Wheeling Gull Isle jade and silver

The guardian slumbered at shāzhōu de kāifàng. The intent was to send a clear message to all passersby — this island is to be claimed; challenges are welcome. 

Ying maintained some sort of consciousness. Every scent and sound outside of her expectations was investigated through half-lidded eyes as she rose to search for the source. 

Evening would be upon them soon. Once the moon was at full height, she would begin an active patrol.

She skipped along at a happy and rather quick pace, she could hardly keep herself held together from bursting from excitement. Lei Lei had to admit, the place was large to explore (she would have to ask for a personal tour later from someone). However, her nose did the best job she could ask to help her figure out where someone lingered. This time, to her surprise, it was familiar.

Lei Lei approached in a curious manner, and to her luck, she found someone she was hoping to see. Her white coat was hard to miss, beyond that her seemingly larger build than her seaborn cousin. "Ying!!" She yelled, loud and excited and certainly full of familiar love for her family member. She lowered her body into a slight play position, tail curving over her back and wagging as a large smile is placed on her face.

She leapt up from her resting spot and ran to greet her cousin. Lei Lei! she called back. A smile was plastered on her maw as she sounded a playful growl. The play bow was taken as an invitation to attack; the huntress aimed to knock jaws in the way that they had as children.

Ying moved to hopefully knock her cousin onto the side, giving her the advantage.

Aha! Reunited at last, the lighter female greeted Lei Lei with an acceptance of the invitation to play. The dark cloaked girl couldn't remember the last time they could rough house like this and didn't want to waste time, though neither did Ying it seemed. She didn't hesitate and soon began to play fight back, nipping at spots that were in reach for her teeth to gently hold for a moment before releasing.

Though she liked to think she was a big wolf, Lei Lei was in reality average to small sized and couldn't do much to keep balance, even with a lower point of gravity on her. She shifted widely, her body nearly succumbing to the ground's contact. She pushed back against her cousin, a thunderous laugh escaped her lips as she aims to put space between the two of them.

"You fight now?" she asked with amusement.

The nips and nibbles brought forth jovial giggles from the guardian's chest. Her sisters weren't as interested in pastimes such as this; it had been too long since her last play-fight. Fights meant to draw blood weren't nearly as fun but seemed to be much more available. 

Ying took a few steps back to catch her breath. I've always fought, she teased between heavy breaths, I just haven't always been this good. She went in for another attack, this time aiming specifically for her cousin's flank.

Lei Lei would have had the perfect opportunity to attack. If she did, Ying would continue to retaliate.

Lei Lei knew not all of her cousins appreciated the idea of roughousing, but she was glad at least one of them did. Playing was so important for wolves -- at least, that's what the stormcloud would always say to get away with pushing around others and tugging on their tails. It taught respect and boundaries, and it reminded others that times did not always have to be so serious.

"Practicing, yes?" she asked with a puff, "what do your sisters think?" Huā was never one to fight, at least Lei Lei remembered her that way. Quiet, reserved -- fighting maybe wasn't her cup of tea. Her thoughts are cut off when another attack comes, this time for her rump! Of all places!

She was growing tired, maybe due to being slightly out of shape with how much relaxing she did at home. Now she would have to put her weight back in the right spots, hopefully with Ying's help and encouragement. She dropped her flank, along with her whole body, and accepted defeat. A loud yowl of fake pain and remorse escaped her lips and she flopped her head against the ground like deadweight.

"Blegh" she said, "you win this time." She looks to her cousin form the ground and striked a paw up to push gently against Ying's cheek. "But wait until I'm in shape again!" she laughed then rolled onto her back, eyes wandering in the slightest.

The question came unexpectedly and left Ying momentarily speechless. How did Hua and Mei feel about her rowdy behavior? She thought of herself as their protector and hoped that they thought the same, but knew that she would never know. The twins had something in common that she would never be able to share, leaving her overcompensate with her sometimes overwhelming and underappreciated presence.

Lei Lei conceded while her cousin thought. She lay on the ground, her stomach making the perfect resting place for Ying's head. I missed you, she whispered, I'm glad the family is coming together again. Kun Kun and Lei Lei were like siblings to her, all sharing similar traits. Ying wondered if the world was ready for the trio to reunite.

Kun is with my sisters, but Ruo is here on the island. She thought about howling for the other Wang, but doubted that there would be a response.

Ying's words brought a sense of warmth into Lei Lei's heart; the family reuniting once again would be so wonderful and lovely to have. To have a strong family was great as is, but then to let this strong family make a claim! It would surely be a known place on the map of these Wilds, Lei Lei couldn't wait for the takeover of the coast where her family could rule once again.

Her pale cousin's head rested on her belly comfortably and the stormcloud simply stayed put, enjoying this time with Ying. So similar to each other, they were almost like two pees in a pod. "I'm glad I came here and found you, I was exploring and followed a scent that was so familiar to me." Finding a lost sibling or family member held great joy in the hearts of many, the act of reuniting and resharing the love and bond between two or more creatures; it was a beautiful scene. As for the names of others, Lei Lei could feel her heart tremor withe excitement. How many of them were here, exactly?

"It feels like it has been forever since I've seen the family together like this, are your sisters planning to make this beach their new home?" She asked Ying curiously. It would certainly make sense considering the fact that this clan was full of beachdwellers who knew the water and sand well, who scavenged the tide pools and caught seabirds and fish like no one's buisness. It was a perfect set up.

Yeah, Ying said, Hua and Mei really like it here. I'm getting things ready for everyone to settle. She nodded back to the mouth of the sandbar where she had previously slept and smiled. You actually caught me in the middle of an, uh, patrol. Things were quiet on the island. Ying didn't have to be as vigilant here as she did when guarding Rusalka. Once the family was settled and word got out, she knew that this would likely change.

After a moment's pause, she stood and looked down at Lei. Do you want a tour? she asked. There was still much to be seen. Some of it, she would save for her sisters, but the rest was fair game. Ying waited for Lei's response before turning and heading into the treeline.

Ah the trio of sisters had already planned to create their stake on this island of theirs; Lei Lei wondered what they hoped to accomplish with their own claim. At least the sisters had each other, as well as their cousins to help back them up with creating a clan of their own once again. It would be a large family reunion once more, this time their parents no longer making the calls and telling them what to do; it would be up to them all to decide how things would be ran, and Lei Lei couldn't wait.

As for the patrol, the stormcloud giggled at her light-colored cousin. "So serious now with a job," she teased, "but a tour would be wonderful. If you're up for the help, I'll come with you for a patrol; watch how it's done." Lei Lei followed her cousin before coming shoulder to shoulder with her, every once in awhile she felt them brush against one another.

The invitation was accepted with more fervor than expected. Ying didn't know much about the island, but having promised a tour to her cousin, she knew that she'd have to come up with something. She remembered the western side of the island and the strong scent of brine that'd caught her attention. 

Okay, she said to Lei, We'll do both at the same time. Ying started on the path toward the tide pools, marking here and there as she went. She turned back to Lei and nodded for her to do the same; this claim was just as much hers as it was any of the others'. Are you going to be staying here? she asked, wondering if it would be worth it to show her the incomplete densite.

Both at the same time, what an idea! Lei Lei felt excited to come with Ying and made sure to follow her cousin's instructions to the best of her ability. When Ying began to mark her scent around places, Lei Lei did the same. Slowly, some memories of doing this back at home came to her mind. Pack living meant refreshing scents to make sure that outsiders knew not to stray inland where wolves claimed their home.

"Well, I sure hope to, if you and your sisters will have me." Lei Lei often didn't realize how much of a burden she could be at times with her brash thinking. However, Hua sounded like she wanted the full family to come together, so that was at least a good sign. "However, I wonder what Ruo will think, she is my sister and I'm glad she's here but... You know how she is."

Of course, Ying assured her. There was no reason for Hua and Mei to turn away any of their relatives, save for— It's a good thing that she's not in charge, then. She bumped Lei's shoulder and released a childlike giggle, looking over each shoulder to make sure Ruo wasn't around. 

The scent of seawater continued to grow stronger. It was particularly pungent on the western face; she hoped that another mercenary would come around so that this block could be chopped from her rounds. You see the trees? Ying asked, peering upward as she continued to trot, There's birds everywhere.

Indeed, she wondered what the world would look like if Ruo had her way of controlling every aspect of it. She loved her sister dearly, the same way she loves every wolf involved with her family. However, she simply couldn't deny the wet-towel behavior some members of the family had. Lei Lei always favored Ying for her ability to brighten the stormcloud's day -- it helped they got along so well together.

Their giggles subsided at ther joke when the talk of birds came about. Lei Lei wasn't sure when the last time was that she ate, but she knew she would get peckish eventually. "Hungry enough to want and catch some?" She asked. Lei Lei didn't really consider herself a specialized wolf, but she hoped ot earn some sort of trade soon. Maybe hunting would be a good route to start.

The requests came one after the other — tour, patrol, hunt! — amusing Ying in the process. She admired her cousin's excitability but found it to be somewhat overwhelming. There's time to do whatever you want, she laughed, But we have to pick one for now. The huntress didn't mind any of the options, but thought that she might prefer one over the others...

Lei Lei was indeed excited for everything and anything to come her way, but she did know that there was a time for activties next time. She probably was being a bit too much for her cousin Ying, who enjoyed the company but probably didn't expect her stormcloud cousin to cling onto her so quickly. Lei Lei thought about the options and tried to figure out which one is best. A tour would be nice to get her familiar, but it would take a bit to be familiar with everything. A patrol would help her refresh her memories of territory claiming and watching out for intruders. A hunt, well, satisfied her immediate hunger and could possibly help stock up the cahces, if there were any to begin with.

"Well, I know there's a lot of ground to cover and learn about but ---" she said, though her ears swiveled back when she heard the flapping of birds' wings, "I could use a little more excitement to end the day on a good note. What do you think, are you up for a sampling the delicacies? We can always store any extra if we get lucky." There was always a time for everything, but Lei Lei wanted to get Ying at a good time before she had to return to her duties. The dark female would let herself wander later.

An eyebrow was lifted in response to Lei's suggestion. Ying stopped walking and turned to listen, hoping to locate the nearest flock. She wasn't sure why they'd chosen to stay on the island through winter but appreciated the gift.

We'll play a game, she suggested, strolling further inland, It's a game that I don't normally lose. Ying laughed as she trailed ahead of her cousin, tail flagging high behind her. First to two wins. Deal?

A game? Lei Lei loved to play games, and this one sounded a little more interesting than the ones she played as a kid. It was exciting because it almost was less of a game and more of a challenge to her skilled cousin. Lei Lei wasn't a trained huntress and didn't really have a lot of skill to bring to the table for this match. However, she had an unbreakable spirit, as cliche as it sounds, and so far it has gotten her this far in life!

"Bring it on, creampuff." She said with a loud laugh, as she saw her light colored cousin lead the way with her tail pridefully high. This challenge would certainly show the two cousins how they've grown over the last few months and years being apart from one another. Hopefully, Lei Lei wouldn't trip over her own paws. She followed close behind Ying, though took a playful nibble at her tail.

The closer Ying got to the flock, the further they seemed to fly. She'd broken off from Lei after the nip to her tail, veering right to strike her own path. She listened with growing frustration as she walked further inland, finding herself unable to locate a target.

Somewhat annoyed, Ying returned to the meeting place and plopped down to wait for Lei.

Lei Lei saw her cousin veer off one way, so she decided to go the opposite. Her pace quickened into a gallop as she took a sharp turn, catching a bird by surprise. With a good amount of luck (and perhaps, a tiny bit of planning), Lei Lei snatched one by the breast and let it breathe its last breath before falling limp. While she wanted to catch another, most of the flock had already taken off and Ying was no longer in site. 

Huffing because she didn't win the challenge, Lei Lei went back to see if her seafoam cousin was anywhere in site. To her surprise, Ying had no bird by her feet to show. Rather, an expression of annoyance was on her face. Lei Lei felt her grin grow as she strode closer. She drops the bird at her paws and looks at Ying with an obvious expression of a shit-eating grin. "I thought you said you didn't lose very often at this game?" she said, though her expression becomes more genuine as she shuffled the bird closer to her cousin.

"But neither of us got two, so that makes it a draw. We could cache it if you want, or share it?" Lei Lei loved winning, but as she matured in the smallest of steps, winning wasn't always everything. Rather, it was the time she got to spend with her family members like Ying.

The frustration was manageable, until Lei's reappearance. The cocky grin on her maw and sly comments only worsened Ying's annoyance. How had she lost? And moreover, how had Lei won? She stood and rolled her eyes, taking a few steps away as the bird was laid before her. I don't care, she sighed, feigning a yawn, I need to start heading inland, so... 

There was probably some time left before she was missed by Rusalka, but Ying was ready to leave. She chuffed her goodbye to the Queen-of-Birdcatching and made way for the sandbar.

Her cousin seemed sour and was soon up on her feet to leave. Lei Lei could only smile as she saw her leaving figure. Ying would have to come around to learn that she wouldn't be the only able-bodied wolf here. Lei Lei would learn to keep her arrogance in check, her cousin was bigger, stronger, and certainly more skilled.

Till then, she took her kill and began to trail a different way, hoping to cache it somewhere to eat another time. Her adrenaline left her body and she felt calmness rush over her.