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Quote:
Sakhalin
Female
White and Waveswept
Aquatic specialist
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After pausing from Conrad's smile, Sakhalin continued. 'While I was out in the lake catching fish, I heard what I'm fairly sure was Valena's voice. We might consider heading in that direction.' She leaned slightly towards him.
'Well then! I suppose it doesn't hurt to take a quick look. Though sound can carry quite far in the caves.' Conrad gave the little Noc a friendly pat on the apparently offered back, and turned to return to the cave.
Once there, Sakhalin paused for two seconds to let Conrad take the lead, keeping out of the way as he marked the floor with blue glowing lines. Conrad gave her an odd look as she shifted to where he had only just decided to mark, at one point, causing her to duck sheepishly. Overall, however, progress down the tunnel was good, until Conrad realised he had no idea where they actually were. Sakhalin moved into position just behind his tail.
'I don't recognize this place at all, and the rock is different here,' Conrad said, worry evident on his voice. 'When Valena and I did our initial explorations, this wasn't here. Stay close.'
But, about two minutes later, Sakhalin broke into a run and quickly overtook him. He picked his own pace, only to realise she had probably heard something he didn't.
'Valena!' Sakhalin shouted as she caught sight of the Snapper in question. Said Snapper turned her head, and her eyes widened. 'Sakhalin, isn't it? Where's- CONRAD!'
The Ridgeback had caught up, and Sakhalin stepped towards one of the rescue workers as Valena continued. 'I thought something terrible happened when I heard you hadn't come out yet. Oh,' she switched to Sakhalin and began herding Sakhalin in the direction said Noc was already going. 'Let's see to those injuries of yours, dearie.'
Conrad looked around in confusion. 'Wherever did the others go?
'They're already on the surface, I just came back to find you two,' she called over her shoulder at him, amused.
'AHA! Then, I assume you know of an exit that doesn't involve-' he shuddered dramatically, '-swimming.'
It was amidst laughter at the unfortunate Ridgie that the new party retraced the rescuers' steps until they reached the surface, where the other unfortunate civilians who had taken the tour like Sakhalin were waiting. Sakhalin's wing was indeed simply sprained, although flying back to her clan would be an issue at the moment. Thankfully, one of the medics tending to those on the surface was an EMT that Sakhalin recognised.
'Andromeda?' was the question directed at the Wildclaw in question.
Said pink Wildclaw nodded. 'I imagine you need a lift?'
'I'd appreciate it. But I have a little unfinished business here.'
'I find that hard to believe. You did get almost caved in, by all accounts.'
'That actually is the unfinished business. I signed up for this believing it would be an informative tour that would not just be an exploration of these caves but also would provide explanations for certain features of. And, indeed, it did begin like that. But-'
Andromeda face-clawed. You didn't have to be a seer to know what was coming, as the nocturne continued. 'Things rapidly turned into a very dangerous trek to escape an unforeseen cave-in. Besides the obvious lack of an established safety procedure in such an event, this was absolutely not what I signed up for. Therefore,' Sakhalin drew herself up to her full, but unimpressive, height. 'I need to know who I speak to to
get my money back.'
(She doesn't get her money back. :P Andromeda is a WC from my own lair, which is not terribly far away in my clan lore.)