[WP-004] Musings (Cave Yell x Heartshine)

[Anhelisk]

Spring was in full-swing around Echo and Cave Yell's cave, and the first fruits were starting to tease. The green of growth and the blossoms of the earliest flowers had produced little bumps and hips of growing fruit, now starting to fill out and look succulent-- but still too small, too hard, to bitter to be truly ripe.

He sighed as he meandered around, following Sorrel as the salamander scavenged here and there for worms. He'd noticed her activity pick up in the last couple moons, and her appetite had grown to match it-- so it was best to let her forage outside of the hilltop hedge.

He'd learned that the hard way last year.

[Zuki]

Somewhere nearby, an ear twitched.

There was a soft snuffling. A rustling in the grasses and sedges, a soft scraping that could? be claws? in dirt. The Heart Shines With Light listened carefully. What was that animal?

Heartshine's ears lifted and twisted to locate the unfamiliar sound. He listened carefully "Not too big...." he murmured to himself as he listened, thinking aloud. "Low to the ground..." It didn't sound like...a badger? A rox? No, definitely not.

Wait. There was a more familiar sound as well! Steps. Hooves. He could just ask! If it wasn't the other kin's pet, it would be—ah. If it wasn't the other kin's pet, it might be prey they were stalking. And it could be rude to just- show up out of nowhere.

Carefully, Heartshine approached the familiar+unfamilliar sounds, placing his feet to avoid stones and favor the riverbank mud. He waited in a shady stop that he hoped-predicted-they might pass by.

[Anhelisk]

Cave Yell's ears swiveled as he took in the sounds around him, keeping a watchful eye on his surroundings. A shift in the leaves, there, was a bird or squirrel- something small and clearly trying to remain hidden. And that was the shadow of a bird wheeling overhead-- an eagle or hawk, possibly? Large birds hadn't shown an interest thusfar in salamanders, not that he'd seen or knew, but it was worth being cautious.

He stepped toward the stream nearby for a drink, pausing for a moment as he noticed the kin not too terribly far away, offering a smile before leaning down to get a few mouthfuls of still-crisp running water.

[Zuki]

Heartshine's posture relaxed as the other kin—ah, so they were walking a—a most peculiar fellow—came into view.

Heartshine approached, posture curious. "Is that- are those flowers growing on your salamander? It's no hellbender, I can tell..."

[Anhelisk]

Cave Yell smiled. "Sorrel's a fertile salamander-- instead of having the providence of fire's element, she's highly attuned to growing seasons and-" Aaaand she was trying to tear up a runner. Okay. Continuing on! "...and she's just starting to bloom for the season, yes!" He smiled as he moved to the side, nodding to indicate the buck could get closer.

"She's not really sociable, but you can take a closer look. My sister's fire salamander, Cozy, 's really more of a cuddler than she ever was." That... would probably be uncomfortable, when it came to the height of summer. "But she eats mostly the same things the other salamanders do... mostly bugs, worms, sometimes small birds or fish." He watched as she tugged the root up further, letting it jag through the spring-softened soil to tear a slash out of the ground, discarding it when she couldn't raise her neck any higher, and busied herself by scrabbling at the newly-turned dirt.

[Zuki]

The buck's eyes gleamed. He crouched down in the mud to get a closer look.

"Fascinating. I'd heard tales of salamanders of other than fire, but-" Heart Shines tilted his head one way, then the other, thinking about the right wording "-but it had seemed too fun to believe to be the truth." He watched Sorrel dig. Just like any other little bug-hunter. Delightful.

"One salamander each. What terrific fortune." He looked back up at the other buck and realized the position was a little awkward for conversation, craning his head up like that. Heartshine stood back up, the better to make eye contact.

"Could I ask for your name?"

[Anhelisk]

"Good fortune often comes to those who are dogged enough to seek it out, though I do admit we've had luck to match our persistence," the buck said, eyes shining.

"I'm Cave Yell. I live near here, and collect and trade for rarities from and beyond the swamp. It's a pleasure."

[Zuki]

Heartshine chuckled. "That is so often how it is, isn't it? Fortune favors the stubborn."

"Near here? Are you in the cave up on the ridge?"

Before Cave Yell could respond, "Ah, but I'm getting ahead of myself. The Heart Shines with Light. That's my name."

[Anhelisk]

Cave Yell's eyes gleamed. "No, my relative lives there. Venturous keeps the ridge caves, and they're lousy with dragons. Not very fun to live with, and they'll ruin all your nice things." He smiled back at the buck before turning to follow his darling-- she'd gotten whatever she wanted from under that first plant and was looking for somewhere else to forage.

"Quite the mouthful- do you shorten it at all? It's good to meet you."

[Zuki]

"Dragons, ah, well. No that's no place to keep a collection of personal treasures." It was so easy to smile at the tall gold-and-cream buck, why not keep doing it?

He ambled along with Cave Yell, keeping pace with the buck and salamander.

"Ah, yes, often. Most kin use 'Heartshine,' and I think it suits."

[Anhelisk]

Cave Yell smiled. "Heartshine. Yes, that does seem nice." Sorrel wasn't by any means a grueling taskmaster when it came to setting the pace, so it was easy enough to meander around, keeping an eye out for whatever seemed to be nice, or out of the ordinary.

Like that shimmering flower that he'd heard so many interesting things about. "Oh...!" He looked at the other buck, then at Sorrel, who was busily working her way away from the delicate bloom at the edge of the water.

"Sorrel, home. Home, girl," he called, waiting for her to snuffle and start tracking her path back towards familiarity. He'd find her there later... but for now, he turned to look at the buck, then gestured to the delicate, almost glowing rainbow flower.

[Zuki]

Heartshine's ears flipped fully forward, intent.

"Oh. That's..." A pause. "I've never seen one of those before. Rare. Lovely." He stared with open curiosity, tilting his head this way and then in the opposite direction. "It. Hm. Nevermind."

[Anhelisk]

"There's a couple more, over here," Cave Yell said. "And more- no, wait." A frown. Those weren't the same flower as the first two clusters-- they looked like common plants, just... shimmery.

[Zuki]

Heartshine paced closer, but hesitantly, not wanting to bruise or disrupt the delicate blossoms. Strangely, he wasn't disappointed by the second group. He folded himself down on his legs in the grass right in front of both groups for a closer look.

"Oh, interesting. I wonder if the one is trying to imitate the first? And if so, why? Perhaps there's an insect it would attract, or..."

Gingerly, the buck leaned forward to sniff the stem and leaves of the first blossom.

He turned back to look up at Cave Yell. "Do you know?"

[Anhelisk]

"I've never seen them before, and... I'm really used to the area. No, it looks like--" he paused, walking a circle around one cluster of the strange flowers-- "they're leaching... something into the local flora just by dint of being near them."

He leaned in, taking a gentle breath-- nothing about their scent seemed to indicate any danger.