Wheeling Gull Isle Sip your wine you drink with fools

Huā was an empty shell. Her children had gone to meet Ying and her heat had not come and though she had wished to be a comfort to him instead Mal's sadness rubbed off on her in a way. And even with him there, without her children's presence she was lonely. When Aibreann and Mal had been together on the island she had left them alone being on good standing with Aibreann but not familiar yet and feeling uncomfortable intruding on their togetherness if not invited, but when the small woman went missing the empress regretted that she had not tried to be more friendly and outgoing. The briefest thought crossed her mind that she had left because of Huā in some way but the mermaid recognized that her brain was simply trying to blame herself, to look for reasons to tear herself down and she shooed those ideas away quickly before they could consume her. 

She caught up to Mal as he let out his latest howl, too tired to move in any frantic or speedy manner but wanting to be at his side nevertheless and nudging his shoulder, not so much affectionate as simply letting him know she was at his side to help or if he had words to release. She didn't know if he needed her love but she wasn't sure if it was right to distract him from his missing mate with warm affection, and sometimes a friend was a better thing to have. She couldn't read his mind or know the perfect way to help and she wished she knew but she couldn't force him to explain or even know either. Sometimes there wasn't a solution. Sometimes felt like alltimes now and the past many months were just blow after blow to him or her or both of them and she wished she was a gull to fly away from it all. Or she wished she could smash her skull onto a rock and get rid of all the bad memories and all the hurt. 

She let out a howl for Aibreann too and then pressed her nose to the earth, knowing it was useless because Mal would've detected her anyway if her scent was here already but wanting to at least try and offer help however she could. When you last talked was she feeling upset, did she seem like that? Did she seem distant? She was sorry to imply that Aibreann would purposefully leave him behind after he had suffered so much already, but the empress didn't know what could've happened. The most she could wish was that the woman was safe, wherever she had gone.