That was actually one of the unfortunate things for Athos as he was exploring and hiking today. He didn't bring along his custom made "anti-dragon gun" for emergencies. When he knew he'd be going in caves he avoided anything that could make loud sounds, so all he had was a knife for emergencies. Well good thing this place wasn't home to anything he'd need to worry about and so far the only kid he'd seen out here was friendly. "So anything you'd like to know specifically about a cave like this? Or this cave itself?" He felt like he had been directing the conversation a little too much. Though he was rather proud of the detail he could give on everything so far.

Claws smiled as he looked around the cave. He found that the further back they went the cooler everything felt. He calked that up to the fact that they were going deeper in to the ground or something like that. He was not sure though what made it cooler. Good thing was that it did not bother him all that much. He was used to the elements for the most part because of his habit of traveling no matter hot or cold it was. And the fact that he was covered in thick feathers helped a lot as well. He now smiled as he heard the snake ask his question. He was not really one who asked a lot of questions due to how shy he was. But he would try anyhow if he could think of anything he wanted to know. “ uhhh …well …… no ……not … right …..now. ….You ….are …..very …….good ……..at …..explaining ……things . ….I ……have …..never ……been ……in ….a ……cave ……before …..you …..see. …..So….. I….. do ……not ……know ….very …….much …..about …….them ……hehe” claws said with a slight smile. He was not really sure what he wanted to know about this or any other cave. When he had never been some where he did not think to much about them. Unless he actually went there. Then he just thought of questions as he went along. That was how claws learned best .

"Thanks. Heh, glad to hear it considering I'm a teacher at the school. Would be a shame if I couldn't figure out how to explain things for people that wanted to learn. By the way, looks like we're getting close to the back. So this'll be the best area to look around and see if we find anything." Though it wasn't looking too likely at the moment. Still one never knew what treasures might be hiding in almost plain sight, and you couldn't find them unless you were paying attention. If they didn't come across anything he almost wished he had a coin that he could have secretly planted just so the kid would have something to talk about and feel proud of. Unfortunately that wasn't the case, so it was really a matter of luck whether or not they'd come across anything interesting.

Claws smiled as he listened to the snake speak. So he was a teacher at school . Well that explained why he was so good at explaining things. Now claws had to wonder just what he taught . As he thought about that question he looked at the cave more now. It seemed to him that the closer to the back hey got the more odd little formations were around. He could not help but look at them with a slight smile. He thought that they were kind of pretty. Just as he heard kids at the school say they were. He now smiled back to the snake as he spoke again. “ you …. Are …….very …..welcome. …..Really? …… uhh ….What …….do …….you …….teach …….if …..you……. Do ……not …………mind………… me………. asking? ………..Okay…... Heh …..
Maybe……. We ……..might …………..find………….. something .” he said with a smile. To tell the truth claws did not really care if the found treasure or not. Though that was not to say that it would not be neat to find something. Claws was the kind who wanted others to be him to be happy. Even if he was happy himself. Though right now the falcon was very pleased just to be in good company. Even if he had a little trouble talking to him. Though in his mind he was doing a lot better then he usually did trying to talk to other students.

"I'm the physics teacher, but if I have a free period and another science teacher needs a break or is sick I can cover any of their classes too. And when I'm not doing that, I'm scheduled as school security. Heh, it keeps me busy. That's why I like coming out here so much, it's a great break from being stuck in that castle all day." Well that was a slight exaggeration, he had fun with everything he did there. Golden Oaks was always interesting, but sometimes he wanted peace and quiet instead of science classes and security shifts. Security not being terribly hard the way he had cameras set up, but it could be frustrating once in a while especially if Blake was busy and couldn't be called down to anything the snake saw on his screens.

The falcon gave a slight smiled as he listened to the snake tell him what he taught. It actually intrigued him to learn that he taught physics as well as other sciences. Claws found that some of those sciences were well beyond him and his simple thinking brain. How ever the ones he did understand he actually liked. But to tell the only subject that he actually did not really like was math because it gave him a head acke. He then smiled when the snake said that he also worked security. Wow he must be a really busy guy in claws mind. Oh well at least he did have time for a break once in a while. That was more then some creatures could say. He now looked at the snake with a slight smile. “ humm …..really. … Heh ……….. Those ………….must …………..be …………fun………… to ……teach…… Heh ………..yeah………….. I ………….bet …………..it………….. Is………….. Heh ……….it ………… gives……….. You …………….a ……………..since……………. Of ………………….being ……carefree ……right?” claws said with a smile. He had to wonder though if there was any truth in the rumors the kids told about theses woods. Well all he knew was that he was here when he was not in class and he had never seen anything that looked like a monster out here. So really claws did not care to believe those rumors. But that did not keep them from coming back in to his mind every now and again.

"Yeah, for a little while at least. Even when I get back to the school it isn't like it's no fun there. I enjoy my work, and I try to make the classes as fun as possible. Let's see... next month we'll be starting work on a project involving gravity and a few other things. Goal's going to be to drop objects from the school tower or walls and be in different groups of their choosing. One group's goal will be to speed up the object, make something that'll get it to move faster than the same thing with no help. Or the reverse, try to slow down the object in its fall. And a third group can work on making something that looks like it should do one or the other and has no actual change on the object. So a little bit of physics, a little bit of engineering, hopefully a lot of fun dropping stuff off the wall." And he wouldn't be giving out any failing grades even if the students failed in their goal. As long as they tried and could explain later why their idea didn't work he knew they'd had fun and learned something.

Athos took a moment to pause and listen. He thought he heard something but it wasn't next to him, it was moreover where the kid was. "Hey... hold on a sec. Take a few steps back to where you just were and walk forward again slowly. Thought I heard something."

Claws smiled as he listened to what the snake said. Hum it sounded like he taught a pretty fun class. In the falcon mind he though that one should like what they did for a living. For if one did not like their job it often made them sad and resentful. Not to mention that they could never be truly happy that way. At least claws could not. That was why he was glad to hear that the snake liked his job well enough. And he seemed to know how to get his students to want to learn. That was more then could be said for most teachers he had met. Claws himself tried to do the best that he could do in class. The only thing he was really bad at was talking in front of everyone in class. He usually ended up stumbling over his words and mumbling most of what he said. That was why he tried to avoid that part of the class if he could. Though he could not really avoid it and go to class at the same time. He now looked at the snake funny when he said for him to hold on. He had failed to hear anything around him. But the again he was trying to overcome his shy nature still. “ uhh … okay…… I …….will.” he said softly as he stopped in his tracks . then the falcon stepped back very slowly just as the snake had asked him too. He looked down to make sure he was not going to accidentally sep on anything or something. As he did this he listened very carefully to see if he could heard what the snake had heard.

"Thought I heard a hollow spot in the floor and... wait... there it is again. Right where you just stepped, there's something there. Let's take a look." Athos made his way over and checked the ground around his new friend. "here, really hard to tell it's there but there's a spot of stone cut out right here." It was hard to see but there was a small circle about the size of two fists cut out in the ground. The teacher brought out his knife and pried the stone up out of its place, smiling. "Well now, isn't that something. Looks like someone left a bit of treasure behind here after all."

He checked all around the little canvas bag first and slipped his fingers under it before finally lifting it out, satisfied there were no surprises waiting. "Drawstring's pretty worn, means it's either old or been used a lot recently. And the way that stone was stuck the second option's not too likely. How about it, you want to open it up and see what treasure's waiting inside for you?" If he had to guess it was a few coins and some stones, but he could be wrong. Maybe figurines or something similar, or maybe nothing of any value at all. He was leaving it to the student to find out, after all he promised any treasure would go to him.

Claws now listened as he walked as the snake had asked him to do. He still did not hear anything. Wow this snake must have some sharp hearing to something. Then again claws did not really pay much attention when he was near others. He the stooped when the snake said he had heard it again” there …… is? ……Okay ….lets ….. Do ……that” he said with a smile. He kind of wondered what it was that was there. Though claws was not really concerned rather it was of value or not. Money did not mean all that much to the young falcon. He had not had it at anytime in his life after all. “ ahh….. okay” he said as he watched the snake pry up the stone. It was kind of interesting to him that they had found something while walking threw here. “ yeah it is” he said with a smile. He watched the snake take out a small bag from the hole. It indeed looked like it was kind of old. Though where it came from crossed his mind now.” humm…….. Must ……have ……been ….here ………a …….while……. then. Uhh ……..you ……want …….me ……to ……open ……it? ………..Okay ……..then.” claws said with a hint of surprise in his voice. He had never had some one want him to look at what they had just found. So the falcon now opened the little sack . He was surprised it see that it was full of small glittering rocks of some sort. He gave a confused look as he wondered what they were. He looked at the snake and asked” uhh …..what ….are…… these?” he asked showing them to the snake now to see if he knew.

What were they? Well pretty for one thing, and though Blake was more of the expert on stones he had to think at least a couple were diamonds. "Well this one here looks a lot like a diamond, this one might be too. Not sure about the rest, when it comes to precious stones it's always best to ask a dragon, heh. But if those stones are what I think they are, it's definitely a nice reward for exploring today. Put them somewhere safe and keep the bag tied up until we get back to the school. Probably best not to tell anyone either until we're sure what all the stones are." For all the snake knew, the one science he wasn't too great at being natural sciences like minerology and the like, they could be quartz or crystal instead. But why would someone go to the trouble of hiding stones that didn't have value? "Who knows maybe this is just one of many in here."

Claws gave a slight smile to the snake as he told him what the stones could have been. The sad thing was that claws did not know what a diamond really was. He had never seen one before. But he did know that women liked them and that the were expensive to buy. So he had to assume that who ever or what ever hide them here stole them or something like that. Why else would they go and hide it all the way out here. Maybe it was someone who was hiding in this very cave right now. No they surely would have come out of the shadows by now. “ humm …..really? ……That …….is ……kind …..of ……..neat. ……… Ahh ……. I ……see …...okay ……I ……will ……….do ……that……… I ………will ……..not ……tell …….no ……one…….. Hehe…….. I ……have ……..no …….one …..to …..tell.” he said with a soft smile. He then put the sack into a pocket on his pants where it would not fall out on the ground. Claws was not really sure what he would do with the stone though. What he did know was that he would share then, whatever they were , with his new found friend here. After all claws liked to share things with those who he liked. And it was the snake that noticed the hallow spot in the first place. So it was only right to share what he found right? He would anyhow. The falcon now glanced at the snake when he said that there could be more. Heh if there were more then some one defiantly would had to stole them or something.” humm ……… could ……. Be …….never ……..know ……until ……you ………..look.” claws said with a slight smile.

He had nobody to tell? That kind of bothered Athos, unless the kid intentionally avoided making friends there should be someone around here he could confide in or talk to. Well at least the falcon had him now. "Of course it could be a complete waste of time too, might just be that one little stash that was long forgotten. But may as well give it a little bit of time looking, wouldn't want to spend the whole day in here but it deserves more than a few minutes now right?" Considering the size of the hidden stash and the whole cave it was very unlikely in his mind. If there were others hidden it'd be nearby though. Who would go to the trouble of making such well concealed hiding places then scattering them all over the cave? Would make it a lot harder to clear out your loot if you needed to leave in a hurry and risk forgetting where they were. So how did this spot ever come to be? There weren't any markers around, even on the ceiling nothing that could point to it.

The falcon smiled as he listened to the snake speak. He had a reason that he did not make very many friends. He had a very hard time talking to others as the snake could see. And he tried not to speak much for that reason. Then there was the fact that most students laughed at him for the way he wore his cloths. Though he had seen plenty of the other students dressing that way themselves. He just tried not to let any of that bother him though. Other wise the falcon would just drive himself nuts. “ that ... is ......true....... Yeah........ might...... as .....well.... look...... No....... one ......would..... get..... board ......if .....they... did..... that....... I .......would....... at ........least...... You..... never.... know.... what ......might..... be .......around.” claws said as he said that he had smile on his beak. Claws was always upbeat about whatever he did. Even if something did not go the way he planned for it to he still tried to make the best of it. Though claws was always trying to do something new to keep himself busy. He was a traveler and it drive him nuts to stay in the same place for very long. He had always been the kind who went from place to place . It made him feel free. He now stretched his wings again as he walked threw the cave with the snake. That was the bad thing about feathered wings. They tended to be heavy and weighed one down after a while. So claws just took the time to stretch them once in a while.

"Heh, you know, I've always been a little envious of wings. One of the few things I can't do is fly, just about anything else you could want to do I can figure it out somehow. But then I see the dragons around here and I think of all the things they still ask for my help with, makes me feel a little better about not having the gift of flight." Especially considering his extensive work as security and physics teacher. He probably did more around the school than just about anyone, except maybe Rook. "Wish I had some tools to make searching for other little secrets easier. If I had a water gun could just splash a little on the ground and see if it seeps in anywhere. But then again if there were any secrets and they happened to have paper or anything like that it'd probably ruin them."