Sea Lion Shores just don’t know if i can roll into the sea again,
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Ooc — Lauren
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All Welcome 
aw <3 tags for reference

in tandem the pair continued to trail @Ganondorf, haunting him in the manner of two ill-deceased ghosts. after some stunts of unsuccessful tracking, @Merrick parted from astara’s company to hunt, leaving the wraith to continue her hapless tracking of their enemy. 

his scent was long gone, though every now and then astara felt the presence of her stone nearby. leaning over a thin stream, astara hunched her shoulders and drank slowly from the sluggish water, her eyes reflecting the dancing sunlight that sped along the stream’s surface.

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She left @Tristan resting beneath the shady trees at the foot of Gyrfalcon's Keep and ventured back toward the shoreline, wondering if she might catch them some fresh fish for breakfast. She could hear the din before the ocean came into view: barking sea lions, squawking seagulls and the rhythmic pounding of the surf. A smile played about her lips as she tilted her slate snout into a sea breeze that whipped past, combing salty fingers through her nape, where a crust of brine still lingered.

There were a dozen or more small streams leading out to sea and Bat discovered a figure crouched over one, pink tongue darting slowly to break up the morning sun's shimmering reflection on the clear water. Although her stomach was pinched with hunger, the yearling slowed to greet the stranger, as ever happy to meet new faces on her travels. This one was sharp and black, her fur slightly disheveled and her eyes a striking amethyst.

"Good morning!" Bat called out amiably.
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soon astara's solitude was interrupted, but the dark melonii did not mind. carefully, she lifted her muzzle from the stream and watched the woman that approached. it was a grey-washed individual, svelte with youth and appearing of a similar age. this fact alone afforded her an amicability that astara did not generally give to strangers.

given this wolf was not ganondorf, astara had no reason to be on edge.

unfortunately for bat, astara lacked the same genial ability to talk; for all her silence, her body communicated a warm greeting all the same. her tail wagged amiably, but astara made no noise as she peered across the stream in bat's direction.

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Although the stranger made no reply to her chirped greeting, her body language spoke for her. Wondering if she was shy, Bat ventured closer, her own tail wagging the entire time. She sought the other female's gaze, though there was no challenge or threat, simply curiosity. In the back of her mind, Bat wondered if her long time away from any semblance of pack life was wearing on her sense of etiquette.

"You have the purplest eyes I've ever seen, though I haven't seen many purple eyes," the yearling quipped when they were within easy speaking range. "I bet you've heard that a million shmillion times."
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astara's tail matched the pace of bat's, whisking to and from her thin hips in gentle sweeps. she did not stiffen as bat came closer, for the yearling possessed a geniality about her that did not put astara on edge. perhaps it was that they were the same age -- for astara did not usually let strangers so close.

she caught the stranger's gaze and held it a moment, recognizing the lack of hostility in it -- yet what tumbled forth from bat's muzzle was incoherent to the melonii, who in response simply tilted her head and offered a tentative wag of her tail. the compliment was lost upon her, but she could read well bat's body language -- which thus far carried little threat.

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Still she said nothing, though her body spoke for her. Bat cocked her head, thoughts swirling, then reached forward to sniff noses with her fellow she-wolf. Thus acquainted by scent, she withdrew a little and pondered the ongoing silence. Was she simply taciturn or was it something more? Perhaps she was mute? Or maybe she was—

"Deaf?" Bat blurted, then repeated herself with the ptero sign, -"Deaf?"- Even as she signed, it occurred to her that if she was deaf, that didn't mean the stranger would know sign language. But Towhee could read lips, so there was still hope that she'd understood.
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if only astara’s problems were limited to auditory perception! bat’s inquiry fell on unknowing ears — but the ptero that commenced shortly thereafter commanded all of the blackbird’s attention. 

was it a spell? a curse? the little waif had yet to see a skill so masterfully worked. lifting from the soggy bank with a heavy squelch, astara lifted a paw and attempted to nudge bat’s limb — as if to entreaty an encore of the strange but delightful gesture.

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Still there was no reply, verbal or otherwise. Bat's brow furrowed. She was stumped. Her expression cleared a little, becoming more curious, when the black she-wolf scooted forward to bump against her foreleg. Oblivious as to why, Bat inspected the paw in question, then looked at the other yearling's face, then back at her foot again.

"What is i—" she began to ask, when it occurred to her. "Oh. Do you know ptero?" Bat wondered a beat before repeating herself with the sign again. -"Ptero?"- Come to think of it, she wasn't at all fluent herself, so she wasn't really sure where she was going with this...
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astara’s gaze lit in interest as bat paused and then signed; how arcane and delightful the motion seemed! her indigo eyes traced the subtle language held in that paw— what did the strange gestures signify?

she plopped to her haunches and raised a front limb, attempting to mirror the last motion bat had gestured. her interpretation was a clumsy imitation at best, looking expectantly at bat for validation.

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For a split second, Bat thought she might actually know ptero. Then it occurred to her that the purple-eyed stranger was merely mimicking her in apparent fascination. The yearling bit back a sigh and smiled, resigning herself to the fact that they wouldn't be able to communicate beyond body language and expressions.

"Do you at least understand me when I speak?" Bat asked bluntly, then shifted gears and said, "I came here to catch some fish." In case the she-wolf couldn't follow her words, she pointed at the fresh water. With a smile, she made the sign also: -Fish.- She'd gone by that name a while, so it was a term she knew, as well as a pretty obvious sign: she weaved her paw through the air, like a fish swimming through water.
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there was a question so many asked; and all that came in answer was a knowing glint in astara’s eyes. 

she placed her paw back on the earth as if serenely; her gaze following bat’s fish imitation to the water. such communication was implicit — astara rose to her thin legs and made a bid for the banks, looking behind her once to ascertain whether bat followed.

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There must be some semblance of understanding there, Bat mused, as the other she-wolf took to the banks. Bat trailed after her, a smile on her lips. She wasn't the most skilled fisher out there, though she'd landed a few in her time and hoped she could do the same today. She was pretty hungry and she knew Tristan would be too.

At the water's edge, she ascertained the direction of the current, then scanned for the nearest break. Fortunately, there was a calm pool on this side of the stream. Bat traipsed over to it, noting that the shallows were cloudy. She couldn't see any movement, though the murk most likely meant there was some fish moving about in the calmer water.

She glanced over at her companion, head tilted inquisitively toward the mere.
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the pair arrived at a rounded bank, where the water here was shallow and scintillating with golden ripples. astara bent to the waters, her eyes scanning its riffling surface — fish lurked under the dull sheen, their fins moving in lazy locomotion. 

a catfish languishing in the tepid shallows caught her attention — she looked to bat meaningfully, muzzle canted towards the dark spear in the depths. at this junction, bat was closer.. astara leaned forward in interest, but made no bid yet to pounce upon the armored fish.

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Despite the language barrier of sorts, her companion managed to not only capture but direct Bat's attention to a fat catfish lurking in the depths. "Oooh," the yearling murmured, carefully picking her way to a better position while trying to avoid scaring the fish. If she carefully angled herself, then waited for just the right moment to strike, then...

She did everything she could to guarantee success yet, alas, Bat got nothing for her effort except a face full of water. She withdrew back to the bank after her attempt, shaking off the droplets and offering the witness a sheepish smile. She then peered into the water, waiting for the clouds of mud to clear, only to see just what she'd expected to see after that: nothing.

But when she heard a splash nearby and saw a bullfrog kicking upstream, Bat acted quickly, springing after it. Despite her ill luck with the catfish, she managed to snatch the frog just before it dove to safety. She dragged it back toward dry land, where she quickly pinned it to the ground and then crushed its head with her teeth.

Although she intended the food for herself and Tristan, she plucked up the mauled amphibian and set it down near the other she-wolf. "You a fan of frog legs?"
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astara watched bat expectantly, eyes alight with interest. behind her, the waif's tail wagged amiably. the fish, well out of astara's reach, had yet to notice bat as she positioned herself to pounce -- yet when she did, the greywashed girl came up from the roiling water with naught to show.

disappointment lingered across the blackbird's face, yet she did not show much emotion for long. bat had already recovered, and was now moving upstream -- something astara could not see caught in her gaze.

nimbly, the yearling leapt after the silverbacked female, coming to a stop as bat turned around with frog held triumphantly between her teeth. astara was uncertain if the she-wolf was offering her catch, so she stretched out in a bow before bat, eyes dancing with interest.

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I'm wrapping up due to my snackrifice! :)

She didn't reply, of course. Bat watched her antics with amusement before looking down at the frog and announcing, "I don't think we do. So have at it. It's all yours." She pointed a toe at the frog, then mimed eating it, just in case.

"I've gotta get going, get back to my friend," she explained in the next breath. She'd show up empty-handed but, hey, she'd tried! And she'd helped out someone else and made a new friend, kinda. "Uh, take care, okay?" she tacked on amiably, telegraphing her intentions before Bat waved her tail and began the trek back to the keep.
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<3

hungrily, astara lunged for the frog. she had never been one to turn down a meal, and did not begin now. in a second the frog was gone, wolfed down the girl's dark gullet. she lifted her gaze to bat, expecting more -- only to find the girl was preparing her exit.

astara's ears fell back, but she did not beg. the girl was gone after several seconds, leaving astara to her own devices. with a solemn shrug the blackbird rose and padded up and down the bank once more, resuming her hunt in quiet solitude.

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