Training Camryn {Thunder!}

[thunderstorm]

Camryn nodded. She couldn't wait until she had learned to swim. "Can you hunt and swim at the same time? Like for fish?" Camryn asked.

[Sivoncé™]

Winter thought for a moment, then shook her head. "You could maybe hide in the water if you're stalking a large land creature, like a moose that's coming for a drink...but that probably wouldn't be the best approach to hunting something like that. And if you go in the water, it will disturb the fish;; they're bound to notice your prescence when you make your entrance, even if it's a careful one." She told her.

The trees were still thick here, but the land seemed to slope downward a bit. "We're heading in the direction of the Twilight Clearing, so we'll turn up northwesternly. The basic ways of direction in the forest is that the Siverians are to the west, The Destinians are to the south, the Yozorans are to the east, and we are in the north. You may have already known that, but it's all right if you didn't."

[thunderstorm]

Camryn nodded, again. "I forgot fish could feel the water moving like we feel the wind." She said.

[Sivoncé™]

Winter's whiskers twitched slightly at the comparison. "Yes, that's a very observation," she woofed. She ran on, slowing only when they reach a cave, its interior shimmering brightly. The outer rocks of the cavern were black, gray, and sooty colors. The interior, though, was lines with crystals and stones of every color and shape. It's a good thing humans don't know this valley, or our other territories for that matter, exist. They'd be chipping arway at our territory!
"This is the crystal cavern," she told Camryn. As she moved closer to the cave, Winter spotted the pieces of colored glass on the floor.
"This cave is a sacred place," she said, "And though the Eternal Tree is where we go in times of need, there are occasions that call the medicine wolves and leaders here, too." Really, it was hard to differentiate between the two.
"Usually wolves come here because they are seeking a specific answer to something. It doesn't work all the time, but if your plea is desperate enough, they say the cave will turn you in the right direction. I'm not really sure how it works, but then again I have no idea how the Eternal Tree works, either. There's a crystal pool to drink from inside there, too. If a wolf's wounds are fatal, but the wolf is still clinging to life, bathing in the crystal pool will save them....unfortunately, it is a long way to survive for a wolf that's dying. Mainly, this is a refuge to those broken in spirit or in body. We use it when we are forced to, and do not take it for granted." She was serious, but her eyes were studying the colored cave with a strange intensity. "But," she said with a lighter voice, "Many wolves come here just to look at the glasses in front instead of heading into the actual crystal pool refuge!"

[thunderstorm]

Camryn stopped for a second... and 59 other seconds to just look at the crystal cavern. "I can see why a lot of wolves come here to just look at it." She start to get back to her mentor, and then lost her pawing. She got up as quickly as possible. Then she sprinted next to winter, feeling some breathelessness.

[Sivoncé™]

Winter murmured in agreement and pressed on, not seeing Camryn stumble. They only had one small region to tour, and then they could begin hunting basics. It would be a long day for Camryn, but Winter needed to have her know at least the basics. A tour was vital so that she felt at home in her territory and knew where to go. Hunting was an immediate need, too. Battle practice was, also, but not as demanding as the need to hunt and bring food into the pack.

[thunderstorm]

"Is there anywhere else we are going?" Camryn asked. "I'm starting to get tired." She siad. "But I could go a few miles more." She tried to predict how much stamia she had left.

[Sivoncé™]

"One more place, really, and it's not far at all. Then, we'll walk a little ways away from it, seeing as it's not the best hunting grounds, and we'll work on crouching and stalking. Basic woodland hunting. We won't work on it too much, seeing as we've already covered a lot today, but it's important that you at least know what I'll be drilling you on tomorrow!" She laughed good-naturedly. "All right, off we go!"

She'd slowed her pace a little bit. Not because Camryn was a bit tired, but because they had been running for a while and she was certain they were wide awake. It had been a longer run than she would probably ever take Camryn out on again; she'd needed to see the territories. The final significant place in the territory wasn't hard to detect. The lands were wooded again, a bit rocky, but not too terribly bad. She slowed to a walk now, the sound of bubbling water nearby. She nodded to a vast pool, lined with stones. "Those are the hot springs. They're good for relaxing, stiff joints, social purposes....and a lot of lover dogs come here," she giggled. "All right, I think we've concluded our tour...and we'll call it quits for now. You look quite tired, and we've covered the whole territory, basically! Most neophytes aren't able to do it in one day, so kudos to you!"

[thunderstorm]

Camryn dipped a paw in the hot springs. Then she quickly pulled it out. "Ouch, that is hot!" she yelped.

[Sivoncé™]

Winter nodded a bit. "Yes, it is very hot indeed, and it's dangerous to throw yourself in there suddenly. The shock would probably do a little damage to your insides....nothing that feels too nice. It's important to remember to ease in slowly, and allow your body to get used to it. Once you're used to it, you can probably go ahead and jump in. I wouldn;t reccommend it too often, though," Winter advised. She looked up towards the setting sun, sighing contentedly. "All right, I think it's time we've headed back to camp. We can start up again fresh tomorrow. You should probably eat before training and now if you're hungry; best to keep you strength up," she woofed kindly, leading the way back to the camp.

[thunderstorm]

Camryn nodded. "Will you start teaching me how to hunt tomorrow?" She asked curiously.

[Sivoncé™]

"Yes,we'll start some basic hunting techniques tomorrow," she confirmed. It was a good sign that Camryn was showing some enthusiasm for her training. Well, Winter already knew she would be a good neophyte from ealier today, but all the same her curiosity relieved her greatly. Winter was only a young warrior and probably wouldn't have handled a moody trainee very well.

[thunderstorm]

"Awesome. I get to hunt!" Camryn did a little jig.