Ocean's Breath Plateau granum

<3!

He could not bear to stay near the gathering for long. Not that he didn't care. Far from it. It just elicited too many clashing emotions within. Like the raging waves of an angry sea. Guilt. Paranoia. Fear. Self-resentment. They may come for him. For his hide, to strip him down to the bones.

Mauruk sat away, facing out towards the great span of the ocean. A silhouette of dark, alone. Nearly colorless, save for the sand tinting his nape. He was happy to be closer to his mother once again. But not like this. And, would things ever be the same between them? Would he ever be welcomed into the inner circle of her family?

There was so much he had to learn. To understand of the culture she lived and breathed by. Though every inch her son, he did not speak in her tribal tongue. Did not actively practice the rituals she partook in, time lost due to his absence. Making him pliable and open.

His sea roots ran deep, like the blood of the ancestors within him. It was why he sat here now, as if calling to them. Seeking their light and guidance. He inhaled deeply, as if the salty air might clarify his mind. Calm his nerves. Instead he returned to an old memory. Sedna's jaws had drug him under and away once before. He looked at the scarred grooves on his leg. Reached and opened his jaws, to  begin carving out a new notch for what he believed to be his sin.