Stavanger Bay bird brain

In the weeks after the storm, Floki had settled back into a quiet routine. The tornado had certainly shaken things up for a short while and had even left its mark on their territory, leaving downed trees and burned shrubbery in its wake. But the beach, somehow, had remained unchanged. Any debris that had fallen on the shore had been washed away by the ocean.

The boy had always had an affinity for the sand and the sea, but he spent even more time there now. He still generally avoided the water -- as Jorunn's tragic fate lingered often in the back of his mind -- but could usually be found searching for shells or digging. On this particular day, he had napped at the base of a dune for an hour or so, and was awoken by the shrieking of seagulls.

He opened his eyes slowly, his ears rotating on his skull as they absorbed the sound. As Floki gained consciousness, he became aware of another wolf racing across the beach, a flock of gulls swarming above her. She ducked into a cluster of cattails, escaping the birds' wrath for now, and Floki waited until they spun away into the sky before taking to his feet and trotting towards her. He moved carefully and quietly through the reeds, hoping not to draw the gulls' attention. "Are you okay?" he finally called out, his voice hushed.