Totoka River i.iv : who was trained not to spit in the fan

{dogs}{part one, episode four}

---

She was so close, so close. She could see the island on the horizon, the Skybowl reaching to the heavens. Her garden, her beach, Reed and Seelie and Venninne. . . She was so excited she could hardly stand it, and hobbled quickly along the winding river, her eyes fixed on the sea.

Except. . .oh. Maegi stopped by a certain bend, brought to a halt by a sudden memory that rose from the dead. Vaati. She had last seen her older brother here--perhaps the last she would ever see of him again. The words they had exchanged, the way they'd left things. . . A lump rose hard and fast in her throat; she tried to swallow it down and failed, sitting back in agonized grief.

How could she possibly go on, when she had lost so much--and looked to lose even more in the future?

@Rokig, dated back to the afternoon of the 18th

The smell of these lands is what drew the white prince in. The smell of salt water was intoxicating, the promise of food and lush lands fed by the mineral rich water - but it wasn't as strong as any ocean he had come across in his travels within the past year. It was soft, like it was mixed with fresh water. As he neared it became more and more obvious, it was the case. Salt water, but mixing with fresh. Where sea and river meet. It was interesting...

But not as interesting as the one he had saw standing by a bend. 

As what he could see from a distance her face was intriguing. Torn into a perpetual smile, he wondered if it was on both sides, or what had caused such a thing... Was it a birth defect? A sign of a good battle. Despite the torn face, she seemed deep in thought. Perhaps the area was far more than just an interesting meet of waters, but a place for mementos. 

"Something haunts you." He approached with care, carefully in case she wasn't alone.

For the briefest instant, she thought it was Vaati. The illusion held until he drew close enough for her to see his eyes--a deep gold, rather than her brother's blue. She blinked at him for a moment, absorbing his question, before turning away with a small huff.

Many things haunt me, Maegi countered, looking down at the water. She drew a paw slowly through it, watching the ripples in its wake. Do you really care, or are you just being nosy? The Melonii lifted her head to look at him, pretending her gaze was some sort of weapon. Aim it hard enough and. . .pop! Right through his socket, into his skull.

Macabre as it was, it was kind of a comforting thought. She drew silent strength from it, at least.