[Chr24] Ice Caves

The air was chilly, and the wind seemed to catch the ice to create an even heavier cold.  Maki and Maisiel were taking the back while Yvena and Klasp took the lead.  Actually, it had been Yvena's idea to go searching for a "golden Polar Bavee," something the other three weren't even sure existed.  Allegedly it had been spotted not far from a town the four had been staying in.  In fact, there was somewhat of a local tale attached to it:

 

Hidden; 

and all but forbidden.

When you see a cave of ice

you shan't think twice.

 

But within you shall see

soon to be wake,

the polar bavee.

it shan't forsake.

 

With fur of golden,

you'll be beholden.

 

Or so the villagers say.

 

In reality, none of them were very sure of it's existence, when it came down to it.  If it did exist, what would be the sort of luck they would need for it to have been so close?  When the four of them sat down to talk about it, they figured what harm was there in adventure?  The four of them had been close since they were pups.  Adventures were something the four of them always went and did together.  It was how they bonded, the only thing that had brought them together when they were just pups.

 

They had found the supposed "ice cave" and the four of them began to look around outside.  The plants that had survived the cold were covered in a small layer of ice, causing the sunlight to hit them and cause a sort of 'diamond effect.'  Rays of light shone in multiple different ways off of the ice.  It seemed almost surreal the way the light bounced off.  As they walked closer to the entrance, there was an almost "fall-off" of snow as it had gathered on the edge but somehow stayed outside of the cavern.  The four began to look around, making sure to check on one another with their glances.

 

"You really think this is the place?"

 

They all turned to Yvena, who had suddenly taken the lead and was now looking into the cavern.  A small light emitted throughout, one that none of them quite knew where it came from.  Magic, most likely.  But they weren't sure what kind of magic would be in a place like this.  Yvena turned around to look at the other three.  "Are you ready to find the golden Polar Bavee?" She asked, a wide grin working it's way across her features.  Maisiel took a small glance around.  "I guess anything's better than... whatever we saw back there." She was a little reluctant.  It would be harder to find your way out of a cave if there was something blocking it.  Klasp stepped forward.  "Well I'm sure we're not gonna find it out here." Her voice echoed as she had begun the walk inside.  It didn't take long for Yvena to catch up, taking the lead with her as Maisiel and Maki followed behind the two once more.

 

They had barely taken a few steps within the cave when the ground beneath them began to tremble.  Panic had quickly set in and the four of them quickly turned to leave, but as they did so, the ground seemingly opened up underneath them.  They tried to catch onto something.  Anything.  They fell for what felt like an eternity.  Waiting for the impact.  Wondering if this was truly it.  The end of their adventures.

 

Then it came.  Nothing?

 

They didn't land quite as hard as any of them had first imagined.  In fact, the opposite.  It was almost a cushioned fall.  Quite lucky, in fact.  Klasp was the first to get on her feet.  She looked at the other three.  Maki, nearly head first into... feathers?  Yvena, on her side.  Maisiel.  Klasp began to panic.  "Maisiel?!" She couldn't mask her anxiety.  She soon saw a leg kick out of a tall pile of feathers and soon let out a sigh of relief.  She was fine.  Klasp jumped over to help her friend, grabbing her leg with and pulling.  It wasn't too long before the other two were able to get themselves up.  

 

"Where are we?" Yvena asked as she had begun to look around.

 

Feathers were as far as she could see at first, and she didn't want to get too far from the others yet.  "I don't think Polar Bavee's have feathers, Yvena." Maki said.  Klasp had finally gotten Maisiel out and the two were walking towards the others.  "Whatever it is, we should be lucky it's not here right now." Klasp said and the other three gave small nods in agreement.  "Let's try and find a way out.  And hope we don't run into..." Maki glanced over at the large pile of feathers, "whatever saved us."

 

Yvena looked down, it didn't seem like too far of a jump, and the four just survived worse.  She was the first to take the leap, and behind her, the others followed.  The ground was icy, in fact, everything except what they fell in seemed to be made of ice.  The walls were iced over, if there had ever even been walls there anyway.  It was quiet, except for an occasional "plink" in the distance they had been heading toward.  It was dark, and hard for them to see.  They find their way to a large wall and look at the carvings within it.  "It's nonsense." Maisie took a step closer.  "What could have made it?" Yvena found herself asking as she took a look around.  "Whatever it was, I get the feeling we shouldn't stick around to find out." Maisie turned around, walking past Yvena and Klasp.  Maki turned his attention upwards, trying to make out anything that may have been hidden, or maybe even a crack that let sunlight through.  Icicles, more ice, and... what is that?  He tries to focus his vision on something within the darkest part of a corner.  "What is that?" He asks, the others turn to look towards what he's looking at and see nothing.

 

All of a sudden, a loud screech echoes throughout the cavern.  Whatever Maki had seen, it was now angry.  "Let's go!" Maki growled as he turned to run himself, making sure the others were on the same page.  The four began to run.  They had seen the faintest shift in light where they could find themselves in a hallway like structure.  They began to take turns, running in what felt like circles to them.  The halls with no real discerning differences between them, all made of ice with no light to reflect.  All the while they hear the rustle of the large bird's wings along with the cries.  "What did we do to it?!" Yvena cried out between breaths "Maybe you want to ask it!" Maisiel's voice snapped.  "Now is hardly the time!" Maki growled, more towards Maisiel.  The four of them kept running, trying to find their way through the maze, if there even was a way out.  Then there it was, the slightest glint of light.  Their potential way out.  Almost in a certain unison, they picked up the pace as their hearts began to somehow pound even heavier.  The adrenaline was coursing through their veins.  This could be their way out, and with it, they had a renewed sense of hope.  As they approached it they saw the beam of light coming from yet another turn in the hall.  They quickly began to run toward it.

 

They were finally approaching the end of the hallway and noticed the small hole.  The sound of water dripping was closer than it had been before, likely coming from whatever was on the other side of that wall.  

 

Then they saw a twinkle of light and quickly picked up pace as their hearts began to pound even heavier.  They had a renewed sense of hope.  At the end of the hallway there was a small hole, and the sound of the dripping was right there.  It had to be a way out.  Or at least something to give them some extra time.  "We're not going to be able to fit," Yvena said as Klasp took no time to frantically try to get it opened enough for them to squeeze through.  "This isn't going to work, we need to try and find a way around." Maki said as he turned and saw what he could now make out as a Twiwa.  "Oh no, it's almost here!" Yvena panicked and began to help Klasp.  They had finally broken off a piece of ice and jumped down "Come on!" Maisiel said as she grabbed Maki and the two of them took the jump themselves.

 

Another fall, this one taken from a leap.  They weren't sure if they'd be so lucky twice in a row.  It didn't take as long for this one to end, though.  Drenching their furs, water leapt up as they crashed into it.  The four 'bucks struggled to find their way back to the water's surface, unknowing of how far they had been forced under.  Then came one splash.  Then a gasp.  Maki had found his way up, taking a look around, the magic that had seemingly been able to light up the area above was down here as well.  Another splash, behind him.  He quickly turned to see Yvena as she let out an exasperated noise.  Klasp and Maisiel both were able to break the tension of the water together, and they all looked around to make sure they were all there before looking for a piece of land to climb up onto.

 

"Over there" Maki motioned towards the strip of land he was able to make out.  As the four began to swim toward it, they couldn't help but look around at the structure of this new cavern they found themselves in.  A soft blue light emitted here and there from behind bushes surprisingly kept untouched by ice.  It gave them enough light to be able to make their way.  They soon reached land and climbed up, shaking the water from their fur and all giving a sigh of relief.  No more Twiwa for now, but now they were even further underground.  They wondered if there was a way it had connected to the original entrance they had seen, or if it had simply been hollowed by other means, or potentially it was blocked off.  Each of them went and looked around, taking notes on the flora that had found itself growing in such a place.  The light hadn't been sunlight, so how it was able to get sunlight was unknown.  The walls were still made of ice, though there were some patches where the real walls that had once been were now exposed.  The ground they each stood on was surprisingly lush.  Full of grass and clovers, likely stunted in growth from lack of resources but it was unknown how it then remained if so.  Yvena walked back towards the edge of the land, staring down at the water.

 

A small light she hadn't noticed emitted from the water as well.  Tiny blue balls of light floating within the water.  She soon took a look at the looming structure seated right in the middle of this "pond" of sorts.  Tall and intertwined with itself, almost like it was braided purposefully.  It was honestly kind of beautiful.  "We should try to find a way out, and make sure we're quiet enough so it doesn't find us again." Yvena spoke up.  "There's a way over here." Maisiel said before the three of them had gone to see.  "Let's hope it brings us back to the entrance." Maki gave a soft sigh.

 

They were all beginning to feel the exhaustion hitting them.  The adrenaline was nearly gone and they had hopefully been able to step out of danger's way.  Nevertheless, the four of them continued to follow the cavern's natural "corridors" and were soon able to see a new glint of light that was different from the seemingly magical ones within the cave.  Yvena quickly began to pick up the pace.  It had to be the moon.  It had to be.  As soon as the others put it together, they too were beginning to run toward it, finally being able to step back out into fresh air.

 

How long had they been in the cavern?  They almost couldn't care about anything other than the fact they were now out.