Ankyra Sound prizes of the sea

After being accepted by the Siren Queen, with two other females present, and being introduced to Spyridon, Pantaleimon made her way to the coastline. Through her long journeying, Pantaleimon's fur did not smell a lot like the ocean anymore, and she was eager to make a change in that. With a somewhat melancholic smile on her face, Pantaleimon trotted to the coastline. She splashed into the water of the ocean and bit at the waves in an almost playful gesture; Pantaleimon did not care that her mouth would get salty and dry. She would find drinkable water later.

After getting herself soaked in the ocean, Pantaleimon shook her fur and rolled on the sandy shores, giving herself a bit of a sand-caked appearance.

Feeling much more at ease, Pantaleimon started to scour the beach for decoration. She wasn't sure what the wolves here would think about her desire to drape her fur with beautiful sea objects, but even if they would disapprove, she could always keep it to herself. Pantaleimon wandered the beach for a short while before she saw a pink conch half-burried in the sand. Pantaleimon quickly galloped in the direction of the conch, eager to uncover it and see if it was whole.

A white figure splashing among the waves caught Nesaea's eye as she trailed a small distance from the shoreline. She too was combing the beach to add to her collection of treasures, but paused as she studied the lofty creature galloping through the waters with narrowed eyes. She was partially hidden behind one of the pillars that made up the craggy cliffs of the Sound, watching as the stranger then emerged from the ocean and rolled in the sand, causing the girl's ears to flick back in disgust. She prided herself in keeping her fur pristine and she couldn't help but feel slightly offended when someone else didn't care for their own pelt.

It then seemed content with it's wild appearance and was distracted by something in the sand. Nesaea inhaled a breath before deciding to make herself known to the strange wolf. Her brows furrowed, however, when the recognisable scent hit her nose. Male. His intent on getting at some pale object in the sand piqued her curiousity, though, and so the siren slowly strode towards the white-furred consort — a drudge, or so it seemed.

The seasons may have changed, but a wintery nip still hung in the air. The cold breeze of the sea hit the mangy wolf like a brick wall as he descended the rocky cliff face down to the beach. He had finished his morning rounds, and this time he wasn't coming back empty handed.

A thick clump of alum root hung out of the ragged wolf's mouth. Heuchera micrantha, once crushed and wetted it could be applied to minor sores and swellings and used as an effective astringent on ulcers. The bitter root was very versatile indeed and the mangy rogue carried it with him with pride with the intent to take it back to his quarters and prepare it for storage.

Down the beach an unfamiliar wolf rolled in on the ground, caking himself in sand. Another friend of the dirt it seemed... and a male. In the sound, they were few and far between. The wolf was approached by one of the grey twins, Nesaea he thought, though it was difficult to tell the two apart. The raggedy wolf placed his bounty of roots atop a flat stone and approached the two with his head down (Oh how he hated these displays, but culture is culture, and the twins would view it blaspheme if the rogue behaved otherwise). "Beautiful morning," he mused with his tail between his legs, approaching the two.

Leucothoë was never too far from her sister, and now was no different. She was moving toward her, currently at the treeline of the Monolith forest, when she noted a change in her direction. Leucothoë turned her head and saw the pale wolf she had met the other day... whose name, actually, she had not received. Leucothoë did not wear her seaweed today; it rested where she slept, now, where she would continue to place the gifts the Sea gave her.

The pale one prodded at the sand, which led the young Leucothoë to believe he had found something that might interest her. She moved in a graceful lope toward them, now, where the tawny story-telling male also approached. Leucothoë held her head the highest of all, tail straight behind her as she assumed her proper place. And upon her arrival, her eyes fell to the floor, and then to Reeks gains. She recognized it; her sisters had taught her some of healing, but she was still learning. Her attention went to the white one, even after Reek had spoken: What have you found?

Pantaleimon was so focussed on the conch in the sand that she did not notice the approach of others. Pantaleimon was about ready to start digging, oblivious to the grey wolf's approach, when another male appeared. Pantaleimon turned her head in the direction of the other male when he spoke, and only then noted the grey female, who looked exactly like the female she had met at the borders. Pantaleimon assumed her to be the same, unaware that they were twins, though she did not know her name; they had not spoken to one another. Instantly Pantaleimon's posture lowered, tail tucked between legs and head lowered to the ground. She hoped they had not seen her prize, for surely the female would take it from Pan.

Then a strange thing happened: another female appeared, who looked exactly like the first grey female. Pantaleimon kept her submissive posture, and figured the two must be sisters (but which was the one she had met at the borders?). She didn't like that the last one to arrive asked her what she had found; Pantaleimon had hoped to gloss over the fact that she had found anything at all and retrieve the conch later.

Pantaleimon awkwardly nodded at the three wolves that had arrived. Pan nudged the pink conch with her nose to push it from the sand, and brushed the sand off it. "S-something beautiful from the ocean, Siren," mumbled Pantaleimon. She averted her face, which had a wry expression that betrayed her dismay at having to share her treasure.

Nesaea had only just reached the white-furred consort before another male joined; a reedy-looking thing carrying a bundle of roots. She regarded both him and then the herbs that he placed upon a rock, ears quirking curiously. Like Leucothoe, she also had some lessons in healing and had been keen to learn of the trade before they moved to the Sound. Her sister arrived after the dark consort greeted them with a show of submission. Nesaea was pleased with his display but did not show it, instead turning her hard gaze to the newer male again as Leucothoe questioned about his findings.

He pushed forward a pale conch, lightly dusted with sand. It was a beautiful thing, and the youth admired it like a magpie would a shiny coin. Ever fascinated with treasures and trinkets, Nesaea stepped towards the meek wolf, ignoring his upset — the feelings of the consorts were of no concern to her. Wordlessly, she scooped the shell up within her maw (assuming the consort would not object; he would be a fool to do so) and turned back to her sister, placing it back to the sand and turning it over with a paw, inspecting it with a small smile.

The bastard's head perked up at the sight of the pink conch shell the new wolf had been pawing. Something beautiful.  One beautiful thought rushed through the gaunt wolf's head.  Food.  Conch may have been a difficult meal to eat, but it was rewarding.  Tasty little critters; he had broken one once before in order to scoop out it's meaty insides.  Ten out of ten... would do again.  

His gaze was transfixed upon the pink conch shell as he licked his chops in anticipation.  One of the twins had quickly scooped up the shell in her jaws.  An audible sigh of disappointment passed through the skeletal wolf's lips.  Empty.  The shell itself was useless, and the ragged wolf wasn't one to take bits or bobs or trinkets. Why take a trophy of this defeat?

idk if everyone is sticking around but since this is an old thread i figured i'd post again, sorry for breaking order :) feel free to post again if you guys want  to write a couple more posts to finish this @Leucothoë @Nesaea @Reek , if nobody replies within a week or so I'll probably just edit in a conclusion and finish this but it'd be cool if we can hit enough posts for exp (:

Pantaleimon watched in silent submission as the Siren took the conch from her and placed it upon the sand, admiring its beauty alongside her seemingly identical sister (or maybe it was just coincidence; Pantaleimon did not dare stare long enough to find out if they were really as identical as they appeared on first glance). The other male seemed disappointed about this, which did not surprise Pantaleimon; she had never known any other males that enjoyed treasure as much as she did.

It appeared that Pan had lost the treasure, for the two Sirens were very interested in it. Submissively she watched them, making ready for a retreat. The disappointment was visible on Pantaleimon's face, for she had never been good at hiding her emotions, though one would only notice if they looked at her, for she turned her head away in awkward submission.

Gotcha! I'll slap on a short concluding post!

Reek gave the conch shell one last slight nudge with his nose before awkwardly backpedaling away from the others.  A maladroit stillness hung in the awkward lull in conversation, and for once Reek found himself struggling to find the words to say. "Er, Neat find," he quipped clumsily to the other male while slowly stepping backwards toward his pile of roots. "I should, you know, do... things," he fumbled as he picked his bounty of roots from the rock. 

"See you guys 'round," He mumbled with a mouth full of alum.  He gave the new male a quick nod before setting off toward his private herb cache in the male's quarters in the cliffside.  

Pan watched as Reek said to take off. The Consort nodded a brief good-bye to Reek and then turned to look at the Sirens. The last remaining hope that she would be able to take the beautiful seashell along and hide it in a place so she could always look at it, or decorate the seaweed along her neck with it, vanished entirely as she watched the Sirens look at it with interest.

After a respectful dip of her head, Pantaleimon turned around and walked away from the scene and from her treasure, her find, to let the Sirens have it and enjoy it in silence.