Wheeling Gull Isle You are the bounce in my step, the burst of blood in my chest

From his line of sight there were two masses of land, but since one could scarcely be called an island he dared to rub two brain cells together and assume that the larger one was where Reverie's brother lived.

At least it was easy. He hoped it would all come easy, but he had the unfortunate gut feeling that this wouldn't be as simple as he wanted it to be. Maybe he could feign ignorance. Maybe it wasn't feigning, if he'd only been given a few words to say.

Eventide wasn't about to set foot on some guy's turf without at least giving them a heads up, so he threw his head to the clear sky and called for @Everett. He took the swim over to the isle in stride, and shook his fur out on the shore as he waited there, not wanting to head further inland without invitation.

Everett was with the children when the howl came rising up over the lavender fields. He didn’t recognize the voice, and he was sure he betrayed his confusion when he turned to @Heda and stared at her for a long second with a tight frown and furrowed brow. Who in these Wilds knew him enough to call him by name?

So he rose to his paws and, seeing as visitors were rare on the island, told @Caracal that if he wished, he could allow his children to watch from a safe distance so they might learn how to carry themselves with other visitors to their shores. Everett knew he hadn’t made any enemies here — except, perhaps, Lestan, but he was certain that whatever he thought of him, Reverie’s husband would never bring him harm.

But the man he met was as unfamiliar as his voice. He looked built for the water — he had even swam the sea! — and was bright as the sand and as speckled as the island rocks. His eyes seemed kind, but Everett remained guarded against him. Reserved — but not unkind. Only questioning.

Hello, he said, and with a careful tilt of his head, asked, do I know you?

He was almost certain he did not.

you don't, he replied. maybe if he were better at lying he would've pretended that they had been briefly introduced at a coworker's mixer, or whatever the canine equivalent of that was. i'm not looking for trouble, though.

well. he had to get this over with sooner or later, and if reverie had done something horrible and contemptible, he figured he'd rather deal with it ummmm, now. reverie sent me.

sorry for taking so long! Summer got busy <3

Reverie?

She sent him? For Everett?

His whole body spoke his surprise — the widening of his eyes, the forward press of his ears, the small lean towards the stranger at their door.

Thoughts of her fever ran heavy through his mind. Was she checking on the children? Was she checking on him? Had Lestan run off again?

Why? Is she alright? came the sun of his thoughts. He glanced back to the hills — could he leave them here, if she needed him to go? — before settling his eyes back on Reverie’s messenger.