Ocean's Breath Plateau Scherzo Tarantella

Against the withering wind of a rainstorm that had passed over in early evening, Simbelmyne leaned, as if seeking support from the fickle, unseeable force of nature. She closed her eyes and breathed in the salty air, wetting her nose with a flick of her tongue. Already her own coat was anointed with the perfume of the coastline, briny and fresh. The humidity caused the fine strands of her fur to curl slightly. 

Her eyes shone when she opened them, to look out across the ocean toward the horizon where pink skies peeked out from beneath grey clouds. 

She could not summon the courage to go and search inland for her husband- not when she feared what she might find. In knowing his mind and his heart, she knew that his absence came not from choice, but likely from dire circumstance. 

So it was to the ocean she looked, knowing that it might be a safer horizon to search with her eyes. It would be better to see nothing at all, than to find him deceased.

Dwin's not exactly trespassing, but judging by the map - I see her approaching from the Gilded bay along the shores. If anything needs editted, PM me!

Some time after meeting the old gentleman Aditya on the shores, Dwin had decided to do, what Towhee had claimed she had always wanted to do. Namely - see, what lied beyond the edge of the map. So - in the beginning of July she had bid a figurative farewell to the Teekon wilds with a sturdy meal of oysters in the pools and had continued her journey westwards. The galore of stories of, what she had seen, done and experienced would be told over time and probably during the cold and barren winter months, when food would be scarce and a good tale could distract one's mind from hunger. 

Now, however, she was on her way back. The nights had grown darker and colder. Mornings were cool and clad in mist and quite often now she could smell the autumn in the air, even if the season itself was not visible to others. With this in mind, she knew that in a matter of a month or two she would have to return home.  The spring and summer that had appeared endless in the beginning of her adventure, now had swiftly come and gone, leaving Dwin wondering, where all of that time had disappeared so suddenly. While she was not exactly ready to embrace the settled life in caldera just yet, now and then she felt longing to meet and greet all the familiar faces and see her home with new perspective. 

She had spent morning, scavenging for scraps through all the debris the sea had brought to the shores and after a long, well-deserved nap in the soft sand and with sunlight caressing gently her fur, she was on her feet again ready to move. There was a pack territory nearby, marked by scents and myriad of footprints leading too and from the area. Being in the mood of meeting new people and at the same time wishing to go straight through rather than around, she stopped at the figurative doorstep and called politely for someone to greet her. 

That works great! It makes the most sense that that would be roughly where Simbelmyne is too :)

Just as the wind shifted, a peaceful howl drifted inland, and caused Simbelmyne to blink. She’d not been meditating, but found herself surprised at how thoughtless she felt when consumed with so much grief. Her ears flicked forward and back, and she glanced over her shoulder, as if expecting someone of more authority to suddenly appear, and go to greet the visitor.

Shame struck her like a careless breeze; she chastised herself for thinking she ought do nothing when she was likely the closest to the borders near the edge of the ocean. She stood, shook the sand from her beachy curls, and made her way toward the woman who waited where the surf met the sand.

Peace be, She said with a congenial nod of her head. Her tufted ears flicked forward, though her features did not convey a great deal of enthusiasm. She tilted her head lightly, hoping the other might simply take the cue and explain her summon.

The wolf that came to greet Dwin was quite different from any wolf she had met in her life. Her looks were positively unique and she had to scold herself for "staring too long", when the pause between them grew too long. 

"Oh, hi, hello," Dwin greeted her in a cheerful voice and with a friendly wag of her tail. "My name is Dwin and I am currently a traveller-in-tenure for my pack Brecheliant," she explained. "I have recently returned to the wilds after spending the summer months in the western areas all the way there. And I wanted to know, if it was possible to cut my journey back to the wilds short, by passing through your packlands?" she asked. 

The tilt of Simbelmyne’s head grew with each passing second it took for the other to answer; she wondered briefly if the other spoke a different language, until she responded both with words and her expression. Everything from the congenial wave of her tail to the shimmer in her eyes proclaimed the woman’s friendliness; a welcome mien for the wolf who grieved. 

Traveller-in-tenure? Simbelmyne spoke, though barely above a whisper as she echoed the woman’s words. A curious title, one she had never heard before. The pack’s name, however, was familiar- and therefore, her request was a relatively easy one to grant. She felt fairly certain that while they did not have the open border policy with Brecheliant, they were nevertheless considered allies. It came as no surprised then, that this representative was so friendly.

I feel this will be allowed. She said, summoning a minute smile, and a brief wave of her tail. Making herself appear as friendly felt like wading through a thick and heavy marsh. I can show you a way…There are cliffs you will want to avoid, She said, gesturing for Ceridwen to accompany her.

Despite the polite greeting, Dwin had been preparing herself to be declined. Therefore the invitation to come along pleasantly surprised her - she smiled cordially at the other girl and followed her lead. While walking she turned her head to left and right, taking in the beautiful scenery. Here and there she stopped to lean down for a quick sniff, but never made her companion to wait on her. 

"I am sorry - but I did not hear your name?" she asked. "And what is your pack called?"

"Oh," She gasped, realizing how deftly she'd greeted Ceridwen. "I am sorry, I am-" How to say it- and keep the associated emotions at bay?- "Out of sorts lately." A light tremble in her voice shook within her words- she cleared her throat in an attempt to free up speech that might not make her dissolve as words often did, lately. 

"I am Simbelmyne." Did she even have a surname anymore? Or did it belong to Dutch- and so, to the void? She swallowed hard to keep the thoughts from intervening. "This is Moontide."

"Wow, this is such a beautiful name!" Dwin replied excitedly. She had caught a hint of unease in her companion's initial response and rather than digging for more information, she decided to ignore it and keep the conversation focussed on other topics. "It has an elfish quality about it, though I can't say that I have been personally acquainted with the fair folk myself," she explained. The name was really unusual and there was surely a lot of story behind it to unpack. Should the Moontide wolf wish so, she could share the details, but Dwin would not press her. 

"Oh - are you by any chance related to the Moonglow and Moonspear? I have a sister living in the first and I have met some folk for the latter as well," she said. 

She cringed gently when she was complimented, but reminded herself to be grateful for the kind words. Her smile was forced, and the skin at the edges of her eyes creased, as if in pain as she attempted to look as if she wasn’t totally flummoxed. You are very sweet, She responded, her voice quiet and reverent. I have heard of fair folk…They like deep, dark woods, I am told but…I have never met them.

Had the fair folk taken Dutch? No….No, they wouldn’t be so cruel.

She nodded. Sister pack. She explained.

Had Simbelmyne voiced her concern about Dutch and fair folk - Dwin would disappoint her by telling that these fellows did not stand above stealing children or luring people away, very often to their deaths. There was, of course, variation to the story depending on, where it came from, but on the whole despite their name fairies were anything but fair. 

"A bit like a spider-web, isn't it?" Dwin grinned and tried to remember, how many "sister-packs" her own had. All she knew was that her grandma Finley had come from a huge family of Blackthorns. And that her aunt Liffey and her spouse had contributed to that number considerably. Not to mention all the Blackthorns she had yet to meet. But here lied the difference from Moonpacks - all these seemed to be closely bound together, tightly knit. Dwin could not claim the same about her own family line. 

"Are you one of Moonwoman's children then?" she asked. "My sister - I think - married in the family recently as well."