Ocean's Breath Plateau of shadow and flesh

@Marina if you have time <3

They had returned from Moonsong to a very different Moontide. Tension crackled in the air, ready to spark at a moments notice. As Raiyuk was summoned, Matteo could do nothing but pace nearby as blood waterfalled deafeningly in his temples.

The urgent howl of Chakliux was unmistakable - a call to arms.

Confused and concerned, he melted into the shadows in hopes of catching the seaboy on his way back, however, upon reaching the lodge, Raiyuk was nowhere to be seen. He thought briefly of heeding Chakliux' summons despite the absence of his name being called, or trailing the scent of Raiyuk - in the end he could not decide which to do and so remained rooted in the clearing, simply doing nothing at all.

Nothing at all.

Marina felt —

And there was the sea, and there was the icy rain gently falling into the sand, and there was the scents of her packmates twined through the territory, and a skittering shrew and an errant feather on the wind. And life went on all around her, and she felt —

Hey, The word fell from her lips without thought when she spotted the boy. She did not let herself think about Chakliux. Instead she smoothed her damp fur, always damp now that she spent so much time in the water. No one could know what had happened. I don't think we've met. I'm Marina. Feigned normalcy. And there, the clouds shifting in the sky, and there, hints of platinum in the boy's dark fur. Anything, anything to avoid thought, to avoid grief and shame, or pity in the eyes of all those who saw her.

No one could know.

Rain began to fall, sending chills ricocheting down his spine. And still, he did not move. Not until a voice nearby had him lifting his head to see who had spoken.

A girl - no - a woman, deceptively small and draped in stormcloak greys introduced herself as Marina. "Matteo," he greeted in response, giving his pelt a quick shake as the sun began to break through the clouds.

He forced himself to turn completely to face her. "Do you... do you know what's going on?" Oblivious yet to her turmoil, he thinks of Chakliux and the seaboy.

I'm so sorry for the wait!

Irrationally, she felt that he must know. Somehow. He knew. Marina averted her eyes, shifting uncomfortably. His name was Matteo. Just a boy. Still she tensed when he asked what was going on, every ounce of her rebelling against any recollection of what had happened. But maybe he didn't know after all. Surely she was only being paranoid; he couldn't know.

Suppose he did?

I don't know, She said finally, realizing her pause had stretched too long. It came out stiff, unconvincing. Her eyes found him again. How long have you been with Moontide? Even to her the change of subject felt unnatural, but there was nothing to be done for it. Marina didn't think she could stand to speak of Chakliux, nor the man, nor the hunt that was beginning even now.