Wheeling Gull Isle after sundown, before sleeping, i am the worst

Hello, couldn't help myself x:
tags for @Maegi and @Mou but not necessary to join <3

They knew not where they stepped upon that evening light.

Grains pushed into raw paw pads as they whisked across the shoreline. Across a bridge onto an island that seemed uncertain of itself. Hidden away from the rest of the world. It did not soothe the wild creature's soul as the woods once had. It rubbed her wrong, literally even in a way as the sea breeze cut through wiry fur in a bristling manner.

She swore there was something of familiarity here, though. Something that stirred awake a deep longing in within her. Yet she could not pinpoint it or be certain of it. It seemed to whisk away with each push of a wave against the ebbing land. Still she continued to limp along the outskirts outside of the heavy markers, head held low below bony shoulders.

An otherworldly outsider who peered within.

*INTERNAL SCREAMING*

Whether it was coincidence or fate that drew her from the den that night, she didn't know. She had given Mou a gentle kiss upon his head and then departed, slipping into the forest. When she emerged onto the beach, the moonlight set her pale pelt a-glow; she was an ethereal creature out here, worlds apart from the myriad shadows that dotted the treeline.

And other shadows— Alarm bells rang through her mind as she scanned the edge of the territory and found that one of those shadows was moving. Already stirred up by mama-bear hormones, Maegi began to snarl, puffing herself up and marching steadily toward the intruder, seeking to—

Wait.

She stopped in her tracks, familiarity overcoming her. She stared at the wolf, who was much the worse for wear. And as it slowly dawned upon her, tears welled up fast, and her heart caught in her throat.

It— you— can't be real, she whispered, her voice thick. Am I dreaming?

Not the only otherworldly being upon the shores.

Bathed in moonlight, wrapped in its silvery embrace, was a familiar form. Her heart swayed between heavy weight and quick pounds in her chest like a rabbit set free in her ribs. Jaws parted as if she might speak but...no sound.

Nona, Nona, Nona. . .

If she had not already held herself low in her lurking manners, she might have lowered herself further. Oh how she missed the form placed before her by some wicked fates. Only ever met with kindness, support, perhaps love if Jakoul could wrap their mind around the concept.

Home. Nona. Comfort.

A deep ache stirred within her as if the queen of the woods had awaken a primal beast along these shores.

Maegi. Croaked and weak but with fondness still strung through each syllable it took to get that name free in the night air.

Then made move to approach with her uneven gait as her carrier. Markers be damned.

At her name, the tears spilled over. Maegi met the woman halfway, pressing into her with fervent embrace. Jakoul, she whispered through a throat gripped by that damned vise of emotion. I can't believe it. I've missed you so.

And missed everything about her. Her stalwart, silent presence. Her counsel, when it came. The athleticism of the she-wolf; she and Tundra had brought a physicality to the leadership of Blackfeather Woods that Maegi would always lacked. They had been the perfect team, or so she thought.

Circumstance had separated them, but now two of three stood, together again—at least for the moment.

Where have you been? Maegi asked, pulling slightly back to observe the shadow's gaunt frame. What happened?

Missed much. Murmured in cryptic tone as they pressed back into the familiar form of Maegi. There was...something new. Something different. Yet something that felt wholly in place on the only figure that had ever nurtured the wilderness that lived within the lithe frame named Jakoul.

Lips parted a few times as they tried to find the words. How to describe time apart other than a hollow vastness that had spread over her existence for the last...how long? Moon cycles upon cycles.

Captive. Freed. Lost. A nervous swipe of a salmon tongue over inked lips. They cursed themselves for not better honing the language of the tongue shared between others.

Home? A tentative look around the island. Far from wooded, feather-cloaked home that had suffered loses of its own.

Three words, but they told the story well enough. She looked at her friend with more than some sympathy—no, empathy, for she'd once been captive before, right? She was glad that Jakoul was free, even if the woman was much the worse for wear.

And as for her question? My home, now, Maegi explained, then added, Yours, too. Always. Wherever I am, there is a place for you.

She had no authority to welcome the woman to Yuelong. Aiolos had merely left her in charge in his absence, but that was mainly to watch over the place and keep intruders at bay. She was no ambassador; she would have to consult with the man when he returned.

But could this pack afford to be choosy? With some time, Jakoul would be back to full strength. She was an adept warrior and hunter. She would only benefit the island by being here.

Maegi made the offer knowing that Aiolos had no choice but to acquiesce. She would convince him to do so, anyway.

Come with me, she murmured, ushering Jakoul toward the trees. I'll find you a place to rest. Did you. . .happen to see or hear of Sakhmet, when you traveled? Her voice was tentative; it was a long shot, but she still held out some hope that her long-lost daughter may one day return to her.

Hers.

Theirs.

It felt familiar in every way, it wrapped comfort around her tired bones. A gentle caress and reminder of when things had been right. They had shared a home and it had felt they would do such forever. Even time apart had not loosened the strong hold that the former Nona had on the once Morta. Jakoul would have shed and offered her very pelt if the woman had asked for it.

Despite the shadowy silence, perhaps Maegi would recognize the softer look on her sharp face. The kind that spoke of deep fondness and appreciation for the offer. One should would not turn down as she followed towards the trees. Uneven gait amplified by the sandy ground that sunk beneath each step.

Sakhmet would be the next topic. One that squeezed every vein in her heart and drained emotion from her. The children of her forest home had deserved the best, and she could not say that all of them received what they deserved. But the ruddy girl?

Seen. By pure chance. An exchange of words with a stranger who knew more than Jakoul had expected. Eventually led to a meeting between lost family. Something that Jakoul had held very near and dear to her in the harsh months of solitude. Especially so far from the things she had learned to know. Lives in far lands. The chopped sentence was hard to squeeze, but it was vital Maegi knew.

Remind of you. From what the dark woman had seen, Sakhmet had very much remained to the things she had been taught as a child.

She felt a punch in the gut as Jakoul answered, a fiercer, more brutal blow than she had expected. Not dead, nor still unseen. . .but living. Living elsewhere. Far lands, the woman explained, and then told Maegi that she had reminded the girl of her mother.

Does she—miss me? Maegi responded, punching the words through a painfully tight throat. The tears had come again and flowed freely down her cheeks, a bittersweet cascade. 

Alive, but away. And not with her. Nor, it seemed, willing to go with Jakoul to find her. She did not envy her daughter a new home—she hoped that Sakhmet had all she wanted and more—but Jaes, what she would give to have the red girl by her side! 

And, of course, she wondered if her own deficiencies as a mother were at play.

Maybe she had found somewhere better. Someone better.

Someone who didn't lose their children at every turn.

She swayed a little, pressing against Jakoul's side for support as they entered the forest. At least there was this. Maegi dared not ask for much more.

Jakoul did not feel guilt at being placed in this position, the thin worn tethered string that connected mother and daughter. She did, however, wish she could have provided more to Maegi.

With a firmness in it, she leaned back into her pale counterpart. Chewed her lip as she searched for the words. Words that should have poured from Sakhmet's mouth and not hers. The child had grown into a woman full of words. Both fantastical and direct. No amount of humming and ahhing could have made such a thing flow through the former Morta.

Misses you. Misses lots.

It was the truth, that much she had known from the way she had been greeted by the ruddy blackfeather.

Think...worried. Uncertain. A bit of a strain on the last word. Both for emphasis on it and for the difficulty that language always brought for Jakoul.

At least that was something. She was put at ease, only to fall into concern once more at Jakoul's following words. Uncertain? Maegi asked, a shiver running through her. But she's okay. . .right? She's safe?

Uncertainty she could deal with—that came with youth. Just so long as Sakhmet was safe and healthy.

They finally reached the area where Mou and Maegi, and perhaps a few others, had made their dens. She found an unoccupied hollow carved out beneath the knobbled roots of an old tree and nodded toward it, glancing toward her old friend.

You can rest here. Mou and I sleep just over there, she said, smiling shakily but softly. I'm so glad we're together again. . .that you're here.

Here, of all places! Fate was so strange in bringing such different parts of her life into unison.