Ankyra Sound [m] Our Lady of the Underground

The winds were sharp, carrying the aroma of sea upon them as they crashed inland and ruffled the boughs of the trees.

Swordfish had ventured a short way from Lestan and Ellie, leaving them to chatter and make plans for traveling inland. Something in his roots roared in protest. He did not belong inland anymore. The boy’s place was by the water, as it had always been - crafting traps for fish and hunting in the shallow waters for seals. His promise to help Lestan find his daughter felt more daunting than it had before. Swordfish knew just how far a lost young soul could wander.

Pausing near the sound, he lifted his head to the mournful howl that danced overhead. The voice was familiar, though not strong enough to draw memories. The bear-hunter stood, a looming shadow of the boy he had once been, face marred by the brutality of the beast he had fought. His cold ocean eyes found her but he did not move.