Ankyra Sound lie in wait, hush little heart

For @Leucothoe <3

Dawn's light filtered into the den the travellers from Themiscrya had taken up residence in the night before. Although Nesaea was weary from their journey, she felt unsettled and could not fall back asleep after being roused and so crept quietly into the cool morning air. The ocean's breeze tugged at her silver fur, pulling her close to the waves lapping at the shore. She breathed deeply, delighted that she was once more within sight of the sea. Her home.

Her gaze soured slightly as the girl glanced along the coastline. Her new home, at least. She was already homesick for Themiscrya despite the fact that her mother and sister were here as well. The feeling would pass...she hoped. They would restore order and balance to the Sound. It felt wrong, somehow. Nesaea had barely any knowledge of the place yet there was a sense of unease. Not to mention the tension that had apparently formed between the neighbouring packs that the Queen had informed them of. The girl had been outright stunned by the news — the state of the pack was worse than she first thought.

Nesaea bowed her head as she began to nervously pace the water's edge, letting her small toes skim the tops of the shallow waves to calm herself.

Leucothoë roused when her sister had. Normally she awoke earlier, but the journey had caused her to sleep deep and sleep well. She would need this rest if they were to truly come to a battle. Leucothoë knew women of the Sea could hardly be called a peaceful breed, but at Themiscrya they kept to themselves. Their numbers were high with both men and women; there was never a need to leave the territory.

The youth rose quickly, moving at a brisk trot to catch up to her sister. It did not take her long at all to arrive by her twins side, and it was all too easy to catch her sisters feeling of unease even despite her stoic mask. Her tail waved loosely, her fangs moving to preen an out of place hair she caught on her sisters shoulder. Imperfection would never do for them.

As for how her sister felt, Leucothoë trotted ahead some to look at the sea. The waters were smooth today, and that in itself made the Nereid feel at peace. Still groggy from sleep, she did not yet find words to say.

Although she would deny any accusations that she was nervous about their move to the Sound, Nesaea's apprehension was easy to see if one looked close enough. She disliked change and the fact that they had to leave both the safety and familiarity of Themiscrya. But it was her mother's wish to ensure their beliefs were being upheld here, and the chance to spread their ways and to correct the wayward pack was not something Nesaea wanted to miss. It would be a good learning experience, she told herself. And she wasn't alone, either.

At that thought, the girl glanced behind her as the silver figure of her twin approached, composed as ever. If Leucothoe had any qualms about this place, she didn't show it. Perhaps the Ocean had told her what was to come; that she needn't worry. Nesaea believed wholly in her sister's ability — after all Psamathe, too, was capable of divining the Mother's plans for the future. Though, she'd be lying if she said she wasn't the tiniest bit jealous. Try as she might, Nesaea rarely heard a whisper from the Ocean or the Moon and was fearful that she had disappointed the Mother somehow.

Letting out a soft breath, Nesaea accepted her twin's gently preening. It was a sin to ever not look their best, even after rising in the morning. It was especially important now, when they had to prove themselves to the foreign Queen. Watching Leucothoe as she moved forward, Nesaea dipped her head and followed, breathing in the crisp scent of the ocean. It's waters were calm, the waves further out rising and falling like a sleeping creature's chest, never breaking.

Still, the girl's brows furrowed slightly. "I don't like it here," she said quietly, stating the obvious, though it was more a statement that provided a reason for her tension; she knew this was their new home now, despite her uncertainty towards it and it's Matriarch.

Leucothoë was not clairvoyant at all; but if there was one wolf that it could be assumed she was clairvoyant to, it would be her own mirror image. They found their niche in each other, and there was never any fights that she could remember. So when her sister was bothered, Leucothoë knew; the differences were nothing at all to the eye that did not know her. But to an eye that did as well as Leucothoë's own, well, one might note that the typically loose and graceful gait Nesaea moved in was only the slightest bit more rigid, the way her shoulder rolled tightly... it told her of her discomfort. Leucothoë was perceptive as many wolves weren't, obsessed with the detail. Things must be perfect. Including her sister.

Nesaea fortunately was; she too cared for her appearance, and for everything they stood for. Leucothoë loved her sister very much for that; the Mother had blessed them both. In her own mind, her sister could hear the Sea... merely through her. And she was certain that the Mother might speak to her as well; the bloodline of their mother was truly a blessed one.

Hearing her sister speak, it took the groggy twin but a moment to translate what she was saying. Her head turned quickly so that she could look around them for prying eyes, perked ears. In this alone it was clear that she was not so sure of this place either, that one may not hear the word of her sister on the wind and carry it with them to the Matriarch herself. So Leucothoë merely said, You don't know that yet, although the look she gave expressed that she understood she might. Give it more time. We must share with them what we know. We are here for a purpose, She reminds, softly. Of course, Leucothoë was also young and prone to immature bouts herself, so she did not think it anything when she said to her sister—sure there were no eyes around them, for now—

But that one boy... How proud he was! She had seen nothing like it. Even in his subservience there was something to her keen eye... something, perhaps, of worth. She had much preferred the inky wolf, who was wise to turn away, who responded perfectly. She shook her head, glancing around them again. Nevermind it. Leucothoë huffs, and peeks toward her sister, Do you think Callantha will do better, here?

It would be tiring, perhaps, for any other wolf to live up to Leucothoe's high expectations, but Nesaea welcomed it happily. Her sister strived for excellence, was obsessive about it even, but she had no trouble in keeping up. They represented vanity to the highest degree, with the dedication to the Nereides way of life to match. Their mother had instilled their culture within them from the moment they were born and they had been brought up with teachings of the Sea and the Moon. Of course, though, they both still had a lot to learn and experience. This journey to the Sound being one such adventure.

Her expression of distaste towards their new home caused Leucothoe to look around, alert, and Nesaea quickly realised her mistake. Her eyes too, darted to the side, searching for any unwelcome lurkers. She mentally cursed her tongue's clumsiness. It wouldn't do to be investigated from treason when they had only just been accepted. Their motives were innocent, of course, but the small family had arrived at a time of tension between packs and everyone was suitably paranoid. They had to be careful.

Her twin's words coaxed the girl's features to soften, her stern gaze falling to the water that swirled about her toes. Her sister was right; it was really only their first day here, she had to refrain from jumping to such negative decisions so quickly. They were here for a purpose. She repeated the phrase several times.

Leucothoe began to speak again, but trailed off, earning her a curious quirk of an ear from her twin. She knew which boy she spoke of — that grey-furred spawn who had refused to break his gaze. Unlike her discerning sister, Nesaea saw nothing to the boy, only insolence and his use as a tool for breeding. He had left a sour taste in her mouth and she hoped whatever other consorts lived within the Sound were as respectful as the darker male who had greeted them. Her mention of Callantha caused the girl to breathe out a soft, dubious laugh. "I sincerely hope so," she replied, meeting her twin's green gaze. It was a serious matter, that their mother's ward learn of the ways of the Nereides, and quickly. Although she was much too rambunctious and loud and filthy, she was still a sister, and Nesaea hoped she would get her act together soon lest she bring shame upon their name.

Leucothoë knew her expectations were high; truly, it could not be helped. Her mother had instilled upon her what it meant to be a Nereid, and the sterling girl took it to heart. Perfection was something she strove for. It pleased her that she was not alone in this. Leucothoë knew she was not alone in anything due to her sister, which made her quite happy. She imagined she might feel quite alone on this trip without her twin... but was happy she would never know that.

The silver girl moved to put her feet into the cool waters. Her feet had ached from their long journey; the Mothers kiss was all it took to numb them for a little while. At her sisters response, Leucothoë hummed. If only she'd bathe more often, she huffed, She could be very pretty... Leucothoë felt more at home speaking like this, of Callantha. She had a lot to learn about the white girl who was so very careless in her eyes, which irritated her beyond words. She wanted so badly for Callantha to desire to be perfect, to meet her absurdly high expectations. Though that many in Themiscrya had met them must have meant they could not be too high (but she held the elder sisters on a pedestal). It'd be a start, at least. The Greek fell off her tongue flawlessly, and she closed her eyes, wondering what a clean Callantha might really look like.

As her sister moved to stand in the shallows, Nesaea followed, pausing and letting her nose drift over the surface for a moment, breathing in deeply and inhaling the salty scent. There was a slight hint of fish, too, and the girl wondered if she would have any luck with fishing here in the Sound. It wasn't her favourite activity, but Leucothoe had stirred a determination within her to think of ways to please their new Siren Queen.

At her comment, Nesaea giggled again despite how truly offensive the ward's dirty coat really was to them. She indeed had such a flawlessly white pelt that almost rivalled the colour of the moon, yet for some reason the girl did not seem to care to tend to it properly — Nesaea couldn't really wrap her mind around the reason for her antics. Did she not want to please the Mothers? "The Sound will be a good for her," she answered with an unwavering tone of certainty. If anyone could...fix the ward, Nesaea was confident that Minthe could.

As for the change of scenery doing any good for them — the silver girl cast her gaze around again — only time would tell. She was sure she and her twin would be able to gain Caiaphas' favour with ease if the Queen truly upheld the Nereides beliefs. She was an odd-looking siren, but Nesaea tried to keep her judgement at bay. There was a reason that the hooded woman had come to lead the Sound, whatever that may be. "The Matriarch..." she started, turning to her sister again. "...what can we do to please her?" Of course, the girl had her own ideas of how to serve the Sound and it's sisters, but she was curious if Leucothoe had any plans of her own.

Leucothoë quite enjoyed fishing, though knew her sister did not adore it as she did. Her eyes remained on her sister as she looked to the shallows, and waved her tail at the thought of her sister coming to love the activity as much as she did. The fish at Themiscrya knew to keep a distance from the shallows; years and years of their sisters hunting had only caused a slight adaptation in their dim witted pattern. Here they were more bold, and Leucothoë gave a start when ones tail slapped against her ankle. She withdrew her leg quickly, her eyes wide; her furs had risen so that she looked like an affronted pufferfish, it's spikes poised to dig into its offender. Realizing what it was, she let out a breathy laugh.

Her sister thinking Callantha would do better here surprised her some. Did she? Well, the girl had grown more relaxed on their journey here... And even said nothing when meeting the Queen the first time. Perhaps Nesaea was right. Perhaps the place would do some good.

As for pleasing the Siren Queen, Leucothoë turned thoughtful. We do everything we can for her. The war seemed to excite her... Maybe there is something we can do, for our cause. she pauses, and looks back to the Sea. We could ask her, ourselves. well, together, but Nesaea would know how she meant it.

Another quiet snicker had escaped from Nesaea's throat as her sister reacted to the unexpected brush of a fish. She was curious about the wildlife of not only Ankyra Sound, but the surrounding areas as well. The lands of Themiscrya, although sprawling and relatively diverse, were mostly confined to the stretch of beach found there and was where the sisters — especially the younger sirens who were still learning the Nereides culture — spent most of their time. Nesaea had been fascinated by the ever-changing landscape as they travelled to the Sound, and wanted to explore it further, despite the fact that her heart still remained with the sea.

The talk of war caused the silver girl's ears to swivel backwards warily. They had to find out more about this impending conflict — just how large were the other packs? Were they truly unaware of Caiaphas' intentions? Her thoughts swirled as she followed her sister's gaze out over the ocean. The developments were troubling, but Leucothoe's stance towards it calmed her. It would be an opportunity to prove themselves and their worth to the Queen. What they could do, however, would need to be discussed. Nesaea nodded in response to her sister. They would ask.

"We need the Mothers' blessing," she mused quietly, looking once up to the sky. While she was determined to win over the leader of the Sound, she was even more concerned with their true Matriarchs — the Sea and Moon.

Leucothoë agreed wholly with Nesaea and her view that they needed the Mothers blessing. To fight, to take part in this war if they were needed. Or, if she would rather them be pacifists. Leucothoë belonged—before she belonged to anyone else—the Sea. For the Sea had brought her and her sister beside her life, had kept them together, had given them beauty, grace, and brains (she held herself and her sister in such high esteem).

So she nods. Let us see if she would give it then, she decides, loosing a yawn from her lips to fully rouse herself and shaking her ruff. Come... let us pray, and fall into the Sea and see what she has to say. She moves closer to her sister, to press her forehead against Nesaea's own, hoping her sister might begin. Leucothoë was certainly the more blessed of them, but she hoped for the Sea to hear her sister as She heard Leucothoë; and with Nesaea beginning, it might be a start.

It was a lofty wish, perhaps, to ask the Mother for a blessing for both success for this war Ankyra Sound found themselves in and for Leucothoe, Minthe, Callantha and herself to thrive within the pack, though she was sure the Sea would not disregard them. They were dedicated sirens, devoted to the way of the Nereides. And the Sea had gifted Leucothoe her ability — surely She held the twins (or, at least, Minthe's bloodline) in some regard. She had plans for them at the very least, Nesaea was sure.

The silver youth leaned forward as her sister touched her forehead to her own, and closed her eyes. The water swirled about their legs as Nesaea began, her soft and hesitant words quickly falling into a confident prayer to the ocean, asking the Mother for her blessing and a wish for them to succeed within this new place.