Wheeling Gull Isle maybe i should start at the end

Hours pass and she sleeps deeply, so deep that she is lost even to dreams. Nested beneath a snowy tree - itself growing from a ridge adjacent to a lavender field which has seen brighter days - she is protected from the winter winds and patchy snow. Where the roots might have once tangled against clay and limestone, there is an irregular drop towards the mouth of a cave. The overhang serves as further protection. 

The sky has fully darkened by now; the stars glimmering beyond the haze of cloud. The moon watches from afar, a misty glow surrounding it like a halo. Stolen light like a leaking watercolor.

This time when Nukilik wakes she knows she is on the island. She remembers the ghost and the dark-capped girl. Her shoulders ache, her neck feels pinched from where they had been tugging at her. The woman tries to adjust her position in the descending hovel of dirt that is her sanctuary - tests for weakness to her bones - and aside from some tenderness to her ribs and a general exhaustion throughout her body, she is intact. A breath of relief sighs through her.

Hours and hours of waiting for the girl to awaken had eventually tired the siren, so Huā began to take trips out. Not carelessly- for she would return, checking in every so often to find the girl in the same spot. Now returning, a little fish in her mouth for when the girl awakened. But how convenient the timing- for upon her approach, she could see the figure begin to stir. Lashes fluttering, figure shifting. Huā eagerly increases her pace, slipping under the cover of shadow cast by the cave. 

She empties her mouth of the little fish as she arrives next to the castaway- a gift of nourishment if the girl had appetite. Huā considers the unfamiliarity of the wolf and decides she could not be a Jiang- not with those amber eyes. So she would not understand Huā's native tongue. Can you hear me, girl? She tests quietly, wondering if the stranger's ears could still be full of seawater.

Were it not for the thick sea-worn stench that draped Nukilik, she might have detected the aroma of fresh fish. The clean, cold scent of her most common prey would have been a blessing. Except, she could not. Everything in her little hideaway was overwhelming: the salt, the clay dirt, the wet-dog of her own coat. Whatever had once marked her as a wolf of the conclave had been washed away by the sea. So when the girl with the sea-glass eyes came to where she rested, she did not immediately notice. It took Hua's lilting comment to stir recognition.

Yes... The woman drawls, licking her dry lips as she had before, gathering fragments of sand still trapped around her whiskers. It is not wise for her to move, but in the darkness of the increasingly heavy night, she feels the need to pull away from her warm little hiding place and see the girl properly - perhaps to thank her, more than likely to try and gather her bearings. She unfurls and reaches for the opening of the little cave with her snout, her nose catching the light.

Unsure of how to proceed, she falls silent for a heartbeat or two; but she notices that the girl has brought something and sniff the air, curious.

The girl seemed unresponsive to the prey. Huā figured she had lost her appetite, unaware the the girl's nose was overwhelmed with the scents of salt and sand. In fact, she seemed entirely unresponsive to Huā's approach entirely until her accented words broke silence. The girl answers her question slowly but with a clear answer. That was a good sign at least. 

Now that the girl was listening, Huā had many questions. Who are you? Where do you come from? How did you end up here? But she knew now was not a time for interrogation. This girl still seemed a wreck from whatever wild waves carried her here. She barely managed to pull herself forward into the light. Still pitying the stormy creature, she wonders, How you doing?, while her eyes flit back to the untouched fish.

She wedges herself in to the mouth of the cave, which allows her to tuck her forelimbs close and lean out in to the dimming light. The pale moon makes everything look so grey and grainy. At least it catches upon the silver accents of her own coat, giving Nukilik a vague outline for Hua to focus on. The woman is busy studying the girl's face (or what she can make of it) and is intently watching those blue-green eyes of her's, watching them shift in color with the liminal light available.

It is then that she notices the fish, finally. The smell might have been washed out by the strong aromas but her body reacted to it all the same - her mouth immediately flooding with warm saliva, catching bits of grit which lingered beneath her tongue and beneath her teeth. She carefully swallows these, not wanting to bother her rescuer by spitting - and then reaches for the fish, but stops short when a muscle spasm irritated her neck.

As Nukilik sinks back, she huffs softly and murmurs, Could be better. Hmn... Thank you. Suppose you found me?

The girl's eyes seem so fixed on Huā's face- but Huā gazes at her in the same way, curiously. And then Nukilik seems to notice the fish- reach for it- and pull back as she twitches. Huā comes closer, using ebony paw to push the fish closer to her patient, right under her maw. 

She comoments that she could be better, and Huā nods, though silently she notes, could be worse. At least she's talking alright. But the girl thanks her, and a gentle smile touches her face. Yes... We find you. Me- Huā- and my sister, Ying. The ocean give you to us... She tells her, in case the memory has become a blur. Gathering up her courage about her soon-to-be role as empress, she introduces- This island... We are Yuèlóng. Me and my family, we forming pack here. She explains. She was quiet for a moment, awaiting the girl's comments, or introduction of her own, perhaps.

It is fortunate for Nukilik that she comes from coastal blood, as the knowledge intrinsic to her family has been passed down in some form or another. She knows not to venture too close to the sea. When to visit the tide pools for easy hunting. What it means when birds circle from the air. It is not often she finds herself at the mercy of that knowledge though - and she does not know how she managed to be swept up by the same sea which usually keeps her fed. One miss-step too many — perhaps she had judged an area safe when it truly was not, and the sea had seen fit to sweep her away as penance.

Whatever the reason, she was lucky to be alive. Lucky for finding these sisters too; it felt like fate played a part in all of this.

The girl introduced herself and gave a name for the pale woman; she went on to explain their purpose upon the island, and Nukilik understood. They were trying to build a new home for themselves here. Had they chosen another location, Nukilik might have been left upon the beach to wither instead. She smiles softly and comments, Can I stay? But there is no real point in asking; she cannot go far in her current state and the sisters have seen fit to care for her so far. I am called Nukilik - but, she feels the dryness of her mouth and tries to swallow, then continues You can call me Nuka if that's easier.

The girl asks to stay. Huā barely knew her- had no reason to trust her- and yet some part of her felt that the girl belonged here. The sea had placed her on the beach like a gift; what was she if not a sign, a present from the gods? And in time when this girl was recovered, she would be useful. More help would always be needed, and Huā knew she could not sustain a pack on family ties alone. This girl would serve as the first member of Yuèlóng who was not a Jiang and yet belonged all the same. 

So she nods kindly with a gentle smile, seaglass eyes twinkling. Yes... Nuka. You can stay long as you need heal, and I hope much longer. She tells her with a little wag of her tail. If they treated this girl kindly enough, she decided, perhaps her loyalties may lie here in the future. Thinking about the future, the empress inquires- So... you have trade? Skill?

Short though their conversation was thus far, Nukilik could not help the tired feeling that threaded through her body. She tried to stay focused on Hua as the girl spoke; she had a curious cadence, and the woman felt relief when she looked upon the dark-capped girl's glittering eyes. It was enough to keep her from drifting in to a stupor, or to sleep, at least for a little bit. Nukilik was fortunate to have been found by such kind wolves in the first place.

Back home, I was a hunter. She explains. Every wolf knew how to hunt; it was one of the first things a child is made to learn. Whether it begins with games of tag and tussling with siblings or through watching the adults, hunting is everything (especially to the conclave she has left behind). It does not sound impressive to Nukilik. Our family is -- was -- small. We hunted on the beaches, or gathered fish.

Maybe she was letting her exhaustion get to her, but Nukilik's warm gaze suddenly flooded with shine. The orange of one eye became like liquid amber, the tears lining the bottom of her eye line so quickly that she is shocked by the onset of blurred vision, and sucks in a sharp breath. I'm sorry -- I don't know why I'm... blink blink blink, things clarify, Hua stops being an inky streak in her vision and becomes something more solid. Nukilik sighs and drops her head to the dirt.

She nods- a hunter. Huā was not as unimpressed as Nukilik was with herself. Any wolf that reached the age of two could hunt- this was a given- but to call oneself a hunter, an individual must be especially skilled. The mermaid figures this girl must be among the best hunters then, if she considers it her trade. This girl must meet Ying later, she thinks- surely the two would enjoy hunting together. She smirks a little at the thought. 

Suddenly Nuka is sick again, slipping in and out of the world as she apologizes needlessly and slumps to the ground. Huā looks sadly upon the girl, bending her knees so she can make eye contact with the patient again. 哎呀，I need get you medic... She sighs, suddenly feeling the weight of leadership and decision-making. If she could not find a medic among them, she would be one herself, she decides. She could not afford to lose this castaway- Huā liked this girl.

She's swimming in her own head for a little bit after that. Thoughts of home, of the parents she has left behind - of not getting to say farewell to her mother now that she was so far away - have overwhelmed her. Pairing that with the trauma of being bludgeoned by the sea and tossed like refuse across a beach, well... Nukilik has had much better days. The flood of emotion doesn't ebb away very quickly, although her vision clears. She hears Hua's worried tone through all of it and uses it to anchor herself in the present rather than letting herself drown too long in memory.

The girl mentions medicine, or at least finding someone who can help, and she lifts her chin enough to shake her head. No, I'll be... I'll be fine. I just need to rest. I can find something in the morning, maybe. Perhaps she had more skills than just hunting. Echo Bay was not a small place but there weren't many wolves to her family; they had to work outside of their comfort zones for mere survival, which meant everyone had little bits of secret knowledge. Nukilik was fortunate enough to know what bounties could be found along the seaside - beyond food.

While she does not mention this outright, she does trace a thin smile across her face and look upon Hua with thanks. Her eyes look tired; she can barely keep them open. 
Don't worry, please, Hua. All will be well.

fading alright?

Nukilik shakes her head, pretending she doesn't need it. By the looks of it, she did- the girl could barely hang on to the conversation anymore. Or am I putting her to sleep? Huā laughs mentally to herself, though her face remains poker. But Nuka tells her not to worry, and reluctantly, she hums agreement. Huā wanted to remain and dote over the sickly in the same way she would dote over the more timid of her cousins- but she was already getting the feeling that this one did not want to be pitied. The trade of hunter was enough to hint at a strength.

Huā didn't want to offend by treating her like a child, so she stepped back. The stormy girl's lashes seem to hover at half-mast and Huā could tell she was sleepy. Quietly, then, came her voice like a whisper- Nuka, I leave you alone now? So you can rest, okay? She tests, wondering whether the girl would be awake long enough to answer. Her eyes wander back to that pathetic fish still sitting there, getting less and less fresh by the minute. Oh well- maybe she'd eat it upon awakening.