A Quiet Adventure [FINISHED]

[Harpsdesire]

It did, as Graeme said, look slippery, and grace was really not one of Dania's strongest suits. She looked into the darkness, squinting as her eyes adjusted. Perhaps because of her rodent heritage, Dania was neither claustrophobic nor unsettled by underground spaces, so it was only excitement that sent a thrill down her spine.

She took Graeme's hand, thanking him politely. Until they had reached level ground, her bound leg would be a liability. As she came to stand beside the Duck, Dania looked around again, smiling with slight awe. How long had it been since another living Card had stood in this place? Any footprints on the ground within the circle of lamplight had long been worn away by dripping water or the passage of time.

For a smallish Rat in animal form, it was possible to walk normally down the floor of the cave, which sloped gradually downward. With his Bipedal height, Graeme would probably be in danger of hitting his head, if he could walk upright at all. With a sudden smile, Dania realized that it was a good thing his tall hat had been left outside.

She was eager to see what was ahead, but fearing the uneven floor she waited for the duck and lighted lamp he carried. In the dark it was difficult to tell how far the cave really went, and momentary thoughts of getting lost dampened Dania's spirits a little. "Do you think the treasure is far ahead?" Still... Graeme had said he knew what he was doing, and he didn't seem the type to walk blindly into danger. A quick glance back at the opening of the tunnel and the green and gold sunlight beyond reassured her, and the young rat was ready to go.

[Lucca]

The lowness of the cave did present a bit of a challenge, but Graeme was nothing if not determined, and he'd been in many a tighter spot than this. At least there wasn't anything guarding the treasure this time, like hidden traps or ancient beasts. Or well, the legend had said nothing about such things, and generally the legend had the right of it. The Duck hunched over a bit to fit better through the cave, keeping the lamp as high as he could to light the way in front. If it got narrower further down, he wouldn't hesitate to get down on his hands and knees. After all, his hat may have been ruined, but this suit was the one he'd gotten when he first managed a Bipedal form, which meant that if anything were to happen to it, he had only to switch down to Animal and back and the coat would appear again, good as new. It was a strange magic but a fascinating one, or at least it would be to anyone who studied such things. Graeme only cared that it was so useful.

He picked his way carefully among the slippery rocks, pausing to observe the rock formations once in awhile. But as Dania asked the question, he turned to her with a smile, narrowly avoiding bumping his head on a low-hanging stalactite. "It can't be very far," he said, pointing to his glowing eyes as proof. "I have to be close ta the gold for my eyes to shine like this." He could also smell it, and the smell was getting stronger the further they went.

[Harpsdesire]

Dania moved more slowly than the duck, even though the low ceiling was less awkward for her. She was deeply interested in the various rocky protrusions and clusters along the walls, some of which almost looked as if they had grown there, like some kind of plants turned to stone. She recognized that they had actually been formed by water, minerals, and time, but they still held a fascinatingly 'alive' quality that was both lovely and a little eerie.

When Graeme smiled at her, Dania returned the expression tentatively. There was always a hint of sadness about her expression, regardless of how she professed to be feeling. Like many of her realm, she was a melancholy type, but her current excitement about treasure hunting and cave exploring had begun to supersede her natural tendency to mope.

"I can't wait to see it!" Dania's voice was eager, clearly relishing the anticipation. They were getting close! It also seemed like the tunnel around them was widening, opening up a little to sides and growing gradually larger as it sloped downward. Before, the deep roots of the forest above had been visible here and there in sandier parts of the cave walls, now it seemed they had gone too deep for tree roots to touch, and the walls and floor of the cave were solid rock, worn smooth in places by some long-dried underground stream and punctuated by strange mineral formations and formidable looking stalactites overhead.

The Duck's golden eyes seemed to glow all the more brightly as they proceeded ever further into the cave. Dania wondered in passing if it was the nearness of the treasure that caused them to shine so brilliantly, or just the deepening darkness around them.

Dania could smell something, too, but it wasn't gold: her whiskers twitched as she caught the whiff of damp freshness that could only mean that a moving body of water lay ahead.

[Lucca]

Graeme grinned widely as Dania expressed that sort of excitement. His tail feathers gave a wiggle and he moved a bit to pat the Rat on the shoulder with his free hand. "That's the spirit, lass! You've got a true treasure hunter in there somewhere!" He pointed at her chest, to her heart, and then turned and continued father down the cave, whistling quietly to himself. As the cave got darker, he held his lantern higher. If Dania had not been with him, he would have just used his Spade ability to see in this cave and not wasted the matches, but in this case that would have been very rude of him. Besides, he really didn't think it would be much farther.

The lantern light suddenly seemed to shift oddly in front of their path, and Graeme stopped, holding out a hand to signal Dania behind him to do the same, and looked around. He gave a short bark of a laugh. "We've made it!"

The cave had suddenly opened up to a larger underground chamber, but the walls her looked a little less natural, and more like they'd been carved out...though weathering showed it would have had to be many years ago. Faded runes and pictures covered the smooth walls, and flowing through the chamber was a stream, between the small outcropping that the two Cards were on and the rest of the room. In the very back, elevated on a rougher piece of rock, stood a treasure chest, wood a little rotted and metal rusted but still mostly intact. Nearby it, ominously enough, was a skeleton who looked to be the remains of some sort of Canine in their animal form, with a slip of something about its neck.

Graeme climbed carefully down into the water of the stream (it only came up slightly past his knees), and offered up a hand to Dania since the slippery rock might prove a little more difficult for her. "Come on, let's take a look! There are torches here..." He swung the lantern to show a few in sconces on the walls. The wood looked damp, but not so much they couldn't light it.

"I'd wager me weight in gold that the images tell the same legend that led me here!" He guessed that Dania would be interested to look around a bit, and why not? They had all the time in the world, and now that treasure was within his very grasp, Graeme could afford to be patient.

[Harpsdesire]

Dania was surprisingly flattered by Graeme's words. She had never considered herself an adventurous Card, but always wished she was, like the bold heroines of novels, or the historical figures she admired for their world-changing actions. It was pleasing to think that she, Dania, had the heart of a treasure hunter, fearless and undaunted in the face of... a skeleton. Actually, she was a bit daunted by that, but tried not to let it show.

She noticed the bones before she noticed the chest that must surely contain the treasure. After reminding herself quite sternly that old, dead bones were not dangerous, no matter how ominous and utterly creepy they seemed, she took a few moments to marvel at the grandeur of the cave. In addition to the valuable contents of the chest, this place was probably a priceless historical discovery. It was clearly made by cards many generations ago, and judging by the paintings and what little she knew of ancient history, the cave itself was probably far older than the coins in that rotting chest. She suddenly wished she had a sketch pad to try and copy the symbols and figures that adorned the walls.

"This is amazing." She breathed. Graeme wouldn't have to tell her twice to look around. The rat felt a bit like a a child who has just walked into the world's biggest toy store. Actually, with the hushed atmosphere and the awe that she felt, it was very like the first time her father had taken her to the Capital City Library.

Everything, from the small stream through the room, down to the waiting torches, was just as it would be in an adventure story, and Dania found it utterly enchanting. A large smile split her face. This afternoon was shaping up to be just too cool to be true.

"How strange that I stopped to sit right above the treasure without even knowing it." She mused as she gratefully accepted Graeme's help in crossing the stream. It was very clear and absolutely frigid, and she shook her fur quickly as soon as she reached the other side. Her short, velvety coat wasn't as well insulated as a Duck's feathers, but there was no way a little cold water was going to keep her from getting a closer look at those drawings. Still, it was a relief when she was standing, shaking the water from her fur, back on dry land.

A bit shyly, Dania asked, "Could you tell me the legend, and how you found this place? I'm very curious to know what led you to the spot." The entire situation seemed too strange and wonderful to be real, and in the sharp shadows thrown by the lantern everything had taken on a dreamlike quality.

Dania took a torch, but carefully, mindful that in the sort of story she was apparently living in, doing such a thing was very likely to set off a booby trap.

[Lucca]

Graeme's eyes glittered with excitement, even past their golden glowing look right now. "You'd be surprised how often that can happen, Dania," he said with a bit of a chuckle. "There are so many secrets in the world, just waiting for those who have the fortitude to discover them!" He ran a hand carefully over the walls, wiping away a slight layer of mildew from the pictures. Taking out another match, he struck it, and held the flame out towards Dania's torch. It took a few tries for it to catch, but when it did it blazed with admirable intensity.

At her request, Graeme chuckled a bit, and then sat down on the outcropping of rock below the one that held the chest (and skeleton) and gesture for her to do the same. "It's actually quite a lengthy story, so make yourself comfortable. Now, keep in mind that this is not a legend that's commonly told...it actually was difficult to dig up all the details, and even those who still tell it or have written it down don't seem to believe it."

He paused, gathering his thoughts, and reached a hand up to adjust his hat before remembering...he wasn't wearing it. Running his ringers through his mane instead, the Duck began, rich Highlands accent lending the words a sort of extra mystical weight. "You seem very well read, Dania, so I'm sure that you've heard of the legendary creature known as a Unicorn?" He glanced briefly at her before continuing on. "Well, these creatures are not Cards, but they appear as Horses with single horns in the middle of their foreheads. They are said to possess powerful magic, especially with regards top healing others. This story starts with one such creature, a young Unicorn by the name of Cornelius. He lived in Avington among the Cards, for in those days his kind were not considered a myth, or at least in this part of the forest. His closest friend was a Wolf by the name of Lyra, and she was a fierce Heart warrior through and through, and would protect Cornelius from anyone who would seek his harm, for the Unicorn was a gentle soul and wished to harm no other living thing, only heal them."

Graeme paused, then, because his bill was getting rather dry, despite the damp air. He had no canteen with him, but that was the beauty of being a Spade. He could create water whenever he wished. He took out a steel cup he carried for just such an occasion and created enough water to fill it before drinking it down. He filled it again and offered it to Dania, as he felt this was only polite.

[Harpsdesire]

Dania chuckled softly, but it was not an entirely happy sound. She admitted, "I'm not usually what you'd call... full of fortitude." What she really meant was that she was not particularly well endowed in either courage or motivation, as both seemed sapped away by the depression that often threatened to overtake her. Normally, she wouldn't dare to dream of finding a place like this, and wouldn't consider herself worthy to take hold of the treasure. Today was different, though. She had dug a hole with her bare paws, had entered a cave without fear, and now followed Graeme without fuss to take a seat most horribly close to the Canine skeleton.

Maybe it was something about being away from her homeland that made her feel a little lighter. Even her tightly bound leg seemed to ache a little less than usual, which was the opposite of what she expected, given the amount of walking she had been doing. Yes, this place, or this moment in time, seemed to be having a strange effect on the rat. Just for a moment she had allowed herself to believe that she was, or at least that she could be, the type of card who had adventures just because they were there to be had.

She was too eager to hear his tale to spend much more time in reflection. When he began, she nodded happily-- yes, she had heard of the mythical unicorn, usually in children's stories more than serious history. Dania was also a bit flattered by his (quite correct) observation on her reading habits. Far from the aggressive and snooty personality she had expected upon first meeting the Duck, she was coming to see that he possessed a sort of gallant gentility that was rare to find, and even rarer to see so naturally expressed, without undue pomp or awkwardness.

Further expressing his fine breeding, he offered her a drink from his own cup, which she accepted, as she felt that it was only polite. There was something a little disconcerting to her about drinking a Spade's summoned water, but it was cool and fresh on her lips-- exactly like any clean drinking water that was obtained by non-magical means.

"That sounds like any fairy tale so far." She commented, although not in a judgmental tone. She was well aware that it took more than a few moments to get to the heart of a story, and honestly was savoring the experience, trying to match what she saw painted on the stone walls with Graeme's words. And indeed-- there was the unicorn, rendered crudely in chalky paint, but easily identified by the spiral horn on it's forehead.

[Lucca]

Graeme didn't take her comment in offense; instead, he merely smiled at it. "Sometimes, there's more truth in fairy tales than we realize. There's a reason some common themes run through all of them." Here, in a cave with a young Torquehelm, and so close to treasure, the Duck felt more comfortable expressing those of his views that, quite frankly, would make many fear he had taken leave of his senses. Then again, most already thought him eccentric, if they even granted more personality to him than 'greedy, money-loving Scrooge'. All of which may be somewhat true...But right now, Graeme had a story to tell.

He placed the cup back on the rock beside them and continued. "All went well for the Unicorn until one day, a Rabbit approached the village. It was tired and weak, and its breathing was heavy, and so of course good-hearted Cornelius healed the young creature. The Rabbit was most thankful, but he told them all that his Warren was plagued by a nasty illness, and it had already taken too many of their number. They could barely get by. It begged Cornelius to come with him back to the Warren and heal them all. Well, as you can well imagine, he agreed immediately to do all he could to help...but there was a problem."

Graeme steepled his fingers and looked at Dania gravely. He was obviously getting into the story. "Suspicious of the Rabbit, and worried her naive friend would come to trouble, Lyra offered to come along. But the Rabbit refused this, saying that the Warren's location was secret to all Cards, and its Jack would allow none to pass its borders. Lyra then flew into a temper and told Cornelius that he shouldn't go. But in the end, the Unicorn went anyway, because he couldn't stand the thought of all those poor, sick creatures, and he with his healing horn doing nothing. Lyra attempted to track their path, to follow them in secret, but the Rabbit knew that area of the woods better than she, and was a very cunning sort, and she lost their trail. Defeated, Lyra returned to the village to wait for her friend's return. Only...he didn't back when he was supposed to. Months went by, and the Unicorn didn't return, and Lyra began to despair. What could have happened to her friend? I'm sure you can probably guess the answer." He raised a curious eyebrow at Dania.

[Harpsdesire]

"Hm." Dania nodded her agreement, but was unwilling to derail the story just yet. She had always been enchanted by stories of all kinds, and her imagination easily entered into the world described to her, filling her mind's eye with vivid and wondrous images. Perhaps it was this that had early on fostered her love of books and reading.

Now she saw in her thoughts the gentle unicorn, the nervous warrior and the suffering rabbit (much less fearsome a creature in this tale than most others). This image was reflected back to her from the walls of the cave, where an odd creature, smaller than the unicorn, but with enormous tall ears, was painted.

What could have happened to the poor Unicorn?, Dania wondered. Of course, everyone knew rabbits were cunning and full of tricks, and Jacks especially were dreadfully volatile and dangerous beings, some of them with strange and powerful magic to rival any queen. "Did the rabbits keep him captive out of fear that the plague might come back?" That seemed the least terrible possibility.

Dania seemed quite absorbed with the story, and awaited Graeme's response with avid attention. This was an interesting tale, and one that she had never heard before, nor read in any book. What was the connection between this fanciful legend and the very real treasure in the chest nearby?

[Lucca]

Graeme shook his head, looking grim. "Nay, though that would have been a far nobler reason. What happened to Cornelius was simply the greed of the Jack of this Warren. For Rabbits, like all intelligent beings, are just as subject to all the plagues Card kind. In this Unicorn, the Jack saw a tool. A way to get power and hold sway over the other Rabbits. He kept him in chains, and forced him to use his healing on any sick Rabbits who visited...for a price. He amassed a great fortune, as his Warren was not the only one the plague hit, but even after that horrible disaster was averted, Rabbits still gravitated toward the Warren for help. Even those who were not sick could pay a small fee for a blessing. Pregnant Does hoping to secure the health of their children. Leverets who were trying to turn into something greater. They came from far and wide, some travelling from other regions, even, to see this miracle and partake of it."

The Duck paused to glance at the drawings as well...because the story only got stranger from here. So many legends in one story...so many things that were thought to not exist. And yet, the treasure clearly did. Would Dania be shocked to find out where it had come from? "But, as Fate often has a way of doing, the Jack got what was coming to him. For as the news of this wonder spread, it caught the ears of some who were not happy to hear of the situation. Not Lyra, sadly. The Rabbits were used to hiding things from Cards, even then. Instead, it caught the ear of a Cat. She was Queen of her own Cat court, and she usually, as most Cats do, preferred to stay out of the affairs of the Cards and Rabbits. But this...this she could not tolerate. And so, she sought out the information she desired, and eventually found the Avington village where Cornelius had once lived. She tried to tell all of what she had discovered, but most of the villagers didn't want to get involved, or were afraid of the Jack. But Lyra was not afraid. She felt only anger at what had been done to her friend against his will. She told the Queen of Cats that if she would just show her the way, she'd tear down the Warren and every Rabbit inside of it."

"But the Queen had other ideas. As Lyra charged in, sword out and ready, cutting down all who got in her way on the way to rescue her friend, for she was a brave lass, the Cat followed quietly...and just as Lyra was facing off against the Jack himself...he fell, and began to rot before her very eyes, and his whole Warren with him. The Cat had cursed them, for what they had done, cursed them to be forever victims of a worse plague than the one that had held them before...one everlasting and incurable, yet not fatal. And as for the money that he had gained so deceptively, from powers that weren't his own, she hid it...buried it where he would never be able to use it. As for Cornelius and Lyra, not much more is known about them. Just that after she rescued him, they lived out the rest of their lives far from the Warren and the town that refused to help. It is said that the Cat told them of the treasure, in fact, and that they helped to make its resting place more secure. They used some of the money, as it was the Unicorn's by right, and the last of it...it was buried again upon Cornelius's death. Before he died, it is said that he blessed the rest of the treasure, and the spot where it lay...and even the pool nearby was made sacred by his influence."

He turned to Dania at the conclusion of the story, smiling in slight amusement. "So, you see...whether all that is really true or not...here we are. And there it is..." He finally allowed himself to gaze at the chest.