Paige stood proudly at the entrance to the pup den, head held high and posture about as straight as she could make it. Truth be told she already knew who her partner would be. It was a common enough occurrence among her tribe, since they weren't quite so strict about the foals mingling with the cubs as others may be, and oftentimes the cubs would decide on their courser well before the first anniversary of their birth. Despite this, she still understood the necessity of ceremony, and while she was inwardly bursting with the need to grab her cub and run off into the deeper caverns as was her right, she instead waited for her cue.

There had been a few litters the same season as Paige's birth, and the young wolves trotted out from the den behind their parents with the same mutual respect for the day. While confident she would walk away with a partner today, there was the chance she'd be left standing and would have to join the others at the moonlight mergers, each month until she had proven worthy. The first birthday anniversary was the only time for an individual joining, and there were some who still attended each moonwalk in case their cub had finally appeared.

A few words from their chief, his own wolf seated in front of him like the stoic guardian she was and it was time. With practiced ease, Paige announced her name, her family, and what role she hoped to take on within their tribe - scouting out the buried kingdom and providing information back to the mapmakers and treasure seekers, pure exploration.

While they did not speak the way coursers did, the wolf pack of their tribe understood, and she had been told that they would consult the cubs on what she said, and, of chosen, one would approach to sit by her feet, allowing the final ritual to be spoken, and the pair bond completed.

She waited, still stoic in her belief that she would be chosen, trying very hard not to stare at the pup she'd gotten to know in the moons after her birth so that she could focus on her part of the ceremony, but only truly relaxed when the she-wolf was finally allowed to approach, the swelling joy in her chest almost impossible to bear as her partner sat between her hooves, long, thick fur warm against her chest.

"She is Cinder, the light I travel with, and will want for nothing while by my side." She spoke strongly, naming her wolf and confirming the commitment of her tribe to their pack. The fundamental agreement that their cohabitation leaned on, and waited for the final acknowledgement to be spoken before she was tasked with her first job.

A scout's role was simple, "Seek new paths outside our borders" but the challenge was in the practice. Her chosen field had meant pouring over the maps they had already and learning which pathways would lead where, while being always aware of the magical nature of the dungeons, and finding where permanent pathways intersected with the non-permanent ones. She was not able to bring any maps with her - relying on recollection and her wolf's skills as well as an inherent understanding of her abilities. Come back too early, and there was little chance of new information. Come back too late and you may have lost the key information to link the maps to your travels.

And without further fanfare - Paige and Cinder were dismissed, congratulated briefly by parents and siblings alike before being nudged towards one of the many exits to their tribe's central caves.

She didn't need much more prompting than that, sprinting towards the exit with Cinder loping along beside, waiting until they were out of sight before celebrating with eachother. Cinder wove underneath Pauge's belly as they moved, Paige herself letting her joy dictate what she did, rearing and huffing sharply out of her nose before hopping back to her front legs and bounding forward, never once concerned that her wolf would come to harm. Different species they may be, but the relationship fostered from birth of both animals meant they knew eachother at a distance before the selection, and would only grow to know eachother as an individual more once the partnership had begun in full.

A pause in their frolicking as Paige remembered to take note of where she was, and a moment of vulnerability as she leant her head down to nuzzle the scruff of Cinder's neck, thanking her for accepting their partnership before giving her a gentle nudge and they were off again.

Paige hadn't quite planned out this first trip, and it wasn't long before they encountered a cavern lined with glowing fungi. She slowed to a walk as she circled the enclosed area, not yet touching any of the mushrooms though puzzled as to the almost deliberate placement. When she did, eventually, nose at one, the noise caused her to jump back, flattening her ears briefly before registering the sound as non threatening.

Another mushroom, a different sound, lower this time than the first, and the next one accross lower again. The fourth went higher, then the next, and the next, up and down in tone eith no order she could identify until she was once again back where she started.

She stood back a moment, looking at the mushrooms without really registering what they were for a time, shifting her weight slightly from side to side as she mulled over the noises, and the glow. Cinder sat down beside one of them, her grey fur cast in an odd light, and Paige nudged the mushroom curiously, both wolf and horse tilting their head to listen to the sound, marking how the sound hang in the air - longer than she thought the others were though she couldn't tell.

A nudge of the one just to the side produced a discordant note, that sliced the air and cut off the first one so they were doused in glowing light and silence once more. When she nudged the second one again, the note was better, though did not hang like the original one, and when she looked at Cinder to tap the first one again, another discordant sound was made and silence once more.

Paige tapped her hoof on the ground with a shake of her mane, Cinder understanding immediately and tapping the first mushroom with a paw, cocking her head at the pleasant and elongated tone. This time, when Paige touched the third mushroom, the sound was sweet, wrapping into the first and pushing it along, giving it new life.

Beginning to understand, Paige found another mushroom, nudging it with a hoof and listening as it dove into the first two notes - the start of an unfamiliar yet haunting melody. The fourth mushroom touched created the harsh noise again, and they were plunged into silence again.

"It's gonna take a couple goes, but I think we've got it Cinder... start again for me, please." She said, excitement causing her to fidget a little but already taking account of what mushrooms to touch once Cinder started them off.

It was not an easy task - trial and error more than anything else, though she hated the sudden stop whenever they got it wrong. In the end, Paige kept to one half of the cave, nudging the mushrooms she needed to nudge while Cinder waited for her turn, the two alternating until finally, the melody wrapping around them, swelling in the cavern they'd made home, and encouraging them to step wisely, Paige was able to tap the final mushroom - the final tone seeming to draw all others into it before it was gone and they were plunged into silence though Paige knew theyd gotten it right this time.

Paige frowned and Cinder whined her confusion, padding back to the first mushroom and nudging it in case they needed to do it again, but met with more of the resounding silence - confusing the pair even more. Except there was a rumbling starting to make itself known, and concerned about a cave in, Cinder slunk back to shelter under Paige's belly, the horse looking to the roof for any of the signs that would indicate such.

It was in fact a stone, but this one was rolling away from the far wall of the cavern, revealing an opening that was easily large enough for Cinder and Pauge to wander through. With a delightful whinny, and no longer concerned about the roof falling in, Paige darted for it, Cinder by her side, and mind working fiercely to try and remember just how she'd managed to open this door in case it closed behind her.

Already her task had succeeded, though she'd continue to explore some more rather than head straight back home. She was sure she couldn't remember singing mushrooms anywhere on the maps back home.