[ORP : Evolution Event] Songs of the Crystal Caverns

Do you think they taste icky?

Rowara chrrrd a laught at the thought and sat up a little. 'Oh I don't know, I don't eat insects much but I would imagine these ones taste a bit like earth and leaves.' her little nose wiggled as she scented the air. 'It's mostly what they smell like.'

As the carpet of beetles passed them at last she hopped down, glancing around as a magenta glow began to diffuse the forest around them all. She squinted into the peak of the light and then blinked big round eyes at Vikyl's evolved form revealed. 'Oh wow, she found a stone here?' The little ma'rhyn hopped forward, trusting that her partner(Kevrit) would be close behind. Her eyes scanned the ground around them in the process, she would be on a much sharper lookout now!


Rowara's coterie kin, Eman, however was quite slow in making his way down from the tree. It was safe here, it was nice here. The tree seemed to be holding him in it's branches like a protective father buck and the little le'rhyn was loathe to leave it for the snow-patched and so recently beetled coated forest floor below. At last however, he responded to Krešimir 's queries and slid down out of the tree. 'Sorry. That was auh, a pretty comfy tree.' he managed a timid sending. 'We should auh, keep up! Don't wanna get left behind...' he sent, nervously glancing around for any stray clackers that might still be here.

Melazalee was one of the first to recover from the shock of the carpet of beetles; the moment Wisteria leapt down and ushered the ti'rhyn forward, she was on the ground and bounding away from a clearly exasperated Lindele and the rest of her coterie-mates. She very nearly missed Vikyl's transformation... but the bright wash of magenta light that accompanied the hatchling's evolution was unmistakable, and Mel flipped around on her heels just in time to see the newly-kid-sized Vikyl admiring her own wings... and then looking a bit sad that she wouldn't be entering the caverns.

"Don't worry, I'm too big to enter the caverns, too; we can play outside together," Mel piped up, bounding in a circle as if to demonstrate her eagerness to play.

Meanwhile, Lava and Kusha were glad their newfound friend Lhast was able to get them up onto the safety they'd been eyeing. They had clearly enjoyed the game of make-a-ti'rhyn-ladder and seemed to be discussing possible future rules and goals, oblivious to the danger the clacking creepers presented. When Navlon asked if they'd ever seen so many bugs before, Lava piped up "Nope!" while Kusha responded "Yup!". The two looked at each other in surprise, a moment, then shrugged and acted as if the question had never even been asked. When Wisteria called out the 'all clear', the twins hopped easily down and found the nearest patch of short grass, where they began to nibble. Apparently the encounter had taken a lot out of them... or maybe they were just very frequently hungry.

Sheakohl was one of the last to descend from the safe spot he'd found with Oren's help. He was silent, watching the interactions of all of the ti'rhyn around him. There was a battle, invisible, behind his eyes, as his antisociability and eagerness to discuss the perilous situation they'd all been through were at odds. In the end, he decided to trust only Oren, who had shown his value and trustworthiness (and willingness to overlook Sheakohl's faults), unlike the other hatchlings...

"Wash a very... tensh shishtuashun. Kind of... shcary. Bugsh looked... huuungryyysssshhh..." Sheakohl admitted somewhat sheepishly, his unnecessary sybillance on the end of 'hungry' devolving into a snake-like hiss.

At long last, the clacking creepers moved on. Anres had been clinging to the branch for dear life, and his little ti'rhyn muscles were starting to get sore from the effort. When Wisteria called for them to relax and follow, he did so slowly. First, he released the tension from his limbs, then he shook them out, looked around, and cautiously hopped down from the branch. He landed in a rather ungainly way, but grunted and got up like nothing happened. He followed along with Navlon, Lava and Kusha, too shaken to be of any conversational use.

Lhast, on the other hand, felt like a splendid hero. Victorious with the creepers gone, he leaped from the branch and tumbled into a roll. As he got back to his feet, his ears sprung up happily, and he wiggled his tail as he followed the rest of his group. "That sure was a lot of bugs! That's crazy," he said, padding along. Then he turned to his red counterpart. "Anres? Are you okay?"

Anres grunted. "No. No I'm not, actually. This is too stressful!"

"Oh, come on, you're starting to sound like Brekken!" Lhast huffed. Neither of the two liked the comparison to their grumpy older sister. "Be happier," Lhast added, and Anres gave a half-hearted try, if only for the sake of the rest of his group.

Navlon hopped off the branch with his friends and glanced around. The bugs were gone, and it seemed safe to continue. The twins' responses to his question were a bit odd, but he shrugged it off. He'd heard his keeper mention twin oddities before, mostly regarding other species, so these two didn't surprise him. Lava, Kusha and Lhast all seemed in good spirits, though Anres' reaction wasn't nearly as confident, and Navlon hopped closer to the red buckling. I'm sure we'll be fine the rest of the way, he commented. I doubt Wisteria would let us get close to any more bugs. At least, not before we get to the caverns. It didn't occur to him that this might not be the most encouraging thing to say.


Oren almost beat Sheakohl to the ground, but only because he slipped in his hurry to join the rest on the ground and continue the trek. He nodded at the shy buckling's observation. Very tense! The bugs didn't just look hungry, they looked mean too.

He followed after the rest of the hatchlings, still talking to his partner. I'm glad you found that tree for us; I wasn't sure we'd get off the ground in time!


Kevrit laughed a bit. Oh, I don't eat many bugs, but sometimes I wonder. I didn't think about them tasting like they smelled, but it makes sense, I guess. Not everything does though. Hopping down after Rowara, he also noticed the glow, but didn't look for it quite quick enough and missed the evolution. I guess there can be stones anywhere? He remarked in response to the doeling's question, as he followed her and the others.

Fia turned around to try to climb down feet first. She was aware of Kaled waiting for her so she rushed to follow. She was able to get to a point only about a paw's length from the ground before she slipped and landed on her rump with a slightly audible and embarrassing thud. It seemed that nobody noticed much though 'cause while she was climbing down she had missed another evolution!



Zari rushed to follow Rani to the front of the crowd.

As the forest around them begin to thin out; under brush gives way to large gaps of clear rolling ground knobbled with large roots and stone. The snow cover becomes more dense as well. The Crystal Caverns are set into the base of one of Mount Terreth's lower foot hills but they are still at a higher elevation here. The late afternoon sun, slanting toward the south;s cast a golden glow across the Mountain range above them.

---

Melazalee was having a difficult time moving forward, but hadn't slowed down. Her chest was heaving with effort as she leapt forward, caught a rear leg on an upturned root, and sprawled out in a patch of snow. Giggling, she leapt up to her paws and drove forward again... planting her face into a rock. This continued until, snow-and-dirt-covered and sore from exertion, she flopped on her side next to the rock Wisteria had chosen to perch on.

Lava and Kusha were trailing behind their group of partners. The further the trek got, the fewer bits of vegetation they saw, and the snow wasn't all that inviting. They seemed hesitant and hyper-alert. When Wisteria introduced the crack leading to the caverns, though, their curiosity got the better of them. "There will be things to eat in there, Lava reassured Kusha before slipping through the crack easily; the vi'rhyn twins were petite despite their appetites and might possibly have been able to squeeze through together, had they tried.

Naturally, the first thing they did was set their noses to work, and disregarding the crystals around them, they soon had found a patch of blue-greenish moss that smelled edible. As they began to nibble, they waited for Navlon, Anres and Lhast, and when their parterns had come through the entrance, offered in unison, "Would you like some moss? It tastes like funny grass."

Sheakohl was naturally reluctant. He'd overheard Wisteria saying they must enter, and the trek to the cavern's entrance had served only to make him grumpy... his shoulders bunched up and a scowl of clear distaste passed over his features. He turned to look expectantly to Oren, and seemed to want to wait for his partner to go through first.

((I'm sorry but I"m way too tired to post right now. Tomorrow I should be well rested though. ))

"Yes, but there's no guarantee of that!" Anres said to Navlon. "Isn't this supposed to be fairly easy? We're just, like, growing up. That's it. Why is it so hard and scary and--" He paused, hearing Wisteria's voice, and then withered. "She just said spiders! Ugh! This is terrible!" He grimaced in a hopeless way, eying the offending crack in the ground. Spiders? In there? And 'other creatures'? What did that mean? And just how big was it inside? If it was too small, how were they supposed to move out of the way of spiders and 'other creatures'? He swallowed, laid his ears back, and slipped through the crack into the Crystal Caverns, just behind Lava and Kusha.

Lhast, despite the thick snow and the clacking creeper scare, was still feeling quite optimistic about the adventure, especially in comparison to Anres. "Oh, don't worry! Other 'rhyn have been doing it for foreeeeever! It can't be that bad," he explained. He wiggled his little rabbity self through the crack and looked back to see if Navlon was coming. Lava and Kusha's offer earned them a confused look from Anres, and an interested on from Lhast. The latter hopped closer to his twin groupmates and peered at the moss in question.

"Like funny grass?" He sniffed it, velvety nose twitching. "Hmm... sounds neat! But I'm not really hungry..."

"I wouldn't eat it," said Anres.

"You're boring," said Lhast.

With a light chuckle, Kaled nudged at his companion in what he hoped was a helpful way before indicating that they should be off with the rest of the group. The rest of the trip, short as it were, passed mostly in comfortable silence and it was with a small sigh of relieved anticipation that the slanting foothill of the mountain came into view. The snow was uncomfortably cold on his paws, but he tried to keep his attention on his partner as much as possible. And, at the warning words of the elder rhyn perched beside the looming crack, that watchfulness increased twofold. "Would you like me to go in first, Fia?" The young buck's mindvoice was warm and gentle, with the jy'rhyn more than willing to go along with whatever made the doe feel safest.

Panting slightly from exertion, Rani all-but dived toward the hole as soon as Wisteria had indicated that they could do so. She looked over her shoulder at her partner (Zari) briefly, grinning in unbridled excitement, before her form was engulfed by the darkness within the crack. She stood unmoving for a moment, both to await her partner joining her and to let her eyes adjust to the sudden lack of light. Scattered clusters of luminescent fungi helped to illuminate the many fractured paths, and the doe subconsciously flicked her tail back an forth in her eagerness to be off.

---

Slinking along warily beside his rather larger companion, Darakesh found himself half-wishing that he'd never come along on this trip in the first place. But he was determined that he would find his stone and grow to be big enough to look after himself. Then surely he wouldn't be so afraid all the time. For the moment, however, he was still small and scared enough that the young ka'rhyn found himself jumping at shadows, all-the-while sticking so close to Arjuna that he may as well have been a burr in his fur.

When the caves finally came into sight, Dara sat unmoving beside the brilliantly white jy'rhyn, not wanting to set foot in the dark, cramped space unless his partner were right there beside him.

---

A-ways behind the group, the dark slinking shadow of a 'rhyn stalked curiously. Saluki was unwilling to let her 'sons' from her sight so soon... Not when there could be so much more fun to be had from them yet. Grinning in anticipation, the invisible doe found herself a convenient rock to climb onto and settled in to wait.

Aria grinned at Vikyl's excitement, the go'rhyn doe had a lot to be excited over. She was touched when Vikyl voiced her worry of not being able to go in the cave with her. I'll be okay. Maybe one of my siblings will let me join their group. I'll look for you when we come back out!

As they arrived to the cave, she realized the need to find another partner was important - she wasn't sure she was up for taking on a cave spider. She shivered at the thought and looked over the group around her. She really wasn't sure who to approach, and realized that if she didn't soon, she might not be able to go into the cave. Quietly she moved closer to Sheakohl and Oren. Could I join you? She asked shyly, not sure what the two bucks would say.

Fiachra was ready to take on the cave and she hoped Lew'Siffer was just as ready. She was trying to be patient, but it was so very hard, especially with the potential for spiders! Quivering with excitement, she began chattering at her ka'rhyn companion. Spiders! We may be able to hunt spiders, while looking for our crystals. This is going to be amazing. Are you excited?! She moved forward, getting as close to the cavern opening as she could without going in.

Shadrach sat beside Casta to wait. I'm sure we'll find our crystals. My sister found one of her's earlier and I know Fiachra wants to find her's very badly. Aria will be just fine, it looks like she's trying to make new friends already. Shadrach was surprised that he was trying to soothe his le'rhyn partner and wondered nervously if she realized he was taking a little interest in her.
He twitched his tail, thinking of something else to talk about. I hope we avoid the cavern spiders. I'd rather not meet one in the dark, he said conversationally and then rushed on, Though I'm sure we'd be able to handle one, should we find one.

Deja followed behind the hatchlings, joining the two newly evolved kids to wait outside the cavern for those that would be going inside soon. She stayed to the side, not wanting to presume that either of the other does would necessarily be wanting to talk to a stranger, but close enough that she could join any conversation that might start.

Navlon listened to Anres' concerns, and while he was not thrilled by the mention of spiders, he wasn't as worried about the concept as the red buckling. He slipped into the crack at the tail end of their group, following just behind Lhast, and it took him a moment to see what Lava and Kusha were referring to when they mentioned "funny grass". I'll pass, he replied, I am not hungry at the moment. It does look interesting though; maybe I will try a bite on the way out.

Oren saw the reluctance on his partner's face, and hoped the other buckling would follow if he entered first. He moved towards the crack, pausing as a several others entered with their partners, as he didn't want to butt into any of the other groups. Just as he was about to move forward again, another voice stopped him. One of the doelings, whose original partner had just evolved, was asking to join them. Looking over at Sheakohl, he doubted the other buckling would be thrilled to add another hatchling to their group, but they couldn't let her go in alone, could they? Still looking at his partner, hoping he would agree, the go'rhyn answered the doeling. I don't mind, if Sheakohl is okay with you joining us. Can't let anyone go in alone, after all! He tried to lighten the tone of the last part, to let Aria, and Sheakhol, know that he wasn't worried about going into the cavern. Hopping forward, he hopped through the crack, then moved to one side, to allow his partners space to follow.

As they arrived in front of the caverns, Kevrit wondered just what the inside of the cavern was like. All of the hatchlings in his coterie a the moment were from the same season, and none had been to the caverns yet. And the three kids that were members of the coterie, refused to tell their younger 'sibs'. By the time he was paying attention again, a good number of the hatchling groups had already slipped through the entrance to the cavern, and he quickly glanced around to make sure Rowara hadn't gone on without him. She wasn't far from him, and he relaxed, then called to her. Ready to head in? He asked, then followed the others into the cavern entrance. By now, he thought, the room just inside must be getting crowded, unless it was quite large!

A little surprised at the arrival of an unusual doe (Melazalee), the very one who'd first evolved, Vikyl dipped into a bow. Hello! I'm Vikyl! She smiled, an admiring eye passing over the newcomer's wings, who then invited her to play. Oh all right then! And when our friends come out, we can be there to cheer for them. She chrred happily, then bounded in a widening circle around her new friend, moving forward at the same time. Then she paused. I wonder if these new wings can do anything yet.... Without waiting for a reply, she ran forward a bit, spread her wings, and jumped. For a wonderful moment, she left the earth and felt only air beneath her paws, as her new wings extended the leap much farther than she could have done before. Heart pounding in excitement, she glanced back at Aria and the newcomer. Did you see that?!? Oh, do come on, Aria; I want to see you get your wings, too! She hopped from paw to paw, waiting for them to follow.

Feeling encouraged, Lucasta followed Shadrach and the others. As they moved forward, they came to the spot where Vi had evolved. Her partner, a pu'rhyn, and another young doe were there, watching the go'rhyn as she made a practice glide. H-hello. Um, since Vikyl evolved, do you need a new partner for the caves? Do you think, Shadrach, she could join with us? Oh I'm Lucasta, or just Casta. And, well, this is Shadrach. I just thought, since Vikyl won't be able to go in, you might...like to come..with us.... The end of Casta's speech trailed off as her usual shyness returned. Really, her parents would be amazed if they'd seen what she'd just done.

As Fia followed Kaled into the cavern, she gasped. There was a vibration to this place she could feel all the way to her bones. She could here the song she heard earlier faintly as if it were coming through the walls or from far away. She perked her lopped ears to try to get a better reading on where the sound was coming from... "It's amazing in here!" She sent to Kaled in wonderment, "Can you feel the vibrations? Hear the music?"

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Zari waited at the entrance to be sure her coterie sister was okay, then squeezed through the crack just after Fia and waited for her eyes to adjust. It was dark in here! How was she ever going to find her stone?! She took a deep breath and moved to the side to let the other hatchlings into the cavern. As she did so she felt a shift in the rubble under her paws, she almost slipped, but at the last moment leaped onto a nearby boulder, surprised at her own feat of balance. From the top of the rock she took an assessment of her surroundings. Some of the mushrooms looked really yummy, but she needed to focus on finding her stone. She closed her eyes and tried to concentrated on hearing a song, any song, but all she could hear were the sounds of awe and shuffling feet coming from the other hatchlings. She sighed, settled herself, and tried again.

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((Epic fail at posting lately. Sorry))

As they made their way to the cave, Arjuna tried to reassure his partner with chatter about the glow to be found inside and the way it could be warm in spots but not in others. He kinda hated to admit it, but the knowledge he gleaned from his earlier trip into the caverns with Shakuru had him feeling a trifle superior, and Darakesh's clinging presence only increased the feeling.

At the entrance, Arjuna didn't even pause, he just wriggled his way in, his larger size making it a bit of a squeeze. Come on, Dara, he sent as he crawled, you are going to be really impressed. The glow and the smells are really interesting.

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Lew'Siffer kept finding himself standing back in awe. Fiachra was like no hatchling he had ever come across, even Shakuru. Shakuru had a penchant for mischief and hunting, but she lacked Fiachra's enthusiasm. That's what kept catching Lew'Siffer off guard. The doeling was just so … excited. About everything. Cocking his head in thought, he finally decided he liked it. Taking off after the doe, he caught her at the cave entrance. Without stopping, he continued on in. So what are you waiting for? he sent.

Once inside Lew'Siffer stopped to look around. This is SO COOL, he sent. Where should we start? Spiders or crystal?

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Krešimir was still trying to shake his moment of insecurity after jumping from the tree when he had looked around for Eman and he wasn't there. He had been afraid his new friend had deserted him when he got distracted by the scents and such in the aftermath of the creepers. Now, he was looking forward to the cavern experience.

At the cave entrace, Krešimir looked over at Eman, but the young buckling did not seem to be in any hurry. Er, um, here, he sent, I'll go first.

Once inside he stared in amazement at the glowing interior. It was beautiful! And if he wasn't mistaken, there was a hum in the air. A curious but faint melody thrumming inside him.

Are you coming, Eman? he asked.

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((A little assumption there, Star, for Eman's reaction. It seemed in character, but let me know if I was mistaken))

Lhast, with Navlon finally inside the cave to complete their group of five, then padded a little further into the cave. Not far - only a few feet from where Lava and Kusha were snacking - but far enough to see a little further in. He smiled to himself, eyes wide with wonder. It was beautiful! It felt cool, like the last days of fall, and a little damp like spring. He heard water dropping, and all around him there were glowing crystals and fungi. He giggled a little as he looked back at everyone. They all looked strange in the glow, like they were blue from cold or green from being ill, with weird shadows cast over them like they were ghosts. It was great! He looked at himself, too, lifting his paws and setting them down again. He was watching the shadows connect and detach from his little toes whenever he touched the ground.

"Wow," he said, looking back at his groupmates. "This is really neat!"

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Anres took a few minutes to unwind. As he slowly crept forward, filling the gap between Lava and Kusha, and Lhast, he slowly relaxed and his ears lifted a little. In fact, they almost even perked up - a surprising action for the prince of pessimism and caution. He could hear the drip, drip, drip of little water droplets. It was entrancing. He just wanted to listen to it all the time. The cool air in the cave was soothing, and even though he knew in the back of his mind that spiders probably lived here, he took time to inspect the mushrooms, too. Their glow was very easy on his eyes. He liked it here. He never thought he would be saying it, but he was (even if only to himself). He liked it here.

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For several moments, Sheakohl looked Aria up and down, evaluating her with a clearly cynical eye, from a short distance. He ended up rolling his shoulders in a barely noticeable shrug; "If Oren says you can come... " Sheakohl moved aside to allow Aria to enter first, especially wary of the newcomer coming in behind him.

His eyes adjusted immediately to the darkness as he slipped in through the crack. He took a deep breath of the cavern air and felt almost purified by its earthy scent. The faint glow of lichens clinging all around was just enough to give his eyes the light to see sharply and he admired the texture of the cool cavern walls sloping around him. Slinking over to press himself against a wall, he began to sniff at an oddly-shaped purple mushroom at his feet.


Lava and Kusha shrugged as all three of their partners (Lhast, Anres and Navlon) passed on the moss... more for them. It was nearly gone anyway. The twins' eyes were already wandering the cavern walls searching for something else to nibble on. The darkness in the cavern made them feel sleepy, and the sleepiness made them want to fill their bellies as though readying for hibernation.

A sprig of some slimy, purple lichen seemed to trail its way out from under the pile of moss they'd devoured, squiggle along a hall, and lead deeper into the cave, toward the bunches of subtly warm crystals. They could feel something seemingly humming within them, but neither voiced the feeling as they both ended up near another pile of the 'funny grass'-flavored moss, which they immediately began to nibble on.


Outside, Melazalee seemed to recover from her exertion climbing to their location. With a half-glance over to Lindele, who was peacefully resting on a small, flat rock, Melazalee turned to reunite with Vikyl.

"That was some lovely gliding earlier," she praised the other, "I'm a little afraid to use mine. I, er... have a hard enough time getting around on four paws," she giggled.

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((A little assumption there, Star, for Eman's reaction. It seemed in character, but let me know if I was mistaken))

Totally fine, I've not really had a chance to post for my little ones so anyone interacting with them can feel free to use them as NPCs to a degree. <3

Aria trilled happily at Vikyl's enthusiasm. She was offered a unique situation of going with the Oren and Sheakohl or taking the offer that Lucasta offered. Oren was being kind, even if the shadowy buck that was with him seemed dubious, so she decided to go with them.

Thank you, Lucasta, I found new partners. Plus, I doubt Shadrach wants to spend more time with me than he needs to. She said in answer to the kind le'rhyn. I'm Aria, by the way. Shadrach's father adopted me, so he probably would rather just spend time with you. She added pleasantly, before nodding at Sheakohl and stepping behind Oren into the cave.

Immediately the space seemed to close in around her. With her ears pulled back tight against her head, she kept her eyes trained on where Oren had just been. The scent of earth and fungus filled her nose and she sneezed a tiny, girly sneeze, and then moved onward so Sheakohl wouldn't be stuck behind her. Her eyes widened as she noticed the glow about her. She hoped that it wouldn't be hard to find her crystal, because even though her surroundings were beautiful, she really wanted to be outside.

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Shadrach turned to Casta and smiled, Thank you for asking Aria if she would like to join us. That was very kind of you. He was finding that he liked being around a doeling that wasn't constantly trying to fight with him or hunt him down. He moved toward the cave, Casta, would you mind if I lead? Or we can trade places once we're inside, if there is enough room.

He was feeling a bit nervous, but anxious to get into the cavern and see what they would find. He moved forward into the darkness, which turned out not to be so dark, with the glow of the mushrooms and the glimmer of the crystal. He took a moment to sniff about and listen to what might be around him.

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Fiachra was pleasantly surprised when Lew'Siffer caught up and pushed forward, goading her on with his question. She bounced happily behind him, hopping slightly, making sure she didn't bowl right into him. She liked that he could keep up and even challenge her!

Carefully looking past him, she gaped at the sight beyond them. Oh, there could be so many small things hiding in here! She sat for a moment, taking a deep snuffle of the air around her and then just to be a pain, a deep snuffle at Lew'Siffer. I bet there are more than spiders in here to find! Who knows what might be hiding under these mushroom or in the cracks. I think we should look for a our crystals, but be ready to hunt, should something come our way! As much as she wanted to hunt, the pull hear the song of her gem was far more appealing.

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((At least you didn't miss an entire post by your partner, geob! >_> Sorry about that!))

Distracted by the others, Casta failed to hear Shadrach's sending until she had already moved to Aria. As her offer had been made in a hasty, oddly outgoing moment, Casta was relieved when Aria elected to go with the other group isntead. Oooh I see. I know how that is! She chrred in amusement. Oh you said something about a spider? I'm sure you're right; we can probably handle one, if we found it.... She felt a little uneasy about it, actually, and was happy to let he partner take the lead. As she squeezed in after him, her eyes lost no time in adjusting to the semi-darkness within. She gasped at the beauty of the crystals that seemed to be everywhere, along with what looked like mushrooms. She smelled rich, damp earth, and thought she might hear distant water....

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Vikyl flushed under her fur at Mel's compliment. Oh, thank you. I was just so excited, I couldn't help myself back there! Aw, but I'ms sure you'll learn to fly soon enough, right? There must be some 'rhyn who can teach you. She smiled encouragingly at her new friend. She almost said parents, but then remembered that some youngsters either didn't know, or had lost them, and so had caught herself in time. Still, she mused, there must be at least one other with wings in her coterie who could show her.

The intriguing cavern interior was enough to distract Rani from her partner's entrance. In fact, had Wisteria not specifically warned them against it, the doe would likely have wandered off alone to explore the 'shroom-lit tunnels in a state of utter distraction. As it was, she quickly shook her head and blinked, knocking herself out of her staring. There was something in the air here, like a subconscious trembling, that seemed to continuously draw her attention away from the other ti'rhyn. Come deeper it seemed to say. Come find us. Chuffing in quiet excitement, she thumped on the base of her partner's boulder with her tail. 'C'mon, Zari! Lets keep going, there are too many people here.'

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Hearing the awed gasp from behind him, Kaled was quick to turn and answering grin on his little friend. It was indeed amazing within the arched and pitted cavernous walls of the tunnel. The weight of the mountain pressed down from above, and without the sky it was easy to feel isolated from the rest of the world despite the multitude of whispers and shouts from the rest of their rag-tag group. "I can..." His answer was barely a whisper, for now that the doe had brought up the subject he could feel a throbbing through the ground beneath him, like a heartbeat. It sent eager thrills through his chest, and it was with bright eyes that he half turned to his partner. "Shall we seek their source?"

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His partner was encouraging, and despite his natural reluctance Darakesh found himself scurrying hurriedly after the large buck, fitting through the crack with ease born of practice. He had always felt safer in small tight spaces, where adults couldn't reach him, but the idea of being away from the sunlight was terrifying. But this... The cave was different. As soon as he set paw in the first magnificent cavern he found himself genuinely smiling for the first time that day, awed by the luminescent fungi that littered the walls in clusters, like phosphorous stars. "Woah..." He huffed quietly to himself. And indeed, as Arjuna had said, the smells were interesting. He was half tempted to take a nibble from one of the nearby mushrooms, but instinctual fear kept him close by his partners side.
It may have been cool, but that didn't make it safe... Not by a long shot.

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As he followed his friends into the darkness, Navlon was surprised that it wasn't nearly as dark as he expected. The glow of mushrooms and other fungi lent an almost eerie atmosphere, but made it much easier to see the interior. Staying near the rear of his group, more by chance than intent, he was quite content to let Lava and Kusha have their 'funny grass' snacks. He did note Anres seemed more relaxed than he had been after the insects outside; the dim lighting and the repetitive dripping sound were having a calming effect on the go'rhyn as well, though he hadn't realized he had been worried. He barely even noticed Lhast's comment, as he followed the others through the cavern.

Lectral carried out 1 launched of one six sided :

3

When Aria, then Sheakohl, entered the cavern, Oren was pleased. He hoped the other buckling wouldn't be too annoyed by the addition of a new member to their party. He moved out, away from the entrance, but stuck close the the wall Sheakohl was hugging. It seemed as good a direction as any, since he really had no idea which way they needed to go now that they were inside. The glow of mushrooms intrigued him, and he paused a few times to sniff one or two, wondering if they would taste different than the non-glowing varieties outside. During the pauses, he glanced back at his partners, and noticed the doeling's ears pinned close to her head. Something about the cavern bothered her, it appeared, though Sheakohl actually seemed to have relaxed a touch. Everyone's different, he thought to himself, so I guess we will all have different reactions to this place. To the others, he remarked, I wonder how long it will take to find our crystals...

Lectral carried out 1 launched of one six sided :

1

Keeping close to Rowara, Kevrit tried to keep one eye on his partner, and still look at everything interesting in the open cavern. The glowing fungi were interesting, and he considered investigating the drip, but he was drawn to the glimmering crystals towards the back of the cavern. He nudged the doeling, and indicated the back wall. Let's go check out those crystals; they look interesting.

Lectral carried out 1 launched of one six sided :

2

Spiders shouldn't be too much of a problem. My sisters play tag and pounce all the time, so it shouldn't be too much different. Shadrach commented to Casta. He had stopped and smiled at her gasp, It's beautiful, isn't it?

Aria followed after Oren, loosening up a touch as she got used to the dim light, that the mushrooms and crystals gave off. She gamely sniffed a couple of the mushrooms, near the ones Oren sniffed, and wondered how they would taste. She was tempted to take one back to her father and see if he knew if they were edible.

I hope it doesn't take too long, it's a little stuffy in here. Aria confided in Oren. I haven't introduced myself, I'm sorry. My name is Aria. Thank you for letting me come with you.

She peered back at Sheakohl, and sent shyly, You're special, like my sisters, right? You seem comfortable in here.