Stavanger Bay O'Death

sandpiper only afforded a slim smile to engel -- it was meant in encouragement, but in the face of death, what good was a smile? she could see the sorrow temper his gaze, and in support stepped towards him with a light shoulder. from his wooden tone to his hurt gaze, sandpiper knew engel cared for awinita dearly.

awinita's body held awinita in it no longer --- sandpiper's eyes trailed the red-clotted gashes, the disfigurement only a leviathan of the sea could exact. she was reminded of their code -- when one of their own was slain, its body was given back to the sea.

"do you know the custom?" she asked softly, her tone surprising for one so raucous and impetuous. she stepped towards awinita and pressed her nose to the woman's lifeless cheeks in a solemn farewell before she hunkered down, ready to help engel drag her body towards the everlapping, ever-constant shore.