Roaring Pines gave himself one big shake to get the snow off his pelt before stepping into his mountain home. The warm air was welcome in his nostrils as the frost on his snout melted to tiny droplets of water. As the sun went down and it became too risky for most kin to go sneaking around the Heart of the Mountain’s home, Roaring Pines felt reassured to leave his post. The warm light of twilight was replaced by the dim glow of fire and algae. It was only a few moments of walking through a narrow tunnel before the cavern opened up before him. The last light of day and first glimmers of the night trailed down from an opening in the ceiling and reflected from the surface of a giant pool in the center of the cave. Roaring Pines took a moment to marvel at the composition of the cave after every shift. Reflective crystals around the opening overhead caught every little shard of light and bounced it off the water onto the walls. No one knew how the crystals got there, if it was the doing of their ancestors or if they, too, just discovered it this way. Either way, it gave Roaring Pines an extra boost of purpose in his guard duties. This place was special.
The caves were busy after every day, but today especially. The prospectors had recently discovered a new deposit of gems. Totoma vying for a successful courtship and simple enthusiasts of shiny things alike were eager to find the brightest and toughest stones. Roaring Pines was keen to partake when it wasn’t his day to take guard duty outside. Until then, he would just have to see the bounty others have collected.
Right now, he was of two minds. One, go to the hot spring right outside the back of the cave, or, hang out in the larger communal area a while longer to see if anyone collected anything particularly magnificent. Usually, Heart of the Mountain Totoma bring the gems into their personal little hoards they day they mine them, never to be seen again. That is, unless the stones are used for courtship or turned into adornments, but that could be a little less common.
Roaring pines decided to stay by the reflective pool for a little longer, he didn’t want to miss the first spoils of the deposit.
He wasn't left lonely for long, as another figure darkened the entrance and then stepped within. “Pines!” Iron Hills greeted, her voice rough and warm. She stomped and shook, tossing her head to flick the snow from her braids and her back. This patch of stone would be quite damp soon, once the rest of the tribe had finished wandering home.