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 Posted: Thu Dec 15, 2011 6:32 pm
 Lissa shivered as a breeze rolled past. Her hooves sunk into the snow and she was beginning to lose feeling in her nose. She expected bad weather, but wasn't expecting such a terrible storm. Snow blew around her, each flake cutting cold into her like a knife. She prayed to whatever Gods that were around she would find shelter before something worse happened.
Unfortunately, something worse did happen. Lissa felt a rumble in the ground and she looked around, trying to find the cause. The snow limited her vision to a few feet in front of her but that was all she needed. The first wave of snow hit her hard and it took all her strength to not get taken with it as it fell down the mountain side. She felt the ground rumbling again, this time a lot louder. She wouldn't survive this wave.
Digging herself out of the snow, Lissa ran. She wasn't sure where she was going, she only knew she had to get away from it. The ground continued to rumble and she stumbled, the soft snow not steady enough for such quick footfall. Ahead she noticed a cave, the opening stark and black in the white snow. Lissa ran inside, collapsing to the ground and shivering. She thanked the stars she found it and waited for the second wave to come.
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Posted: Thu Dec 15, 2011 7:11 pm
A slow, steady exhale sounded in the silent winter air. All other sounds were muffled by the soft snow coating the landscape and the sad, low-hanging gray clouds overhead. The one breathing was a big stallion by the name of Keagan and a little smile curled the corner of his mouth as he watched the steam of his breath curl upward into the freezing winter sky. It was a favorite, childish pastime of his whenever the weather got cold and boy was it cold. Freezing more like. Bitter cold. Glacial even.
A shiver ran across the stallion’s flanks as big, fat, freezing flakes started to float down and cling to his shaggy winter coat. Keagan’s black-rimmed green eyes scanned the heavy clouds above and narrowed in worry; he was a long way from any known civilized shelter, but based on the air around him, he’d have to find somewhere to hunker down soon. A long, curly-haired tail flicked back and forth, swiping the snow from the big male's back and he smiled a little bit to himself. “No worries.” He murmured to himself in his carefree way; he knew these mountains were riddled with caves. He’d find shelter in no time and it would take longer than that for the cold to get to him.
Suddenly a strange, icy cracking noise sounded from higher up the mountain and echoed from the cliffs all around. Cream colored ears swiveled forward and Keagan looked worriedly up at the peak as his body went still. He was as still as a statue as his ears strained for any other sound, but it was his eyes that caught the first sign of true danger. A large expanse of pristine snow, clinging to the granite face of the mountain broke free and slowly started to float down the incline. At least it looked like it was floating, but every bit of fur on Keagan’s back stood on end because he knew that what looked like a floating, fluffy white cloud was really tons of snow roaring down the mountain… right at him.
A crunch of snow and Keagan had sprung into action. His huge hooves kicked up the virgin snow as he fled. Wide green eyes scanned the terrain in front of him, but the snow had really begun to fall in earnest now; he could see little more than twenty feet or so. The air around him had begun to rumble, low at first, then louder and louder. Whip-like cracks punctuated the roar as ice sheets and trees broke like glass and toothpicks. Keagan’s hooves pounded the earth and clattered against bare stone as he followed a ravine, trying to get out of the avalanche’s path of destruction.
There! A cave.
Adrenaline screamed through Keagan’s body like fire, spurring him to action. He leapt down the slope, his hooves skidding painfully on rocks and ice before sinking into the deep, clinging snow at the bottom. It was like wading through mud, but he barely slowed as he charged for the dark shadow that was the entrance of the cave. He could hear nothing else but the roar and the blood pounding in his ears as he made one final push for the safe haven. The world itself moved around him as he scrambled to safety, barely making it before the final, huge wave of the avalanche swallowed up the small sanctuary, blocking the entrance and plunging the interior into darkness.
Pant. Pant. Pant.
Keagan’s breaths were heavy and shaking as he pulled himself free from the bit of snow that had been forced through the entryway of the cave. His skin prickled with cold as he shook himself and scanned the darkness with wide eyes. It was only after he stomped his hooves to free the last bit of sticky snow from his legs that he realized that the puffs of breath from his flared nostrils weren’t the only ones echoing from the cold stone walls of his prison.
He was not alone.
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Posted: Thu Dec 15, 2011 9:40 pm
Lissa pulled her blanket tight around her, trying to bring some feeling back in her limbs. She sneezed and listened to the sound of the rumbling, shivering with fear and cold. She didn't know if she could survive this. She wasn't used to the cold and she was unfamiliar with these lands. A chill ran down her spine, one that wasn't a result of the snow still melting, soaking her.
Pulling her blanket off, she laid it on the ground hoping it would dry. She shook her braids, flicking some of the water off and rung the rest out. She looked up at the sound of hoof falls, hair dripping and clinging to her face, eyes wide with fear.
Her eyes went to the entrance to the cave, just in time to watch it close off and all light disappear. The darkness was thick, clinging to Lissa, gnawing at her. She sneezed again and shivered, waiting for her eyes to properly adjust. She could see, barely.
A stallion was in the cave with her and she peered at him. He didn't seem as damaged as she was. He was probably used to the cold. What was most relieving was that he didn't look like the kind of soquili that was going to eat her. But then again, looks could be deceiving. She shied away from him slightly, huddling herself to try and stay warm. The stone floor provided little warmth and Lissa was positive she was turning into a snowman.
"Trapped," she mumbled, hanging her head.
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Posted: Thu Dec 15, 2011 10:03 pm
Keagan’s muscles had seized as he’d tried to still his breathing, tried to silence himself in case who or whatever was in the cave with him was unfriendly. His chest burned with the need for oxygen after his frantic flight and his eyes stared blindly into the dark, trying to make out his new prison-mate. He was used to darkness and had no fear of it, but blind as he was with an unknown companion, he felt exposed and vulnerable, but he needn’t have worried.
A single word, spoken by female voice echoed off the cave walls. A miserable-sounding voice, but who could blame this mystery mare? Keagan felt pretty miserable himself, but he couldn’t suppress a small smile, “Like rats.” His voice was oddly cheery for such a dire situation and he winced slightly, before shooting a sheepish and sympathetic glance in the direction he thought his new companion was in. She probably couldn’t see it, but it was the thought that counted… right?
Keagan’s eyes had finally adjusted to the darkness somewhat; there seemed to be some kind of bioluminescent lichen coating the ceiling of this particular cave and it provided barely enough light for him to make out the mare’s silhouette. He couldn’t make out features, but she didn’t seem to want to hurt him, which was a blessing at least, and he allowed himself to relax a bit. He heaved out a sigh and looked around him, his eyes straining against the dark. “Pesky avalanches… We’re probably the only two living creatures that have been up here in weeks and the darn mountain chooses now to dump all of its snow on us.” His tail flicked back and forth in mock-annoyance; his almost nonchalant demeanor was a way to put the mare at ease. He smiled reassuringly in her direction and his voice grew concerned, “You’re not hurt are you?”
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Posted: Thu Dec 15, 2011 10:18 pm
Lissa cracked a small smile at his first comment. He was either honestly trying to cheer her up or he was toying with her before eating her. Either way, it made her feel a little better and for a moment she forgot about the constant chill that she felt. Standing, shakily, she moved to where her blanket lay, testing to see if it had dried, even a little. She sighed. The damp air was keeping it nice and moist. What she wouldn't give for some sunlight.
Turning her attention to the stallion, she stayed alert, body stiff. If he was going to eat her she would put up a fight. He would earn his dinner. His concern shocked her for a moment. It seemed she was over-reacting and she loosened a little, slinking back onto the floor. "Does freezing count as being hurt? What about you?" Her words were stuttered, shivers wracking her body. They were better than when she first arrived, but they were still relatively bad.
Tilting her head, she tried to focus in on the stallion, only making out his silhouette. No claws or bat wings that she could see. That was a plus. Shifting awkwardly, she sighed. "Looks like we could be here forever. Name's Vasilissa, but feel free to call me Lissa. I wish we'd met under different circumstances." She laughed.
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Posted: Thu Dec 15, 2011 10:48 pm
“I’ll be alright, just some bumps and bruises. Running from an avalanche? Not as easy as they make it sound in all the tales.” Keagan watched the mare intently as she spoke, he could barely make out what looked like a long mane and tail and… was that a horn? Antlers? A stray bit of hair? He couldn’t tell, but there didn’t seem to be wings and the sound of her hooves on the stone sounded normal, not like claws or anything.
“Ah, don’t talk like that, Miss Lissa!” He smiled warmly into the dark, a smile that could surely be heard in his optimistic words. “We’ll be out of here in no time, surely. I’m certain that the circumstances could be better, but the company seems fine so far. Just think of it as an adventure.” His smile faded a bit and his ears swiveled back and forth in uncertainty as he took a few cautious steps toward her, not wanting to startle her. A cheery jingle filled the air as he pulled the pink, bell-bedecked scarf from his neck, “I… I’m going to touch you, alright? This isn’t much, but it’s better than nothing.” He warned her before draping the cloth around her neck; it had stayed mostly dry, surprisingly. “I’m Keagan by the way. Keagan Oralee. It’s a pleasure.”
Green eyes worriedly searched the dark in front of his nose; the worst thing Lissa could do right now was to stay still on the cold stone ground. The winter-chilled stone would sap what little warmth was left in her body and she might not be able to get back up again if she stayed too long as she was, even if she wasn’t otherwise hurt. Still, Keagan hesitated to touch the strange mare and instead he turned toward the cave entrance. “We’ll get out of here. We just need to work together.”
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Posted: Tue Dec 20, 2011 10:05 pm
An adventure. She smiled, thinking of it that way. It was true, this was a new situation and since she'd dried off a little since arriving, she wasn't feeling as miserable. The conversation and the smiling warmed her just a little.
She flinched for a moment as he came near, still alert for dangers she was sure didn't exist. When he draped.. something.. over her, she sighed with relief, the cloth instantly warming her. She rubbed her cheek against it, breathing in its warmth and the scent left on it. It was pleasant. She shook it a little, the bells tinkling ever so softly, as if whispering secrets to her.
Stretching out her aching limbs, Lissa stood for a moment, examining their surroundings. The cave appeared to go back rather far, but there was little light and she couldn't tell what was down there. Her ears twitched and she stood them upright, listening for anything that would guide them out. She paced.
"I'm not very good at digging. I think our limbs would freeze off before we got anywhere. This cave is large. Perhaps there's off shoots somewhere around here that can lead us out."
Eying the stallion, Lissa's eyes had adjusted enough and she was cloe enough to take in some of his appearance. He was.. pleasant looking and Lissa deemed him a friend right then and there. There was something about the smile that always danced in his features that assured her he wasn't going to eat her. She eyed his front leg, a strange.. aura? swirled around it. Strange. She wondered if it was a touchy subject.
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