Ankyra Sound From the Deep...

The storm seemed to make some of the Nereides anxious, though Junior couldn't say she minded the weather personally. She crept onto an outcropping overlooking the choppy ocean, watching as the dark clouds rolled in from the horizon. From up here, she could see miles out to sea, though the heavens soon grew too dark to make out many details.

Because of the rain, she neither saw nor smelled the dark wolf streak across the beach and crash into the waves. Because of the thunder, she didn't hear her scream. Junior remained oblivious to the intruder until her eyes fell from the squalling skies to the beach down below. A flash of lightning revealed a dark figure crawling out of the water onto the beach.

Junior reacted swiftly. She jumped to her feet, picked her way down to the shore and took off across the soaking sands. She did not attack, sensing the stranger's struggle. The youth braked to a sudden halt, standing over the bedraggled form even as she recalled the lore about considering anything that washed up from the Sea—even living creatures, like this wolf—as gifts. Since she hadn't seen the stranger enter the water, Junior figured she must have washed ashore, not unlike Junior herself had done before being discovered by Ragnar and Thistle back in the day.

"Who are you?" Junior shouted above the sounds of the storm.