Closed Where'd you go? [Ettan, Sliver]

[Miria]

There had to be a set of directions yes? There! only two miles out of amidst the light forestry was a small cave was where they met up. Miria looked up slightly to the scene with mild interest setting the journal aside. So that one isn't house broken like the other Kelvics she met a curious being if she ever saw one. A wild(er) kelvic really isn't something to trifle with as far as she was concerned. The other was somewhat curious as well. Had Morwen made a mistake perhaps? No that was impossible there hasn't once been a non-bear kelvic since Morwen shared her rite for the Kelvic bears. "Fascinating..." Miria muttered to no one in particular. A confused look was shown as Sliver questioned her. Who is Diana? "Oh ah no! Not anyone I can think of. He's a real sweetheart! That can't possibly be what happened. Not with the Icewatch around. He's been gone for about two weeks perhaps?" Miria added hastily. With that Miria couldn't stand looking at Sliver directly, hers eyes wandering to the floorboards trying to figure out what to do. Something did happen however and maybe these two can help. If one of them is of the Icewatch and the other is looking for any type of work she can find they fit the bill in this situation right? Looking back up she regarded the two closely before continuing on. This was too much to consider all at once. So that one was staying at Laforte's house in his stead? How long has he been here? Ugh it doesn't matter as long as I find that big eared idiot. Picking up the fallen chair she set it close to Ettan before ushering Sliver to sit with them. Sitting across from Ettan she looked intently at him before continuing on. "It's quite okay I suppose. I'll forgive your trespassing on one condition." Miria glanced slightly at Sliver before decieding she didn't need her permission. "Ettan was it? Accompany me to a place just right outside of Avanthal. A light forest conceals a cave which I'm interested in. Laforte would get all types of inspiration in that cave." Of course that wasn't true but it would probably stick. Adjusting her bags she waited for Ettan's response while giving an artificial smile to Sliver. If they were to agree to set out she would follow without question. Hopefully they would reach the cave before sunset.

[Ettan]

Ettan glanced his copper eyes in Sliver's direction as she mentioned his intent. He then proceeded to roll them, in an almost childish fashion. He didn't really look forward to this chat she seemed to have planned later. Another lecture of someone trying to moiled him into a train domestic house pet, in his eyes. The attempt would get her no where but he had a feeling it didn't matter to her in the end. Ettan now turned his glance to Miria and raised an eyebrow. " Ya, that's my name. Your forgiveness doesn't mean anything to me. But for a price and a decent meal, ya I'll accompany you." He was blunt and to the point. The journey wouldn't be any trouble for him. He might even know where this cave was she was talking about but he didn't do anything for free.

[Sliver]

Miria was right in her way of thinking, if one thing could be said about the wolverine Kelvic, it was that she would go with them no matter where they went. While the Vantha seemed honest enough, Sliver not very acute at picking up lies, something seemed off about this whole situation, and it was her duty to go with them and make sure no harm came to Diana, and perhaps pull Ettan out of a situation or two while they were at it. Speaking of: "I see the harsh wilderness hasn't mellowed your tone any, wolf." The last word was said with barely concealed disgust. It was spoken like the meaning truly felt to the wolverine, that of a natural enemy, regardless of what skin it wore. "I will go with you two. Something smells a bit off, and I don't want anyone else to go missing, sweethearts or no." Though she had taken a seat as the Vantha had indicated, now she rose purposefully, gaze already staring out the windows where snow had begun to fall in large fluffy chunks. "We should head out soon, before it darkens."

[Miria]

The back and forth from the kelvics was new to Miria. Ever since she was small the guards didn't seem to bother each other like these two did. Perhaps it is how Kelvics normally interact. The exchange was worth noting Miria thought to herself as she nodded in reply to the two. "I suppose after I can treat you to a nice meal and whatever we find you can probably sell in the market for a decent price." Miria quickly went over the directions in her head before rising and heading for the door. "Come adventures and mizas don't make themselves you know" grinned slightly. The path before them was straightforward for the most part with little to occupy them other then perhaps the quantity of snow falling, though the topic was used far too much. They exited through the Icewall Gates, hopefully with Sliver among them exiting and entering the walls would be easier. Heading into the tundra's expanse Miria breathed easy as the fresher air was taken in. "Much nicer then inside. Don't suppose you two have any idea what it might be?" The tundra was a welcome change in contrast to Avanthal. More variety of trees and, as a result, more shades of green and brown to stimulate their senses. They wandered aimlessly looking for a clump of trees in particular where the leaves are broader and their bases a small array of bushes with berries. Having already conveyed these markers to the kelvics they soon found the edge of the light forest right as the sun was about to disappear. Crouching down to check the shrubbery that dotted their path she picked a small amount of the white berries before setting forward. Perhaps it would be easier to find for others to find this place if she took back a part of the landmark that led them there. Miria considered talking to the Ettan if he was familiar with this fruit but decieded to ration her questions for future use. Walking further in the intensity of the shubbery quickly disappeared as they soon was met with a clearing inside the forest. Barely concealed behind the forest was the cave that they were looking for. The differences between the outer forest and inner forest were glaringly different with some subtle points. Trees weren't growing in a set area leading to the cave with only a few doting the area for mild camoflague. The ground didn't have anything growing in it but rather small potholes were formed that gathered snow. These differences didn't occur to Miria at the time as she moved quickly to the base of the cave.

[Ettan]

Ettan laughed slightly at the disgust in Slights voice as she mentioned his animal form. He found it amusing because it didn't mean much to him. Ettan then agreed to Miria's terms and followed suit with her as they headed into the forest. He knew there was something she wasn't telling him but he care less for her reasons as long as it meant food for him. Ettan remained in human form as they traveled into the forest. He observed the environment as they traveled through. He knew less than he did his home in the unforgiving of Kelea but he still knew the area. He noticed her pick the berries but said nothing of it. upon reaching the cave he jumped slightly and froze as he picked up on a scent, one that didn't seem to fit with the nature scent of the area. It wasn't an intruder coming but one that had already been there and left, perhaps the one that had taken this friend of hers. He gave the air another sniff. He didn't like this scent, it gave him a weird feeling in his stomach, and it made him a bit antsy, and perhaps a bit aggressive. He knew it from his travels in kelea a few weeks past. A low soft growl slipped through his lips as his eyes scanned the surrounding forest. A shiver ran up his spin. "I didn't care earlier but now . . .who exactly did this friend of yours get involved with?"

[Sliver]

Glad to see they were heading out, she made her way silently through the blanket of snow slightly behind the wolf and the Vantha. The trip was silent, which Sliver didn't mind, she was rather absorbed in her own thoughts at the moment. When they arrived at the gates Sliver stated their business to the guards, inquiring as to any knowledge of a missing person. No one knew of this man who had been gone so long, and Sliver's curiosity continued crawling skyward at the mystery unfolding before her. Despite the fact that Diana did not look the type to have any tracking experience, she led them quite readily down the pathway. Sliver recalled the white berries she stooped to pick, remembering her old acquaintance the botanist, and how he had quite a collection of them for whatever purposes she could not devise. The landscape shifted, and the travelers with it. She saw Ettan's hackles rise as her own danger senses began tickling. The way the copse they had found themselves in, the way it had been purposefully cleared and only sporadic bits of foliage peppered the clearing around the cave seemed to indicate a well used spot far outside of the cities influence or where anyone could readily find it. To the wolverine this spoke of illegal and questionable activities, and she opened her mouth, only to be interrupted by Ettan's question, which with slightly different wording, she had been about to profess herself. The wolverine folded her arms over her chest, waiting eagerly for a response, eyes warily gazing upon the ominous and shadowed entrance to the cavern where they would inevitably be going next.

[Miria]

Looking at near the cave for anything out of the ordinary, Miria's eyes squinted fiercely as she noted a formation that looked to be manmade. Rolling her eyes knowingly she chuckled slightly at the gesture. Ettan was right in being cautious and there could possible be people that regularly watch the area. "Hmm yea I was just wondering that myself." She casually reached into her bags to find her bow waiting and ready for her to use. Finding the bowstring to fit her bow with she motioned the two to keep watch as she made a crude knot on one side of the bow before stretching out the string to the other side. Miria realized too late that it wasn't the correct fashion to fit a bowstring the string wasn't as taut as she wanted but perhaps after some more pratice she would get it right. "Ugh, hold on a second please." Moving out of sight, Miria quietly tried to reset her bowstring as she called softly back to the two. "Just give me a minute if you will. You two think you can start setting up camp? I wanna get a good look inside and having something nice to come back to after would be wonderful." It seemed rational afterall, the sun was setting and it would soon be dark out. Even being two miles away from Avanthal there wasn't any reason not to be prepared in anycase. Looking back she left her bags at the base of the cave before turning back to properly set her bow. "I can finish settin up our camp if you want. You guys can just gather wood for a small fire so we can see inside the cave." Satisfied with laying down what needed to be done she turned back to her string. Stretching the stringout slightly she brought it straight down on her bow. Keeping one hand on side to keep it stretched Miria attempted to tie a knot with one hand before she finishing knotting the other side proudly. Now she can focus on making camp but first she had to make a bit of cover overlooking the camp incase anything went wrong. Speaking of which it would be best to check the area around the camp to see if it's safe. Looking back into the forest Miria held her bow in hand as she casually nocked an arrow before setting forward. Pulling the arrow back she watched for any disturbances nearby. The rustling of something close caused her to swing her bow at attention. Finding but the sounds of the forest she check left and right for what caused that sound. For the better part of a minute Miria kept the bow, strafing around the area notched before releasing her grip on the arrow. Flying forward it flew for a few feet before hitting the side of a tree a small Twang* breaking the silence. Shaking her hand in a mixture of pain and fatigue Miria sighed softly as she worked herself up for nothing. Attempting to retrieve her arrow she noticed the same shrubbery that dotted the outside of the forest. Checking her arrow, she decided it's condition was decent enough to reuse as she put the arrow in her quiver. Perhaps the others found any clues outside of the cave? Hopefully they come back to camp safely, they still didn't have any idea who or what was here. Perhaps they would find answers inside the cave if they didn't find anything outside. It was only a matter of time until something started their way. ...if not then. Pushing the morbid thoughts aside Miria tugged on the shrubbery to pull parts of it free. It would serve as camouflage for their things if anything were to happen. Hopefully whatever they decieded to do the kelvics would be at basecamp by the time she was finished here.

[Ettan]

Ettan couldn't help but laugh slightly at the girl struggling to get her bow ready, it was clear she wasn't a skilled adventurer. He shrugged as she suggested they go and search the area. "You can get that fire wood right Slither?" He said in a tone, making it clear it wasn't a question. He then started removing his cloths quickly, leaving nothing but the pendent around his neck, he shifted into his wolf form, thick caramel and black fur covering his body. He shock his head to shake off the dirty snow that had fallen gently onto his back before taking off, leaving Miria to set camp. The scent bothered him less as he moved further from the cave and into the underbrush of the forest. He blended in well in the heavily wooded areas. Even being so close to the city, it still seemed they were extremely isolated. An occasional small animal would draw Ettan's attention as they scurried up trees and into smaller areas the larger predator couldn't get to. He was finding himself kind of hungry now and perhaps he could do something kind for the others and bring back dinner, after all he lacked social addict but he wasn't heartless. The wolf lowered himself into the snow, his copper eyes scanned the area ready to pounce on anything that moved. It was a family of rabbits that suited his fancy. The wolf was slow in his approach towards them and he had already gotten a hold of one of them by the time they saw what had caught them. He headed back into camp, three limp rabbits in his mouth. He laid them down near camp and looked quite proud of himself as he looked up at Miria wagging his tail, like a well-trained hound. He would have looked sweet if his front-paws and his snout wasn't covered in their blood.

[Sliver]

Sliver snuffled unhappily at being left to gather wood. She had hoped this would be a quick trip, staying out in the wilds after dark was not her idea of a good time, especially when she was only provisioned for general guard duty, a few dried snacks, her axe, and the hunting knife, as well as a spare set of clothes in case she ruined her own. The fact that Diana seemed to know nothing about this cave, yet knew how to get there, coupled with the fact Ettan had called her Slither, continued to grate the Kelvic's nerves as she collected what little wood wasn't soaked by ice and snow. She found a couple large branches, much too big to use for a regular sized fire, and carried them slowly back to camp, arms burning with the effort. She kept an eye out for prey as she did so, but only caught sight of one petrified rabbit who dashed off as soon as the two made eye contact. She hoped the petching wolf was doing something useful out there or her nerves might well explode. Setting the logs back at camp she set to work on them with her axe. Some she could split with a single powerful blow, others required a great deal more work due to the age and thickness of the wood. By the time she was done she was tired and sweating with exertion, but had also stock piled enough supplies to at least last them through the night, if not longer. Setting the smaller pieces needed to get the fire going in a triangular pattern, tinder fitting neatly in the middle of several upright pieces of wood, she arranged a few stone around the set up for precautionary measures, and set her flint and steel together, attempting to get a few sparks. The winter land did not like fire. It was not an environment where one would light a match and then the whole land would set ablaze, for the air was cold and damp, and sparks did not enjoy the weather anymore than an unmarked human would. Sliver growled in frustration, for her hands were red from striking the two substances together for several chimes before a spark finally flew in that perfect arc into the flames. Just then she saw Ettan return with the rabbits, and glowered at him, her hand reaching out in order to skin the things. She glanced up at Miria as she did this. "Someone should stay watch here if you are going into the cave, the light of our fire and the smell of our cooking is bound to draw unwanted attention."

[Miria]

Coming back to camp she looked around for a place where she can place her little forest project. Placing them too close to the cave or forest was out of the question, that left the area between. Simple enough, a rock formation with these beauties probably wouldn't seem out of place. Arranging it to look as natural as possible she deposited her bags near the rocks being sure to take the bare essentials. Now it was time to spruce up what would be their campsite rearranging hard rocks and branches that littered the small area. Realizing Ettan left his clothes and bags to go do what... paid kelvics do? Miria gathered them and moved it to the small clearing she made. Testing the bag she found it to be decent enough to lean on while she waitied. Miria offered a smile as Sliver came back first, watching with mild interest before deciding to help the Icewatch guard with her haul. Taking whatever tindering Sliver wasn't using immediately to the side Miria watched Sliver have at it with the campfire before deciding to look for something else to do. Thankfully Ettan came back with his catch in tow approaching with her proudly. The moment wasn't as happy to her as it was to Ettan but she considered his feelings for once. "Gee thanks. What is that? A catch? How did you know that's what I always wanted? Lemme take that for you." Miria replied as she took two from him. Not knowing his preferences Miria let Ettan decide what how he wanted to enjoy his catch. However judging from Sliver's motion towards the two it was safe to assume she wouldn't mind if she were to prepare the rabbits. Going back to retrieve her eating knife and some extra food Miria sat in a huff at the warm fire as she fumbled with the rabbits. Not being particularly skilled at this the first came out to be a slaughtered mess as Miria's eyes glazed over at her handiwork. This one would be hers and this next one would be Sliver's. This time she worked slower as she cut inside the rabbit. Making a decent incision she brought the knife up as she seperated the skin from the muscle of the rabbit. Only making able to get thin pieces of the creature off at the time Miria bit her lip in concentration as she closely focused on the task at hand. Finally finished with she managed to skin the beast without too much waste as she offered what remained to Sliver. The winds howled angrily above them as Miria considered Sliver's point. She should be the one to stay back. Being in a tight cave she would be defenseless if anything were to go wrong. But that didn't matter if she wasn't the one to go inside the trip would be to no avail, even if she was being selfish. Sighing indignantly she quietly asked Morwen for patience as she set her bow on her lap. "You guys can check it our first. It would be better if I kept watch. After all I try to train myself with this to an extent." This being able to shoot first without being seen. "After the first go around I'll join in the next exploration." noteYou guys can decide what's inside right?