Cerulean Cape wave-wracked and wanton

Hunting sea lions wasn’t a particularly easy task; their limpid, seemingly gentle eyes and blimplike bodies belied an astounding wealth of speed and strength. The first female Coelacanth drew toward the group was young and strong — too strong, it turned out, for the assemblage of hunters. After multiple failed attempts to lure others from the group without risking her personal safety, Seelie finally succeeded in luring a different cow, but the result was largely the same. She perused the group of pinnipeds with a practiced eye, but it was @Catori who spotted their eventual prize: a wound-riddled cow with a badly torn flipper and a significant laceration on her brow that had caused her right eye to swell shut. Quick, decisive orders from the wandering trio and their ginger-and-cream niece allowed the group to drive and lure the female far away from her sister-wives.

At long last, the sea lion fell and did not rise — and the only sound to be heard for a prolonged moment was the staggered panting of many mouths. One by one, the sheepdog attempted to draw those who had not participated in the hunt to the carcass, her mouth already watering at the thought of the savory, fat-rich meat.

The inkdark ingénue went immediately to @Stockholm’s side, and the look in her eyes was quizzical. Normally it was Kirynnae who presided over the sharing of gifts, but they were a long way from Vargas Island. Brontide’s earlier words rang in her mind: “Normally we trade for our food, whether that’s telling a story, doing a dance, singing a song, being the fastest or the strongest in some type of contest, or finding something pretty on the beach.” Dainty paws shifted in the sand, for she had always been a dancer — but without @Amoxtli at her side, she couldn’t do their favorite mirror act, and she didn’t really want to, either. Tufted ears flattened against her skull, but fortunately Brontide was as forthright as he’d ever been.

“Well?” he asked, grinning broadly. “Who wants to be first?”