Gorge-ous views

The sun shined down on a collection of mountains, and a large forest separated by gaps in the land, bridged together by wood sturdy yet old. A fine mist covered the gorge, cooling down travelers of all sorts in the hot sun. Sunlight speared through the strange leaves of the trees, colored all sorts of yellows, oranges and bright greens. The light bounced off of the mist, making the scenery seem like it was glowing. Along the gorges, where sheer cliffs dropped into glittering turquoise waters, a small path lead downward towards the water. The rock along each gap was smooth and cool to the touch. Most of this smooth limestone was a light grey, but there were some spots that appeared to be much darker than others. Small colorful plants latched themselves onto the rock near the water, some dipping their long, winding roots into the water below. 

Along some of the top rock, the verdant trees at the top of each path latched onto the side of the rock. Some of their leaves hung down from the high points of the cliffs, giving the drab rock some brush of color. 
One should be careful when exploring the lower paths nearest the water, as these grounds were incredibly rocky. Some parts of it were easy to slip on, and falling onto these rocks would cause someone serious injury. 

The beautiful waters reflected the scenery around it off of it's surface, as well as the two faces looking down at it from the lower path. They were so close they could touch it, and touch it they did. The raccoon dipped his finger in the water for a brief moment before shaking his hand off- watching small waves ripple across his and his friend's reflections. He ran his bare hand across the moss growing on the rocks, getting a good look at the scenery around him. He shook a few excess droplets of water from his fur- it seemed as if they had just gotten out of the water and were now soaked. The raccoon stood up and tried to brush himself off, shaking the water off of his primarily white scarf. The creature next to him, A wisp, also wrung his scarf out as best he could, tapping the collar around his neck to make sure it was still working. When the blue gem in the middle glowed, he quit touching it, content that it didn't break. 

"Any idea where we are?" The wisp spoke, turning around and looking towards the path above. 
"... No..." The raccoon shook his head, disheartened. ".. At least it looks pretty.." 
"Yeah, I guess." The wisp folded his arms. "Of all places to be washed away too, at least it was here." He looked back down the river flowing through the gorge, it went all the way up to the mountains, but they couldn't have seen that from where they were standing. "Maybe someone will know where we are.."

Such a beautiful place: The water running down endlessly through the gorge, the soft wind following the river, the natural feeling one gets just by looking at this...

This is a perfect place to rest. And that's what a traveling avian was doing right now.

After having set a comfy folding chair in a secure big flat rock and drop the weigh that was his travelling bag aside but not too far along with his favorite sword leaned to the chair, he read one of the book he acquired along his journey and let the sweet sensation of relax drop him into a deep sleep, with the book still in his chest.

Now, still sleeping, this green avian dressed in black and white totally unnoticed the conversation that was happening near him. Maybe it was the exhaustion of a continuous walk or the peace of such a good place, or even both, but he was sleeping deep.

The blue raccoon slowly put one foot on the rocky ground, then shifted to another rock. He made his way up the path, to slightly flatter ground, looking back at where they had washed up. From a few steps away, it looked even prettier than it once had. The kid took a moment to take in the view, before turning back and continuing his trek up the path. Eventually he nearly fell forward, putting his arms out in front of him and grabbing onto some higher rocks. After his feet found holds, he began to climb up the steeper path. After a few quick motions, he jumped up onto the limestone cliffs and looked around at the forest around them. A wooden and stone bridge was built across the gorge, in case anyone wished to continue across the gap. 

The raccoon's ears perked up as he heard the gentle sounds of sleeping, someone snoring? Looking around, he spotted the avian not too far ahead- sleeping on what seemed to be a sturdier part of the gorge. It definitely seemed like a nice place to take a nap. His ears flattened as he wondered if he should go bother the stranger. The wisp beside him proceeded towards the avian with no hesitation. 

"Hey!" The wisp shouted, the collar around his neck glowing as it translated his wisp-speak. "Hey, wake up! I have an important question!" 
His raccoon friend jumped behind a tree, half in embarrassment and half in nervousness perhaps from the sight of a new mobian. He peeked out from behind the tree as he heard his friend shout, eventually stepping out from behind it and walking over to his friend to put a hand around his mouth. 

"Do you know where we are?!" He shouted one last time, before the raccoon's hand covered his mouth.

"Mmmhhh..." A soft sound could be heard from the avian, who just woke up thanks to the little creature. Changing comfort with manners, he took a new position in the chair, now much more normal, while slowly opening his blue eyes. (That was a good sleep...) He though, almost wanting to go back to his previous state. Now, eyes half-way open, he looked at the raccoon and the wisp with a relaxed smile while putting his book aside, leaned to the chair, at the opposite place of the blade. After two or three seconds of pause, the avian talked:

"...What can I do for you?" He asked while opening his eyes a bit more. It seemed he was oblivious to the wisp's question. A bit drowsy, the avian seemed to be now ready to talk.

The wisp pried his friends hands off of his mouth and caught his breath. After a few frantic deep breaths, the wisp looked up at the now awake avian- looking very relieved that their question might be answered as easily as that. He hovered closer to the hybrid, clapping his hands together excitedly. "Please excuse us for waking you from your nap!" He started. This comment caused the raccoon to sigh and face-palm considering his friend was the one to wake the guy up. "But do you have any idea where we are?" 

The raccoon leaned back slightly, putting a hand to his chin. He was afraid that the stranger might not know anything at all. He was sure that there were all sorts of travelers that wandered into places unknown to them. He hesitantly looked back at the stranger, hoping he would have a straight answer for them.

He hesitated for a moment with a thoughtful gesture and then, answered while getting up from his chair. "One moment please." He went to his bag, opened it and, after stirring it for a bit, he extracted a folded paper. With the relaxed face back, he started unfolding it. After some seconds, the fully unfolded paper showed up a map of the gorge. The map itself wasn't small: It was as wide and tall as the chair the avian was on not long ago.With arms holding the map from each side, the avian moved near them to let them see it. "This will help"

By looking at the map, one could tell the routes this traveler has chosen go to because a long path was marked in red. Some red crosses could be seen through that path as well, sometimes falling in towns. With a proud smile, he said: "The crosses are the places I've rested in so far. The one in which we are right now is the one that's most to the South: The Lambda Gorge"

In his thoughts, he was wondering what was he doing here. The raccoon didn't seem to be prepared for travelling. And he was even more curious about the little creature the boy was with. But asking right away... No. At least, for now.

The wisp hovered close to the map, observing every corner before looking back at his friend in utter confusion. "Uhh, I'm not good at reading maps.." He admitted, looking almost shamed by that fact. The wisp looked pleadingly at his friend to help him out, to which the raccoon responded by stepping forward towards the stranger a little hesitantly and taking a look at the map. He ran his finger down a river that flowed through the gorge. For a second, he seemed confused, then almost worried. He looked up from the map and nodded to the avian holding it out. 

"Thank you..." He said shyly, avoiding eye contact with the stranger. The wisp flew up to him, confused as to what their current situation was. The raccoon shifted his feet around on the ground slightly. "I think we went a little farther than we thought..."

"So we're just not in the same place we used to be.." The wisp looked back in the direction of the mountains in the north, perhaps implying that they were somewhere up there.

The avian, a bit doubtful by the result, folded the map. He though to give the map to them but then he could become lost so he reconsidered it. Maybe he should accompany them, just in case something happens? The little creature seemed to look up the mountains so maybe there's where they came from? Zephyr didn't want to ask anything that could incommode them, but he was curious. So he decided to try with their destination.

Trying to keep the relaxed face, he asked: "Where do you want to go, by the way? If you want I could try to guide you over the place..." The suggestion wasn't part of his original plan but he though that escorting this two back to a place they know would, at least, make most of his doubts disappear. And, if lucky, know how they got lost.

The raccoon tilted his head. "Go? Were we going somewhere?" He looked at his companion, who shrugged and shook his head. 

"I don't think we were going anywhere in particular." The wisp responded. "Just kind of wandering about.. and now we're here.." 

"If you know anything about the area though..!" The raccoon started. "Um.. uh, I'd.. love to hear about it.." He seemed to become a little more meek, realizing that he felt he came off a little too strong in his first statement. He almost seemed to retreat inside of himself, becoming much more quiet. 

"Oh, thank you for your help so far though... uh..." The wisp stared at the Avian. ".. We haven't introduced ourselves yet, huh.." 
His raccoon friend shook his head quietly at the remark. 

"In that case, I'm Aries!" The wisp pointed to himself, and then pointed to his friend. "And this is Deux!"

He just realized that he tried to accompany them while not even knowing their names. With a soft little laugh he shrugged off that though as just being nice. "I'm Zephyr. Nice to meet you." He said while lightly nodding with his head then showing a bright smile. "I'm just happy to help"

"I'm not personally experienced about this place though." He said with a more thoughtful look. "Except for the parts where I've already been, that is." He rose his right arm a bit showing the folded map then back to it's original position.

He also knew about this place's history, but he discarded the though as not being important right now. So he though for a second and then he smiled again. "If you could accompany me through this gorge to the East, we should be able to arrive to a little town." He glanced upon the direction the river was flowing to. "Once we're there, I can invite you both to some good food. Deal?" He asked with a relaxed happy face. It seems he enjoys the company of Deux and Aries.

"Nice to meet you!" The two said, nearly in unison. Deux rubbed his neck nervously, but Aries put himself forward and went right back to talking. 

"Sounds great! An adventure, and somethin' to eat?" Aries only needed to think about it for a second before graciously nodding. "You're too kind!" He hovered there for a moment in pure bliss, thinking of all the kinds of food they might see when they got there. Deux, on the other hand, seemed a little hesitant to take Zephyrs offer- but if Aries was in, he was too. 

Deux nodded, mumbling a quiet 'thank you' before turning towards the bridge over the small gap in the land. "Which way are we headed..?" He asked, louder than his previous mumble- enough for everyone to have heard him.

"Well..." Zephyr opened his map and talked while looking at it. "According to the map we should go over there..." He said while looking to a path between two really big rocks. "If we follow it all straight we should find a short tunnel that turns right. At the end of it, we turn left. Then, at the 5-way crossroad, we take the South-East path and enter the village." After the speech, he closes his map and puts it in a pocket at the right side of the trousers.

"Seems easy enough for me I think..." He gives a little smile now looking at the pair. "We should arrive there in half an hour if we walk..." He stopped for a moment looking at Aries. "...or float..." He gave a little thoughtful gesture before continue. "...in a normal pace."

Then, he realized that some of his things weren't ready for travel. "But first..." He said with a slightly lower tone while looking at his chair. "Let me prepare my belongings." He said before putting book and folded chair in the bag and inserting his sword into a sheath at his back that matches perfectly in color with the coat, looking almost like part of the coat itself.

After that, he put the bag on his back, with the sword in the middle and smiled. "Sorry to keep you waiting. Now I'm ready"

The two stood there, watching Zephyr get his stuff together. Deux looked at his own belongings, he basically only had what he was wearing on him at the moment. Aries didn't have much on him either, basically about the same amount of stuff- that was, the clothes on his back. 

As Zephyr got his things together, Deux looked over at the path between the rocks. He rubbed his neck, the only thing he was truly worried about was the tunnel perhaps. He had just hoped it wouldn't be too dark, but they had a little bit of walking to do before they got there. 

When Zephyr was ready to go, Aries took off in the direction Zephyr looked in earlier. "Okay, let's go!" Aries called, flying at a relatively fast pace. Deux hurriedly followed him across the bridge, running to keep up. "We shouldn't tire ourselves out so quickly!" Deux called back in an attempt to get Aries to slow down.

Zephyr let out a little sigh, almost laughing. "Normal pace... What's with the hurry?" He said with a soft smile, trying to follow the both of them.

For the traveler, normal pace meant slow walking, looking at every detail and enjoy it's surroundings, but it seemed to him that the tasty promise made the time left to reach the village shorter.

But that was kinda better now. The faster they would reach the town, the sooner he would sit down and relax again. And, while they eat, maybe know them a bit better. Maybe. Who knows what could happen...

Zephyr wasn't very fast, and he was carrying his bag on his back, which made him slower. So keeping up with them was kinda difficult. But he tried anyway.

Aries slowed down as he approached the big rocks, before coming to a complete stop and looking behind him. He waited for Deux and Zephyr to catch up before doing anything else. 

"So the tunnel is around here right?" Aries said, looking ahead. "It might be dark in there." 

Deux rubbed his neck nervously, sighing at the obvious comment from Aries. "If this is a path that people normally take though, it might be lit up for us already." Deux pointed out.

Zephyr though for a moment. "It is a path that's used often but I doubt it's lit up." He looked around him, then he continued. "If so, there should be something like a generator near the tunnel."

Then, he looked back to the walked path. "And so far, I've only seen nature and wooden signals." Now looking back at them, he showed a soft smile. "But I could be wrong."

"Now..." He looked at the wisp. "Let's all go at the same speed. No more, no less." He said as he started walking at his own normal pace, going through the path between the two big rocks.

The tunnel is visible from beyond the rocks as it is a straight forward path. So any doubts about it should be cleared now.

Aries sighed and reluctantly nodded at going the same pace as everyone else, following Zephyr at the pace he was going. He took the time to look around at the nature around them, it was pretty for the most part but he enjoyed the river a little bit more. The sound of the flowing water was calming to him, it made him want to stop and take in the atmosphere but they were now moving away from the water so he had to find something else to look at. His eyes followed the texture earth around the tunnel as they approached it. 

Deux picked up his pace in order to walk next to Zephyr, looking at him worriedly. "Excuse me, Mr. Zephyr..." He started rather politely. "If the path isn't lit up, how will we see in the dark...?"

There was a moment where only nature and footsteps were the only sounds. "A moment, please." Zephyr said before he started thinking. 

For the traveler, it wasn't much of a problem. He preferred the night rather than the day, mostly because the feeling of a warm sun makes him sleepy and you can see the moon much better than the sun. So things like caves were less of an inconvenience to him than to other travelers.

But they were still a problem.  So, as a basic tool for cautious adventurers, he always had a small flashlight than he didn't used much. He started checking on his pockets while he keep walking. "Where did I put it...?" He said patiently.

Luckily, he found it in the left pocket of his trousers."Oh, found it..." Zephyr pulled it out and turned it on to see if it works. It seemed to work just fine.

"We can use this..." Zephyr stopped talking for a moment while looking forward before continue. "...And I think we will use it."

In front of them, the path followed through the huge entrance of the tunnel they were talking about. It didn't have any source of light inside so you could only see approximately ten meters deep of the rocky tunnel and, beyond that, darkness.

Zephyr stopped right under the entrance, where he turned to his companions. "So..." He hesitated for a moment giving a less relaxed look. It seems he was a bit unsure to make this question. "Are you afraid of the darkness?"

Aries lightly pounded his chest with a small fist confidently and hovered into the darkness a little bit before turning around and looking at Zephyr. "I'm not afraid of the dark!"

Deux hesitantly shook his head. Raccoons were normally nocturnal creatures anyhow, it would have been silly for him to be afraid of the dark. He walked a little bit closer to Zephyr, not exactly stepping fully into the dark cave until Zephyr started walking forward with his flashlight in hand. "I'm.. fine with the dark.." Deux spoke up, however he was very quiet.

Zephyr, pointing the flashlight to the darkness and with a soft smile, started advancing through the tunnel. "Then, there should be no problem." He said, leading the way.

The interior of the underground path was irregularly rocky through the sides while the floor was very flat, yet small pebbles were all over the ground.

The avian wondered about their safety. The cave seemed fine and stable, so falling rocks or the collapse of the tunnel was highly unlikely. The only danger possible was anything that was hiding in the darkness. And, for that, is the flashlight.

"So..." He hesitated again before finally ask. "What were you two doing? Is difficult to get lost over these parts..." He said a bit worried. A gorge with a river can't offer too many different ways, but maybe they are just bad with directions...

"It's kind of a long story.." Deux said, following Zephyr not too far behind. "I can't really remember too well.." 

"Did you hit your head?" Aries asked. "Here, lemme see-" The wisp zipped over towards Deux, starting to reach for his head but Deux tugged back in defiance. "... I remember just fine!" 

"No, I'm fine." Deux replied not long after Aries last line, putting a finger to his chin. "I think we were looking for someone... or something. But we must've run into some trouble along the way..." 

At this, Aries looked at him strangely. He was clearly disheartened by this line, and didn't speak further on the issue. "... Huh, I guess I can't remember anything either- I mean, I thought I did." He hurriedly said in attempt to cover the topic up hoping that Zephyr wouldn't open it back up again.

Zephyr was a bit disappointed with the answer, but it wasn't that important, so he just let it go, feeling a little awkward as well. "Well, if you don't remember..." He said focused on the flashlight's light.

The tunnel turned right, and beyond that part, one could see the exit. So far, everything was good. There was just a little more of tunnel before getting out. "There's the exit..." He said smiling softly.

The avian checked his surroundings, just to be sure nothing was wrong. As a cautious adventurer, he had to do this regularly but this wasn't a dangerous place, so there wasn't need to do that. But, just in case...

Deux stepped forward as the exit approached at their steady pace. He picked up the pace himself, quickly putting one foot in front of the other in a power-walking kind of motion. His tail swished back and forth almost rhythmically as he moved towards the exit of the tunnel, going so fast that he almost out-walked the light of the flashlight that Zephyr was holding. With a twitch of the ears, Deux quickly hopped forward, turning his entire body in one swift motion so that he faced his companions as he heard the tumbling of a few small pebbles coming down the tunnel. Aries panicked slightly, hovering forward to the site of the tiny falling rocks with haste. 

Waiting a moment resulted in nothing coming from the small pebbles after that, but it didn't seem like a good idea to stick around for long. Why and how something like this happened to a tunnel that appeared to be standing for quite a while was a mystery in itself, but it definitely wasn't a good idea to stick around here any longer. Being as fearful as he was, Deux waved his companions forward before taking off, he didn't appear to be patient enough to wait and make sure they were moving as he didn't stop and look back at his friends to make sure they were alright. He hurried to the exit, and Aries did his best to keep up.

The sound of a few small pebbles inside a tunnel didn't make Zephyr startle, but Deux's reaction surprised him. Seeing how he was eager to exit the place, the avian followed them at the same speed, trying to make the less noise possible, but with his backpack it was difficult.

Also, it's understandable that no one wants to be in a collapsing cave, but those pebbles could have moved because someone or something with enough weight passed over it. A wild animal of considerable proportions should be enough. But it doesn't hurt to be sure. In fact, it could save them. And that's what Zephyr though.

Following the new pace, they were almost out. With no use of the flashlight anymore, thanks to be so close to the end, he put it back to the same pocket where it was before. Glancing one last time to the darkness they've passed through, he wasn't sure if, by a rare chance, the tunnel would collapse for true. But he doesn't want test his luck, so better be safe.

Deux came to a sudden stop as they reached the light of the outside, taking a few more steps forward before fully stopping his forward motion. He looked back at Zephyr, then inside of the tunnel. A few more moments of waiting secured the fact that it didn't seem like the tunnel was going to collapse. It seemed more like a false alarm, if anything. Deux's breathing was erratic, anxiety inducing for sure. Quick, short breaths kept the panicked feeling well and alive. It was easy to see the panic in his eyes, he appeared to be distance and not at all with the rest of the group. 

In order to avert the panic crisis, Aries hovered up to Deux being very careful not to touch him. He stayed in his friend's line of sight, motioning for them to breath deeply. He even mimicked the action, breathing in and out at a slow, methodical pace. It took a little while, but Deux began to follow Aries' actions as if they had done this before.