gently introductory spelunking

[pleasantsurprise]

"I have found," Kanim announces to the small princesses (although they are getting taller) at their next group lesson with him, "a cave that I think even Carinna will like. It has not the least bit of hazard or inconvenience anywhere in it. It's very small, we'll probably be able to see all of it this afternoon, and it doesn't have a name yet as far as I can see, so we can pick something to call it while we're there."

"What is in it? Caves always have hazards and inconveniences," says Carinna warily.

"Harmless plants and creatures," Kanim says, "two springs, attractive crystal formations, a small maze, things like that - I will leave the specifics to be discovered, it's more fun that way, don't you think?"

"I think so," agrees Kiawen. "As long as you're sure Carinna won't be bothered!"

"Quite sure," says Kanim, "and if she is bothered we can always nip her out of there, it doesn't distort space or anything tricky like that."

"Okay," says Carinna decisively, "then I guess we can go to it."

Comments

[newtimov]

Ike would like to join them! His sister would not.

[pleasantsurprise]

Then she may stay behind. Off they all go!

[exactlyright]

Carinna seeks out the nearest poofs.

[newtimov]

Icarin seeks out the tiny ducks.

[forgefires]

Tanalin seeks out the fluffbats!

[guessguess]

Kiawen makes for the piano bears.

[pleasantsurprise]

Kanim starts inspecting the rocks around the blueberry spring in minute detail.

[forgefires]

Tanalin, with a pink fluffbat on her head - it might even be the same one - emerges from the maze and watches him.

[pleasantsurprise]

Eventually he determines the spring is not what he is looking for. He starts peering at the turtle-rocks, occasionally picking them up and moving them to other parts of the cave.

[forgefires]

On one such occasion, Tanalin's fluffbat swoops down and gobbles up a flower off the in-transit turtle-rock's back.

[pleasantsurprise]

Kanim laughs; this won't affect what he's looking at. Eventually he decides the turtlerocks aren't what he's looking for either. He goes farther back and checks out the sparkling cucumber spring. "Enjoying the ducks?" he asks Ike.

[newtimov]

"They are so tiny," says Ike. "Look how tiny they are! They are teeny tiny!"

[pleasantsurprise]

"Extremely tiny!" Kanim agrees. Hmmm, spring, pool, rocks - nope. He goes to check out the maze section.

[pythbox]

There's something about those glowing crystals that cover the cave's ceiling and make up most of the maze walls.

Something besides the fact that they come in all of the same colours that poofs do.

[pleasantsurprise]

Eventually, Kanim notices that! It helps that in the maze, they're eye-level. "Ah-ha."

[pythbox]

A sky-blue poof rolls up to his feet and squeaks.

[pleasantsurprise]

Kanim picks it up, mostly to be polite.

And then he says, "Ah-ha!" again.

[pythbox]

Whmmmmm goes the poof, and it glows happily, and the anti-injury field strengthens just a tiny tiny bit in the immediate vicinity.

[pleasantsurprise]

"Aren't you magically fascinating. Now I just have to figure out why you don't roll out into the surrounding forest."

[pythbox]

Whmmmmm.

[pleasantsurprise]

Kanim puts the poof down again and decides to track its behavior until the children want to leave.

[pythbox]

It rolls against his foot for a while, then rolls away into the maze for a bit of exploring, and then it rolls up to the cucumber spring and nudges a duckling aside and has a drink.

[pleasantsurprise]

"Hi again. Having fun?" He continues observing the poof.

[newtimov]

"Yes I am," says Ike. He is lying on the cave floor with his face near the little pool made by the spring, watching tiny cave ducks paddle around followed by their teeny tiny offspring.

The blue poof hops onto Ike's head, whmmms in his ear, and rolls away toward the blueberry spring.

[pleasantsurprise]

Kanim follows it.