Iktome Plains resurgence

please let @Iseul post first, then aw!

To the coast they went, albeit on a longer route than anticipated, Matteo leading the way under Iseul's dutiful direction. Stepping foot outside the Isle for the first time should've been nothing but exciting, but the boy couldn't help the deep sadness that never seemed to leave his chest. Nevertheless, he had put on a brave face for Iseul as the two left the treeline behind and ventured into open moors.

The air seemed different here, fresh and blustery with a tinge of salt, a far cry from their inland home. Stubby grasses had replaced towering trees - even the birds seemed different! And so loud! The boy shook his head irritably and tried to distract himself from their screaming by the view that lay beyond. Water stretched as far as his eyes could see, glinting beautifully in the weak autumn sun. It was definitely the biggest river he'd ever seen, except- was that-? "Iseul! Look!" The ocean! Turning towards her with bright eyes, "do ya think we can swim 'cross it?"

it is a new day, that is the motto that she keeps within her mind as she travels.

there are many things that swarm her mind as she travels alongside the boy she has seemingly come to raise, though many of these thoughts falter on her inability to look past her mistakes. in many ways, iseul still holds a personal grudge against herself for what the isle succumbed to, though must come to look beyond everything when the ocean breeze comes to sweep against her coat.

they would need to find a pack, eventually. the winter would be rough and matteo still needed more training with being on his own, should that be a path he ever wanted to take. but for now, they still had just a tad more time to enjoy what this landscape could offer. when matteo mentions the ocean, she takes a deep breath of the salt air with a calmed expression.

she looks upon his curiosity with a soft smile. "too big," she comes to say, "can swim if careful. and fish here too." it would be best if he learned to be wary of these things, but iseul was not one to spoil fun. she had wanted to show the children the ocean a time ago, and finally it seems to unfold before her.

a crab comes to sidewind across the sand, and iseul nudges matteo to look towards the crustacean. "look, 게. crab." she learned the translation from a woman she met along the coast in what felt to be a long time ago.

While Matteo brimmed with newfound excitement, Iseul's calm demeanour brought him back to reality. Despite the vague familiarity of the water, everything here was very new and very different to the forests and rivers they had journeyed through before. Yet it was also a place they could start anew. Iseul was family and, though he would always carry fond memories of those he loved, he knew he must put them to rest in his heart somehow.

Distraction, it seemed, was his answer. A nudge from the older wolf and his gaze landed on a... strange creature. It had the legs of a spider but its body was all wrong. Nudging it gently with his nose, he marvelled that it's shell seemed to be made of rock. So this was a crab - he repeated the word in Iseul's language until it felt familiar. 

Watching it scuttle away, he turned to her, tail waving slowly. "Crabs are so... weird," he mused. "Is everything here so weird?" Perhaps even the wolves that lived here were strange.

"different" she chides him softly with a smile, "different is sometimes good." there is something comforting about the waves as she hears them crash beside her, as the water wants to rush upon her paws with matteo beside her. the ocean had so much to give, and yet she had ignored its call while within the isle. perhaps the downfall only provided opportunity.

"crab is ah... tricky." she says to him, walking around the sidewinding animal. "see that?" she points to the big pincher, which attempts to snip at her nail. "hurts, crab try to.... grab you, so matteo be careful, yes?" with a quick bump of her toe, she manages to flip the poor animal over, shoving its little face into the wet sand as she comes to grab ahold of the pincher and remove it from its socket.

"come, taste. tell iseul what you think." she comes to stand aside, allowing the boy to do what he does best, investigate.

Different. Yes, it was different. For a boy so set in his ways, it was a challenge to see anything different as good... unless of course it could be eaten. 

And, it seemed, that was exactly what Iseul intended. Matteo settled on his belly to watch, nodding sceptically as she pointed out the pincher and then flipped the crab with what seemed like practiced expertise. 

When beckoned, he slunk towards the severed limb and began to sniff it - a deliciously fishy smell wafting into his nose. Like a picky kid trying something new for the first time, he was understandable cautious, however, upon nibbling a piece of overhanging meat, that soon changed. "Tastes like how the ocean smells," an audible hum of surprise as she asks for his opinion. Taking the rest of the arm in his jaws, he cracked open the remaining shell and feasted until there was not a sliver of meat left.

"Let's catch another for Iseul."