There had been exploring in Clearlake Hold after an inner wall collapsed into a heap and uncovered a tunnel behind said wall. The exploration had stopped for a bit to allow people to get out of wet clothing and to gather light sources and things of that nature. There had been workers making sure that there was not another cave in, with the Count-Consort already being injured and Acantha helping with looking around they didn't really want to chance everyone getting trapped.

In the water there is the occassional fin that pops up out of the water and the rather round forms of the little sharks can be seen chasing fish down in their hunts. They pay the humans little mind unless they come into the water.

Benny on the other hand has been watching them closely. He might be pondering fish for dinner though given the look.


Kritr has brought a fishing rod down to try his luck. He also started a small fire, it did require a trip back up and down again to bring in some supplies, but the best way to assess the pond's resources is to fish them and then eat what you catch.

Ian has taken the time to shake the water off of his coat, and probably change into a dry shirt and dry socks. Dressing for sailing means dressing to get drenched and recover, so he's back down in the cave before long, doing his best to survey the size of it without getting lost in the dark.

Lucita has her explorer kit and is just checking out the tunnel walls and ceiling, the flooring as they walk around and eye the water and the fin. She holds a lantern so she can visualize things more clearly. "Don't see anything remarkable so far, but have not really checked that much yet.

Rosalind is likely off somewhere, still looking around at her surroundings. Whether it being nosey or curiosity or both, the slend redheaded Ravenseye isn't sitting still for anything.

Cillian is near the fire finishing drying off, his eyes look to the lake now and then watching the small round sharks hunt the fish in the water. "huh." he says to himself then gets up. His bow is in his hand and a light sorce in the other as he moves about looking around trying to keep a eye on everyone as he does.


Kritr has little issue with catching some of the fish that are in the water. And there is the sound of water coming in from another direction that probably refreshes the pool here. The catching of fish also attracks those little sharks, one of them taking particular interest in the wriggling fish on the end of Kritr's line. That gives folks time to examine both the fish and the shark.


Kritr is just as likely to try to eat a shark as a fish, bait that eats bait and becomes bait? Probably going to need a bigger hook though. "Did you see any promising exits, or do you think this was just a walled up reservoir?" He asks no one in particular.

Lucita calls over toward Rosalind. "Do you have a torch? If the flame flickers or smoke moves around, it might indicate a passage, something for air flow.

"Well," Ian says, holding his lamp out and looking up at the ceiling. "Room's big." This shocking revelation having been revealed, he adds: "I think the pool's just in the middle of it, but I remember feeling enough of a current when I was in the water that I'm guessing it feeds into or out of somewhere."

"Yes,"Rosalind exclaims with a grin and starts rummages in her bag. There's a lot of sounds in there, clankering. Probably like a woman that could live out of it. Handing the torch to Lucita with a large grin, she starts to shift back to what she's doing. Rosa kicks up some dirt, moving some stones. "Huh,"she mumbles with small disppointment. "I'm just findin stuff you use for mining...."

Cillian looks over, "Hey Ian, look." he puts his light ahead of him looking, "Seems to have been a cave." he looks back over, "There is water and snow trickling in since it's snowing lightly outside now. It would appear that there is a small stream that the fish and subsequently the little sharks are coming down, but it's being blocked with debris." he looks around to everyone else.

Lucita laughs softly as she has lantern in one hand, torch in the other. She sets the lantern by Kitar so he is not left in the dark and continues on along the wall. "Just looks like a regular cave once we got past the tunnel. There are some little 'mites and 'tites poking up from the floor where they have not been knocked down. She glances at some of the small rubble that remains. "Lord Cillian, if the debris is removed, will this flood? Maybe here was a seige resource, Lady Acantha, fresh water or a hidden escape route?"

Ian lifts his chin in acknowledgement to Cillian, an indication that he heard him and probably will be looping around that way, but he first goes to check out the mining equipment that Rosalind found.

Rosalind shows Ian all the the tools she found. "Think they were lookin for something?" Her eyes drift over to the others too, blinking at the mention of flood. "Or keeping something out."

Kritr listens intently, his might is best lent to the clearing of debris. He calls to Rosalind. "Those mining tools might be useful to clear the debris. If it were going to flood, there wouldn't be any debris."

"Or blocking something in." Ian hefts one of the tools, examines the handle, then sights along the metal part of the tool in an attempt to take a guess at the age.

Cillian hmms, "I am not sure Baroness." he looks around and then back at the stream, that's trickling in, his head tilting a little as if trying to figure out if it is best to remove the debris or not."


Benny slaps at the water, but makes his way back around and towards where Cillian is starting to look into things. Something that Kritr says makes the beaver nod sagely in agreement. No floods!

The mining tools look very old, like something that would be considered antique. Sadly, there was not a lot of history about those who inhabited the Clearlake lands before the clan did. That's what makes this adventure so intriguing, but also frustrating.


Kritr would rather try his hand with the ancient tools than his axe, or traipse up the passage again to get proper tools, time for that later. He doesn't know much, but he knows how to shift heavy things. He'll start at the top and work his way down, clearing the small stuff by hand and the larger stuff with whatever material hasn't rusted into powder.

Ian rubs his thumb over the rust pitting the metal of the tool in his hand. "These have been down here a while. None of this is recent. Might be interesting to know what they were digging for." Kritr seems to have anticipated him on that one, but rather than pitch in, he withdraws a few steps, wary.

Cillian steps out of the way to let people that know what they are doing, he is a scout and a fighter not a builder, he keeps his eyes out and around. His eyes keep going to the sharks in the pool, he can't decided yet if he likes them or not.

Kritr says, "Some people think the Everwinter is frozen through and through. Not true. If you find soil, dig about twelve feet down, the ground is warm, at least until nightfall. We're deeper than that already. S'why the pond don't freeze over, spite not been a part of the Clear Lake." Kritr explains between grunts as he works."

"Tell me everyone's a strong swimmer," Ian says. still sounding wary.

Rosalind takes one of the tools, considering it. "I mean, it's last this long,"she decides. Before one can blink, Rosa is hurrying over to help Kritr clear out debris. No shame in getting dirty. There's a grin up at Cillian too. "Sharks are friends, not--don't be scared." She tried. Honest.


As Kritr and others work to clear the debris from the water source it starts to trickle in and then pour in, going down the channels that the water had carved over time. There is a sheet of ice and debris that also breaks away and drops to the pool below, sending fish skittering. There are also fish that can be seen that speed past them in the new little waterfall that has been made. Wheeeeee!

There is also a small shark fin that goes by and then there is a loud 'splash' that follows. He made it at least.

Now with no debris or ice wall, they can see that there was a reason for going out into the mountain, there is another small lake that is secreted away here in the dip of the mountain and it looks to have been surrounded by crudely built paths at one point, but they haven't been walked in a long time.

And naturally Benny is looking curiously out the now opened path to see if the coast is clear, then the overly large beaver hops up into the stream and then starts to waddle against the current to go explore. Sadly Acantha is not here to witness all this at the moment.


Lucita peers past the others, not pushing or shoving, just holding a position in the middle of the group as they assess the debris-free area newly come into view.

"I've got a couple scars on my legs that say you're wrong about sharks being friends," Ian comments to Rosalind. He takes another step back when the water starts to pour through the newly cleared area. "Huh."

"I don't even know how you can tell where all your scars come from,"Rosalind tells with Ian with a grin. Like she's one to talk. When the water comes out, that grin just grows. "Hey! Look at that!"

Kritr stomps his feet on the snow when the sky is clear, just to make sure of his footing. "Always something new the spirits have to show us. I should like to see if this lake has an inhabitant, and a name."

"Most of the injuries that caused those scars were pretty memorable," Ian points out. He surveys the lake. "You guys didn't know this was here?"

Kritr gestures to the steep mountain peaks. "We can't fly." He notes.

Cillian peeks out and blinks, "whoa." he was not expecting to see this, "But waits, if its a closed lake how are there sharks in it?" he looks to Ian.

Ian shrugs to Cillian. "How are there sharks anywhere?" He asks.

Lucita says, "I have no idea! Do you think they swam here and got cut off from the ocean or something?" She glances toward the others. What do you think about the lake edge? Worth trying to walk around it to see if anything to be found?"

Kritr says, "I imagine that the sharks were born here. That is how they got here." Kritr says in the simplest tones possible."

Ian studies the slopes of the mountain. "It looks like people cut trails into the rock at some point in the past. Wouldn't be a bad idea to see if there was any point to it."

Kritr says, "If there is a lookout post, even an old broken down one, I should like to renovate it. Such a thing could be useful."


The sharks are a big mystery, but thankfully there don't seem to be an over abundance, but they have a supply of fish to eat and so it's the circle of life. It's own little place to live, eat and then die. If only life were so easy for the rest of us.

Benny is still waddling along and he finds an old broken stick to pick up and waves it about. Because Benny is the rescuer of sticks in odd places. The snow is starting to come down a bit harder and the dark is settling in. It seems that more exploring will have to be done when the sun rises in the morning or another time.


Lucita nods and tucks the torch away, anchoring it in a niche in the cave wall. She goes back for her lantern, turns the flame down to a minimum and stores it in its usual position before returning to the group and starting to edge along the trail cautiously. "Watch out for icy patches. Ahhh, well. it is snowing pretty hard. Maybe wait till later to look around more. We can have some roasted fish for a meal!"

Cillian sighs he follows along on one of the paths, he makes sure that he is near Ian and Lucite if they come out and don't slip. "It is amazing looking."