Coconut Grove the algea

Her slender muzzle nudged the rough, brown object along the sand— leaving a small, lined trail with her paw prints along either side behind her. She had tried to pick it up, but it proved to be too large for her mouth; and even if she could fit it, Emaleth did not yet have the steel-crushing jaws she would has a full-fledged adult. Something made a sloshing sound as she moved it, and this kept her interest for a time, but she eventually grew bored of the game and began the search for something else to sate her hunger.

Emaleth moved toward the shore, inhaling deep the scent of brine and fish, and saliva began to collect at the corners of her lips. But she paused, and sat, and after a shuddering breath began to chant—

"eilimint uisce
ag rith saor in aisce
srutháin agus aibhneacha
lochanna agus farraigí
ligean thy chumhacht ag obair an chuid eile
mo hintinn dhéanamh léiriú."

not once had the witch procured a spell to bring emaleth homeward. for in her heart, she knew the girl was well; she simply whispered words of healing, so that her sisters fretful heart would be cured of its hurts. she wandered the strand and noticed familiar shapes that were once like fangs jutting forth from the land. they did not appear so now; the trees leaves had returned, bringing a quaint beauty to the place. deirdre had again dreamt of this place, dreamt that her father had bid her here. the emerald of her gaze sharpened at the sight of another, and when the voice sang deirdre felt her heart stop. it was not just the loveliness of the notes that called her forth, but the words in them, and the language in which they were spoken.

deirdre had no doubts in who this was. for the very second her eyes beheld emaleth a shock had coursed through her. she felt the world shift on its axis, righting itself, and deirdre--wondering if emaleth wished to be found, yet--breathed in adoration and love: mo dheirfiúr,

Taltos had warned her to stand apart from the shore during this chant, else she might be swallowed by it— and yet Emaleth discounted the advice, now, as she sang. His death and her anger made the youth reckless and spiteful; the universe had taken her entire world, and it could take her, too, at its will. If her destiny was to join the selkies that moved beneath the ocean's surface, singing their mournful songs, then so be it. She wanted to learn of them, anyway, and what better path than to become one herself.

When her sister's voice broke over the sound of the swell, so too did Emaleth feel the world shift. Like a key fitting into a lock, clicking as its teeth found purchase, the dark beauty felt a piercing in the armor of her heart. It would be Deirdre that found the weakness in the steel; Deirdre, that would gain purchase there and crack it wide open.

"Croí chara," she answered, eyes fluttering shut as she felt her throat tighten.

when emaleth spoke, deirdre did as the ocean did; she rushed toward emaleth without haste, seafoam moving to kiss the dark shore that was her sister. her eyes welled with joyful tears as she moved to embrace emaleth, feeling stronger and surer for her presence, for her return. but she could not yet speak, the power to do so gone from her for the moment, overjoyed as she was. i have missed you so, she expressed with a whine, and the steady beat of her plume.

As the steel of her heart buckled, the storm of emotions she held there spilled forth in a tempest— and Emaleth wept against her sister's cheek, her body trembling. Joy, grief, anger, pain; it was all present, and the dark youth could not make sense of it. She had thought she had healed, that her time away had done this work, but the presence of her sister made it clear how wounded she remained. Perhaps she was not yet ready to return to Donnelaith after all. There was plenty she wished to ask of Deirdre, but her throat remained to tight to speak.

there were no words spoken, no words necessary, now; as they touched, she understood. deirdre leant her weight to emaleth, saying through the touch, i am here, and i will always be here! anything that might be asked would be answered, but for now, deirdre comforted and doted, moving to comb the knots in her sisters wild fur with gentle teeth. when she was afraid, emaleth would often soothe her in this way; the action was natural, and easy to her.

we can end this soon to get an updated thread, i just want to get a feel for what em will know going back to dl

She remained in Deirdre's embrace for a time, feeling herself calm with each knot of fur that her sister gently worked loose. Her tears slowly disappeared into her littermate's fur, and her breathing began to steady. "Croí chara," she repeated, "How fares Donnelaith?" For Emaleth had not remained to see who had taken the helm after Lasher's passing, though she assumed that perhaps it had been Constantine.

the inquiry stilled the youngest mayfair child, and she withdrew only so that she could tell emaleth all of that had transpired in her absence. how eilidh had been so quiet as of late while shem mourned, and of the meeting that aria had suggested implementing battle tactics into donnelaith that she had argued against. how she did agree that all ought to know of self-defense, but that in donnelaith violence had no place! she admitted her fears toward constantine's own reaction toward her, during that very meeting, and her anxieties were that aria and constantine were angry with her for her adamant fight against the beliefs she wished to express! she informed her sister of rowan, that the woman was with children--their siblings--and that rowan had been ousted from their ranks. she told emaleth of casmir's thoughts on the matter, and then remembered to tell her that casmir now ran with the creek wolves, and had a sweetheart, and admitted that she, too, feared aria's jealousy, but that she did not imagine aria envied her for any reason, so she ought not to worry at all. she informed her sister of the neighboring bay, allies and protectors of donnelaith; that skellige, its king, had saved her on more than one occassion, and perhaps emaleth and she alone could ever decipher the warmth in her tones as she spoke of him. she fell silent after it all, the monologue quite long, but necessarily so.

Emaleth was ever willing to listen, for she was a creature of few friends and fewer words— and she listened with rapt attention to her sibling's speech, storing each piece of knowledge and insight away for later use. Much of the news was somber, heating the anger within the dark witch's breast, though she did her best to protect sweet Deirdre from discovering it— and instead murmured words of empathy and commiseration where appropriate. It was best that the mysterious woman had been cast from the ranks, though Emaleth did not voice this to her littermate, and though it was good to have alliances, the dark youth did not trust them. But to admit so would be to admit that she did not trust Deirdre, and she could not do that, so she remained quiet instead.

"We shall protect Donnelaith from those that would harm it," Emaleth promised, "For our magicks reunited will breathe new life into our forest, and the nemeton looks after its own." Their home would remain the peaceful sanctuary that their father meant it to be, but it would not tolerate those that sought to shake that.

She exhaled, the sobs gone from her breath, though she felt raw and weary. "I am not ready to return, dear heart," Emaleth whispered. "But I will be home soon." They exchanged kisses and small charms of love and luck, their goodbyes teary but less painful for the knowledge that they would soon be whole again.