Contemplation (Open)

[Meds]

Axel;

So she grew up in the mountains, eh? A smile brimmed on Axel's mouth as they continued through the glowing walls, aiming towards another bend where it darkened once more.
"I grew up in open fields. A considerably different existence, I imagine." He recalled easily, digging trenches to plant fruit bushes and redirecting streams to water their crops. Even to this day, Axel's diet consisted mostly of plant-material—which was a strange thing for a wolf. He still ate meat, of course. He couldn't really live without it. But he was not at all opposed to snacking on berries as well.

Atra seemed to get a little bit more comfortable then, Axel noticed. Her voice came out a little more evenly, though she still kept her head forward. She said that she liked exploring mountains, which Axel chuckled at.
"Nothing like this though, I expect?" He glanced at the ceiling. It wasn't low, but it still gave the distinct feeling of being trapped, which they were. Axel sighed when she asked him, and tossed around in his mind for a good answer. "Honestly," He said, his yellow eyes twinkling slightly in the dying glow now behind them. "I didn't do much for fun. We worked. A lot. Mostly working with the land, you know..." She probably didn't, as his past was quite unique, but he said it all the same. "But we found fun it in. Working with family isn't always the worst situation."

The next bend in the cave angled heavily upwards. This was a good sign. Axel continued to hope that it might lead out to another (open) cave. In that case, all they would have to worry about was getting down again—but then maybe Atra's expertise with mountains would come in handy and Axel could follow her lead. He lifted his chin to smell the air, though didn't catch any scent of the outside yet.

[Emorli]

Atra;

It would be a lie if Atra said she didn't enjoy having someone keep her company, giving her a different feel than her usual being all alone in the same areas every day, although, being trapped in an almost suffocating cave wasn't what she expected when she met someone for the first time in at least two years. She nods in agreement even though she isn't used to working with family, it's something completely foreign to her, in fact, there isn't a time she can remember where she and her family actually spent quality time with her. One of Atra's best qualities was how she listened. Even if she didn't show it, she cared about the words others said and she always listened to them with intent, retaining the information and thinking on it, about what it meant, what it might mean.

The tan she-wolf tries picturing what Axel's life would be like, the field and his family, but the sudden incline in the rock beneath her paws knocked her thoughts away and surprised her. She quickly turned her mind purely on where her paws were stepping, and if the level of the land changed anymore. She decided to focus so much on her steps, she turns her head down to watch the silhouette of her legs and paws on the ground. The air was thick and humid, the small area making it slightly difficult to breathe and the humidity making her body uncomfortable and sticky.

[Meds]

Axel;

Atra wasn't one for words, but that was alright. Sometimes being quiet was just as meaningful as having a conversation. Axel couldn't exactly relate, as he and his siblings and cousins were always bantering back and forth as they worked the fields—but he could understand. It wasn't like Atra had exactly been bubbling over with conversation to begin with.
The brown-and-blue male turned his head sideways and gave her a smile. It seemed that she had noticed the ground sloping upwards too, a sure sign that at least, they were rising above the level of the ground. Any slope was positive at this point.

Far ahead, Axel thought he saw another glimmer, though this time it didn't appear to be from worms. It was the unmistakable glow of daylight. He nodded ahead and his smile braodened.
"There we go! I do believe we are getting to the end." He didn't feel the need to point out just how lucky they were that the cave had another exit at all. Had they been trapped down there, only a lot of digging would have freed them—if they had ever gotten out again at all.

[Emorli]

Atra;

The sound of Axel's words killing the few seconds of silence that fills the air, causes Atra to look at him and then follow his gaze to the same glimmer of light he sees. A wave of relief washed over her whole body. The worry that once convinced her that she would be trapped in the cave leaves her mind. Her legs move quicker and, in turn, her pace quickens. With a smile growing on her face she can breathe in and the fresh air invades her senses with a pleasant coolness of the air and the smell of trees growing in the area of the mountain. The blueness of the sky reflects in her eyes as she looks up toward the fluffy clouds, missing the sight of them.

She turns her head and looks straight at Axel, almost completely comfortably for the first time they've been around each other. She flashes a relieved smile with closed eyes, then turns back to the open cave mouth to let out a sigh, allowing some of the tense feelings flee her muscles. Proving that sharing feelings doesn't always require words.

Without her realizing it herself, the anxiety that being trapped in a cave has caused following the relief of knowing they're safe and not traped has brought her to be more comfortable around the one who was accompanying her through the worrying experience.

[Meds]

Axel;

Their little adventure earned Axel a smile from Atra. It seemed that once the bigger issue of being trapped within the cliff-stone had been maneuvered past, she seemed more comfortable with average, every-day things like being the presence of another living creature. Axel tipped his head toward her, then took the final couple leaps out into the sunlight. He gazed downward at the ground below, then noticed that the sun had begun its decent. He was still a decent way up, and didn't exactly fancy sleeping on the mountain overnight.

"I think I will take my leave," He said, turning and smiling to her. "That was... quite an adventure. I think I'll be heading back down to flat ground, burying my nose in the grass, and appreciating that I will live to see another sunny day." His yellow eyes twinkled as he nodded to her once more, then turned and descended the smooth and rocky landings until he was back on the ground below. He looked up at her once more, flashing one last smile, then turned and disappeared into the bushes.

-Exit Axel-