that response; one, she wasn't focused on anything but the hum of the earth around her that was drawing her unexpectedly towards the falls, and second, even if she had been paying attention to the world around her, she was so close to the falls that the water would have drowned out the song anyway. There was no telling what was going through the mind of the observers at present. No telling what would come out of the mouths of those wolves with exceptionally vivid imaginations. Still, any of these thoughts were far from the mind of the one, vibrantly colored, soaking wet wolf inside of the cave.

The cave was, again surprisingly, about the same temperature as outside of the enclosure. Calypsis, without consciously knowing this, was glad for it. Had it been cold in the cave, it would only have been multiplied thanks to her wet fur. Still, all around her, the unexpected and unusual was laying itself out for her. Small pools, formed by dips in the rock and the constant water, held creatures that wolves had never seen before. The glittering blue cave was an experience Calypsis would not soon forget, and yet for some reason, she felt as if this were only an appetizer. As astonishing as the subterranean hollow was, she felt as if the place it self was not why she had been pulled in here. The wolf, slightly confused and a little stuck, felt the tiny claws on the back of her head tighten just slightly, only enough to get her attention, and then the soft, kind words of Aison saying, Focus Phi, focus. The wolf nodded quietly to her faithful friend and let her eyes slip shut...

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-{-OOC-}- Hoppin' on in... [-IC-] A black wolf leapt down from a ledge about ten feet above the cave entrance, landing lightly on the slick stone beside the falls. She had watched as the one called Calypsis stepped into the pool, seeming to forget herself, before waling through the cascade and into what appeared to be a sheer wall of granite. Curiosity piqued, Terralee stepped gingerly along the rock, sidling, paws all in a line, along the shore of the pool until it was gone, when she took to the water, swimming as well as any otter. ~Together We Rise ~Together We Fight ~Together We Conquer Speaking of which, her guide Maari seemed to have been off fishing. She hadn't noticed, really, and poked her head into the cavern entrance. She became quite disgruntled when she discovered that her shoulders were too broad to admit her etrance. She ground her teeth in irritation at herself, and settled her rump down onto the bottom of the pool as she gazed inside. ~Together We Play ~Togther We Sing ~Together We Breathe Such wonders a wolf escaped from a Mexican zoo never had seen! The cavern was gigantic, far more vast than Terra would have first supposed. There were hundreds of small pools, each and every one filled with life, many of which contained species the the ebony wolfess had never before seen, or even heard of. The placed glowed with a brilliant blue luminesence, unlike anything Terra had ever witnessed. Oh, Dios! what beauty! She felt her heart soar at the glory of such a place, and felt it tearing at the same time because she was not permitted entrance by the Spirits. She would have to be contented to watch. ~Together We Learn ~Together We Age ~Together We Fall in the End

This post has been edited by Terralee on Apr 14 2008, 04:47 PM

Ooc: Spirit Animal - SPEAK Within a blink of a eye a long white animal, as white as Shanti’s fur, ran up to her and ran up her leg onto her back. Its claws clung onto her fur for balance and its long, thick tail rested quietly on her spine. Shanti had hardly moved as the animal had done this, but then twisted her head back and licked, just once, the animals back as best as she could and then bent back, facing forward, ears toward the roaring waterfall. ”Hullo, Lyco,” she whispered quietly to him, though not low enough that others immediately around her would not hear the words, ”Have not seen you in some time,” she commented. Lyco, a large white mink that was her spirit animal. Lyco shrugged his shoulders gently, and though she could not see the movement she felt the pull of fur as his shoulders moved up and then back, just to rest back into its normal place. They had never been close, they had never been, shall we say, clingy like other wolves tend to be with their spirit animals. Shanti and Lyco enjoyed their time apart, never ‘needing’ the other, but they also thoroughly enjoyed each others company when they had those moments together. Shanti rolled her eyes, something that the mink would not see, but he knew that she did it as it was her usual response to that damned shrug that he was so fond of.A white foot stepped quietly forward, and in a way she was ignoring the other wolf, but not in a rude nor offensive way. Right now that waterfall and the magical disappearing wolf had grabbed her interest, and she pulled her ears forward, waiting to hear that ‘OWIE’ that would surely come from behind that waterfall as that strange wolf hit a rock wall. Just then Anubis, his fur blacker then ever, walked up beside her. She flicked her ear towards him and her tail gently touched his back leg nearest to her as he dropped the rabbit at her feet, but she did not look at him. She was not too angry at him, not right not at least, she was too entangled in the current situation to spend any energy on anger. She was not, however, too distracted to spit back a quick and witty comment. ”Oh, please Anubis, I hardly trotted as I came here.” She laughed lightly, and finally tore her eyes away from the water to look into his. ”Thanks for the rabbit, I will eat it soon.” Lyco, who she had almost forgotten was there, reached forward with a twitching nose towards the dead and bloody body. Shanti hid a smile from both the males, wolf and mink, at this, knowing that Lyco would take any meal he could and that right now a rabbit sounded good. Rabbit was a rare treat for a mink, who usually dinned on mice and rats. ”Shush, now, Preto, something is happening.” She said, using the nickname that she had given him awhile ago, one of which that he did not understand. And she liked it that way.Just then another wolf jumped down and stuck her head into the same place that the other wolf had, and Shanti felt a flush of anger. Come now, what right did that wolf have to nose her way into something when others had been waiting their turn. With a flick of her tail she started her way down the gently sloping hill towards the event. Lyco grabbed on tightly as her shoulders moved back and fourth, and once she reached the edge of the lapping water he carefully walked forward until his front paws rested heavily on the top of her skull, between her ears. Once she reached the place where the waterfall hit the grounded water, still some feet away from that first nosey wolf, and then looked back at her ebony mate. Without another word she went slowly under the water fall, her nose and then her skull (Lyco holding on for the force was great) and she hurried until the water was hitting her powerful shoulders. Shanti was annoyed to find that the other wolf was sitting in front the small entrance, and she made the choice to keep her distance. However, thought Shanti, if that wolf would move her furry butt I bet my small frame could fit… This would not be tested, however.”Look in the Cavern,” her spirit animal whispered to her, and Shanti looked quietly inside, forgetting about the other wolf as she saw the beauty that laid inside. Color that she had never seen before was shining before her eyes, dancing to no beat but its own rhythm. Large columns of built up minerals stretched from the floor to the ceiling, and some were incomplete. Hanging maliciously from the top or pointing up viciously from the floor, as if they were open jaws ready to close at any sign of food near. ”What is it?” she asked quietly, and felt him shrug yet again.”Something… important.” was all he said, and left it at that.

This post has been edited by Shanti on Apr 15 2008, 07:21 PM

This was the strangest thing to happen yet after her arrival in these new lands. She had been keeping more to herself during the days, having only run into a few wolves whose company she sought out, and other times she was exploring by herself while Haze was off trying to locate a place like their old home, someplace comfortable for them both. Only about ten minutes earlier Snow had been meandering through the forest just up from the base of the mountain, curious about what she might find the farther up she traveled around it when Haze had appeared suddenly above the trees, sending a screech down to her. Snow! Looking up at the sound of her name, she watched as the owl alighted upon an uppermost branch of a tree, his wings still poised for flight as if he didn't plan to stay put too long. There is something you must see up the mountain. Please, hurry. With that stated, he took flight again, circling in place once where she could see him before soaring off above the trees.

Cursing softly under her breath, the two-toned wolf ran through the trees with a cautious step, not worried about the noise she would be making but rather over stumbling and perhaps injuring herself in her haste to keep up with her winged friend. He obviously had the advantage, able to soar over the treetops instead of being forced to weave in and around the tangle of trunks below. What had he been speaking about, something she needed to see? It hardly made sense. There had been nothing to occur during the last few days to make her guess that something big was coming. Of course she was grounded to one place, having to take the difficult route to get where she wanted by crossing ground on foot, while Haze had no boundaries, able to fly where he wanted with nothing to prevent him from doing so. But where was he now? She had glimpsed him back a few paces but at the moment, staring up through the small gaps in the leaves, she could no longer see his pristine figure. "Haze, where are you?" Snow called, her pawsteps faltering slightly with uncertainty. Had he veered off one way and she in another? It was possible, but she had figured he would have voiced a change of direction.

I'm here, he replied, his white form swooping over the trees from the direction they had been running. He had been there all along, just ahead of her. So much easier for him, I guess. Snow slowed to a stop, staring up through a gap in the canopy as he flew in a steady circle overhead. "I'll lose you in this wood," she commented, having been near certain she had lost him just moments ago. Just keep moving in the direction I started you in. I'll see you when the trees clear up, Haze replied, and with another beat of his great wings he was off ahead of her. Now at least having a better idea of what she was supposed to be doing without her friend guiding her, Snow darted off again through the trees. She did her best not to stray from the direction her winged companion had set her out on, considering every so often she had to dodge a tree here or maneuver around some other obstacle, and was pleased to see the trees beginning to thin a little and open up completely ahead. Her yellow eyes caught sight of a white figure falling softly from the sky to land upon the ground, his head turned towards her as he waited for her to arrive.

Snow slowed to a stop as she exited the cover of the trees and came to a halt beside the snowy owl, her breathing slightly altered from running up the mountainside and constantly having to change course to avoid collisions with stationary objects. He lifted a wing, gesturing towards a waterfall that fell into a lake, and immediately she thought her friend mad. This couldn't really be the reason behind her dash up the mountain, could it? "I hope I'm missing something," she muttered, glancing sidelong down at her friend before her gaze slid to those few who stood about around the lake, eyes oddly fixed on the point of the falls where the waterfall met the lake water. Don't you see those figures behind the waterfall? Curiosity stirred by Haze's question, Snow squinted her eyes a bit as she looked towards the base of the falls, sure enough noticing some difference in coloration there that shouldn't have been. She murmured a soft, "Hmm," to herself, not sure what she was supposed to do. Haze sighed before voicing his suggestion, Join them if you can. There's something going on behind the falls.

Was there, now? That certainly caught her interest. Before she could ask for more details, her winged companion took to the skies again, circling around before perching himself somewhere near the top of the falls, round eyes staring back down at her. With a nod of her head, the two-toned wolf set out to follow his instructions, walking a path down to the lake's edge. Her eyes roamed over the faces present, recognizing only one as the fiery wolf Ayita. Had she been the one to howl earlier? The voice, upon recollection, did sound an awful lot like hers, but Snow wasn't certain of it. Perhaps she knew of what lay behind the waterfall? A part of her felt inclined to ask, but with Haze staring down at her she figured she could find out for herself just as well by listening to his instructions. She followed along the outside of the lake until she reached the rock wall the waterfall fell from. Sliding along beside it and into the water, she hoped she could somehow pass behind the falls without so much of the water bearing down on her, but even with this method of passing she was still mostly soaked through with water by the time she wound up behind the falls. Making a feeble attempt at shaking off her fur - which only grew wet again from the mist - her pale gaze shifted from one figure to the other, one a black female and the other white with an odd black marking around her eye. Both stared intently at the rock wall, and as she took a step closer, Snow saw for herself why.

It wasn't a rock wall that lay behind the waterfall, but a cavern of blue. She had never before seen anything like it - never seen the interior of a cavern before, let alone one that glowed with an ethereal light. Everything within was illuminated and shadows appeared to be nonexistant, the glow resonating from every direction it seemed. Perhaps that was because every surface within the cavern appeared to be dripping wet, the glow of the light source reflected more greatly off of the watery surfaces. Was this what he wanted me to see? Snow wondered, shortly coming back to her senses enough to try and break her mesmerized gaze and get a better view of everything inside the cavern. If she turned her head just right she could see a multihued body standing in the center of the place, her back to the onlookers outside the cavern's entrance. Had no one tried to follow her in? It could have been the odd lighting but she looked about soaked through, so she must have entered the cavern from this way. Though a curious bit of her mind suggested venturing in after the multihued wolf, Snow's subconscious spoke against it and she remained glued to her spot, guessing that what ever Haze had been speaking about could be viewed from standing behind the waterfall without venturing into the blue cavern.

[ the spirit animals remind me of the daemons from The Golden Compass. and, because it might not be clear in the post, Anubis is now by Shanti's side, glaring at her. xD]

Immediately, the male was taken back by her words. Why couldn’t she ever just stop with the smart remarks? Why couldn’t she just answer him with a straight answer instead of saying something that made his hackles want to rise? His auds pressed forward in a display that was everything but forward, his upper lip lifting a little. A growl, seated low in her chest, sudden rumbled to life before spilling out from between his jaws. She just didn’t understand how little in control he was around her. Why else did she think he often went flying off the handle because of her smart words or haughty actions? It was because there were so many different emotions running through him when he was around her that he didn’t know which one to pay attention to first and then, when he finally could find one that suited him, she would say or do something that made him want to snap at her.

Yet, when she looked at him, his auds fell back to half-mast and his hackles relaxed. Why, he wasn’t all too sure, but his tail even gave a little wave behind him when she said thank you. A part of him was exalted with joy that she had thanked him and smiled largely, though the smile never did make it to his soot-colored muzzle. That same part of him could have made ten laps around the area from all the joy it gave him, though outwardly, he expressed nothing. Instead of nuzzling her or showing some tender kind of affection that one might towards their mate, he gave a stiff nod and let his tongue lick around his labrums, cleaning them of blood. “You’re welcome,” he replied, his tone as smooth as the surface of a skipping stone. None of the normal gravel was placed in it or the thunderous undertones which were given away when he was enraged.

His cerulean optics narrowed as Shanti’s spirit animal leaned forward over her shoulder and took a tentative sniff at what he had killed. He wanted to grow at the thing, wanted to bare his fangs and rip the damned thing off his mate’s back, but something told him not to. So, he sheathed his anger for the time being and listened as Shanti addressed with that strange name she had made up for him, telling him to be quiet. He scoffed, good-naturedly, and shook his massive head, a glance given to the other female that he had just now noticed. “What is going on that has caught and held your attention?” His head turned, his eyes focusing on that which Shanti was, though he saw nothing exciting that would deter from conversation. “It’s just a waterfall, Shanti,” he murmured, wanting to roll his eyes, but, again, resisting the desire.

Only when his mate started moving did he get up and follow her, sighing slightly as he grasped the rabbit tight in his jaws. Really, if she wasn’t going to eat the damned thing, why in the hell did he kill two? Of all of his little pet peeves, wasting food was high on the list. He had always been taught never to waste anything, though, considering Shanti was the daughter of an Alpha, she probably hadn’t been taught that. She could probably waste as much as she wanted without getting into any kinds of trouble. The flame of anger he felt uncurling in his chest was doused quickly, his eyes diverting to the landscape around him as he tried to calm down. He couldn’t let silly assumptions like that make him into the ragging beast that he was sure slept inside of him.

Because he hadn’t been paying attention, his focus being only on how to calm down, he almost missed the backwards glance that Shanti had given him before going under the waterfall. “Shanti!” he called after her, dropping the rabbit. What in the hell did she think she was doing?! Without a second thought, Anubis went after her, shivering slightly when his body made impact with the water for the first time.

Ayita let her self settle as she looked to the falls her lavender eyes focused on it. The roar it made was very deep and powerful. Ayita looked to Mausu who in turn nodded to her. Others had found their way here many she had never seen before there was a calling to this place something that was drawing everyone here.

"Ayita quick into the water can't you hear it the call in the wind."

Ayita had nodded her head stepping forward into the water with grace. She gave a smile as her powerful stride took her forward. Mausu's guiding voice urging her forward. He had always been there for her and now was not the time to turn back on him.

What would be calling them together like this? was it the forming of a pack was the wolfess in there going to start a pack? Was there something more? She closed her eyes listening as the wind picked up trying to hear its song. She didn't speak to the others around her she didn't move much closer then where she was right then. She opened her eyes looking at the water fall she focused on it waiting for what would happen next.

---

Remember, the posting order is just loose for this thread so if you got skipped or haven't joined yet, feel free to jump in.


Calypsis's eyelids had slipped slowly over her eyes, astounded as they were by everything around her. Her breathing was beginning to slow and she was getting that feeling that she first had when the had originally discovered the falls, before the little fox had arrived. Her paws felt as if they were melting into the stone beneath them and it seemed as if a heightened energy was cycling through the very walls of the cave, through the veins in her body, and out again. For a brief moment, she felt as though there where eyes all around her, watching, studying her every movement. And in truth, if she were to break her concentration and open her eyes, she would see, behind her, several bodies pressed against the now impassable entrance to the cave. It was as if the very earth had opened up to allow Calypsis entrance, and then closed again, blocking the others from entering.

But, as quickly as Calypsis felt that she had an audience, she forgot the thought. It was only clogging her mind. This place was incredible, she could feel it. It was a special place seeping with energy and whispers of those long past, those with a knowledge no living creature would ever have. All of her thoughts were focused on this cave and what it was saying to her and what would happen while she was here. The tiny claws of the chipmunk on her head tightened once again, and the wolf let her eyes drift open. Around her, the cave seemed even more vibrant and for the first time on a far wall, Calypsis noticed several glowing drawings. Curious and feeling an importance emanating from them, Phi, as she was affectionately referred to by the chipmunk, lowered her head and moved slowly towards the etchings. Like the cave, each seemed to glow their own light blue to white color.

Cautiously, Calypsis approached the drawings which depicted, individually, a large elk positioned in a leaping movement, a much smaller fox, tail curled around his body, and finally, a large, furry bear. The wolf was mystified. How did these artworks arrive here? Who put them here, was it a wolf? And how did they do it? Phi, carefully, put her paw up the glittering cave wall, the water around her feet lapping gently, almost urging her forward. Her paw covered the image of the bear and she touched her nose gently to the spot between the elk and the tiny fox. Almost instantly a ferocious wind whipped into the cave. The wolf's fur was pushed in all directions and she leapt back in shock and surprise. The light from the creatures only grew stronger and seemed to soak into the wind whistling and singing through the cave.

Right before her eyes, the water on the floor of the cave was drawn into the swirling wind until the stone beneath the wolf's paws was bone dry. The water seemed to separate into individual swirling drops. The spinning water obscured anything happening inside this torrent and Calypsis, jaws opened, couldn't have comprehended it even if she could see it. But then, almost as quickly as it started, the water returned the floor and the wind died down. If Phi's jaws had been open before, they were dislodged now, and it seemed as if her eyes would actually fall out of her skull. But now, unbelievably, before her, stood, in full flesh and bones, a towering elk, a small, sly looking fox, and most surprisingly of all, a massive bear with paws the size of the wolf's head. She could smell them, she could see them, there were there, but how, and why?

---

Stardust watched as more and more wolves came into view, luckily, no one had stopped to speak to him. It was only a matter of time though, and the large rock colored wolf knew that this was the best time to leave before someone did spot him. So, with little effort, Dust made to turn away from the gathering. Sadly, he didn’t get far, something held him there, not wanting him to quite yet. The brute didn’t like feeling weak minded, but stayed just a bit longer to at least satisfy his curiosity. He knew that, if he left right now, he wouldn’t get much sleep. So, wanting to get this done with, Dust turned his head around to look at his spirit guardian. She wasn’t there, and he didn’t notice. Caidy was good at being sneaky, sometimes against her (or his) own good.

Taking a deep breath before letting it out, Dust sat himself to watch as, one by one, wolves went into the waterfall. After the first two wolves, Dust had guessed that there must be a cavern behind the falls. He was old enough, and had seen his share in his years of travel. How big this cavern was though was to be tested. As more and more went, Dust took a quick estimate. Finally one last, snow pelted female entered. This left Dust all alone, and after waiting a few seconds… or was it minutes? Dust wasn’t counting. The large brute stood up, now being able to, and turned himself around. ’Most likely a pack meeting of sorts, he thought loosely before leaving the scene.

After taking less than four steps, Dust was stopped by a sitting golden form. Her dark eyes merely looked at him, but the wolf knew what she wanted. ”Turn around Dust, you might want to join the rest in there. The feline spirit guardian talked softly to the wolf, before walking towards the waterfall herself. Dust followed without another word, just a shiver, as he hit the water. By now Caidy was on his back, safe from the blue liquid. She, like most cats, would rather not get wet if they had that choice. Sadly, she couldn’t avoid the falls and that rained down upon the two late comers. Caidy made a low, groaning/hissing sound. Dust just grinned to himself then before letting his face drop back into mask mode.

There was a cave behind the water. Though the large brute had seen many different caves, none this big behind a waterfall before. Dust wanted to explore it more, something about this place was very intriguing. ’If only there weren’t so many wolves around here. Dust could imagine that, for this cave to be really big, the falls were probably really old. So how many years had this cave been here, and what could it have possibly seen through its life? While Dust pondered, Caidy jumped from his back to seat herself between the brute’s front paws. And then the smell hit. Something had happened, but what? There were just too many wolves huddled together here. Something was up, did the water just move? Dust finally gave up trying to figure out all that had happened, and looked at Caidy, hoping for an answer. She didn’t say much, just looked at him. She knew something, Dust could just tell. That’s what spirit animals were for though right? Obviously not his… Caidy would rather him wait and let the curiosity get the better of him. It always did though, as it was now, but Dust was certain that this wasn’t healthy. ’It only leads to trouble…

This post has been edited by Stardust on Apr 21 2008, 10:32 AM

He had walked all night, slowly, plodding, peaceful. His head was erect, held high and his eyes purple and mysterious stared forward as he watched Tachella and the night sky. He was a monk of sorts, a peacekeeper, a gentle soul with a quick tongue and a sarcastic attitude, but his heart was one that longed only for quiet, gentle hope. Hope that he would one day settle down, hope that he would one day fall in love and…and bear children, hope that one day his life would be worth something, if he continued to try. And try he had to help, but it all seemed like it wasn’t enough, as if something were missing. Up until he had moved to this place that had been unable to let go of him, he had felt lost in a whirl wind of emotions, like he had been cast out into the sea without a life line. He felt as if something were missing and it were right beneath his nose if he would only listen. He sighed lightly into the night as the large mountains erupted before him the night before Calypsis and her discovery. He walked on though hoping maybe that the spirits of the mountain would help him in some way. He was not above asking for help now as he once had been. The large brute, larger than most he was. Tossed his purple marked head as Chella came to rest on his horned head and fall asleep.

The morning never came more slowly nor did he mind. He didn’t stop once until the sun warmed his coat and shook Chella from her sleep. She remained silent, a rare thing for his little princess to do, but she felt it too. He felt this were the right spot to be, in fact the feeling was so strong it ached his bones and chest, and made him want to leap off the mountain if he would find answers to his many questions. But, as he paused on the mountain side that morning, sleep of the spirits took hold of his heart and he fell un-gentlemanly to his side and was fast asleep. He never slept so peacefully, even if it was for a short time. Instead a voice, a smell, a feeling, or who knows what woke him and his white and purple body from is rest. He didn’t yawn, nor was he tired or groggy when he woke, for her knew what he saw take place below him was all real and true. He looked down to the smell of Calypsis and her companion chipmunk. Tachella was awake too, sitting wide eyed atop his head, still silent. Never in their long lives together had they been so quiet together, it would normally have been unnerving. But he watched her, the waterfall racing beside him as it flowed down to her. She seemed in a trance, and ever since the giddish male had met the multi colored female, he had been completely envious of her talent and understanding of the gods and spirits. Completely enamored with her odd behavior, the purple horned male watched as she disappeared beneath the waterfall. It was when this happened that Chella freaked. She fluttered from his head and fluttered down the side of the waterfall, to dangle and fly right in front of the rest of the wolves that had begun to gather. Had they all been hypnotized by her? Standing up quickly, the shaggy haired Italian wolf sprinted down the slope to stand at the waters edge.

So many had gathered, and many had tried to follow Calypsis. He wanted to follow her too, to travel into the depths of the magic water and never leace. Yet something kept him standing pool side. Did he not think himself worthy of the water? Or could he just feel that behind that sheet of water, something wonderful was happening…something so wonderful he knew his eyes would and heart had already seen enough. He didn’t need to see the creatures who had gathered in the water, he was not worthy…he was not worthy of any og this until the spirits told him. He had tried he had gone the distance, he had traveled, he had learned…he had done all that was required of him, and now, he had come to the sacred pool and he knew he needed to be patient. Tachella came to him and landed on the sandy earth beside him understanding him without words. Standing, a massive figure pool side, his eyes never left the magical falls no matter the strange sensation he was feeling…this was a day to remember

-{-OOC-}- DARN IT! Wrong account again! And why is my table gray?!?! It's supposed to be white! [-IC-] ~Together We Rise ~Together We Fight ~Together We Conquer Terralee growled silently in discomfort. She hated overly large crowds, and the place was beginning to fill up. More and more wolves came, and she was beginnign to feel closed in, trapped, like she had in the pen at the zoo... She shook her head and turned towards the pool, turnign her back on the cave. Things were bginning to become to strange for her. ~Together We Play ~Togther We Sing ~Together We Breathe Es raro... What do you make of it, Maar? the ebony wolfess asked her otter spirit companion as she sat down on the bank. It is strange, but it is also fate. Calypsis was meant to come here, on this day. All of us spirits know this. Why? That is what we did not, and still do not, know. the black otteress replied from her place in the water. She wasn't sure why they had come this way. She had just felt that they should, so they did. And now there were a fox, a bear, and a hart in the cavern with the multi-hued lady wolf. It was almost too much for Maari to comprehend, much less her charge Terra. ~Together We Learn ~Together We Age ~Together We Fall in the End

This post has been edited by Airia on Apr 22 2008, 05:11 PM