Sequoia Coast i tried to read the stars

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@Hemithea

There were new faces to be seen everywhere Kalika looked, though they rarely stuck out. It had all become a blur; the rush of wolves entering and exiting the ranks was astonishingly underwhelming. Kalika had been spending her time either alone or with her choice of consorts, but on this particular day did she so happen to rise from her makeshift den and explore the coast. She moved with great strides, freezing water tickling her paws as she made her way. 

A woman's scent drifted into Kalika's nostrils, and intrigued by the other's presence, she chose to follow the trail. Upon arrival, she noted the other's blanched coat and stark blue eyes, not unlike Kalika's own. There was a strange sort of attraction which pulled her in the femme's direction, a wide smile smeared across her maw.

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[table width=80%][tr][td]It had been many days since she had spotted anyone familiar. Beyond that, it seemed almost impossible to the wandering waif that she could exist without canine contact for such a long time; yet the days grew short and repetitive, and through her wanderings, Hemithea did not meet anyone. 

It was remarkably dull. At times the girl thought she was being punished. That her communion with the sea - for she had never left the Mother's side - was forced upon her. There were days of reflection, of guilt, of rage, for Hemithea was alone to deal with her tumultuous emotions.

And then, the change.

She was ignorant to the being that trailed her, for the sea called and it's cacophony was enthralling. The girl sat amid a patch of salt crusted weeds which had been pushed up upon the shore, and she stared out at the horizon with a grim expression upon her face.
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Kalika released a bark of greeting once she drew close enough to the other. The yearling kept her distance, despite the pull of curiousity in the other's direction. Hello, she cooed, Why are you alone? Perhaps she was another woman of Nereides, and if not, then would she be interested in joining their ranks? Kalika thought of how proud Akantha might be should a new recruit come back with her name, though she refused to get ahead of herself just yet.

Kalika sat back on her haunches and tilted her head, inviting the woman to speak her truth. If she had time to share, then Kalika had time to listen.

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She's speaking Greek!

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Through the din she heard a sharp call; her ear twisted and she looked skyward first, for the birds, then towards the coast, and saw the oncoming wolf. Her mood did not lift, but her body did. She stood as if to welcome the stranger even before she spoke, but her body language indicated a sudden shift to a more closed-off mindset when she heard the being's words.

She was lonely, but resistant. Was the Mother testing her? Probably. Hemithea was leery whilst simultaneously being desperate and attentive. Staying true to her nature (and the nature of her people), Hemithea responded in the language of the sea, the only manner in which she could communicate: I am never alone.
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A Sister? Kalika inquired upon hearing the Greek words slip from the other's mouth. I suppose no Siren is ever really alone, is she? The woman's apprehension was obvious, though Kalika hoped that with the mutual bond between them beginning to form, they would both be able to hold a proper conversation. But I suppose my question is this: why are you not with others of our line? Why was this femme not with the others, when they had settled so near to one another? Was there another set of convcitions keeping her from Her?

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Her own words did not have the intended affect upon the woman. While a stranger to the language might balk at it, be confused for a minute and perhaps depart, this one understood. Knowing this — and then having her suspicions confirmed when the stranger replied in their shared tongue — immediately made Hemithea feel a wave of emotions.

Chief among them was glee, for she hadn't been around another of her kind in such a long time; but it was tempered by unease, by worry, and a vague sense of fear. This girl was probably so far removed from Themiscrya at his point (being so far from the homeland of the Nereides) that she was unaffiliated with the branch Hemithea came from — but she was still nervous.

I— Hemithea spoke, hushed and still recovering from the surprise of finding a sister. She didn't know what to say and fell quiet just as she began; then, gathering her courage and wit, she tried to come up with an acceptable answer that would not lead to further questions: I wish to be a priestess, so I dispersed from Themiscrya to commune with our Mother on my own.

The strength of the Nereides lay in their numbers, and was reliant upon a network of sisters; to leave that behind might've seemed odd, but Hemithea hoped she would not be questioned. She was at the prime age where many went on excursions away from the sea and she hoped, perhaps in vain, that the stranger would leave it at that.

And what of you? Hemithea queried after the moment began to go stale — Do you live upon this coast?

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The answer seemed genuine enough to quench whatever questions Kalika might've held, unknowingly relieving the stranger's qualms. I do, yes. Not far from here, in fact. There aren't many of us just yet, and we have a number of outsiders in our ranks, though we are a part of Nereides all the same. She smiled as she spoke, realizing that she could no longer call herself an outsider as she did before. It wasn't her fault that her chance to be raised on the coast was taken from her, but it was her choice to secure that right for her future daughters. Would you care to join us? I am Kalika, an Initiate under Akantha's rule. Two recruits in one week! Kalika could only imagine how proud the Monarch would be.

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Akantha. The name was familiar, but Hemithea was young and had not been as attentive as she could've been to the tales of other sirens. At the very least, it was good to know these wolves were here. That the Mother's influence was not limited to Themiscrya — not that Hemithea had thought otherwise. To know there were Nereides here was indeed a comfort, but almost as soon as the invitation was presented to her, Hemithea was rejecting it.

She could not be a part of their new sect. Her desire for their company aside, the girl was too worried about a slip of the tongue; or perhaps someone among their ranks knew of her, or her sister, or her mother. They would ask questions to which she had no tangible answer.

To deny herself the family she so yearned for was a painful process. I would, but the Mother calls to me. She takes me places in such an irregular manner that it would be foolish to call myself one of yours — or Akantha's — sisters. For now, I must travel. That seemed like a suitable explanation, although it did pain the girl somewhat to concoct such a lie. The sea had a fickle nature and it suited Hemithea's purpose, giving her a way out — but a part of her would always yearn for the companionship of the sisterhood.
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Kalika's smile threatened to fall, though she remained open and kind. Are you sure? You are welcome. The Mother is with us, as well; you will not be left alone in joining us. She looked to the other, hoping some bit of her connfidence would waive. She didn't want to leave the Sister alone on this coast when there was somewhere much more rich for them both to sleep, but if this is what the other wished, she would not deny her her own free will.

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She nodded, almost sage-like. I am sure. Perhaps the Mother will redirect me to you once again, but for now, She wishes for me to be with Her.

The girl smiled as genuinely as she could; however, there was something guarded about the expression, and before long she slipped away.
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