Show me the places where the others gave you scars.

Tags for reference

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Once more, Maral returned to the place where she last saw @Aldritch. Despite knowing in her bones that her ashen-furred brother would not linger where Elkshire were sure to search for him, she wanted to look for any suggestion of where he might've gone.

She was alert as she picked her way through a dense forest of proud evergreen trees that grew along the lower slopes of the crag's spires. Her paws brought her in the direction she suspected Aldritch had gone, though he'd left no real trace of having been in the area that she could detect. The wet weather hadn't helped, and Maral paused a moment to gather her thoughts and listen quietly to the pitter-patter of rainfall on the canopy above.

Silently, she carried on until she located a little cave. The scent of wolf was relatively fresh at its entrance, and the shadow paused to sniff at the moss-covered stone before ducking her head and venturing deeper within. She could hear the echo of dripping water deeper within the hollow, but what really captured her attention was the clusters of jewels that made the walls on either side if her shimmer in the dim light.


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 He ventured a little beyond the walls of Elkshire, out into the dense forests that he now called home. He was going nowhere in particular, just exploring to become more secure in their southern home. It was by happenstance that he caught the scent of one of their own. A scent that he followed out of curiosity and the want to know a bit more of his packmates.

 He walked along at his unique half-prance-half-prowl gait with rainwater falling from his short coat and slightly thicker neck-fur. It made it harder to scent but he still ended up finding the yawning cave with the wolf stepped into its maw. His ears pricked forward with interest as he approached, unafraid. He was unbothered by the scent of wolf, welcoming of it, even as he stepped into the cave.

 His eyes landed on the sight around him, of sparkling gems and the calming sound of rainwater outside. He looked at her and wondered if this was a popular spot, seemed like it could be. ”Do you come here often?” Because he was honestly curious.

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The hollow glimmered as she moved, daylight from the outside reflected from the smooth surfaces of each individual crystal - like sunlight on clear ice. Maral was reminded of how droplets would freeze on blades of grass, glistening bright on Winter mornings.

Those had been void of colour, but the walls shone with vibrant amethyst and indigo shades. The hues reflected in the surface of her eyes, the shadow was in awe of her surroundings as she crept deeper into the cave. Eager, suddenly, to discover what other secrets it may hold.

The arrival of another, one large enough to block the daylight from reaching her for a moment, made Maral pause. She swung her head to look over her hindquarters and the stress that tightened her shoulders lessened to see one of Elkshire's own.

“No,” she responded simply, “do you?”


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 He came up closer to her, moving so that he would no longer block the light from the caves. His gaze would lift to the area above them, the walls and ceiling as he watched the dazzling show of precious stones. "No... but I feel like I should." A remark about the display around them because who wouldn't want to be surrounded by such beauty?

 He stepped further into the cavern; ears perked towards the depths within. Fearlessly he would stalk forward and then stop, staring upwards at a string of shining veins of some metal or other. "It's like the stars live down here." A refuge for them to sleep until it was time to shine in the sky at night. Heh, maybe the moving creatures at night brought them out to play.

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There was a magic that lurked in the depths of the cave, like stars as Hawking compared. Maral saw how he might reach that conclusion - with the way light twinkled in darkness - and she turned her head once more to take in the beauty of it.

She ducked her head, moving in deeper, eager for more, but the hollow did not lead as far into the mountain as she anticipated. Maral thought it felt cool and smelled of damp, yet despite the stale scent she rather appreciated how a crevice so small could feel so large. Tail flicking, the young wolfess gingerly made to touch the tip of her nose to a rugged gemstone that protruded from the cave wall. She found it cold and smooth to the touch.

When her exploration was over, she made her way outside. She bid the deer a a fond farewell and moved off, forgetting all about her rogue brother and with her steps a little lighter as she thought of her new favourite place.


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