Cerulean Cape Runaway Waves

It'd taken three long days, but finally they were here: the shore. Zephyr had to admit, he missed it, living in the scent of salt and being just a few minutes run from the warm and sandy beaches. It wasn't the mountains, of course, but it had been the closest thing he'd had to a home in over a year. 
Now, he came back, skirting fully around the old borders of Seadog and carrying @Chusi far from those lands. Most of the time, he allowed her to walk, so long as she stayed close to him and was able to keep up. Other times, he held her by the scruff, or with her abdomen in his jaws, usually when they needed to cross mud or anywhere relatively dangerous. Everything he did for her was out of love and carefulness; after his own children being taken from him, the brute knew that children were to be cherished, loved. All the while, Zephyr kept telling himself that it's what Depp would have wanted, his children to have an exciting and happy life! Sao didn't survive long enough for him to save her, too, and it was a burden that lay heavily on his broad shoulders. He hadn't been close enough, protective enough. Just like with his own children, he just hadn't been enough to keep the threat away. This time, he would make things different. Chusi would be okay, and she would be happy. 
He set the little girl down between his paws as the grass began to turn to grainy, golden sand. It was one more experience she could have, touching and playing in sand for the first time, and Zephyr was all for letting her experience life though the eyes of a pup. 
                     "Stay close, Chusi, but go play a little bit. We can rest here, I think."
Looking back to @Aglæcaa with a smile spreading across his lips, he plopped down and sprawled in a shaft of sunlight. It'd been a long three days, getting here, especially with a pup, but they were here nonetheless. Sen had no hope of tracking them, not now, but that didn't mean she wouldn't look and it didn't mean she wouldn't eventually find them. One day, their luck would run out, and Zephyr could only hope that by then Chusi was grown. 
His green eyes never let the little girl go far, sweeping over her frame and around them all to be sure they were alone and safe. His words, however, warmer and happier than they'd been in months, were aimed towards the sandstorm of a woman who shared his company.  He motioned for her to lay with him, sunbathe, but he was unsure if she would or not.
                                                "So, where will we head next? A little further down the shore and we can dip between the two mountain ranges, to the flatlands and the wilderness, but theres a place even further, on the other side of those mountains that I've never explored." 

Perhaps, if she knew what a day was, she would've found it long. But everything was so exciting time seemed to pass way quicker. While she was tired most of the time due to them traveling almost all day, wonder and excitement seemed to give her bright energy and a will to explore. Mother never would've aloud this! A road trip through, what seemed like, the whole Teekon Wilderness! Still, the haunting words of her mother about monsters kept her close to her new family at all times, yet far enough to feel like she was doing this on her own. She had even grown a tiny bit in the three days, meat provided by the adults and the many water bodies they passed having enough water to clench her thirst. Her thirst for knowledge was also satisfied, her having learned numerous new words by just listening to Aggie and Zephyr.

Even though Zephyr carried her as they passed through icky stuff, it didn't prevent her coat being a light brown due to all the mud that had dried on her, clumping up her hairs in small little knots that would only be removable with a quick dip in clean water. Still, that didn't stop the little tomboy. She would follow Zephyr and Aggie anywhere, only until a large, blue, moving "thing" came into sight- and she froze. Had they wandered to the edge of the world? What was this? Even as she was put down she stood perfectly stil, eyes trying to make out what was in front of her. What was under her felt moist, soft yet strange and the air smelled salty and somewhat nice.

Big, ocher orbs looked up at the pair, then back at the sea, then back at them and then she took off toward the blue edge of the world. The sand tickled her nose, and she stumbled a few times, rolling "elegantly" whenever she fell back into a standing position until she reached the beginning of the edge. It was water! A huge grin planted on her face, she looked back at the now 2 dots behind her, the water tickling her feet as she screeched out of excitement. She "attacked" it, splashing the salty water around, but not going farther into the sea. She was drenched now, but the mud was gone, and she was having a ton of fun!

She had followed. She was not a creature that merely followed in another's footsteps, but rejecting the assistance of Zephyr was a stupid thing to do. And she, though faulted, was far from stupid. But she did not follow, as a meek sheep might, instead, remembering, and, when they should rest, going off by herself to better understand the way of the land. They had traversed the edges of the Sunspire, as she understood it to be named, in a little less than a week, a remarkable journey. 

Zephyr forged on ahead, but she stopped a few meters behind him as he attended to the girl. Her stormy gaze travelled over the shore, the waves, and much like the pup, was overcome. Overcome. A thing she rarely was, but this glittering expanse of blue with no end in sight was simply remarkable. She spent a few moment there, simply staring, and then she picked her way toward Zephyr, the feeling of sand beneath her paws very odd. 

He motioned beside him, but she ignored the movement. She would not get so familiar with the goofy male just yet. She didn't know what to think of one who seemed so enthusiastic, it was certainly different with the others she had travelled with during her years. 

She instead settled on her haunches a few feet from him, gaze on the girl as she batted at the waves, prepared to lunge toward her should something go wrong. It would be horribly unfortunate to have the girl drown after all this way. "What of the North? The Taiga, as you labelled it. Or the mountains? What do you know about them?" she asked, not yet having made a decision about in which direction to travel. This would be no impulse decision, mind you.

Aglaeca didn't come sit with him, something that stung, but he didn't comment on. He understood that they were still far from bonded friends, and it would take time for her to loosen up to where he naturally felt comfortable. That was okay, though: it just made him want her all the more. For now, Zephyr let his warm, green apple eyes rest on Chusi. She was farther than he wished her to go, but at the same time he knew that both himself and Aglaeca were right here and practically waiting for her to fall or get hurt. It would take mere seconds for both adults to eliminate any danger, and that fact kept him where he was. 
Zephyr noted the golden womans reaction to the beach, and a smile lit up his face. She'd never been here before either, then, it seemed, and he relished in the knowledge that he got to see both of the girls' first time trips! 
It was short lived, for as soon as Aglaeca mentioned the North, Zephyrs ebony brow furrowed and the grin fell from his lips. They couldn't go that way: Sleeping Dragon was to be avoided, and most of the places around them were also guarded fiercely. That left Larksong Grotto, and while the Maverick hadn't ever met any of the cultists and knew nothing of them, it was the unknown that kept him away from the North. That, and Sen was on that side of the region, and it wasn't far enough from the Rosings wolves for Zephyr to feel Chusi was safe.
             "The North already has two packs living there, at least one of which are highly territorial. It's too close, anyways. We've gotta go either South or West."

The waves intrigued her, how they reflected the sunlight, creating what she almost thought to be heaven. Couldn't they stay here? It was beautiful and far away from mother. She splashed around some more before finally setting a few more steps forward, keeping her head above the water at all times. Her feet lifted off the sea bodem, paddling like a dog, and... SHE WAS SWIMMING! She was so happy and turned around, floating further and further away, smiling at Zephyr and Aggie. Were they proud? Did she do good? Her legs quickly became tired, and she tried to come back to the shore, but the pull of the sea was too strong. She wasn't far in sea just yet, but who knew how far she would float if they didn't notice her.

Zephyyyyyyyyr! AAAAggiiieee!!!!

Aglaeca was moving before the girl even cried. Her first few paddles had seemed harmless, but then, as she went a bit further, Aglaeca's whole form tensed. Then she had been running down the sand, the odd, unfamiliar sand, towards the salt-tainted water that held the girl. She was drifting, the current too strong for the little koutavi, the sandstorm of a woman slipping into the water a few meters behind her. Strong strides took her quickly toward the girl, Aglaeca arching her neck to grab a hold of her scruff. 

She paddled backward a bit, an awkward and uncomfortable manuever, dragging the girl carryfully behind her. Her paws quickly struck bottom again, and as soon as possible she spun, picking up the rather sodden girl and moving towards the surf, waves crashing around them. Her paws hit dry sand, but she retreated a few more meters up the beach before depositing the girl on the sand, sniffing her over calmly to make sure that she was, in fact, all right. 

Zephyr's words went unanswered, but not unheard. Later, she would think of then when she decided on a new direction for the group. But now, she carefully checked over the pup, firmly and calmly, as to not alarm her further. Should Zephyr come, she'd allow him to take over and care for the girl, he was closer to her, after all.

Before Aglaeca could answer, their full attention was planted on Chusi, who was going further and further into the water. For a while, she did very good indeed, but slowly the happiness in her ocher eyes was replaced by fear. The ebony brute stood at the same time as the golden woman, and they moved forward with haste towards the dark pup. Heart thrumming in his throat, he waited with just his snowy paws in the salty water. Leaning forward, craning his neck to see, Zephyr backed up when they again drew close. 
He was glad Aglaeca took her away from the water, and the apple eyed man followed at a closeness he usually wouldn't. His wide, fear laced eyes were locked onto Chusi as she was checked: he only didn't step in because she already was, but it was only a few seconds later that he reached out. A soft whimper fell from his lips as he slipped to the ground, and he nuzzled Chusi towards his chest. 
                  "You'll get better at swimming, don't worry. You won't always need to be saved."
One day, she'd be big and strong, and she'd paddle through the water beside him with ease. One day, she wouldn't need him.... But would she still want him close, in her life? God, he hoped so. 
                                             "But until then, I promise we'll always protect you."

Salty water splashed everywhere, even in her little mouth, as she was desperately trying to keep her head above water. It wasn't like she knew what drowning was or that she couldn't breath underwater, it was just instinct. Though for the time she was under water, she really really really felt uncomfortable. Breathing felt better, and rain water was a thousand times better than the edge of the world water. She saw a flash of goldy gray, and knew they were coming for her. But, actually, she was getting the hang of it. Left paw, right paw, and if she kept that pattern, she could stay up for a while. Maybe if she wasn't the smart little girl she was, she would've drowned. 

She coughed as she stopped paddling, feeling Aggie's teeth grabbing her, and there they went. It almost felt like flying! She wanted to be a butterfly ever since seeing the one on a flower nearby her former den, but seeing as Zephyr wasn't a butterfly, she wouldn't either. Butterflies didn't like whatever they were, and she loved Zephyr! 

The drenched girl was still coughing as she hit the ground, having swallowed quite some sea water. But that was soon over, Chusi inhaling deeply for a few minutes. Her energy had been drained, that was for sure, but she had had her fun. Zephyr came now too, and she shivered as the summer wind blew her wet pelt, feeling cold to the bone. She buried herself in Zephyr's fur. Thank Aggie... She squealed.