And so it begins >:3 Also, DISCLAIM: I do not own in any way, shape, or form the song 'Everland' by Yoko Kanno.

The days had gone by like a dream, and it wasn't the first time while in AniWaya that Ralla had felt that notion.

The hut's construction had begun, and it seemed most promising. The foundation was the most difficult since Ralla had to balance it on the gigantic branches of the old red oak, and the lack of nails was worrisome. Already, she had had to pull apart--quite painstakingly--some of the old, unused huts for nails, and her lack of knowledge for nails and how to place them made her all the less uncertain about the hut's durability. I'm sure I can do it. If I just implement my old tribe's knowledge... Her old tribe and pack had stuck to using thatching and clay. The use of nails to hold together boards was new, but Ralla had heard and seen tidbits of its construction thereby. She figured that, by making the base strong with nails and planks and then whittling holes to slip the hut's frame through, she could make the actual hut the old-fashioned way.

But that's besides the point of why she was currently traveling to Adagio Caves.

Through her deliveries and duties to the pack, Ralla had overheard tell of the Adagio Caves near Adagio Creek. While detail was lost in what she heard, the intrigue was not. Her duties had been completed for the day--purposefully started earlier so that she could travel during her favorite time of night--and she travelled confidently forth with a tinder set--that which she had mastered privately through her care for the equipment--and a dry branch small enough to be used for a torch wrapped in an oil-slick cloth. A particular piece she had heard was that the caves were not as dangerous as others she had seen, but rather tame. At least near the entrance.

The forestry was a little more dense around the creek due to the surplus of water and loamy soil, but Ralla revelled in the rising moon's light shifting through the branches and creating moon-mist above the calm river. The cave entrance was sudden, if not a little hidden. Ralla had prepared to jump over the small knoll that crested before dropping off to an embankment next to the Creek, but when she touched down, the gaping mouth of the cave whistled lowly behind her. Turning, she was surprisingly unperturbed by its appearance. In fact, her ears twitched to and fro to distinguish not only the sound from the Creek, but an almost musical lullaby emanating from within the cave.

She struck the tinder until the branch caught fire, and entered with all caution. But what she saw when she entered--further and further through a tunnel--chased away all thought of danger. The fire's light reflected off of minute quartz crystals on the stalactites hanging from the ceiling to create a sparkle that reflected from the dark pools littering the cavern floor. A narrow bridge of rock spanned from where she stood out a little farther, and, following it, took her near the center of the chamber. The rock, even while being lit by red, was distinctly a dark-blue color, and contrasted enough so that Ralla was easy to pinpoint in the entire room. She also noticed that the fire was not the only source of light. Streams of the moonlight shone from holes in the cave's roof; holes that she had been warned at one point to be careful of around the Adagio area that had been created by thin-ness and weakness in its structure.

And the sound... The water dripping from condensation from the stalactities echoed in tones around the cavern like a symphony. Dipping her torch into the water by a whim, the fire went out and was replaced by a dark majesty. The moonlight was sufficiant enough for wolf eyes to reflect and see, and it was all unlike anything back from where Ralla had hailed. Eager to add her own sound to the tune being played by nature around her, Ralla began to hum out a song she had learned; steadily adding the lyrics as she harmonized with the dripping waters.

An Everland... A place without worry or hate... Seemingly untouchable by evil, and peaceful... A dream to be seen and realized. It was a song of Ralla's very own desires. At heart, she was a simple wolf with simple wishes, even if the end results weren't as easily obtained. The cave had re-awoken those wishes that had become muddled by worry almost a week ago when Kemo arrived. Dispelling the fear had been easier said than done--her fear of returning to the Moon Tribe, her fear that Kemo would look down on her if he knew...--and although she trusted him irrevocably not to betray her, coming down from the adrenaline high had been difficult in that particular situation. It had been too soon... It wasn't his fault, I was just... I am... This is my home now.

Something she had noticed repeatedly, even when thinking to herself, is that her words seemed more to convince herself than anyone else.

Moon walks. "Moon talks." Moon thinks.