The Ring of Fire Balto Kali's Life
How Beautiful
Note - this is an edited version of an rp on a site that I used to go to.
Cave Entrance
The sigh echoed around the well lit cavern as Solstice walked further inside. She always loved coming here, the crystals were beautiful in the morning light, and she loved to watch the many colored lights play across the floor. From outside, one could see her through the crystals or the cracks and with the light also playing across her fur she was almost as beautiful as the cavern. The light shimmered on her and around her, mysterious and unreachable; she seemed to be walking on the ocean floor. Of course, Solstice had no idea of how she looked, but it was good to come here anyway. Briefly she wondered what Maliki was doing, but figured that he could always find her should he need help.
Balto walked to the entrance of the crystal cavern. He padded deeper into the caves and detoured from the main path. "Maliki! You in here?" he called walking deeper into the cave. 'Where is that alpha male? He's always late.' He thought to himself. At the very same moment Maliki came to the entrance followed by Makarim.
"No. It's Solstice," her voice echoed to the front of the cave in response to Balto's question and she followed it. At a slower pace, of course.
"Makarim, this is the crystal cave. Its beauty can explain itself." he said and motioned for her with his tail. He was caught by surprise to see Solstice, who was very well camouflaged, in the caves so early in the morning. "Good Morning Solstice," he greeted his mate.
Makarim stepped into the cave, and her eyes widened at the beauty around her. The crystals made shimmering shapes on the walls, and the beauty of it made her feel mixed inside -- like she wanted to laugh and cry at the same time.
It did not take her long to leave the cave and she smiled when she saw Maliki at the entrance. She ran over and rubbed her cheek against his affectionately, but quickly stepped back as there was another wolf by his side. Tail raised and ears perked, Solstice walked somewhat stiffly towards Makarim.
Smiling, she approached the other female as she spoke, but then felt uneasy as she learned that Solstice was the alpha female. Hunching down a bit, as she always did when faced with an alpha in its own territory, Makarim cautiously thanked the she-wolf. She felt nervous though. What did Solstice think of her? Did she trust her? Or would she secretly wish for Makarim to leave the pack, as so many other wolves had done before?
"You are new here. I take it Maliki is giving you the tour. How do you like it so far?" Her voice was friendly enough, but Solstice always grew worried when there were strangers nearby. The grey wolf tilted her head to one side and sat down close to Maliki, her soft, brown eyes still trained on the other female.
Maliki returned his mates rub with a nuzzle. "Solstice, this is Makarim. She came by last night," he told her pointing at the wolf. He turned back to Makarim, "Makarim this is my mate, Solstice," he said. He surveyed the situation and laughed to himself, 'Awkward moment, heheh.' He stood still waiting for one of the females to say something.
Balto kept on venturing farther into the cave. Like usual, he didn't pay attention to how far he went and looked behind him to see if his trail could still be seen. "I'm lost again," he said after seeing his reflection.
Solstice nodded politely, "Good to meet you Makarim. I hope that you enjoy your time here, whether it be short or for the rest of your life." She smiled, but soon her ears flicked back and she turned to look at the caves a frown in her eyes.
"Maliki, someone went into the cave, I believe he was looking for you. I didn't see anyone on the way out, and I think I just heard someone talking from in there." She walked closer, nose in the air and a worried expression on her face, "Did you hear anything?"
"Someone was looking for me, were they?" Maliki repeated as he wondered if he had planned a meeting. He looked at the two femmes. "Solstice, I will go search for our lost traveler," he said rubbing her neck, "I'm sorry Makarim but if someone has wandered to far they could be lost. You can ask Solstice if you want to know anything. I'll be back in a few minutes." He plunged into the mirrored walls.
Balto looked about himself and suddenly became ill. The crystals had created billions of copies of him that were in all sorts of shapes. "I wish I stayed at the entrance," he told himself as he rested.
Solstice watched as he ran into the cavern, "I wouldn't be surprised if he got lost as well," she spoke softly to Makarim, "those caves are cruel on the eyes and the mind. The only way to get anywhere is to follow a scent, but I'm talking too much. Please, tell me how you came to be here? I'm a nosy wolf and enjoy learning new things about my pack." She smiled and lost all air of superiority, in fact she looked much like a pup.
"You needn't tell me if you don't want to." It was obvious, though that while much of her attention was on Makarim, she was still watching the cave's entrance, waiting for her mate and whoever had wandered in to appear safely.
Inside the Caves
Balto had begun his search for the entrance again. Walking in circles yelling, "Why isn't there ever an easy way out!" He walked forward and all of his reflections did the same. "It's like have a one man army when there's no war." he told himself. He decided to rest again before his mind would implode on itself.
Maliki had heard Balto's scream of frustration. He tried following the voice but ended up getting lost as well because the voice echoed from different directions. 'When I get back to camp, I'm gonna have a vote on leaving a marked trail in here.' He told himself. He looked straight ahead and saw Balto's body. 'Oh no! I hope he hasn't fainted!' He panicked. He ran to his friend's side to find himself going headfirst into the wall. "Uh Oh." He said with a thud, "Note to self. Walk before you run." He reorganized himself before he started seeing black.
Cave Entrance
Makarim thought for a moment. Her past was a difficult one to explain. She had left her pack as a young pup, barely old enough to survive on her own. But why? She almost couldn't remember, but she shook her head at the memory.
Turning to look at Solstice, Makarim took a deep breath. "I've been a wanderer for years. When I was very young, I left my pack to live a solitary life. It's been very hard at times, but I've been able to survive. I move from territory to territory, sometimes making friends -- often being chased away. It's just...how life is I suppose." She fell silent. She couldn't remember a pack being as welcoming to her as this one was.
"I hope the others find their way out safely," she said softly, in an attempt to change the subject. It wasn't that it bothered her; it was just that she felt strange speaking to wolves about being a loner, when most of them lived happy lives within packs which worked together.
"I hope they find their way out as well, I would be utterly hopeless as an alpha if I didn't have Maliki at my side," Solstice smiled good-naturedly at Makarim and saw in the other female the makings of a new friend. That being said she felt no qualms about gently correcting her on her views of life.
"I must say that in that you are wrong. Life is whatever you choose it to be, and until death we will never know exactly what life is. You cannot allow thoughts like that to let you go with the flow, you are in control and if you chose to walk against the flow, well then, that would be life as well," her eyes took on a slightly dreamier look and she began to recall a bit of her past. "I, myself was a loner before I met Maliki. Too many packs dislike those who wander, I learned from that and you will find none here who scorn you. I will make sure of it."
She sighed then, and looked to the caves, hoping desperately that Maliki would appear soon. Solstice was friendly, but she was not good at carrying on conversations. Besides her mate had been gone a little too long for her liking and she was growing worried.
Makarim stood in amazed silence. She had never imagined such a response -- especially to what she thought was something she couldn't change. Perhaps, there was hope after all? Maybe she wouldn't have to stay a loner forever. Was there a chance of a different future -- to be found in this pack?
She lowered her eyes, looking to the ground. Solstice was unlike any other female she had ever met. She was welcoming, warm and seemed to really care. Makarim began to imagine how difficult it would be to say goodbye. What if I don't want to?
Gazing back at Solstice, Makarim wagged her tail once. "Thank you Solstice," Her eyes sparkled as she thought of perhaps, becoming a friend to the female one day. At least, she hoped it would happen.
"I'm deeply grateful for everything that you've said. You are very kind, and it's nice to know that someone else can understand...my...situation. Thank you."
She fell silent, waiting to see if the others would venture out again.
Inside the Caves
Maliki came back to consciousness. He looked around and wondered why he was there. He looked up as his memories came back. 'I hit my head. What a sheepish thing to do. I shouldn't tell Solstice, she'd scold me,' he laughed to himself. Balto's reflections was still there lying still. He turned around and walked toward his fallen friend. "Hello Balto," he said when he stood next to the lying wolf.
Balto raised an ear and then looked up. 'Finally, someone is here.' He saw Maliki starring at him. "Oh hello your majesty," Balto said with a quick bow. "Do you happen to know the way out Maliki?" he asked.
"I think so." Maliki said looking back at where he had come from. "Lets go." he said and watched as Balto stood beside him. "Follow me." Maliki told Balto. He then ran toward one of the walls and was glad that he didn't hit himself again. "We must be quick if we dawdle too much we might get lost." he told Balto. Balto nodded in agreement. Both wolves quickly raced to the entrance. "We made it." Maliki said with a sigh of relief. Balto and Maliki slowed down once they saw the she-wolves in view.
Cave Entrance
"You have nothing to thank me for Makarim; I would do the same for anyone. But if you must, then thank me by staying in the pack for a while. It would be nice to have a new friend," Solstice smiled at Makarim, but was soon distracted as Maliki and Balto came out of the cave. She sprang forward and nuzzled Maliki warmly, but then stepped back and looked at the two as though they were puppies.
Makarim's ears perked up as she heard Solstice's kind invitation to stay for a while. She smiled back, and watched as the other female went bounding over to her mate. Life in this pack seemed so happy and the wolves seemed to cooperate so well. Makarim decided silently in her heart that she would stay for a while -- and perhaps longer, if the opportunity ever arose to let her.
"Really, you two. What could you possibly have been thinking, going plunging into that maze? I don't know what I'm to do with you," she frowned at them, though her eyes and slightly wagging tail made it quite clear that she was just happy to see them.
Chuckling to herself, she watched as Solstice scolded the two males. She really was beginning to like this pack, and the wolves in it.
Maliki looked at solstice. He nuzzled Solstice back. "I'm sorry," he said with a grin.
"Oh don't bother saying sorry, just don't do it again. You know I'd be positively hopeless without you Maliki. Don't scare me like that again and you're completley forgiven," Solstice smiled lovingly and licked her mate gently between the eyes. Her eyes sparkled cheerfully as she nodded to Balto and watched him pad over towards Makarim. If that female stayed, maybe, just maybe Balto might decide to settle down as well. Solstice could never have enough wolves to talk with, and with no pups to occupy her mind at the moment, the more the better. Without something to do, she could get restless and touchy, she hated that side of herself.
Balto looked at Solstice. "I'm sorry milady." he said with a bow. He spotted the other she-wolf and walked over to her. "Hello milady, my name is Balto." he said with twinkle in his eyes.
Maliki walked back to the entrance beside Solstice. "This tour is over. Balto what is it that you were looking for me?" he said.