Coconut Grove you say that all your love is mine

yayy debuting new character :D

Huā stood beside the ocean among the coconut trees. The fearsome waves splashed against her legs, rising over her knees. Nature seemed angry lately and Huā had noticed the changes quickly. The way the ocean threatened to devour the land... the land that shook beneath her paws. But despite the recent ferocity of the sea, she could not bear to head too far from the comforting expanse. Her eyes shut. The white noise of the waves and the wind soothed her tension, even though the water continued to move in a confused and chaotic manner. Then her eyes opened, first staring into the horizon, where the black sky met the edge of the sea. Her gaze heistated there, before moving up towards the stars above her. Millions of them. "很漂亮..." She whispered quietly to herself in awe.

A particularly strong wave crashed high on her legs, nearly knocking her over. Immediately she got a hold of her senses and headed further up onto the land, hurrying away from the water and tropical trees till she could stand more comfortably: the water just above her paws. She watched the ocean from a distance instead. Suddenly she became aware of how freezing it was, and the wetness of her fur nor the night wind was helping her to feel any better. She shivered to herself miserably, starting to slowly walk further inland. She did not want to be far from the sea- but she would rather search for shelter at present. As she journeyed further inland, the water level became lower until it was just moist sand and dirt beneath her, rather than water above her feet. But still she shivered uncomfortably in the wind, looking for a bit of warmth somewhere as she paced.

Wraen had not returned to the grove ever since fetching Fennec there and bringing her back to Firebirds. And events that followed had kept her away from frequenting the shores in order to scavenge for edible morsels here. For a while now she had thought about bringing more pack members with her, because the food again was running short and with the temperatures varying between bitter cold and autumnly warm, it was difficult to predict, when and how would the next meal come.

The ram her pack had found few weeks ago and feasted on was now only a vague memory. Hunger was Wraen's constant companion again, but, while she was used to the empty feeling in her belly, it pained her more to see, how lack of food took toll on her pack members. Eljay was a bag of bones already - worse of them all, because food shortage was not the only thing that plagued his body and soul. The youths kept themselves going, though they were thinner than she would have liked them to see in the beginning of winter. And as for the elders - every evening before her sleep she prayed that they stayed well and survived through this all until the spring came. They were her rock and she would be devastated to lose any of the two Blackthorns.

The best remedy for a troubled mind is a hard work and therefore she had spared some time to walk all the way to the coconut grove. It had suffered from a huge wave and storms in the recent past, but just as quickly as the nature had destroyed, it also had effectively removed the evidence. It was very likely that at some other far off island, broken remnants of palm trees were washed ashore and... that is a story for another time. The important conclusion that Wraen came to, when she made the damage control, was that it looked better than the last time. And - who was that?

A stranger was observing the land as well. Wraen approached the she-wolf, warned of her presence with a quiet bark and then made a proper greeting: "Good day to the fellow traveller! What has brought you to these lonely shores?"

omg thank you so much for joining!! I was starting to think this would be a lonely thread forever :">

 

A bark broke the cool air, notifying Huā of a women's presence. A smallish wolf, with classic fur coloring and pleasant green eyes. She seemed friendly enough, and though Huā typically preferred to have her alone time, on this cold and windy night she appreciated the company and warmth the stranger seemed to bring. The shores certainly were lonely. Usually lonely wasn't a bad thing to her, but tonight lonely was something she did not wish to be. 

"Good evening stranger. I don't know why I come here now, I just come here from south along beach. I just want to." She responded truthfully with a small and pleasant smile, intended to be friendly but looking abit awkward on the typically poker-faced girl. Her accent tinged her words and language as she spoke. 

"You are from where?" She asked of the woman, who had referred to herself as a "fellow traveler". Perhaps both of them found themselves in an uncomfortably familiar land. But Huā did note that the women's English seemed perfect- probably she had less hurdles to overcome in her communication during travels in this way. It wasn't always easy for Huā to understand everyone; they all seemed to speak this language perfectly besides her. She knew simple English well but had a difficult time with those wolves who were especially wordy. In this way Huā appreciated that the woman had not yet used words that the girl did not know.

Wraen would not refer to her language as English, knowing it by another name - the common tongue. There were very few wolves she had met in her life, who spoke anythings besides this. Asked to name any, the she-wolf would recall two. A black Dragedan guy, who had called her "blinka", whatever it meant. And a white wolf, who had been so enchanted with her to call her "veeri". The green one. The latter had sounded more as a compliment than the former. If there had been more encounters and exposure to a different culture, Wraen had no memory of it.

"There is something very magical about the ocean-side," Wraen agreed, looking over the steely-grey waters at the skyline. After much thinking she had come to a conclusion that she enjoyed the beach, because of the wide-open space. Here her mind could soar and wander freely. Here it could rest. It felt differently, when she was in the forest or the mountains. "Maybe it's because of the famous siren-song. It is told that they lure wanderers into the cold waters singing the most beautiful melodies. It is not the song in a traditional understanding, but it does something to your soul," she finished and looked away from the ocean to the stranger.

"I live a little south-ward in the forest. I am a leader of a small family pack there," she explained. "My name is Wraen. How should I call you?"

The description of the sea that Wraen explained spoke perfectly to Huā, as if the woman was speaking in her native language. Huā's head nodded up and down the more Wraen spoke as she agreed enthusiastically with her.

And there was this word- siren- she liked this word very much. In her head a similar word came to mind- 美人鱼. Sometimes she would like to dream that she herself could be a siren, living her life underwater in hidden reefs, sticking her head out from the ocean to lure unsuspecting prey to the darkest depths of the sea. This lifestyle sounded like a dream. As Wraen told about these creatures, Huā decided that she liked this woman, who seemed to understand the draw of the ocean.

When the woman explained that she was a pack leader, Huā gained respect for her. Not just anyone could lead a whole gang of wolves- there were certain qualities an individual needed. The little merwolf figured that this woman must be very responsible and mature indeed. 

Huā nodded politely at the woman's introuction, and then introduced herself- "My name is Huā​. It means flower, in my language." she explained. "So, why you travel here now? So far from home?" She asked the pack leader before her.

Wraen could read from the other's expression that she had met a kindred spirit, to whom poetry of the soul was not foreign. Happiness filled her heart and she was so glad to have met somebody, who during the time of extreme hardship could find beauty to take joy from. 

"Flower. In your language," Wraen repeated Huā's words and looked at the she-wolf with new interest. Her inquisitive gaze traced the features of the stranger's face, then quickly ran over her stature and did not find her being any different from the other wolves she had encountered here and spoken to. And yet this wolf belonged to folk, who spoke words in a different tongue and thus their flow of thoughts and world-view was different as well.

It began to seem that of all the useful things Wraen had scavenged today, Huā was by far the most precious gem. "There has been unrest of the earth, it has rattled mountains, cracked the earth, felled tall and sturdy trees. And with it large game has left and many packs have to strive in the most challenging circumstances," she explained. "I am not the only pack wolf you will find far from home, seeking all possible ways to survive. Has it been the same, where you come from?"

Huā listened intently as Wraen explained the causes for some of the conditions she had noticed as she had traveled here. The idea of the earth cracking and mountains rattling left the girl in awe, at the strangeness of it all. And, when Wraen discussed how her pack had to struggle for survival- the girl felt empathy for her. The effects of the discord of nature were starting to take a toll on her too; she could see herself getting skinnier, catching especially smaller fish and much less frequently. 

"When I start my journey, everything is normal at home. The more I travel, the more I see the Earth's anger. I do not know if it because of the region- or if it just begin as I travel, by coincidence. But I start to see what it does." She took a glance back at her flank, as if to refer to her bony sides, the skin wrapped fairly close to her ribs. 

She made eye contact with the woman again. "How long do you think has happen? How long you think it will continue?" For the second question, she could be sure that Wraen would not have a definite answer. But she asked anyway.

"The nature of Nature is mischievous and cruel. There is no way of knowing for sure, if she is going to play with us more or leave us  be," Wraen replied, choosing a poetic way to say that "I have no idea and we are very likely to be doomed". She did not like to think about future much, because there were too many variables to take into account and far too less outcomes that she could rely on. It was easier therefore to live one day at a time, be happy at the end of it for having survived and being even more glad to wake up the next morning and realize that she was still alive. 

"How far have you travelled?" she asked then, because all strangers that were inclined to talk with her had a promise of telling a story that Wraen did not yet know. And she was an avid collector in her heart - she took as much pride in her wide array of stories that she had accumulated during her lifetime as some people loved their gems and jewels.

Huā nodded in agreement as Wraen put it eloquently, the truth that there would be no telling the length of the difficult times. The siren considered herself to be in touch with nature, and yet these circumstances baffled her. All she could do was pray to the world that the tribulations would end soon. 

There was something of a noticeable gleam in Huā's eyes when Wraen asked her how far she had traveled. Truthfully, this Wraen woman seemed very trustworthy to Huā, and so she was willing to be entirely vulnerable with her. "I traveled far, far. My two sisters still in South. Where I come from, the sky is always blue as water. Is hot, sandy... good for swim. So much colder here," She laughed with a shiver. Indeed, the freezing and sometimes rocky shore here was far different than the tropical summer beaches in which Huā had lived previously. "But, good that I leave. My cousin is... a bad man. I can not stay there," Her tone held some obvious sadness in the last part. The girl was surprisingly unconcerned about the possibility of oversharing to her new acquaintance.

While Huā listed all the things that were good about her former home, Wraen wondered, why had she left for North in the first place. She glanced up at the cloud-ladden sky and thought sorrowfully about, how much she would give to have sunlight every day of the winter. Not the rain-falls, snow-storms and constant dusk-like light. Especially, when it was not easy to tell day apart from the evening. Yeah... few days of summer right now would give her so much. 

But even the best of places can be ruined by stupid people and Wraen gave the foreign girl a sympathetic look. Why was it so that the best ones were to leave, while the bad ones could stay, where they were? "Safety and peace of mind matters," she replied. "In this valley there is only my pack and another one dwelling, but, when you move East, there will be many more. And not all are friendly. Some are hostile as well. Be very careful," she advised, though knew that her words were just as much help as yelling "watch out", when the person has already missed a close collision with a falling brick.

Huā murmured agreement, that safety was important. She certainly would have stayed in South if she could've- but alas, she was prevented. She would rather run to the cold and fearsome North if it meant her freedom. There was no way, that she could've spent life as a slave. At least here there was still the sea, even if she had left her home behind.

When Wraen warned her, her eyes widened a little but she nodded. "Hostile... how unfortunate. But, I understand is winter and everyone hungry... Still, I will be sure to... walk away from these place, with hostile wolf. Thank you Wraen, telling me this." She expressed her gratitude as some warmth met her expression. Then curiosity furrowed her brow- "Your pack, war with other pack?" She inquired eagerly. If there were hostile packs here, there was bound to be war, no? That is what she assumed.

"Fortunately - no. Firebirds do not have enemies," Wraen replied, though it was unclear, what their status with Moonspear was at the moment. They were neither friends, nor enemies. Nothings, but, whether it was worse or better than the polarized versions, was hard to tell now. Time would show and tell. Nowadays she did not usually think far ahead - one day at a time - but when thinking about possible conflicts, she had a wish to raise the children in peace up to an age, when they could defend themselves well. 

"I would suggest you to take the route along the coast and avoid turning right to the valley next one to this," Wraen suggested. "But it has been a while now since I have been there last, so my knowledge might not be the most accurate and things might have changed in the meanwhile," she added.

shall we wrap soon?

The woman explained that her pack, the Firebirds, did not have enemies. she wondered how it was, that the pack would lack enemies even with aggressive packs not too far away. Perhaps they were just lucky, she supposed. Making enemies wasn't hard, and in Huā's eyes it was a wonder that a whole group of people could avoid disputes with others. 

Then Wraen provided her with some directional advice. Would she remember it? Maybe, maybe not. But she appreciated the guidance nevertheless. Along coast, don't go right, She told herself as she tried to commit the very simple directions to memory. And even if Wraen was outdated- it wouldn't hurt to just be safe. Caution was important to her (except in the presence of the ocean's danger, which she would not take seriously enough.) "I very thankful for your advice, Wraen. I try to remember, I go this way." She agreed with a nod of her charcoal head.

Last one from me. Thank you! It was a pleasure!

"It is nothing - I am glad that I am able to help you," Wraen told Huā and knew that their brief encounter had come to an end. She needed to scout the area for anything worth scavenging and return home by sunset. In mid-autumn that happened fairly quickly and with possible hungry and angry (hangry) predators lurking around, she wanted to be within the safety of the borders sooner.

"Good luck, Huā! And if you happen to be in the area again, you are welcome to come by," she offered, though it was very likely that she was never going to see the dark she-wolf again. If that was going to be so, then she wished her all the best and safe travels.

np, thanks to you too!

The conversation seemed to dwindle to a natural close, and Huā was satisfied. She had enjoyed the company of Wraen, but she enjoyed wandering alone all the same. She was not sad to depart- rather, satisfied. 

The two said their farewells, Huā wishing good luck to Wraen and her people in return. She gave the woman a final smile before beginning to pace down the beach once again, left to her thoughts alone.