Sea Lion Shores You were alone
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Private 
for @Cry !! will be pping Tula in this one :)
Left out in the cold

Clinging to the ruins of your broken home


The naiad returned to the Coast for there was nothing for her inland. Dirge had promised home but she'd found none with him. The sea witch had lingered, if only to see what was to come, but her gods could be ignored no longer. There was another purpose elsewhere, their whispering had promised and Kai had obeyed without question.  

A cold breeze tangled in her locs as she prowled back to the sea like a prodigal son returning at long last, the frigid fingers combing through her coat like a mother's soothing caress. The small bird at her back huddled between the peaks of her patchy shoulder blades for warmth. Kai continued on her path, Tula's movements unnoticed, for she'd long grown accustomed to her companion. The grass gave way to low scrub that was harsh beneath her cracked, weary paws and then smooth expanses of sand that clung to her unkempt pelt. 

The sense of homecoming was bittersweet for the cold beach seemed bleak, barren. Would the gods forever curse her to wander, speechless, in search of...in search of, she didn't know anymore. 

With a silent sigh, her speckled form crossed the dunes, leaving small prints in her wake. The wind whipped at her, threatening to lift the compact dryad right off her feet, though she seemed not to feel the chill of it. 

Distant baying caused her ragged ears to pin, fluttering as she listened to the sea lions' uproar. She kept her distance from the territorial horde, aware of their reputation for ferocity. They had a tendency to just keep biting, even if you were already dead. Tula cheeped once, flitting away to the tidepools to hunt. Kai watched her go, her cracked gaze drawn to the gulls flitting overhead, a vague thought that she would like to fly too crossing her addled mind. 

Alone, she approached the waves. The water was cold where she walked in - Kai gasping mutely at the burn of it - allowing the waves to lap gently over her small paws and around her ankles. 

Her empty eyes scanned the horizon - where black sea met grey sky - sea mist dripping from her shaggy coat. The tang of it on her tongue as it dripped from her muzzle was reminiscent of salty tears. The salt stung at her wounds, half healed, gifted by him - a shadow that flickered in her mind briefly. She closed her pale eyes against the burn of salt in her various slashes, against the pieces of her that were now missing, that he'd carved out of her like a slain deer for dinner.

The pain meant she was alive.

Holding her injured body protectively, Kai's lips parted as if to use words she could no longer muster, her gaze dancing over the ocean accusingly. 

What more do you want of me? You've taken it all. She thought to herself. Why had the Sea called her, what was there for her here in this cold and foreign place? 
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It was a bleary day, one that could allow some to reflect on mistakes, and others to make them. Bleak and almost mourning the sky was, whiplashing winds in contrast with the wrathful sea below it, the pair seeming to brawl for the strongest gust. Drops from both heavens and waves alike collected on the solemn structure of onyx which contrasted so much with the torrent of chaos around him. But the eyes - those were the connection that gave him right to stay, and to bond with the madness of nature's aquatic side. As compared to the void pelt that covered the lean and well-muscled athletic frame of the assassin, his pupils were surrounded by a sea, themselves. It was a frigid blue, however, quite far from the dark and furious waters which harrased the coast this day. No, they were calm, cold, and the heart of winter. Regardless of it, blue bonded with blue, and the male felt harmony here despite the difference. Here he had made a plenty of memories, and here he reflected on them as he made planned the audition of more.
Ever moving, striving to survive. And this time around, it was not only himself that he worked for.

With reserved silence, he watched the beach receive its lashings, shredded and ripped apart, only to be thrown another heave of sand atop its sore edges. Dunes formed and erosion started from such a process, slow and taking years to force such a forge, but the ebonian felt he could see it happenening right before his eyes. He refused to sit where the tides pushed and pulled against grain; it was disrespect to this great process.

But it seemed there was someone here who thought differently.

Farther off down the edge of the coast icy gems locked onto the figure who unknowingly joined him. The immense level of saltine water and wildness prevented him form assessing his target through scent, and ears picked up nothing but the intense havoc of the waves. His eyes were his only applicable asset as of right now, unless he wanted to give up his position to investigate.

The koi speckled body was held back from the power of the waves, what seemed like tendrils of the quadruped's own fur blowing feverently in the swim of breeze. Was this one hurt? He wasn't someone to lend his services of help to others, especially if he knew nothing of them. Mentally, he ran through options. This being could have rabies - yet the posture and expression were of someone who was concious and in control of their body. They did not wander aimlessly until a soul stood in their sights.
Were they of Drageda? Impossible. If the woman he had met turned away a healthy and capable specimen, than whatever this one was would certainly have not made the cut. His eyes narrowed as he ran through the scenarios. It was very unlikely that he would be usually striding over to help someone...

But Gwen would have approved. She would have wanted him to help anyone who needed it. Her words replayed in his mind with the same soft and numbing effect they wove through him, soothing and silencing his denials.
And once they ended, his gait began.

The dark guardian smoothly walked to where this lupine mix stayed, and he was rewarded with more detail about them. The fur pattern was exotic, something quite different and he confirmed internally that this was no wolf, atleast not purely. In comparison, where his fur was long, hers was held closer to her body, the coat of a dog, or atleast one not bred for survival, but for aesthetics. He didn't discriminate against other types of animal. What mattered to him was their worth, and how they thought. How they presented themselves and who they were. Not what they were. He had killed wolves, dogs, coyotes, and he had come to become associates with them just as equally. Contracts did that to you.

Making himself obvious, he held his banner out and slightly up, ears erect but relaxed to show his mild interest and lack of hostility. Once arriving, he would stand momentarily before sitting and giving her a bit of space, but not too much to where they would be unable to hear each other should it come time for speech. Soon enough, he pointedly asked,

"Hurt?"
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Her eyes danced over the violent churning of the sea, waves slapping gently against her feet as she remained locked in place, looking but not truly seeing. After a time the cold was replaced by a dull ache, which seemed to come from within rather than the chilly climate.

Take me then if that's your wish. End this.

How easy it would be, the cur grimaced to herself angrily, preparing to turn away. A flicker of motion, a shadow, caught her attention.

Her eyes lighted upon him as he crossed the distance, fierce and dark as the sea before her. His eyes, as blue as the eerie crack in her own, were piercing. He was more wolf than Dirge had appeared to be but the drifter could find no fear to face him with. Her haunted orbs watched him approach numbly. Tula, having noticed the unfamiliar lupine cousin, flitted to her witch's side with a startled chirp! The fisher clung to a particularly matted loc, watching the ebony titan approach with beady dark eyes among the leaves caught in Kai's tangled mane.

Kai waited, anticipation leading her to expect words as he closed the void and reached her proximity, eyes following the other drifter cautiously.

He offered only silence, settling by her side with nary a greeting or introduction. Had Kai been her old self, perhaps she'd have welcomed him with a quip or a smile.

As it was, the only emotion she could find within her was weariness.

 
It seeped into her being, into the bony angles of her starved body - neatly folded into herself as if to appear smaller than ever. She could muster no submission nor even the slightest sound with which to greet him. She could not fathom what the rogue might want with her, for it no longer occured to her that a stranger might offer aid for no reason. 

"Hurt?"

Her speckled ears twitched - just the tiniest of tics - to indicate that she was listening. 

For a moment, she could not remember how to respond. 

Finally, her head dipped, her tongue flashing over her lavender-stained chops where a particularly nasty gash had reopened along her muzzle. 

"S-" she began, stopped by the pain of using her vocal chords. "S..Salt," she rasped finally, fumbling over the word a bit. Her head canted towards the water, gesturing, as if to say the sea would clean her wounds adequately.

"Kai," she offered quietly, one of the few words remaining to the feral girl. Her matted tail gave a ragged sweep through the sand as she leaned forward, cautiously prodding the raven's chest as if to ask, "What's your name?" 
Kai actually has long fur like a wolf, hence the dreads :)
"Will you fix me up? Can you show me hope?"

"Speech." "Mouthing/Body Language."
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[ooc] oh pfffttttuhhh forgive me darlin! [ooc] 



There was no tense commotion between them, nor the hysterical ruffling of scruffs nor bristling of fearful prides. This was the best of nature, when one beast met and recognized another. In her presence, his eyes once again went over her, and to his own internal chastisement he had reworked his impression of her as it was clarified; her hair was not short, but compacted into locks, matted and signs of neglect hung promiscuiously over her careful and slim form. She was both serpentine and feline in silence and caution, watching him with a near devoid stare.

He returned it, the only glimmer of life in those wintery jewels being his question.

She hadn't made him wait. In fact, she assessed the situation as much as he, and his patience was endless regardless. It came out, struggling to find it's own breath in that of the canine's. It came to pass, and the ebonian nodded to her word. So she wasn't an idiot; she knew the sea would heal her. But was she refusing the help? Why hadn't she healed herself already?

As he ran through the list of questions, she brought to his attention another word.
Kai. Something foreign, perhaps? Or-...

As he gathered the context clues, the smaller woman came impecably close to him, her crown barely reaching his shoulders, before she curiously prodded his chest, the glint of asking in her own sky-reflectant gaze. Her blues were not as harsh as his, but it was clear on the surface they told much more troubles than her maw could word. Perring down at her, he responded, refusing to move in case he starled her. Deep and gravelly baritones, resounded around them, but remained a secret betwixt the pair.

"Cry"

The shadowy prince couldn't decide whether it would be best to lead her into the thrashing waters or whether it was safer to take her to a healer of some sort. He knew healing himself, but those were for immediate wounds, battle scars. He had no clue where she was pained at, and some little voice in his head said something else toxicly brewed inside of her. What else could have caused such a petrifying stare?


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She waited, ivory eyes turned up to peer at him - for he was much larger than she - nodding once when the name came. 

"Cry."
How odd. 

Had his parents named him for a life of a sadness?

Her wounds were raw, no longer bleeding but not quite healed either, yet forgotten for the moment. The pain was constant; Kai was no longer fully aware of it.

She'd long grown accustomed to the ache radiating over her body. 

Tula, who had remained hidden amongst the naiad's wild ruff, made her own appearance - a frenzy of wings that landed in the sand between the two wolves. 

The bird peered at the unfamiliar male, peeping softly in welcome even as Kai gently tugged the tiny being to rest between her paws. Hugging the bird to her with a careful appendage, she watched the shadow for signs of predatory hunger directed at her feathered friend.
you're alright!
"Will you fix me up? Can you show me hope?"

"Speech." "Mouthing/Body Language."
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The dark guardian observed the youth. She didn't tremble from pain; so this led him to assume she was capable of handling it whenever it arose. She was intelligent, and he appreciated that, atleast. 

Something bright zinged with a near inaudible flap of wings towards them; and with unmoving crown, his gaze latched onto the swiftly moving avian. It had speed, that was for certain, and it was brave. It landed between them, bumpy clawed feet grappling the sand with picky little redish orange toes. It wasn't the typical prey item, and Cry was visibly puzzled at the lifeform. Head tilting at the little flyer, he cast a slightly questioning gaze at the smaller female before him who brought the peeper close. 

"Friend?" he asked with a slight smile?

The sky seemed to darken even more, and it was clear he couldn't simply leave this lithe female alone. She more than likely was going to either get attacked fromt he other packs, or even rejected. 
He was a mess.

Turning to point towards the woods, he shook himself off and began to head in the general direction of the woodied area. Softly, he turned back to ask her, "Shelter?"


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Kai peered up at him shyly, nodding slowly in response. 

"Tula," she whispered, another word she was still capable of, by way of introduction. The kingfisher's flinty blue head swivelled to the cur in response, recognizing the name. With another flutter of her wings, the bird took a perch on the sylph's back. 

Her cracked gaze was turned to the sea as a sudden gust of wind brought her attention to the storm brewing. She thought the gods had called her to rest finally, in the sea where she belonged, but it appeared they had other plans in mind. The cursed witch glanced back to the strangely gentle giant, studying him and wishing she had more words. 

Kai watched with a tinge of sadness as he rose - certain she was wrong and that her curse would forever be ongoing. Surprise flirted through her ivory gaze as she was invited along, hurriedly rising to her berry stained paws for fear she would be left behind. 

The svelte wolfdog fell into step beside Cry, albeit moving stiffly, as the rain began to fall, cold where it penetrated her merle coat. She offered no qualms about following, glancing at him curiously as if wondering where this path might lead her.
"Will you fix me up? Can you show me hope?"

"Speech." "Mouthing/Body Language."
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As a shepherd would, he led her first through the undergrowth of the nearing vegetation before bringing her even deeper into the trees. Further they traveled through the lightly made paths that were interbred through the autumn-tinged decadence. Where they were two beings who sought refuge from the harsh elements.

Being someone who traversed this area often, there were particular places he would know to set up camp at, and he got dug in relatively easy at a den less than a mile away. It was west, as his goal was, and he wanted her much more comfortable before heading that way. It would be a far journey.

The  thoughts were fleeting in his mind, but unforgotten as they passed a series of trees who were feeling the seasonal sleep come upon them. The rain began to lessen as the foliage above took the majority of the fall. Under the bushes which they neared, a shallow notch was marked in the dirt. Noting the 'x' marked in the muddy stone, he continued with his company up the rising hill, onyx claws digging into the slipping loam. It held under the web of roots and allowed him up. Turning to ensure she was able to keep up, he watched to make sure she was okay thus far.
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She trailed slightly behind him, following Cry's guiding hand, as the forest closed over them. The patter of rain eased with the foliage to take the brunt of it. Tula fluffed her feathers, appearing to approve of this change. Kai ignored the urge to glance back as they left the beach behind, to take in the Sea one more time. 

What if you don't live to see it again this time?

A shiver rolled down her spine, though not from the chill. 

The islander had come to dislike forests after her time trapped in one; the shadows elongated and blurred into one, reaching for her with clawed hands like monsters. The canopy overhead - green dappled with the fires of autumn - was claustrophobic.

Her heart pounding, the girl kept her head down and focused on the ground for fear Cry would notice her trepidation. 

Just breathe. He can't hurt you anymore.

Kai managed to keep up with her larger relative, though she stumbled occasionally on account of her injured state, glancing up to meet his sapphire gaze as she climbed the muddy slope. Her legs trembled with weakness as she clambered up the incline which had become soft with rain, a whispery growl of determination slipping betwixt her dappled jaws. 

Once at the top, her spooky eyes found Cry again - curiosity glimmering in her strangely sentient gaze.
"Will you fix me up? Can you show me hope?"

"Speech." "Mouthing/Body Language."
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Hey there! ~waves back~ Sorry I took so long-

We’re gonna be having them travel to Shadewood so from the space of the shores, we could either have them in The Sentinels, or in Deepwood Weald.

I had had a plan to end our current thread where they would find a nice den in the forest, just up on the ledge he led her on, that way we could start a fresh one with a nice day of activity and travel. ^-^ but of course, if there’s anything you’d like to add or include, don’t hesitate to let me know ;3 Also, you have PMs disabled on both accounts, RIP.



He wasn't daft in any manner; the slightest second the ridge of mud and roots became to much to bear, he witnessed her determination to scale it with the ferocity of someone who had been downed too much to be left behind any longer. She was going to fight for what she wanted, and somewhere in the thick mold of iceberg in his chest, the first drip of warmth began. Glacials watched her make the perilous journey upwards to him, and a couple of waves of his flag illustrated his impressment of her feat.

As her eerie gems met his, he responded to the inquisitive silence with his actions - nosing the ruffle of bush before them, a thick borough of knotted and gnarled tree roots were atop a finely dugout hole large enough to fit a bear and her brood. Turns out this was the exact place where he was mauled by a bear. Had his uncle Slade not come rampaging through the whickerbasket of foliage like a bear in his own right, Cry might not have escaped that day. Luckily the scars upon his back were just scars. His ribs had healed, and his onyx hide had covered the majority of the old damage. Yet though they were protected from the pelting of water, the wind surrounded them with adequate rolls of hearty magnitude, and his fur ruffled to it. And with the lashing, the dark grey glimmer of scars were minorly exposed.
Everyone had their past, and though his eyes hid it, his body could not.

A calm maw pointed to the entrance, still bedded inside with the rabbit and deer hides he salvaged through his time around the area. Had she chosen to venture inside, he would seat himself in the upperleft corner of the entrance just outside of the insulated den. Despite there being plenty of room for them both and atleast 2 others, he would rather give her space and allow himself to guard their hidden respite. If she wanted to exchange words however, which he doubted, he would be out there for her.
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I'm sorry about that! Thank you!

She could not recognize the appreciation in his glacial gaze - so rare was the emotion expressed to the girl. Her eyes landed on his wagging tail briefly, her own pendulum swinging slowly once, twice as if she had forgotten how. 

As the titan turned, the wind shifted - Kai's feathery fur ruffling in response. Her glass gaze landed briefly on the scars - wondering vaguely who had given Cry his. She peered curiously around the raven as he reached forward, dark crown sweeping back the foliage to reveal -


Kai balked. 

Dark. All-encompassing pitch, too thick to see the limbs her head rested on - right beneath her nose. Tula was gone - a vague memory of the bird fleeing through the treetops only after being urged on by the wolfdog's desperate rasp. 

She'd been in the dark so long - pain radiated through the back of her skull, reminding her of how she'd found herself in the abyss in the first place. 

Pain. Dark. And then a voice. 


The naiad's foot edged back half a step, pale gaze rising to meet Cry's once more as the memory faded.


"Will you come with me?" She mouthed hesitantly, glancing at the cave as if it might suddenly grow teeth and devour her. It was certainly big enough and she had no desire to be alone in the dark.
"Will you fix me up? Can you show me hope?"

"Speech." "Mouthing/Body Language."
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It's no prob, hun~




He had sat only to feel the ridge of his own spinal hairs stand attentive at her stance. Automatically assuming the worst, he whirled around near in a shaded blur to assess the situation - had the bear returned? He himself was locked in memory lane from the terrible remembrance of the past that his worst one was here...but his wintery stare touched nothing but the hollow room of the hidden den. Confusion loosened his posture as he whipped his head back to find the little speckled femalia stuck in her own fight. Her's had just as much question as his.
Was she...afraid of the dark?

Trying to interpret the youthful wolfdog's flightiness, Cry asked, "...Is there.." before rewriting the entire section of what had just happened. Her fearful looks were between he and the den. More than likely she needed comfort. As Leila... a deep breath centered the assassin's mind as he allowed his sister's image to be his guide in this ordeal. More than likely something dastardly happened in a den or something, and the girl just didn't trust them, anymore. Maybe she needed some comfort or something...right?

"I'm not going anywhere," he said, his deep timbre attempting to reassure the piebald youth. And sincerely he didn't feel comfortable with sleeping so closely to someone...but if she was frightful, then he had to do something to ease that. Once again he motioned for her to get herself comfortable in the den, but as he did so, he stood and scooted cloer to the entrance - he was going to sleep in there with her. 

In case she didn't understand his intent, he voiced it. "I'll be with you."
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Her gaze dropped as she forced her stained paws towards the shadowed entrance, scalloped ribs heaving just a tad too quickly and betraying her fear, despite her efforts to hide it - gaze searching the confines of the cave for danger. 

Pain. Teeth clamping on her muzzle - unseen in the void. The wolfdog squirmed, a mute whimper dying in her throat.. It was not that she had forgotten to speak. A wall was thrown up within her mind, her subconscious slamming against it to scratch wildly, blocking the knowledge courtesy of the Sea's thrashing. She was as speechless as her father with his clipped cords. 

"Speak and I'll show you mercy," came the taunt. 


Kai swallowed, curling her dappled back against one of the stone walls. Her ragged ears pinned, the naiad stretched out to rest her head on her paws. Glass eyes sought the entrance, clinging to the light fervently. 

I am the stuff of the sea. You cannot drown me. 

She clung to the prayer, her foster mother's words, as if to banish his memory.


Her eyes glimmered with appreciation as they landed on Cry, for some part of her sensed that he was out of his element. Kai was careful to leave space between them, not wanting to make him any more uncomfortable than he already was. 

Tula, who had been a silent companion, seemed to sense her witch's discomfort, appearing before her with a small hop down.

The witch glanced at the bird, humming tonelessly, guturally. Tula, who associated the sound with affection, was quick to settle between the girl's paws. Kai rested her head over the bird, hugging her close as she tried to ignore the walls around her. 

The dryad was not completely successful, eyes lifting occasionally to glance at the claustrophobic walls as if to check they were not sealing her within a granite tomb.
"Will you fix me up? Can you show me hope?"

"Speech." "Mouthing/Body Language."
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Cry couldn't imagine how she felt within the den; hell, probably the same way he felt outside of it. Being in the slight clearing had made him anxious, but there wasn't a single chance he would've let her see it. In a way, the frightful girl was braver where he was not, as he was collected in the space of the den where she was not. Vision darkened and his pupils widened to discover what he could out of the void.

The wind picked up, stirring the 'entrance' of the den with passionate gusts, the vines and shriveled husks of tendrils beat over the mouth of the den, sparing them the dramatic whooshes that tried to get the. The temperature scooted a bit chillier than it had been earlier that day as the sky darkened.

Tucking his legs under him, he partially laid down, the tip of his banner just barely touching the helm of her side. Wondering if she were doing alright thus far, other than the panicking phase the both of them were attempting to conquer, he asked, "Cold?"
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For a time it seemed she would slip into silence, wary gaze searching endlessly for some threat even she couldn't name. 

"Cold?"

A slight twitch of her feathery ears, an indication that she had heard, met his question. The wolfdog's speckled head canted to the right to take in the protector she'd found. The rain beat down upon the stone dwelling, as if to express its rage that it had been unable to claim the girl's life. 

A weary, wry grin - humorless truly - lifted her lips ever so slightly. "Always," she murmured, her ivory optics obscured by the lids that closed over them. At her chest, the fisher curled - dozing contentedly.

Exhausted, the witch fell into a dreamless sleep under the careful watch of the titan.
wrap up? :)
"Will you fix me up? Can you show me hope?"

"Speech." "Mouthing/Body Language."
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The answer reminded him of the coldness that had once permeated through the entirity of his own heart, corrupting his frigid mind until he was near apathetic to every cause out there. If anything, the answer shocked him a bit, as he somehow foolishly thought she would take the surface answer and stick within the subject of temperatures, of whether she needed some sort of body heat assistance...but something further in his being had whispered through the shock that this youth too had a side the world had no right to see.

Without another word to the drowsy wolfdog, he allowed himself to fall a bit closer to her than he would have generally done. Nothing romantic,...but something of understanding outlined his motives as he came to terms with this news. It was then this wolf Cry made his mind up on the basis of Shadewood's morality...

It would be a haven for the Beautifully Damned. A place for the broken souls who had family who wanted nothing of them, for those trying to find a purpose for the regular world. For wolves and canines alike who sought family togetherness where genes and blood relatives were fickle and careless.
It would be what Kai needed, what his Empress needed...
And certainly what he needed.

Unable to sleep with his mind scoring hateful vengeance upon the selfish world, Cry remained awake and watchful of the entrance. Anything could happen; and he wasn't taking chances for anything to come for Kai, today.


Yes! We are def gonna have another thread ASAP!