The huntress leapt for her catch but the effort was futile. She landed with a small tumble, two tailfeathers caught between clenched jaws. Rusalka was behind her; the evening prior, she'd returned to shāzhōu, the sandbar, and crossed onto the island. The sound of waves crashing against the sandy recess had been enough to lull her into a deep slumber.
When the sun rose the following morning, Ying decided to extend her stay. The sea was too overpowering for a scent-marked border, but it did not mean that she was exempt from her patrol duties. She was the protector of their group; before any member of the family took up residence in their new home, she would make sure that it was safe.
her travels turned to the many isles, but especially coastal lines. ruò travelled throughout, avoiding the cliffs, not wanting to watch the waves. if she had to watch, the siren could do that up close rather then afar from the tops. feel everything between her paws, and let the air intake through her blackened nose, and take the saltened airs within.
a larger island, her dimmed blue eyes stopped at the entrance, she was curious of this large island, but ruò wasn't a fool. she knew the smell of the mark, for all had to do it at one point, but yet so faint, like the herd of one. the siren continued to look in, a cold face waiting, and watching.
There was a wolf at the entrance. Yuèguāng huffed and rounded a tree, kicking up sand as she made her approach. The familiarity of the woman was almost painful; for a moment, Ying could not conjure a name. Ruò Shuāng?
she asked, taking several steps closer to better pick up her scent. Being at another wolf's border created a power dynamic in which Ying was the superior, so she felt no shame in brushing her nose against the other's cheek.
It is you!
she exclaimed, tail beating excitedly behind her, Did you come after Kun Kun?
She recalled him mentioning his sisters would follow suit, but Ying had not thought about the Wang siblings.
it had been long since she conversed in the other tongue, "ying yue," the siren replied. a cousin on the maternal side, and accepted the brush of familiarity or superiority. though it was not a normal feeling for ruo, as distance was considered a normal, she wasn't particular close to wangs, and double for any jiang-members, even more-so for foreigners. while a neutral indifferent look, she didn't brush the snow-pale cousin off and nodded.
she wasn''t particulary following after kun kun, but after hearing how many followed suit on leaving, she too took on that path. there wasn't anything particularly holding ruo back to stay at the homeland, "i left." not clarifying she came just for whims.
There was no disappointment in Ruo's greeting because Ying had known what to expect. If nothing else, the family had one thing in common: spite. She wondered if summer had come to the beach prematurely following her cousin's absence and stifled a subsequent giggle. The vague response did not come as a surprise, nor did it beckon further questioning. She doubted that her efforts would earn any clear answers.
Ying thought to invite Ruo onto the island but decided to walk onto her side instead. There was a certain affection that she held for the island, as ugly as it was; she did not want anyone to step inside without first proving themselves worthy. Maintaining her tall stance and friendly grin, she asked, Are you going to stay with the family?
Few had arrived, though she knew that more were on their way.
family? they were all together. as not particulary close, she had nothing to gained, nor' anything to lose- but assumed that the jiang siblings were together, but wondered who else would be in these paths. though with those three regardless, life was vibrant.. it was a curosity, on who would come next, as the word had spread on the younger generation leaving.. but she was unaware on why this occured; for ruo, it was a simple whim, which resulted to a nod toward her cousin.
"是的."
Hm.
Ying looked over her cousin once more before settling into a seat. A hefty wind blew southward, pushing sea salt into her eyes and tinting them red. She blinked away most of the sting to face Ruo, telling her, Hua and Mei are at an inland pack with Kun.
The specific location of each relative didn't matter as much as their general whereabouts, she decided.
She bit at the inside of her cheek while deciding whether to continue, eventually admitting, We're going to move once everyone gets here, I think. Kun says his sisters are coming, and I know everyone is going to want to live on the coast.
The family didn't have the same fascination with the forests ad Ying did. She didn't mind living with the foreigners and thought that they made good neighbors.
However, Ying knew that her vote would be lost beneath the others. She turned away from Ruo and faced the distant shore.
she followed suit, joining her cousin in the winds. though unlike ying, ruo kept her head down and eyelids half closed, perfectly keeping the punch of the salt at bay. she sat by the ocean for many days and night, knowing how to avoid the pains. a different story, if the winds start going upwards however, as she had no way besides looking up to evade that. it seems while she thought to evade upwards wind, the others evaded the ocean, surprisingly the siren.
she did not think her relatives would choose to abandon the waters to remain inland for the season- ruo would not, uncaring about the risks that were to be. she did not mind foreigners, such as ying, but she did not know them, she knew nobody. her comfort was at the shore, and that all mattered to a water born.
"这里?"
Turning back to Ruo, the guardian nodded her head. The island was secluded, but not overly-so. The sisters would be able to hide in their gardens while Ying moved back and forth from the coast. It was the ideal combination but she wasn't opposed to a group vote once everyone was together.
She wondered where her cousin planned to spend the night. If she did want to stay with the family, and if staying meant sleeping on the island, they would need to find a meal while the tide was still reasonable. Want to hunt?
Ying asked, tail picking up its excited wag, We can make it a game.
she had not seen the island, but what mattered most to her was that it remained near the waters. if she had access to the sea, then ruò was satisfied enough. like the sisters, she too would hide away here, preferring the seclusion of a mermaid rock then inwards toward the lands.
the siren nodded, feeling the stir of hunger rise. though a game was curiousity enough, as her head tilted, questioning what kind of game did her cousin had in mind.
Seabirds.
There were enough of them on the island to accomodate a small hunt. It was also the safer option; fishing this far from the shore was risky. First one to three is the winner.
Ruo and Ying only needed one each, so there would be four left for the caches, if things went as planned.
She stood and shook out her fur, hoping to loosen any kinks. We'll meet up here, once we're finished. Ready, set...go!
Ying made way for the island's eastern face, implying that her cousin should take the west.
the fighting sister went off, ready to play the game of catching seabirds. ruò watched her cousin go well off before shulking off her own way, a short stroll before encountering them more near the coast then inwards of the island. seabirds, is what they were called, a common prey for the siren.
the first one, was an easy find- but high in the tree she laid in the nest. like a leopard, diligintly did she climb the tree that thankfully, had the slope to allow it. ruò was no feline however, her claws weren't adjusted as one, and even though the tree was fine enough, she still slipped. fallen to the sands, and so the bird went off.
"该死."
The first two attempts had been a success but the third had been a failure. It was the same as with Kun; Ying's own pride and ego were her downfall. She had come away unscathed and with two seabirds to claim, one substantially larger than the other. While trotting back to the meeting place, she made a detour to find Ruo, arriving just in time to hear her curse. Ying giggled, a quiet noise, and turned to make way for the sandbar.
surprisingly, she caught the next one by simply falling onto it. the bird was crushed, but sucessfully died, so ruò counted it enough. however this was no longer fun, and disregarded the game; retreating back to where they were meant to meet once they gained three. one was enough, she thought, it was something to add to the feast.
was ying done? this was boring.
Ruo reappeared soon after with one bird to offer. Ying thought that it was an unimpressive feat but did not voice her concerns, instead offering a simple smile and motioning for her to drop it. The huntress would do the same.
This should be good...
Ying was thinking out loud, somewhat distracted by the saliva pooling in her mouth. She would leave all three birds here — one for her cousin, two for the cache — and come back at some point to hunt once more.
Keep your bird. I'm going to bury the others.
She picked up two of the creatures and held them tightly between her jaws, then walking into the forest.
she was an indifferent wolf; even if ying expressed being displeased over her catch, a good shrug would be given. however instead the other simply smiled, like the kind jiang that she was, and told her to keep it. ruo nodded, but slipped it to the side into the bush to be savored for later. she was not hungry.
instead the siren followed her cousin.