Ocean's Breath Plateau star shell

he was silent, and held her close. tullik loved marina in all of her words and deeds, and loved all the children as if they had come from her own body. chakliux listened to the rush of the sea, and felt the sorrowed race of his own heart.
he slowly smoothed the tracery of salt from between her ears, content to make a place there in his arms for as long as tullik needed to vent the heavy grief she had silently and without complaint carried alone for a long while.