Blacktail Deer Plateau "She loves the sunlight"

for @Kavik (since they haven't had one in a while) discovery thread :)

Exploring the plateau was something of a game, or it had become one the moment Kavik left his immature mate alone, to Liri. When the others had fanned out in favor of their own projects to see the pack come to fruition, the healer had settled on what she deemed the most important - familiarity and claiming. She intended to know every corner of the plateau and make sure no one questioned who lived there. 

Still, the tedious task was only lightened by the imaginings of a creative mind.

She raced through silent forests, the trees her only witness, running so hard it seemed her heart would burst - so hard it seemed she was trying to out run something. 

She waded through the stream. She climbed the footpaths. She mapped the territory in her head and she marked it - with urine, with her claws, with her fur. No one could doubt the plateau was hers, theirs. 

The fae might have passed by the cave, if not for passing so close to it and hearing the soft woosh of air within. With a flick of her ear, she turned dark eyes on the foliage before her - or what appeared to be a curtain foliage. 

The vines and lianas and general natural debri naturally blocked the cave opening but after pushing it aside and entering - what Liri discovered was awe-inspiring. 

The cave was easily considered large, the central area of the cave felt humongous in comparison to the small she-wolf. Her ears flattened some as she crept forward to examine the cave. 

It was large, roomy, with a pool of clear water at its center. Sunlight spilled in, on account of the domed hole directly above the pool. Soft moss muffled her steps as she examined some of the corridors that shot off the main room. 

Some of these corridors were just dead ends - or else dark tunnels that led to nowhere and promised an awful death - and some were even collapsed in. Others promised different uses. Some would have been comparable to large open rooms, perfect for gatherings or for storing supplies. 

Some of the rooms were smaller, more like large dens. Liri examined these with particular interest. There were enough dens to guarantee privacy, and enough clearance of the entrance to allow even Kavik's height. 

Liri entered one of the dens, circling it in consideration.

It was spacious - allowing enough room for her and growing pups, not to mention Kavik. Despite the room, it was still snug. There would be no drafts or drips, they would be secure through the winter. There were nooks and crannies where she could keep herbs on hand and enough natural light that she wouldn't be kept in the dark while raising their children. They seemed perfect. 

Liri smiled wryly, the dens were perfect but not the timing. After a last glance, and a thought for the future, the healer left the dens alone - satisfied they would be suitable for whelping. 

The fae settled by the pool, content to enjoy the peaceful ambiance of the cave for a moment more, with thoughts of the future and puppies lingering on her mind.