Into the Thicket the Young Go

Subject: Into the Thicket the Young Go Fri Apr 08, 2016 12:36 am

Zola scrambled to chase after Lance, knowing he wasn't going to turn around. He'd do what he wanted. She looked around as they ran, noticing it got darker and darker as they went. It was drastically different than the primary areas of the lands where there were few to no trees, so whenever the sun was out, that meant there was plenty of light. She tried to memorize their path, just in case she got lost... not that she planning to get separated from Lance. Just to feel better, though, she tried to pick out landmarks she'd recognize. Exploring like this wasn't something she often did. She mostly stayed with Balthier and wherever he went.

It was getting thicker and more difficult to move. She thought about the other adults and wondered if it'd be easier for the adults to move because of their size, or if it was easier for herself and Lance, because they were smaller and could snake around obstacles or just crawl under them. Her ears kept twitching at every sound, not used to the echoing. But... didn't the adults say that bears and mountain lions were found higher up in the lands when the season got warmer? She didn't say anything earlier, because she didn't want Lance to think she was scared, but... "Aren't there supposed to be bears and such up here?" She looked around, as if trying to find something that might catch his interest, like a cave or something.

It would have been different if they had come up here with an adult. Who knew what an animal like a bear would think of wolves their age?

Subject: Re: Into the Thicket the Young Go Fri Apr 22, 2016 10:51 am

At long last, the greenery and shrubs parted, and Lance emerged like a pup from his den. He gasped and grinned at the tall, dark trees glittering with emerald moss in the sunlight, long grape vines tangled around their branches and dangling like snakes. He glanced over his shoulder at his sister, somewhat surprised that she had decided to come along after all, but they were always together, forever and ever. "Probably," he replied with a nonchalant shrug, and he puffed out his chest. "But we can take 'em! Or, y'know, outrun them at least. I don't think they can get back through that thicket." Two-toned eyes gazed at the forest ahead, the understory littered with lush ferns and purple flowers blooming in the early spring. "Let's check this place out! Maybe we'll find some treasure."

Tail high and wagging, Lance took off yet again, following his nose for the crisp smell of water. Cinnamon-hued ears tilted forward at the sound of a babbling brook, winding down from the mountains that were much higher up, but he could not see their snow-capped peaks between the trees. He skidded to a stop along the muddy bank, thirsty, the heat of the day just starting to rise.

Subject: Re: Into the Thicket the Young Go Thu May 12, 2016 10:50 am

Zola blinked when there was more room to maneuver, trying to take everything in. It was beautiful, and seemingly unexplored. It just looked so... wild. Some of the plants looked differently up here. Perhaps one day she'd ask Jewel about these and if they were useful. Maybe they'd be stronger and more effective, because they were more difficult to reach? Maybe she'd ask about that thought sometime.

She followed her brother, noticing they were headed for a water source. The plants continued to look more twisted and impressive as they pressed on. "Maybe we can start looking here? Lots of animals might have come over and lost something. Maybe even from further up and washed down this way?"

While the water was clear, it looked like things could have been buried under the bank a long time ago. The problem was figuring out how to determine if something was hidden....

Subject: Re: Into the Thicket the Young Go Tue May 17, 2016 11:41 am

Lance beamed at his sister. "That's a really good idea," he replied, following her up the creek bank. The mixture of sand and mud squished between his toes, leaving impressive footprints along their trail. His footprints made him seem like a larger wolf than he actually was, and he grinned at the thought of striking fear into some helpless rabbit or raccoon that ventured near the water. "How far do you think this goes?" he asked, gesturing at the winding stream with the tip of his nose. "If something got washed away, maybe it got carried all the way to the end of this?" He then tilted his head at the thought, not knowing what was at the end of streams and creeks, except that he hoped they were like rainbows, where treasure supposedly awaited the searcher at the end. He turned his two-toned gaze to his sister, who was much smarter than him at these things, wondering if his assumption was right or made any sense.

Subject: Re: Into the Thicket the Young Go Sun May 22, 2016 9:24 am

Zola grinned at the praise, while looked down the direction the water seemed to be moving in. "Maybe. I think it also depends on how far this goes. We might need to pay attention if something was too heavy to make it to the end." Is there even an end, though? Do they empty into lakes? That would be a good place to find lost treasure. But what if it didn't? She didn't know. Maybe they'd even find out. She burrowed a paw into the muddy bank, testing how soft it was. Another question would be if something would be peeking out, or if it's be completely hidden. These were thoughts she didn't know the answer to, and almost wondered if anyone else did. She pushed those thoughts out, though- they weren't here right now, after all.

She moved down a few feet and said, "Let's start looking. Maybe coming back up here, we can cross to the other side." Two eyes were better than one, right? They didn't know what they were looking for, so it might be a good idea to have both of them looking in the same area. Plus, according to the adults, it was safer to be closer together in unfamiliar locations.