Blacktail Deer Plateau We wanted everything, wanted everything

hoping for an @Erzulie but aw! set outside of “the door”

With winter in full swing, snowfall occurring frequently and temperatures often low, much of the wild’s flora wilted away; the pine trees still held tight to their foliage, not even a deep-freeze able to strip them of their needles—but they were the exception. Otherwise, the world was pretty dead right now, waiting to spring to life again come warmer weather. The lack of plant life stripped the lands of their colour, however, it also revealed formally hidden wonders.

Vines were shriveled and falling away, whilst all other plants left not even a trace behind to prove they once existed there. All that remained to shield the cave’s entrance from prying eyes were roots, resilient but offering hardly any coverage. Exposed, it was easy for Aningan to spy the opening as he was walking by, and he was immediately intrigued by it. What was it? Where did it lead? What was in there? He had so many questions—and the number only grew as he nosed past the roots and peeked in, gaze scanning the shelter.

exploring the territory was ying's third favorite pastime. it wasn't always as exciting as a patrol or rewarding as a hunt, but it was better than nothing. each morning, before heading for the border, she would wander aimlessly through to find a new mystery to uncover.

this particular day, that mystery was aningan. since joining, they hadn't had many interactions with one another. ying called out, běijíxióng! as she approached, stopping some feet away to get her own look into the cave. what is it? she asked, awe writ across her expression.

spring would soon be upon them, and with it the season. erzulie had not yet discussed her decision with her wife; she firmly thought her mind made, and created a mental note to ask rosalyn aside.
for now the jezebel wandered, sensing warmth despite the barren pallor of the land. aningan's scent wreathed into her senses; erzulie paused a moment before continuing on.
the great boy was interestedly peering into an opening that yawned up from the earth, and erzulie was intrigued. she drifted forward, though stopped as the youthful form of ying swept toward their leader.
the two young wolves stood together; she watched them a long moment before deciding with salt upon her tongue that the commentary of an ageing wolfess would not be welcome, and turned to leave the pair be.

not sure if erz would ignore him and keep going or not, so figured i’d tag ya instead of assuming anything, eb ^^

A single paw raised, daring entrance into the cave, only to be placed down firmly against the earth. A voice called out, catching his attention, urging him to step back and turn his head towards the source: Ying. Since the trio joined, he couldn’t say that he spent much time with any of them; he saw them in passing here and there but there just wasn’t any history of one-on-one interactions. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to get to know them—he needed to know those living in his home—he just wasn’t the most extroverted of wolves out there. Aningan enjoyed spending time with those that he knew well but when it came to getting to know someone new, he struggled. So when she asked the first question, he was grateful that he wouldn’t have to be the one to break the ice.

“I don’t know,” he answered honestly, shrugging his shoulders in the process. “A... cave?” That seemed to be the most obvious of answers, even though it seemed like something more. As he considered what next to say, he noticed @Erzulie a short distance off, and his ears perked up. She would know what it was, right? “Erzulie!” he called out eagerly, hoping to catch her attention and motion her over. He then looked to Ying and said, “She might be able to tell us what it is.” If not… well, surely they would be able to figure it out eventually.

the huntress laughed. duh, she teased; it was obviously a cave! ying did not wait for him to walk inside, rather sliding past him to begin her own descent. she didn't make it far before hearing him call out for the pretty woman — erzulie! — and peeking out from the cave's mouth. 

aningan seemed convinced that erzulie knew something they didn't. ying was new, so she didn't doubt his assumption. she stood in silence and awaited either of their replies.

she had almost made her peace with the self-imposed exclusion when aningan called to her, and she brushed off reluctance like clinging dirt. approaching the pair, erzulie arranged her features into a small, interested smile, and peered into the entrance the young leader had discovered.
"it looks like a cave," the harlot observed. "perhaps de earth quakins shook it loose." a quick sweep of their features, and she turned back, intrigued in spite of herself. "where do you t'ink it goes?"

It was a cave, newly discovered—Aningan nodded along when it was suggested that the quakes may have created it, believing it to make the most sense. Otherwise, why else would it take them so long to discover it? His gaze drifted from the older woman to the entrance, staring past Ying and into its depths—what all was in there?

“It looks dark,” he commented, blinking and looking away from the shadows. “Maybe it just… goes down?” With furrowed brows, he glanced between the two of them, wondering what they thought. Sure, there was some light that seemed to provide room for floral growth but, the longer he stared, the darker it seemed to grow. “Do you think it’s safe to explore it?” he asked, uncertain of the answer himself. If there was even a hint of doubt, he didn’t want to risk endangering any of them.

another few moments were spent deliberating the nature of this discovery — is it a cave? yes, it would appear to be a cave — while ying stood idly to the side. erzulie and aningan seemed more apprehensive than she, though they couldn't be faulted for it; the huntress was a born adventurer, which not everyone could relate to.

three of us, ying whispered to herself, we can explore it! tail flagging at quarter-staff, she took several apprehensive steps forward and turned to see if her companions had followed.

small powerplay <3

in spite of her misgivings, erzulie was warming to the idea of an adventure, even a small one such as this. her life had been so dreary; she suddenly welcomed the diversion.
"i t'ink it is safe if we all stick toget'er," the harlot intoned for the two younger wolves. ying seemed most eager to go, but erzulie was afraid some harm might befall the brave young sister.
and so she sought the lead, moving into the cave. as aningan had speculated, the path begin to shift in a downward pattern.

Ying seemed eager to explore the mysterious cavern, whilst the bear remained cautious; the idea of an adventure often triggered something akin to longing from within the young leader but, for something so unknown, he couldn’t fend off his budding weariness. Still, when it was considered to be safe through the inclusion of them all, he was a little more open to delving inside. Looking from one to the next, he eventually nodded in agreement and followed after them, careful to watch his step.

Only a short way in and the light from the entrance began to fade—except, it faded into a new wave of light from overhead, an opening in the ceiling above giving way to the cave’s floor. “It isn’t dark?” he questioned aloud, pausing mid-step—and then a second later he was moving forward again, stopping next only when water was seen ahead.

“Do you think there are fish in there?” he asked, looking first to Erzulie and then to Ying. Although he couldn’t see any additional waterways that may connect it to the streams outside, he wasn’t quick to write off the possibility of life roaming within.

Super dark, she whispered to Aningan. Hopefully, Erzulie would have been unable to see the playful lash of her tail as she seeked to bat it against his shoulder. All in fun, right? Ying waited for her eyes to adjust before moving ahead. Maybe, she replied. Her eyes shifted between wolves, wanting confirmation before making the next move.

faced ahead, erzulie saw nothing passed between the young wolves. however, each moment was marked by a growing sensation that she should not be here among them. 
"would you like to go an' see?" she turned, smiling at the boy and his companion before she turned back, padding toward the lightened corridor with a confidence she did not feel.
however, she warmed to the exploration, muzzle lowering to the cave-floor even as her ears closed to whatever whispers might sound behind her.

Adding ending to help clear up threadlog for newer threads.

There was a growing curiosity that came with being inside the cavern, a desire to learn more about it. Between asking questions and looking around on his own, Aningan spent what time he could exploring the hidden place. And when enough time had passed and his thirst for knowledge was quenched, the boy parted from them each, off to discover something else.