Stavanger Bay It's better to follow me

She was conflicted.

The wolf, the creature she thought lesser had healed her, saved her. She owed a debt, a huge one to the woman. @Doe, Atoll was her title. A wry smile twisted her features a moment. Her she was, by the sea, in a pack that loved it as she did. And yet, they were wolves. The situation was odd, but an odd appreciation, a debt, kept her here. 

She sat upon the shore, watching the waves that had shaken her, beat her and drowned her. She was certainly warier of the water now, but she loved the ocean, and it would no keep her from approaching and sitting in the shallows, should she so wish. The sky was overcast, the sea agitated as it frothed and lashed the beach with it's waves. 

Artemis watched.

With everything going on lately - finding Quill, losing Sharky, and now having ailing nobilty to worry about - Atoll had not had much time to speak to friends, lately. She missed Shadow, and felt a painful distance between herself and @Lagertha that probably could've been solved with a proper hello. But there was no time for any of that. She had a girl to take care of, a grieving master to worry for, and the woman's future-husband to heal.

It was no wonder that she'd nearly forgotten about her coyote, though seeing the semi-familiar form sitting there on the shore brought a fresh bout of guilt into her chest. She'd saved and claimed the woman only to ignore her completely - how heartbroken would she have been if Skellige had done the same to her? It was only right to show favor to one's servants, as they show their own favor by serving.

"Artemis," Atoll called, announcing her presence as she approached the slightly smaller woman from behind. It pleased the beta to stand above her - there were so very few adults that she measured up to - but kept this pleasure hidden in her heart. "I'm sorry we haven't spoken more. There has been much to do."

The words seemed inadquete, especially when she caught sight of the puzzled, almost wistful expression on the other woman's face.

Her name was spoken, and she twisted to see the form of Atoll nearing her. She knew naught of the fact that the woman thought her a servant, she would have repulsed the idea. She was still here because of two character traits she sought to uphold; honor and loyalty. She owed a life-debt to the woman, who had not only saved but healed her, and it would be foolish to leave without word. She had no plans to leave, not yet. She stayed trepidly, but with hope. Winter was coming, and perhaps she could gain some comfort from a pack, even if they be not of her own species. 

Ay her words, Artemis had hesitated but a moment before replying. "Do not worry, Atoll. It pleases me, to be by the sea, where I lived many moons ago. I owe to you a life-debt, you have been more than kind to me, your sorry is of no need." she told her, voice having healed almost completely from her drink of sea, though a few times her accented voice appeared husky. She looked at the other with golden optics, wondering again at her hospitality.

The words were pleasing to the Atoll's ears. "And the sea is pleased to have you," she said resolutely, sitting down beside the woman. For the sea had spat her out instead of swallowing her life; she was meant to stay on land and worship, and she seemed to do that well enough. "That she brought you here is a sure sign that you were meant to dwell on these shores as we do."

Atoll felt no need to assert herself over the smaller woman, especially when she acknowledged her life debt to easily. As it was, the Blackrock beta had not particular plans for her, and was content to merely have ownership of the pretty coyote girl. As far as she was concerned, just sitting by the sea made Artemis a fine servant; although she felt the need to make use of her, as long as she stuck around. Skellige would never approve of layabouts, after all, even if they were layabouts birthed by the Wickedness they served.

"Do you know anything of healing?" she asked curiously, wondering what skills the coyote might have, and where they could best be put to use.

Life-debt. A heavy term, yet that was what she owed the woman and she would never forget it. In her pack, a life-debt had been a heavy thing, and one could chose almost anything of another, save death. To defy a life-deb would, in most cases, bring the rage of the gods upon you, and that was something the petite coyote had no wish for. She watched Atoll curiously, wondering how to explain this too her. But her question arrived instead of her possible words, and she answered truthfully. "My thanks. I have little skill in healing; hunting is my greatest skill. I was best of my tribe." she says, perhaps with a little too much pride then she ought to. 

Then she gathered her courage and went ahead with a query of her own. "Atoll, it is my pleasure to live alongside you. Though I still am afraid sometimes. One of my tribe was victim of a wolf-hunt" she says, admitting some of the nervousness she felt.

Atoll listened intently to the woman, wondering what sort of prey she was accustomed to hunting. The caches could always hold more prey, of course, but this was not truly where their needs laid. The sea was rich with fish, after all, and most of her pack was quite adept at catching those. But perhaps she could be put to other uses; it didn't take any skill to go out in search of herbs, and Atoll was at loathe to leave the territory in order to do it herself.

"I understand your fear," she said to the woman, offering a warm smile. "But we are not so different, Artemis - coyote blood flows in my veins. There is another of our pack that is at least half. Not all will be welcoming, but they will all know my scent on your fur."

Moving a bit closer, the Blackrock beta attempted to groom her coyote, thus further spreading her scent. "I will ask that you hunt, like the rest of us - that is enough to earn a wolf their place, and that will be enough for you," she assured. "If you find extra time, I also have a task for you."

She paused there, though, to see what her coyote might think of such a thing. The Atoll did not know if she would be receptive toward being given chores, and expected obedience in the manner only as a beta might expect obedience from their pack. For although she considered Artemis hers, now, she felt no need to show such things with commands and displays of control. It was, perhaps, a different kind of ownership than most wolves might understand. Artemis had been given to her, but as something to be cherished and used, but not mistreated.