Wheeling Gull Isle MMMbop!

Once a day, Towhee stood on the shore and scoured the mainland with her sharp orange eyes. Sometimes during low tide, she walked along the land bridge. Somehow, she never managed to catch a passerby. Today was no different. She stood halfway across the sandbar, a few inches of saltwater swirling around her ankles, and sighed.

She just wanted to send word to the copse by way of a messenger, so they wouldn’t worry. She would just make a quick trip herself—that had been the plan, originally—but she didn’t want to risk feelings of abandonment in Caracal’s children. Guilt sat in her gut like a stone.

A small school of fish flitted past, glittering in the shallows. Towhee’s eyes dropped to watch them before she sighed again and turned back toward the island. She’d nearly made landfall when she saw something strange out of the corner of her eye. Her head jerked to the right.

But the sea lion had already glided onto the sandbar directly behind her. Towhee started to turn, eyes flying wide. It was bigger than any canine adversary she’d ever faced, easily twice her size. Its neck straightened as it regarded her with a strangely placid expression. For a hot second, Towhee thought it might speak to her.

Its mouth did open, unleashing a roar Towhee couldn’t hear. But she saw the flash of yellowed canines as hot, fishy breath washed over her face. She backpedaled with haste. She shouted a warning meant for @Simeon, @Malakai, @Judah and @Dinah and pivoted haphazardly, adding a second yell as she felt teeth close on her tail.

There was a powerful tug and suddenly Towhee was underwater.

Her voice is a desperate, gut-grinding shriek, one that makes his heart drop into his stomach as he sweeps his legs beneath him and springs to his paws.

“GRANDMA!” He cries, tearing over the bluffs to splashing in the surf. He leaps into the sea, pedaling himself forward and snapping his jaws towards the massive creature. Its belly is too slick to grab ahold of but he manages to catch a fin in his grip and whips it side-to-side in the tight clench of his fangs. Its tail flaps to the side, striking him in the nose and Judah is slapped into the sea.

When he surfaces blood bursts from his nostrils but there is no time to catch his breath. With three legs he hurtles himself forward, aiming to clamp his teeth right into the monster’s eye.

He heard her, too; shrill vice rising over the seagull's din. And he heard him, his brother shouting.

Simeon was not far behind, heeding the call, rather than fleeing from it. 

Blood rushed in his ears just as it sprang from the waters. Violent, frothing. He could hardly see them in the fray.

Hold on! he shouted. For the second time this week, he plunged into the sea, waves breaking over his head so unlike the peace of his baptism. The name John had whispered to him rang in his heart: Simeon Gabriel.

God is my strength.

And Simeon gasps - heart thrumming, legs shaking, lungs weak against the burn of the sea, but he surfaces like leviathan, teeth glinting in the sun, and joins Judah in striking the beast, aiming for anywhere he might find purchase.

Towhee thrashed, kicking through a disorienting galaxy of bubbles. Her eyes stung and her lungs burned as she fought toward the surface. Her head broke through with a loud gasp, then whipped side to side as she tried to orient herself, get her eyes on her opponent.

The sandbar was behind her and to the left, perhaps a dozen feet away. The sea lion was still there, though it wasn’t alone. Towhee’s soul fled her body at the sight of her grandsons striking at the same beast which had just flung her into the ocean like a toy. She yelled and began paddling fiercely.

As soon as her feet touched the bottom, she launched out of the water, putting herself in between the sea lion and the two young wolves. Her wild orange eyes found theirs as she crowded them back toward the safety of the island, well aware that she was vulnerable to an attack from the rear. Better her than them.

The sea lion gave her all of three seconds before it struck from behind. It didn’t merely yank her tail and fling this time. Instead, its weight crushed against her back as she felt those yellowed fangs close on her wet scruff. Towhee didn’t even have time to scream before it plunged into the sea, dragging her underwater with it.

Neither one of them resurfaced.

Grandma resurfaces, but she does not look like herself. He scarcely recognizes her sunset eyes without their joy and only this frozen point of fear. Panic rips down his spine. He’s shepherded back with Simeon. In the space of three seconds, Judah has enough time to think they are in the clear, that they’d made it-

She’s jerked back, her feet are tugged out from under her and his grandma is yanked into the ocean, as quickly and inconsequential as if she were a mere strand of seaweed.

A guttural scream rends the air. Judah lurches in the sand, diving back into the water after her. The ocean clogs his ears and blurs his eyes but he paddles his arms, diving deeper, deeper, deeper-

Sharp pain blinds him, hot teeth across his face. Struck - and then shielded away. Gramma is not much taller than him, now - 

yet still much stronger -

- and she is swept away.

He's fractions behind his brother. Judah tears from his side and is lost beneath the waves. Fear strikes Simeon. The water, crashing, sweeping over his head, burning his lungs -

GRAMMA!

A prayer tears through his heart and he plunges after.

JUDAH!

The water is slick and red and churned up by the thrash of paws. A shadow; Judah. He dives - and with all his might, Simeon swims in pursuit. Face throbbing from the saltwater sting. Eyes closed, paws outstretched, feeling, reaching, hoping, pleading - 

They would die here.

They would die.

Wild eyes search the steel foamed currents. The ice cold tides course through his fur, tumbling him backward even as his feet rake fiercely. she is down here! She is somewhere!

Suddenly his waist is enclosed with hands and he takes a liquid breath. Her name is screamed into the depths but it emerges only as guttural chokes.

He’s still reaching. His arms are empty. They go slack.

They’re too late.