The soft snick, snick, snick of claws on rock echoed about the scorched tunnel, walls and floors burnt black near the entrance to Polaris by Raheerah's flames. Booker tried not to look at the markings, instead focusing on his journey. The numbat had set off from Eridanus a few short days after Makyna had taken her leave, determined to begin his duties as the Scribe of the Mother as soon as possible. Lame leg dragged behind him, the tiny Gembound scurried along the passage, leaving behind the green-framed Eridanus exit and trying to find the carvings themselves. He'd seen them only briefly, in his mad dash to escape Polaris when the flames hit, but he'd always had a fairly good internal compass. Indeed, it only took him a few minutes of searching to come across the strange markings he'd set out for. Booker grinned, trotting closer to the elaborately carved wall, sitting back on his haunches and peering up at the images, the words - for they had to be words. Idly, the numbat gathered up a sizable pile of tiny stones and rubble, working them in his tiny palms to free them from their coating of dust, prepared to use them as a writing surface if need be. He wouldn't be able to learn everything now, he knew, but he could certainly start. With gentle paws, Booker traced the carvings, almost religious in his awe of them. They were important, this he knew deep down to his weary bones, and the All Mother had given him a duty, one beyond protecting his Bonded: to become a Holy Scribe, someone who could record their doctrine and pass it down the generations. With a soft, deep breath, Booker began to memorize the language, hoping beyond all hope that at least some of it would stick in his cloudy mind.

After emerging from Chrysalis, Winter Snow went exploring to find and make friends. She knew that making friends would be difficult because she was albino and most didnt like albinos, but then again she hadnt met many her size or age which didnt matter to her. Walking through Tunnel I, Winter sniffed around as well as look around for any danger.

Who knows what was in these areas or what their pretenses were towards pups like her. "I wondered if there are more pups out there? Maybe ones that knows what it is like to be different like me" she said to herself. The albino pup hope to make friends so she didnt have to talk to herself anymore. If there were others in the tunnel would they be friend or foe.

Lost in thought, it took Booker a few minutes to even hear the soft voice, and when he did, he just about jumped out of his skin, whirling about on the spot, fur fluffing up every which way and whiskers twitching wildly. Heart beating a staccato in his chest, the numbat panted, seeking out the noise - only to let out a relieved sigh when he saw just what had spoken. It was a pup, with pure white fur, ambling about in the tunnel. Not wanting to frighten them, Booker cleared his throat, waving to them sheepishly. "H-hello! Whatcha doin' 'ere, hm? Lookin' for someone?" The scribe studied the pup, trying to parse out what such an obviously young Gembound would be doing alone, out and about. Then again, he'd always had someone nearby, and he made it a point that his children had the same kind of support. It was saddening, to think of any little one alone out there in the cavernous expanse of Origin.

As the albino wolf pup walked, she heard a small voice and she stopped walking. She looked around and then saw a little paw waving at her. She walked over slowly sniffing the air to make sure there werent any dangerous creatures around. Once she was close she looked at the creature. She was slightly the same height as him.

Winter sniffed him and her snowy white tail wagged. "Hello there...I am Winter Snow. I recently emerged from my Chrysalis and I decided to explore all the places here. I like exploring but its not fun when you are alone to explore. What are you and what is your name." she said.

Her tail wagged and she smiled. This was the third time that she in countered another creature but this one was her size, but she wouldnt always be small but it was a good idea to make friends with others. "Just looking for friends, but with me being so white with blue eyes it kind of might not work for me." she said.

Booker watched as the pup approached, huffing out a soft laugh as she drew close, tiny tail wagging. Adorable. His ears perked forward when she spoke, eyes widening at the eloquence. Already, she spoke with confidence, clear and true. The scribe grinned, patting a tiny paw to his chest. "'m Booker! Nice to meetcha, Winter," he replied cheerily, whiskers twitching. "I'm a... uh. Well. I'm a Booker," he offered, shrugging bashfully. "More im-por-tant-lee, I'm a scribe! That's why I'm here, y'see? To learn what these symbols mean," the numbat explained, turning his head to tap at one of the carvings. "n' no, it ain't as fun to explore on your own," he agreed, turning back to face the wolf with a concerned frown. "Didja get lost? It ain't the safest, a youngin' like your travelin' alone." I should know, the tiny Gembound pondered grimly, knowing how his pelt was marred by burns and scars. At her last sentence, he hummed in confusion, head tilting to one side, as if looking for whatever imperfections might stop her from having friends. Not finding one, he peered up at the wolf, huffing. "Watcha mean, kiddo? Ya look fine to me. People round here, they tend not to bother with looks... an' if they do, ya can always show 'em who's boss," he half-joked with a wink, pausing to fluff out his fur, sending a cloud of spores into the air. "Be it with brute strength, or with yer magic!" Booker held out a palm calmly, watching as the spores regathered within it, settling into a tiny mound. "Mine's focused on mush-rooms. What's yours?"

Winter listened to the little creature and smiled at his name. Booker. she thought. It was a name she could remember or at least she would try to remember. "Its nice to meet you too, Booker." she said. The youngster still didnt know much since she was new to the world so maybe the small creature could help her learn more.

She watched and followed where his little head had looked and saw some cravings. "Whoa...I have never since such things. Whats are they? Where did they come from?" she asked. She sat down looking up at the symbols. She was so intrigued by the cravings that she couldnt help but stare.

"I didnt get lost. When I emerged from my chrysalis was alone. I dont know if I had parents that created me or not. If I have parents where have they gone? Why werent they there to greet me. I am new to all of this." she said looking at him.

Winter watched as he fluffed out his fur and watched as spores went into the air. The spores regathered on his palm and settled into a tiny mound. "Wow...that is cool. I have something called heatwave." she said.

The snowy white wolf pup tilted her head back and her white ears touched her head. The pup let out a how and the hot air rose into the air. As she brought her head down the hot air started coming down towards the two. "See." she said.

Booker hummed at the cub's questions, brow furrowing, turning back to the carvings as if they held the answers - perhaps they did. "They are... a lan-guage, I think. Somethin' to pass on in-for-may-shun. Stories," he added softly, thinking of the premonitions of the Mother. "I dunno where they come from, though," the scribe admitted, turning back to Winter with a shrug. "That's somethin' I'm tryin' ta find out!" As she explained how on earth she had ended up in this lonely tunnel, Booker frowned, whiskers twitching in concern. "You woke up alone?" The thought bothered him - how different would his life be, if he had emerged without anyone to help him, teach him how to grow, to hunt, to speak? Although she seemed to have the speaking part down fine. "I can only tell ya what I believe when it comes ta where we come from," the numbat offered, idly scratching behind an ear. "Some of us were made by two Gembounds, yes, but the rest of us just kinda... are." The scribe didn't elaborate just yet - he wasn't the kind to push his beliefs on others; especially not on impressionable Gemlings. At her reaction to his small display of magic, he grinned, watching happily as she showed off her own powers. With a great howl, hot air burst forth from the pup's mouth, and Booker watched, open-mouthed, clapping when the display ended, eye sparkling. "Neato! I've never seen anyone with that kinda power," he offered. For now, he hadn't made the connection between the heated breath and the fire within - perhaps that was for the best. He was quiet for a moment, thinking, before turning back to the wall, tilting his head this way and that, huffing. "If ya want, you could stay 'ere for a while. I live nearby, in Eridanus. It's a big ol' forest," the numbat added, shooting Winter a grin.

After she was done howling, Winter heard Booker clapping and saying he had never seen anyone with the power that she had. She smiled and her tail wagged. He had told Winter that she could stay there in the tunnel and that he had a home nearby.

"Thank you Booker. I wouldnt mind staying here but home or den building isnt something that I have been taught. I have to figure out how to do alot of things that I need to do as I grow up." The little pup said. She looked at the carvings again, her brain thinking and wondering.

Winter listened and kept her eyes on the carvings. They were a brilliant and neat markings that she had never seen before. She wished that she could help the little guy out but didnt know if one, he would let her and for two, if it was allowed. She heard him question her waking up alone and she sighed.

"Yea I did and it was scary. I have to learn things on my own but that shouldnt be a bad thing, right? I should be able to learn how to hunt, fight, do magic and make a den by myself." she asked. Just the thought of doing things on her own scared the little pup. She didnt know what to do and it made her heart feel broken.

The snowy white wolf pup heard the little creature talk about how some gembounds were created or made by two Gembounds and others were made alone. "So there is a chance that I had no parents and that I was created alone. Were you made alone, Booker?" she asked.

"Well, then, we'll just haveta teach ya, won't we?" The numbat grinned, undeterred by the pup's words. If no-one had bothered to help her until now, well, if there was one thing Booker prided himself in, it was his love of learning. His curiosity had been dampened by experience, but that spark of questioning had never truly diminished. "Can't learn 'till ya try. There's plentya matt-ear-e-all for den buildin' in Eridanus, not to mention the other caves. Not so much in the tunnels, though," he mused, pushing aside a pebble idly as he surveyed the carvings. "Learnin' things is good. In time, you'll know plenty about huntin', fightin', all that stuff. For now, start with the basics, kiddo," Booker advised, tone soft and gentle, turning to smile at the pup. She reminded him of Diot, a bit - that same inner flame of unending curiosity, an eagerness to learn about everyone and everything. "Food, water, and a place ta sleep. Company is a bonus," the tiny Gembound added, chuckling as he turned back to tracing the marks, almost trance-like in his rare grace. "Yes, you may not have been created by two Gembounds. But I do not believe you, or I, or anyone else, was created alone." A dreamy smile graced the numbat's face as he began to speak, voice a bit louder but steady, weaving a story like a spider weaves its web. "There is a beautiful mushroom, gigantic and silver, in the deep heart of Eridanus. She is called the All Mother. She looks over us all, gives us purpose and strength. She puts us through trials to test us, to help us grow and evolve - and She never gives up on us, no matter how badly we may falter." The words were almost eerily calm for one such as Booker, who almost always slurred or stuttered, as if they were coming from another source. "So you see, little one, that we're never really alone. We all have each other, and we all have the Mother, all of us beautiful, fallible souls."

Winter listened to Booker talk about teaching her things like building a den, hunting and fighting. She looked at the little creature and smiled. Booker was willing to teach her but she was confused with the fact that he said we. "What do you mean by we, Booker? Its just you rights?" she asked.

The albino pup looked around to see who else the little numbat was referring to then just himself. Winter tilted her head to the side and looked at Booker. It was just them in the tunnel at the moment so then who else was there. He had mentioned that Learning was good and that made the pup's tail wag.

Booker was the first one to offer to teach the little girl and Winter was quite grateful with that. "Thank you Booker for wanting to help. I just hope I am good at it and all. What are the basics, Booker?" she asked.

That was when Winter heard Booker mention food water and a place to sleep and that company was a bonus. She sat down and put her paws on the wall just below the carvings as the little creature talked about how a mushroom that was deep in the heart of the Eridanus.

Winter looked at Booker as he mentioned that the gigantic silver mushroom was called the All Mother and that she looks over everyone as well as gives them purpose and strength. "I wonder what my purpose to being created was for? Maybe I will find out some day. I want to helps yous with these carvings, Booker. If I cans that is." she said.

Winter was curious about the carvings and hoped that Booker would let her help with figuring them out. Even if she couldnt help him maybe he could teach some things that were for beginnings such as herself.