Narrows of Greely

'''CAUTION - MILD SCARY ASPECTS. NOT RECCOMENDED FOR READERS UNDER 10.'''



               Huge columns of orange sandstone stretched into the cloudless, impeccably blue sky. An arched bridge towered overhead, rising above the rocky cliffs. The river wound slowly through the sandy valley, leaping over a waterfall before gently curving westward. Jammers came and went through the marvelous canyon, discussing trades, jumping on the bridge, or just lounging on the sun-warmed canyon floor. Coral Canyons was truly pleasant today.

                Suddenly a small, slim, pale-orange-and-white fox burst through the Canyons Pathway, followed by a larger gray-and-white one. The light ginger one tilted her head, pausing by the falls. “Bouncing,” she called softly. “Come on.” Bouncing leapt onto a fallen boulder nearby. “So what now, Luck?” he asked. “You won the race already.” Lucky’s turquoise eyes sparkled. “We could go exploring,” she suggested. “It’s a perfect day for it.” Bouncing dipped his head in agreement.

                A flash of maroon nearly knocked the ash-colored fox over. “What the—?!” A sleek fox with rich, dark red fur crouched on another boulder, her dark eyes glittering with excitement. “Hi there!” she said cheerfully. “I’m Ruby! You going exploring? Can I come? Please??” “Um…” Lucky blinked, shrinking away slightly. Still shy, I guess, Bouncing thought to himself, shaking out his pelt and clearing his throat. “Yeah. I’m Bouncing Cottonfox, and my friend here is Lucky Fastfox. Come along with us.”

                Ruby skipped along joyfully, while Lucky quietly padded beside Bouncing. The sun beat down from above, prompting the red fox to leap into a shady spot. Suddenly she jumped back in surprise. A thick-furred, midnight-blue wolf crouched in the cool spot, eyes wide. “What are you doing?” she asked gently. “This is my den. Please don’t go charging in.” “Oh.” Ruby paused, looking back at Bouncing with her ebony eyes. “Well, we were just going exploring,” she explained. “I guess… I got carried away.” The dark wolf turned away. “No problem,” she murmured, stroking a smooth red stone with her paw. “If you want to go exploring, I would suggest the Narrows of Greely. It’s really beautiful there.”

                Bouncing tilted his head. “Narrows of Greely? What’s that?” he asked. “It’s a narrow little canyon, entered by the river cave,” she stated, retreating back into the darkness of her den. “Just… beware of the water. The water… beware of the water.”

                Taking a step back, Bouncing glanced from Lucky to Ruby. “We should go there?” he suggested. Lucky nodded her pale head, and Ruby hopped to her paws excitedly. Together they padded toward the falls.

                Without warning, a silver-and-blue shape fell in front of them. A leopard grinned up at them. “Going somewhere?” he growled. Lucky yelped, and Ruby flattened her ears, digging her dark claws into the ground. But then the leopard's eyes lightened. "Not without me, you aren't!" Bouncing narrowed his eyes. "Who are you?" The big cat took a pace back,  tilting his head slightly, making his headdress tip. "I love this place!! Can I come?" Bouncing nodded. "I'm Bouncing Cottonfox; she's Lucky Fastfox; and she's Ruby." The leopard dipped his head. "My name's Cloud. Nice to meet you all!"

<span style="font-family:"Cambria","serif";mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin">                The group continued into the small but well-lit cave. There, they ran into a sandy-gold lioness, Thea. "Hi there," she said cheerfully. Mind if I join you guys?" Bouncing consented, but a voice in his head nagged him. Great Mira, how many are coming?! He exhaled calmly and continued walking with his group of now five animals.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Cambria","serif";mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin">                 They all seemed to have different gaits. Lucky crept along quietly, light on her feet; Ruby bounced on her heels; Cloud plodded along calmly; and Thea walked contentedly, though veering away from Ruby quite often.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Cambria","serif";mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin">                  Finally, they arrived at a broad opening. A wooden sign hung, paled by the constant exposure to sunlight. In large, bright-red letters, it spelled out,

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:center;"><span style="font-family:"Cambria","serif";mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin">NARROWS OF GREELY

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:center;"><span style="font-family:"Cambria","serif";mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin">20 MILES ROUND-TRIP

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:center;"><span style="font-family:"Cambria","serif";mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin">CLOSED SEASONALLY, ENTER AT YOUR OWN RISK

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:center;">MORE INFO AVAILABLE AT  WWW.ICANTCOMEUPWITHAFAKEWEBSITE.COM

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:center;"><span style="font-family:"Cambria","serif";mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin">~JAMAA DEPT. OF PRESERVES AND PARKS~

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Cambria","serif";mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin">                  "Yeah!" Ruby hopped around the sign exhuberantly. Thea paced up to the opening and let the sun shine directly on her face. Lucky pressed against Bouncing, trembling. He took a deep breath, and slowly padded foward into the bright canyon sun.

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