Wheeling Gull Isle get your killer heels, sneakers, pumps or lace up your boots

This is technically located on the coastline but I wanted to put it here for visibility! :)

They were told to head northeast, through a hot spring smack dab between two packs—Neverwinter and Kaistleoki, Meerkat sometimes chanted in her head—and then follow the river to the coastline. It would lead them through a sleepy forest nestled into the mountains. They would be able to see the island once they broke from the trees. It would probably be a good idea to call from the shoreline rather than attempt to wade to the pack's island home.

It all went according to plan, more or less, excepting the part where Meerkat got them turned around in Ravensblood Forest. She realized her mistake and corrected the route without too much trouble. It wasn't much longer after that when they emerged on an open plain cut through by the river. She squinted and cried, "Look!" She gasped. The ocean was vast and, indeed, she could make out the splotch of trees across the water, even from this distance.

A little while later, she and @Bronco stood near the forking deltas of Totoka River, the surf pounding in their ears. Meerkat spent a while simply gaping at the enormity of the sea before remembering herself and howling, hoping to catch the ears of the islanders over yonder. "This is Meerkat and Bronco from Firefly Glen, here to visit @Nǚwū and pass a message along to the leadership!"

An unfamiliar voice floated from far beyond her island home, directed at the wolves of Yuèlóng to announce the arrival of not one but two outsiders. Luli turned her narrow muzzle in the direction of the voice, tall ears high atop her rosy crown with intrigue, and wondered what business they had in seeking her sister's attention.

The koi ventured closer, nimble paws carrying her at a floaty trot through the foliage to where it grew sparse. She made her way onto the beach and looked curiously for the sandbar, half expecting these unknown visitors to have ventured halfway across toward the jewel in the sea by the time she reached the shore, and was pleasantly surprised to find the bridge void of other wolves.

Nüwu had not yet arrived, nor had Luli heard her littermate voice a response. Vibrant eyes squinted across the surf in attempt to catch a glimpse of these visitors, Meerkat and Bronco, but saw only unidentifiable specks on the distant coast that she could easily have mistaken for driftwood. She chose to linger there for a time to wait and, should her sister come to answer this summons, the little seadragon would be sure to follow her.

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Thr trip away from the Glen came at just the right time. Bronco felt that with the Firebirds moving closer to the Glen, and the presence of yet another sister pack in the area, any threat to the pack or its members would be lessened. The saits had moved- so Valour had said, anyway- and the wolves of Ursus seemed far enough away and quiet enough that they'd been granted permission to leave the pack so that Meerkat could visit the friend of hers who lived on an island in the ocean.

He'd seen less of Fennec in the time since her den had caved in, and he truly believed that she had been avoiding her...So he'd allowed her her space, though he didn't intend for it to create a permanent rift between them. He'd taken just enough of her time to let her know that he and Meerkat would be going on a trip- and then they'd left. He spent much of the travel quietly ruminating through his thoughts, though he did his best not to allow his concern to show. For Merkat, this was meant to be a positive experience- he didn't want to dampen her spirits by being so thoughtful that he appeared glum.

When they reached the coast, his mood brightened considerably. There were so many interesting, pungent smells to investigate- and the feel of the sand beneath his feet was soft and comfortable. He'd already planned to give Meerkat some time alone with her friend once they crossed over to the island, but now he looked forward to getting some time alone to himself- so that he could roam the shores and get the full maritime experience. He saw something scuttling across the sand in the distance and it took everything he had not to go bounding off after it. He could do all his silly antics later- once they were given the okay to cross the landbridge over to the island.

It was simple enough to wait where they were- but he had to squint in order to make out the form of a sandy-coloured wolf across the inlet. She didn't come across, but still, Bronco gestured and asked “Is that her?”

little did luli know, nüwu trailed her some distance away, skipping to catch up to her while she stood still and squinted across the waves. the little counselor had heard the call for her name- the first time she, alone, had been called- and had beamed to herself, immediately thinking of her friend who had offered to come from afar. as nüwu skidded to a halt in the sand beside her little sister, she chirped 露莉，是我的朋友，meerkat! 她从'moonspear'来。 assuming she would follow, the girl gently nudged her dappled sister before racing ahead eagerly across the land bridge, tail wagging. soon meerkat's figure became clear, though nüwu's pace slowed slightly at the unfamiliar male beside her, and she squinted at him. who was he? nevermind that. she opted to greet her friend first, coming to a stop in front of her, hi, meerkat! welcome to yuèlóng! she giggled and twirled before pausing to look at bronco again, who are you? i'm nüwu jiang!

Her heart leaped in her chest when a sandy figure appeared on the shore across the rippling seawater. Bronco inquired, "Is that her?" and Meerkat began to nod, only to go still and squint. No, this wolf bore a strong resemblance to her friend but it wasn't Nǚwū. Maybe it was her brother or sister?

"No, that's her," she said smilingly as the girl in question appeared behind her likely sibling. As Nǚwū rushed toward the sandbar, Meerkat prodded her brother and scrambled to do the same. They met in the middle, more or less, and Meerkat beamed at her friend. Nǚwū had changed and grown in the past few months, yet there was nothing but friendly familiarity between them as Meerkat stretched forward to sniff noses.

"Hi, Nǚwū! We're finally here!" Meerkat chirped. "This is my brother, Bronco. Who's this?" Her bright eyes skipped to the figure beside her friend. She wanted to ask so much more. How was island life going after the summer rains? Could she get a tour? Who were the leaders here? They raced through her head, yet part of being a good ambassador meant behaving diplomatically, so Meerkat held her tongue, giving her hostesses their turn to speak.

Nüwu did not take her time and, when she stepped out onto the sand alongside her, Luli blinked up at her much larger littermate. She gazed for a long moment in silent expectation, mismatched ears pricking intently when she spoke. Meerkat, from Moonspear. The place sounded familiar, but there was no time to dwell on her recollection.

The pointed youth bumped her nose to her smaller littermate's shoulder, then tore across the sand toward the temporary bridge that connected Yuèlóng territory to the land across the water. She followed as quickly as her legs would carry her, though her speed could not quite match that of Nüwu.

Although she lagged behind a little, Luli caught up as the two young she-wolves moved in to greet one another. The rosy seadragon lingered close to Nüwu, clearly hesitant beneath the curious stare of strangers but drawing strength from the nearness of her sister.

"I am Luli," she managed in a small voice when Meerkat questioned who she was, and offered a shy little smile and twitch of her tail as she stole a glance at the tall, dark and handsome Bronco who lingered nearby. She did plan to include her relation to Nüwu, but-

She had not expected the earthquake that roared to life within her when she looked at him. 

Suddenly even more bashful, she felt as though her cheeks were set aflame and promptly looked away, certain that her newest company would hear the powerful thrum of her wild heart that beat so loudly in her ears.

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While the first young wolf who appeared was somewhat hesitant, the second certainly wasn't- and came bounding out from the island and charged down the landbridge as the waves lapped at its sandy banks. Meerkat too sprang into action and he followed, hanging back a few feet though as this was her reunion, and he didn't want her to feel like he was there to hover over her shoulder. He trusted that once they were safely granted permission to spend some time on the island, he could act as a sentry and guard the landbridge...And in doing so, take a stroll along the beaches and see what this coastline life was all about. Again- he could not get over the smells!

He ambled to a stop not far behind Meerkat, and bowed his head to the young girl respectfully as he was introduced. “It's nice to meet you, Nǚwū” He said, and he glanced to Luli when she introduced herself- though in shyness, she turned her gaze away. “And you as well, Luli,” He said. While his sister was the one acting as the true ambassador for the pack, he knew that he too had a role to play, and would remain a respectful guardian of his sister. “Thank you for having us to your island,” He said, gesturing toward the beach they had yet to reach.

meerkat greeted her eagerly, which caused nüwu's heart to sail, and when she reached to sniff noses the yuèlóng girl turned her head away to achoo a small sneeze before looking back to her friend. she introduced the stranger as bronco, her brother. the sandy girl nodded politely to him, and then glanced to her side at her sister as she gave her name. and, um, luli is my mei- ah, um, sister. she laughed, realizing she'd become so used to the title 妹妹 when her mother always called them such, and rarely did she meet strangers beside her sister like this. she looked back to luli, who was looking away- had the moonspear wolves frightened her? nüwu was no guard, but she suddenly felt protective, like luli knew some scary secret about these people that she did not. nüwu figured she could ask her about it later... she did not wish to be rude to the island's guests. nice to meet you also, bronco. i am so happy you two came to the island, she giggled, and continued, did you wanna look around? an expectant glance to meerkat; she cared for her choice the most.

Luli seemed a little shy, which earned an indulgent smile from Meerkat. "Hiya, Luli," she said warmly after Bronco had spoken, a model of diplomacy himself. Her attention then shifted back to the sister she knew and Meerkat found herself echoing the girlish giggle as she replied, "Yes, I'd love to! I'm so happy to be here."

On the way here, Bronco had mentioned he might hang back and give her some time to catch up with her friend. But especially with Lilu joining them, perhaps he might want to come along after all? Meerkat would be happy either way. She glanced at her brother, jerking her head toward the two pale islanders even as she arched a brow inquisitively. You comin'?

While he decided, Meerkat caught Nǚwū's eye, then glanced between her and the sweet Lilu as she asked, "Looks like the island made it through the rains okay then? I'm glad!"

Though her gaze was elsewhere, Luli felt so aware of Bronco's as it shifted to look her way. He is looking at me, she squee'd internally, fangirling behind her awkward and timid exterior. Then he spoke! In a voice that sounded like liquid gold to her, fluid and smooth and oh-so-wonderful.

He said my name! If the koi were to die suddenly in that moment, she was certain she could do so happily.

Confusion reigned within her, however. Though she was no stranger to the intensity of her feelings, this was one she was unfamiliar with. Luli inhaled deep and exhaled slowly, trying her best to maintain her self-control and ease the flurry within her belly that she was sure could  only be the beginning of nausea.

The rosy cub simply lingered in wait to follow along toward the island, content to let Nüwu take the lead and answer Meerkat's question.

wc:213 feel free to PP Bronco at conclusion, but he's out wandering now so he can be skipped :)

The girls were incredibly polite, and had incredible pack border protocol. They were welcoming and ubeat, which Bronco liked and he shouldn't have been surprised. Anyone who had charmed Meerkat enough to make her want to voyage this far just for an afternoon visit was likely very good company. She kindly offered to bring them over to the island and like Meerka, Bronco was keen to see what it was like on the opposite shore, so he followed a step or two behind the others, trailing like a quiet guardian ought to. Like him, Luli seemed content to lag behind a bit, and let her sister and Meerkat take the lead, so he flashed her a small smile as they walked across the sandbar like landbridge toward the island.

Once they reached the shoreline, Bronco touched his muzzle softly to Meerkat's ear. She'd begun a conversation with her friend, and he didn't want to linger around and hang over her shoulder so he gestured toward the beach. “I'll leave you to get caught up; I'll be just along the shoreline when you're ready to go, but take your time,” He said quietly. His glance strayed for a moment to Nuwu, and he gave her a polite nod and smile so she knew he would not trespass into the wooded packlands but remain quite near the landbridge, before he sent a friendly glance to Luli. He wondered if she would stay with them, or if she too might wander off, and let the bosom-friends have their time alone together.

When he padded away, he did his best to act casual, sniffing here and there as though slightly disinterested- though in reality, he was only waiting long enough to get some distance between them, allowing the girls to slip into conversation before he began to investigate every new smell and sight with delighted interest.

boo I suck! sorry yall
nüwu appreciated the way meerkat was warm to her nervous sister, but was unaware of the girl's internal chaos. as bronco slipped away, nüwu opted to focus on meerkat's question, nodding joyfully in return while motioning her tail for kat to follow if she wished, a stroll down the beach- to which luli was welcome too, but nüwu could not help but look only at their guest. yes, we came back and it was just like before! i'm really happy to be home, she sighed as if a weight was taken from her shoulders, and it was obvious she was genuine. is this your first time to the shore? do you like it?

Bronco excused himself and Luli trailed after him a moment later, leaving Meerkat alone with Nǚwū. Although she would've loved for their siblings to join them, she was grateful for some alone time with her friend. She followed eagerly as Nǚwū strode closer to the island, openly marveling at the sandbar that led to an utterly lovely shoreline. The sand shifted, cool and soft, beneath her feet and the smell of salt stung her nose in an absurdly pleasant way.

"Yeah, this is the first time I've actually seen the sea," she replied, singsong before her mouth suddenly formed a moue. "Oh! Before I forget, Hydra asked me to pass a message to your Empress." She paused long enough to catch Nǚwū's eye before spilling the beans. "She just wants her to know that Moonspear's expanded to include a second, sister pack in Firefly Glen. It's run by her son, Osiris. I'm part of it now too, so's Bronco." She didn't have to mention the bit about Mira, now that the girl was thankfully safe and sound.

she answered the question and then dove into a message, littered with some unfamiliar words like hydra and osiris. unlike meerk, nüwu was no messenger- thus she would try her hardest to remember those names correctly, but she worried slightly that she would mix them up. still, oh, okay! i'll tell mama, she agreed with a dutiful nod, convincing herself she would remember, do you think i could visit firefly glen sometime, too? since you came all the way out here!

Luli could not deny the pull she felt to follow tall, handsome Bronco as he moved to excuse himself. She stared at him as he regarded his sister, a mild panic rising like a wave within her that those brief moments were the only time she would have to look upon him.

She trembled a little, but this was not unusual for the anxious koi. Wide, vibrant eyes followed Bronco curiously as he meandered further down the coast, but Luli was too afraid to draw attention to herself by pursuing him. Quickly, she drew attention back to the girls as they conversed, though stole fleeting glances at the wanderer when she felt they weren't looking her way.

Eventually, after a time of lingering silently and awkwardly in the background of Nüwu's reunion with her friend, Luli's curiosity won over. She stole away quietly, eager to see what Bronco had gotten himself up to along Yeùlóng's beloved shores.

"Yeah, of course!" came the immediate reply. "I'd love for you to come visit. I know it's where we met and you probably already saw some of it, though I could always give you the official tour like you're doing for me." Meerkat's eyes sparkled, already looking forward to it.

"What's that?" she asked a moment later, spying something lying on the beach. It was a blob, more or less, pale in color with what looked like threads trailing from it. As they came closer, Meerkat smelled the distinct odor of dead fish, her nose wrinkling a little.

It turned out, there were a lot of novelties about living on an island. Each and every one delighted and intrigued Meerkat in equal measure. Before she knew it, hours had passed. She didn't want to leave, though she knew Bronco was waiting on her and they should head home. With some reluctance, no fewer than three hugs and a stern promise to see each other again soon, Meerkat departed.

12/16: I know you're busy and I wanna pare down some threads, so I'm gonna wrap this for us and put it under the tree! I hope Nǚwū comes to visit soon. :)