Gilded Bay it smells like the beach that time you wouldn't let us swim.

"Wow..." Liffey said, her eyes wide and adoring as she gazed out at the blue that spread out before them. She looked over at @Rannoch with a grin as she shared the magnificent view with him. "I know we were here with the kids not so long ago, but it doesn't get old, does it?" The breeze picked up as she turned her head back to the ocean, the wind bringing with it the smell of salt and the sound of waves crashing far below their paws.

She smiled at the memory of bringing Breccan and Deshyr here on their last trip to the Plateau. Her heart twinged with longing. It had only been a few days, but she still missed them fiercely. She wondered if Sionnach and Tiarnach had driven them crazy yet, and if they were feeding Aengus enough for his liking. Her heart swelled with love for them, but she tried to temper her homesickness by pulling herself back into the moment with her mate.

The salt-heavy buffet was like a breath of fresh air to Rannoch. Although their visit to Neverwinter Forest had been therapeutic, he finally felt free of his grief once they had touched the shoreline. It was as though the salt and sand were aiding in his emotional recovery. 

At the mention of Breccan and Deshyr, Rannoch turned to Liffey, his smile faltering. He missed his children fiercely and wished that they could share the views with them. "It really doesn't," he admitted, keeping his eyes towards the horizon. "We'll have to bring all of them here soon," he decided, and then turned to Liffey. 

"What do you think they'll make of it?" Rannoch wondered.

Liffey considered his question for only a moment before a smile danced across her lips at the mental images it provoked. "Sionnach will immediately try to dive straight in," she said confidently, "Tarnach will be right behind her. Aengus too, but I think he'd hesitate for a moment before going in after them. Eshe will stay with me until I coaxed her to dip her toes in." But then she would be just as down with playing in the water as the rest, or so Liffey assumed. I don't really know personally since she hasn't started being played yet so Liffey could be completely wrong lolololol.

Rannoch could vividly envision the scene that Liffey described, and he smiled. "Yeah," he replied, his voice fond. "Though I think that when Aengus did get going, he'd be so excited to explore," Rannoch added. "He'd probably run at full speed and somehow manage to knock over Tiarnach," he said, his voice lifting as he imagined the situation."Though, it wouldn't be on purpose," They both knew what a sweetheart Aengus was.

Liffey laughed, shaking her head lightly at her kids as though they truly were there before them, getting into the hijinks their parents described. "Oh, Tee wouldn't care about that," she commented, "He would give Aengus a wallop and soon enough it'd be all out war amongst them." Which seemed to be the way it typically always ended. Playing, then fighting. If there was one thing she could count on, it was that.

"Ah, yes," Rannoch agreed. "You know, I have no idea how they do it," he mused. "They could all be in the best mood, collecting flowers, and having a great time, and then out of nowhere they all begin to fight." They were the rowdiest puppies he'd encountered, and he figured that they must've inherited their fire from Liffey's side of the family. 

Rannoch sighed then, feeling suddenly homesick for them. "They're good kids, though,"

Liffey laughed again. Her mate's assessment of their latest litter was both picturesque and unfortunately accurate. She knew just why too. "Well of course because eventually one of them would pick the best flower and then they would either fight for that flower, or they would fight over theirs being better," she concluded with a confident nod.

But, she sobered a bit at his last. "They are... I hope our older kids are surviving them," she replied, "I'm glad we have Gannet checking in on them all, otherwise I'd be more worried."

"That sounds about right," Rannoch mused; they'd find a way to find something to fight over. "Most likely, I can see them fighting that their flower is best," and in this particular scenario, he envisioned Sionnach being the one to start the argument. 

When Liffey sobered, Rannoch felt an inkling of concern. He had also worried about Deshyr and Breccan, but he had done his best not to think about their strife. "I'm glad Gannet's helping, too," he agreed. 

"Maybe we should find something to bring back for Breccan and Deshyr—something to show our appreciation?"

Liffey nodded her agreement to his recommendation. She had no particular thoughts about what they could bring back for their elder kids. She had personally never grown any attachments to trinkets or objects here on the ground. She loved only the stars, but could never delude herself into thinking she truly possessed them. And she and Rannoch had already given those to their kids in as close a way as they could. So what was there then?

"What do you think of promoting them?" Liffey asked, a bit timidly as she recollected how poorly their last conversation regarding ranks had gone. Eager to avoid to any unpleasantness, she moved to address the elephant in the room first. "I know you'll have to discuss it with the others first, but I imagine there's a good argument there for them having earned at least a little bump after this?"

Rannoch did not consider Liffey's suggestion for long. It made sense; Breccan and Deshyr had proved themselves on multiple occasions. "I think that is a wonderful reward for them," he agreed, his tail brushing against the shoreline. "I'll bring all three promotions up to them once we return," Rannoch hadn't forgotten about Liffey's aspirations, and he would be damned if he neglected to bring them up to Treason and Terance.

He knew, of course, the unspoken conversation that had been on her mind. She bowed her muzzle slightly, embarrassed but humbled by his astute observation and his determination to not let the issue go. She still was afraid of what Terance and Treason would say regarding her bid for leadership. Probably they would scoff and list all of the reasons she was unfit. Things that she thought of herself often and hoped weren't true, though she suspected they were. This was an opportunity for those fears to be made real. And worse, it was an opportunity for them to make Rannoch realize his mistake in choosing her as his mate.

So, Liffey said nothing. She merely gave him a smile, a gentle kiss on the cheek, and then she turned away. "C'mon, we should get going again and find some shelter before nightfall," she said, eventually breaking into a canter and leading them away from the cliffs to do just that.