Ankyra Sound all of them end in the same place — upon the killing ground

@Mwe

the boy moved across the shores and aimed for the blackpine. he thought it wise to stock their caches to the best of his ability while he mulled over the idea of attempting to rescue the woman who had been taken from them. it was almost foolish for him to imagine storming the cliffs in hopes of retrieving someone that he had never met. they could have sent him home with an infiltrator and he would have been none the wiser. with each lengthy stride, illidan felt himself drowning deeper and deeper in feelings of uselessness.

what had he been thinking, leaving the plateau? it still didn't feel real to him; like he had entered a permanent dream state and was incapable of leaving it. or, perhaps he had died and was paying his dues for all that he had done when he had been living. it certainly made more sense to him than the idea that he had been reunited with his blood after all that time.

the wildling huffed a heavy breath and slipped into the darkness of the pines. once there, he melded with the shadows and prowled as deep as his limbs would carry him.

Mwe spent much of his time combing the beach and grotto, not quite trusting his footing on the cliff sides that seemed to be so familiar to his packmates — and staring in wonder at the ocean before him. Even in the chill of winter, the ocean was alive and lapping at the shore, ebbing and flowing with a sound like the earth's very own breath. He did not think he would ever get used to this place. It would always feel foreign, and he an outsider to its secrets.

But today, he turned away from the sea and began his cautious ascent to the sequoias. These belonged to Rusalka, too, and he would be remiss in his duties if he did not also patrol there. And, if he were honest, the game there was more familiar and easier caught. He was unused to the tough, shelled creatures of the shore and how frustrating they could be to consume. Jaws easily crushed the exoskeletons, but they were splintery and painful, unlike the marrow bones of land creatures.

Mwe was not a violent creature, but he thought he might kill for some squirrel. 

He crested the cliff and wove through the sequoias, halting as he entered a swath of unexpected pine. Mwe inhaled, his eyes closing in a private rapture as the scent flooded him with a comforting nostalgia and familiarity.

the blackpine gave him comfort in a way that he imagined he’d never find again. the safety of the trees was a reminder of a home that he had belonged to before he had returned to the sea. the dark-hooded youth wondered if kavik and liri still dwelled inside of the plateau, or if they had moved on. he also wondered if they ever thought of him, or if they were grateful to have rid themselves of the plagued child that had fallen into their hands so long ago. oftentimes, he was certain that they felt more at ease without him on their lands. it was rare that one so young would feel a deep loathing of himself, but he had great reason.
 
prowling through the undergrowth like a jaguar on the hunt, illidan sought the scent of prey that might have found temporary safety in the wood. instead, he caught wind of another wolf and he turned his head sharply in the direction of the stranger. with cupped ears, the young savage turned his path and sought the figure of the other. on lean limbs, he made quick work of the earth that stretched between them. when he caught a flash of agouti ahead, illidan released a chuff to announce his presence.