Dragoncrest Cliffs Of moon, of sea

sobeille measured the waves as her friend embraced the water. the tide’s strength was moderate and both wolves re-emerged sopping wet with their bounties.

ajei laid out hers first, while arrluk took his oysters and gracefully gave ajei the floor, as was his station within sapphique. for the first time, something akin to approval could be seen in the coldness of sobeille’s gaze.

it was the very last oyster that held a pearl in it. like her own, it was small — a brilliant violet that mirrored the captivating beauty of astera’s eyes. she’d never seen one this color before.

sobeille inhaled, preparing for the lyrical deliverance reserved for her tante. she would never be a good singer like chacal, but she hoped her tante would not mind sharing tradition with sobeille’s close — and possibly only (non-biological) friend besides astera.

ajei, you be de keeper of de violet pearl,
dis hue means you be steady, kind and careful in dis world;
de size means you ‘ave a good heart in you,
and to your loved ones you always be true.

now sobeille looked to arrluk, perhaps unkindly hoping he wouldn’t have a pearl at all. the lwa favored him today; in his very first attempt was a small, iridescent pearl that reminded sobeille of the captivating beauty of open skies.

it about killed her to say anything complimentary to a male — but sobeille put aside her reservations and spoke. it was what tante would do.

arrluk, you be de keeper of de blue pearl,
dis hue means you be thoughtful, wise, and in control;
de size means you ‘ave a good ‘eart in you.
to dose you protect, you always be true.

here two strangers to sapphique stood, holding the prettiest pearls she’d ever seen — and hers was shit brown. sobeille mused this irony silently, watching them both as they admired their pearls.

de wolves of sapphique keep dier pearls wit’ dem — dey are special, so if you be puttin’ dem somewhere, make sure it be somewhere important. she thought of how val had placed his pearl on his maman’s grave. you be friends of sapphique now — sapphique will see you thrive.