Dragoncrest Cliffs One still on the vine

Along the beach the dark wolf meandered, turning over rocks and shifting driftwood aside. Searching, as the sands shifted, following the tideline looking for anything of interest. Having been away from the ocean for months, returning to it made everything she found seem like a treasure. Shells, sand dollars, crab claws and other things were marvelled at. Especially those shells which, when cracked open, showed a beautiful array of iridescent blues, greens and silvers. These were what she was searching for. 

She had a small pile already, of six or seven pieces of shell she found pretty enough, but she searched for more. She imagined pressing them into the earth near the sea lavender bush she'd planted not far from her den- and how it might create a beautiful garden that would be colourful all year round.

the return of another sister, one who coraline had never met, had her curious. a bit jealous, too, for reasons she couldn't quite put a name to — so when she sought the older girl's scent and began to follow it down to the beach, she did so slowly and warily. one half eager, one half reluctant.

it certainly helped her eagerness when she found a dark wolf picking among the seaside debris, much like coraline herself often did. hi, she said shyly as she moved closer, focusing on the feeling of sand under her paws to soothe her buzzing nerves. she peered at the mess of driftwood and sea plants at the older girl's paws. what are you lookin' for?

Bits and pieces too small to carry or use properly, that might be scuttled away by the wind, were all she found for a little while. For a shell to survive the pounding waves in its entirety would of course be a fluke- but she still hoped perhaps that the sea might spare one or two. 

She glanced up when she saw a dune shift, only to realize it was a wolf. Beige she wore on her sides and flanks, soft like sand- but tempered in were hints of cinnamon and red, freckles on her cheeks that Chacal recognized as having once belonged to a wolf called Merlin. She paused in her searching as the young wolf approached, and found herself delighted to see the bewitching seafoam green gaze her eyes had chosen. 

One of her younger sisters, no doubt- timid, but curious. When questioned, Chacal's tail waved. Her lips pursed for a moment as she urged her voice to cooperate. She had to pause for a moment to think of a melody before she spoke- and once she found one, the words trailed along it like trembling ivy leaves. 

"I search for abalone-
de shell of many colour.
You are welcome, join me."

She searched in her memory for the tune she often used as an introduction, and after a pause, she continued. 

"I am...Your sister. Chacal." 

She tilted her head then, hoping she might use this as an opportunity to get to know her sister better.

coraline was delighted by the girl's words and the melodic way she spoke them, mouth blossoming into a smile as she listened. shells! i be collectin' shells sometimes too. de blue ones are my favorites, the words seemed to burst from her, only to stop abruptly. her smile turned shy. i would love to search for dem wit you.

she peered more closely at the mess of ocean debris, pushing some kelp aside with her paw. i be coraline, the sea-girl added after a moment, reaching down to pluck a broken half of shell from the sand where the kelp had been. she struggled to pry it away, deep as it was, but the result was worth it: the inside of the shell was alive with color, blue-green dappling shot through with silver and purple. immediately she showed the finding to chacal, offering it freely to the older girl. coraline spent much of her time on the beach, collecting various treasures; there were plenty, she felt, and all the wolves of sapphique were equally entitled to them.

If you're curious, Coraline's notes on the piano would be E up to F# then down to  D, for Co-ra-line :) 

It delighted Chacal to find a shared interest with her sister. She moved forward to touch her nose gently against her sister's cheel, melodically murmuring "Coraline." Every word had a different rise and fall of intonation. Coraline's was one Chacal found to be simple, but sweet. The first sylable ascended to the next with a major second, which wavered and then fell the interval of a major third. 

She saw Coraline working away on something in the sand so she turned, and began to search for something that might be blue. Typically, she found lighter things like shells liked to get collected in with strands of kelp, so she began to paw through the dried strands of sea grass, turning when she saw Coraline motion toward her. 

The outside of the shell was earthy, like rock as expected, but the inside was beautiful, iridescent, how the sky looked when painted with the northern lights. "Oh, beautiful!" She crooned. It was half a shell, but still a fair size; typically, she'd find it in itty bitty pieces but this was quite a treasure. "You are treasure-hunter, Coraline," She praised. She pulled a strand of dried kelp aside to see something slightly unexpected. 

It looked like a rock, but flat, just slightly curved. The edges were soft, worn down by sea sand, and it wasn't opaque, but almost seethrough. In colour it was dark, but when she nosed it aside, she caught a hint its deep hue. "Is not a shell, but I will show you, secrets it will tell." she said, picking it up and carrying it to the water's edge so she could dunk it in, and then return, with her find now free of sand. 

She gestured, and brought the shard to a piece of driftwood. Carefully, she propped it up against a gnarled root so that it might be held upright and as she pulled away, her shadow pulled back to let the kight pass through and reveal the deep blue shade of the beachglass. "Have found dees before; not rock or shell. Sometimes green, sometimes clear. Dis one be special, as it be blue. Dis one, Coraline, it be for you."

chacal was truly enchanting. coraline loved her immediately, and knew it almost as soon. she was everything she had ever wanted in a sister; fae and ocean-spirited, gleaming with charm points that only somewhat concealed the brighter glow of the gilded heart underneath.

and chacal, as far as she knew, did not have a sobo.

coraline brightened under her sister's praise, smiling shyly and watching carefully as chacal made her own discovery. when the older girl returned, she followed with a curious gaze, carrying the half shell so that it would not be lost. she laid it on the sand gently in favor of watching chacal and her treasure. what secrets did it hold?

and then she saw it.

it glowed under the light, deep blue like the sea at sunset. awed by its beauty, coraline took in a sharp breath and stepped closer, careful to avoid blocking the sunlight. her eyes only turned back to chacal when she finally understood that it was to be a gift. for her. the sea-girl's eyes warmed with sudden, sentimental tears, but she held them at bay.

dis be a lovely gift. t'ank you, chacal, coraline nudged the half shell toward her sister. an' dis be for you. an exchange of gifts; a symbol of sorts, to represent their newfound sisterhood.

what is dis called? she asked, muzzle pointed to the glowing fragment that chacal had gifted to her.

my apologies for the long delay on this post. i utterly adore this thread and chacal, and would be happy to continue. if the thread is too outdated for your preferences, i would also be happy to close it and start a new one <3

quality time can last as long as we want to :3

The shard of beach glass was a decent size, considering the fact that the seas had worn its edges down soft without causing it to break into smaller pieces. It was about the size of her paw pad, and gently bent, curved along one edge. It’d likely once been the bottom of a bottle, as the glass near the bottom was a bit thicker. It was dark blue in colour.

”I do not know what it is called. It feels like a stone, but where it is somewhat seet’rough met’inks maybe it is a crystal of some kind.” She said, the light shone through it as it was set upon the tangled driftwood. ”Maybe we give it a name, hmm? For dis seagem. Dey are everywhere, just usually much smaller.” She murmured musically.