FSE

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Once upon a time there was a little wolf named Sasha and a caralynx named Devi. They lived in a little house on the mountain and did many things together, preparing as they could for all the seasons. Spring, summer, autumn, and winter all brought different challenges, but Sasha and Devi knew how to prepare. In their second winter snow swept the land harder than either of them had ever known. They kept themselves occupied, occasionally making it down to the nearby village, but most nights they stayed in. Weaving, carving, crafting, and staying warm on the long cold winter nights. The snow soon started to give way, ending the days spent inside. The snow storms howled less and less each night as the days grew longer.

"Soon I will see grass again!" Sasha gleefully told Devi as the days grew warmer.

"And mud, don't forget the mud," was Devi's response every time. Soon the snow melted away as though it was never there. To Devi that meant that it was again time for adventures.

"I want to go climbing today!" said Devi a few days after the last of the snow had melted.

"Climbing? Why not just hiking? There still is a bit of ice here and there to go climb all over everything." replied Sasha.

"I suppose you're right, a hike sounds good as long as we can go up the mountain"

Sasha agreed so they packed some daypacks and went out on their way.

They chose a trail which went upwards as Devi had requested. Climbing Up and Up and Up.

The higher they went the colder it started to get and the weather also started to turn.

"We should probably take shelter," said Sasha. "I would hate for us to slip and fall in the elements."

"The elements can be quite finicky."

They decided to take refuge in a cave they had passed by earlier so Devi and Sasha headed back down the mountain to the cave.

The cave was made of the granite the mountain had, light grey with red streaks. The opening was small, but they circled into the cave. Once Sasha and Devi were in the cave they breathed a sigh of relief. They were happy to be safe from the storm inside.

Once inside they set up camp using the blankets to make a nice sitting space. After they settled Sasha noticed something in the back of the cave.

"Look Devi! Something is glowing!" exclaimed Sasha

Devi turned and grinned.

"We can continue adventuring!" She scampered off towards the glow Sasha following after her.

They ran to where the soft blue glow was.

"It's Ice, but its glowing"

Sasha and Devi followed the glowing ice, occasionally stopping and drawing marks on the floor so that they wouldn't get lost.

The walked and climbed and scrambled through the ice cave following any of the glowing ice until at last it opened into a large chamber.

Inside the large chamber, they find a hive of activity. Many workers are about chipping on the glowing ice. Seemingly to mine it.

The workers are thin gangly creatures that neither Devi nor Sasha had ever seen before. Their arms were like wirey muscles willow limbs, graceful and full of strength. Each creature's eyes were the colors of gems, most topaz and emerald, but with occasional ruby and garnet around. They sparked with intelligence when they were not being covered by the intricate braids that wrapped around their heads and backs.

When Devi and Sasha are noticed, the workers froze.

Suddenly someone Bellows out, "INTRUDERS!"

Sasha and Devi, who both have sensitive ears fall to the floor for the noise is so loud.

The workers surround them closely. So, close that Devi and Sasha would have to fight their way out if they wanted to leave.

The workers, so very silent start to usher Devi and Sasha deeper into the Mountain. As they move the colours in the Glowing Ice change from the blue that they had followed into a greenish purple to orange. They are pushed along the path of the orange Ice until they are brought in a chamber larger than that where they first saw the workers toiling.

"Who are you?" Hissed a voice.

Sasha and Devi trembled a little, they could not distinguish where the voice was coming from.

"Answer!" the voice hissed again. All the creatures who brought Devi and Sasha to the Orange Chamber stood very still and looked up at this second hiss.

Devi and Sasha looked up. Up upon the great cavern ceiling was a great ice stalagmite glowing with all the colors of the rainbow. Encased in the Ice was a looked to be a large butterfly or moth forming. As if the stalagmite were a cocoon.

Sasha Cleared his throat. "We are of Sun and Moon, Sasha the Wolf and Devi the Caracal. We are of the Clan Word and ask for your hospitality"

"Perhaps" hissed the insectoid in the ice. "What seek you here"

This time Devi spoke up "We were following the glowing ice after taking refuge in a cave, we came to a chamber where those around us were working and they brought us here. When following we only sought the source of the glow and adventure, now we are before you."

The insectoid creature looked down at them. "That is all, hospitality is granted on one condition. After you are done here you come back in a year and a day. Regaling my people of your adventures."

"It is my duty" the stalagmite creature continued, "to collect the stories and catalogue them, when I have enough I will blossom but until then I only can collect. My family is who is around you, they feed on the glowing ice, stories are what make it. If stories are not shared my family cannot eat."

Sasha and Devi looked amazed and nodded.

"We accept your hospitality and will spend the days sharing stories of our past adventures" said Sasha. With that the creatures pushed Sasha and Devi to a Dais in the orange room they had not seen before. There they sat for the rest of the day telling stories to the creatures whom they found were called the Crystalines and the Insectoid in the stalagmite the Crystalis, who is equated to a queen chosen at birth.

Sasha and Devi shared many stories and heard stories of the Crystalines, and grew to like the serious people. As each story was shared the ice glowed different colors as the stories were told dependent on the emotion of the story.

At the end of the day Sasha and Devi were taken back to the chamber they had first came into, they promised to see the Crystalines and Crystalis again in a year and a day. They followed their marks back to the camp they had made. Happy for a new adventure as well as the adventures which would continue to follow.

The end.