Wheeling Gull Isle Long Greetings

Heph hesitated before swimming to the edge of the isle, not because of the icy water just beginning to feel the chill of winter on her fur, but because she did not know how not to intrude. But she plunged into the water, let her limbs carry her to the shore and stayed there. Declared herself with a howl upon the shore calling for @The Widow Redhawk and stating her own name in case they remembered it.

Looking for Heda but all welcome

It was still but the three of them. Malakai, along with his mentor @Nakano and the huntress @Kaamos. His brother @Simeon he had not seen in awhile, either.

The cold had drawn away much prey, even that of the sea. However, with just the three of them, there wasn't so many mouthes to feed. 

Kai practiced every chance he could though still with much to learn. The boy who had lost both his parents at such a young age, had found a bit of comfort with the pair who stayed now. 

To the coast he moved, heeding the call of their visitor. It had been quite some time since Kai had greeted one. The woman you call for is no longer here. He informs, lifting his head up to the burly woman before him with mismatched gaze.

When the young wolf approached she was surprised but ready to greet friendly enough. At the news that Heda could not be found there though she could not help a slight frown, but the stranger did not elaborate and so she did not know the cause. Her voice drew over her own response carefully "My apologies." But she was there for a reason and this wolf had no reason to know her even though she stood on their land so she added. "I'm Heph from Moontide, a pack to the west of here. I came to invite Sweetharbor to a hunt in Hoshor plains to the south, in about nine days time."

Moontide. The name sounded familiar, yet Malakai could not quite place it. In fact, it might have been that the name of it was heard in passing by his grandmother, @Towhee, in the many times she had visited, to help his young parents with the many children they had harbored. He wondered where she was now. He wondered where all of them were, now. Yet most importantly, he wondered where @Judas was. Kai would not leave with the thought that any moment his twin may return to him. 

Hoshor plains? Is that...far? His paws shifted where he was on the sands. His uncertainty and confusion showing. He had only ever left the island once and had yet quickly turned back round, but he wasn't about to tell her that. 

Is Moontide allies of Sweetharbor? Kai's brow rose questioningly. He was curious why she had come all this way. Maybe Moontide in fact wasn't all that far at all, for all he knew, and his youth shown now more then ever. Whatever politics his parents had with other packs... well, they were as dead as them now.

She responded evenly, to his question, glad to share her own knowledge from scouting and shifting so she could better gestuer towards the sunspire mountains. "It maybe two days journey if you travel very quickly. It lies on the western side of that mountain range." Tilting her chin she indicated the direction. Perhaps if a wolf ran the whole way they could make it there quickly but they might not arrive in a fit state to hunt.

At the question of allyship she took a breath to think, it was not a simple question and she was not sure of the answer. She had come to invite them to the hunt because they had seemed friendly with Rodyn and Moontide when they had visited, but now she was not sure if the new alphas would consider them allies and if Rodyn would either. "Heda and Caracal visited us when we were first settling, and our alpha, Rodyn, considered them friends." She settled on, because she was not sure how Rodyn knew the pair of wolves but they had been friendly, had offered to allow her to visit which she had never gotten around to. Now she was regretting getting caught up in everything. Whether or not whoever led Sweetharbor now would wish to continue to trade and remain friendly with Moontide was up to them, and she supposed Rodyn too. But in order for them to learn more of one another some overtures would have to be made.

Kai shifted his head, lifting it as he surveyed the mainland. Beyond the ravensblood forest, then. It was the forest he had gone through with his mother and siblings. They passed quite a bit of open land before coming to the Heartwood. Maybe these plains she spoke of were around there. 

Seems far... He murmured. It was. Especially so for a seven month old pups, who knew so very little or travel beyond his island's reaches. It was his sanctuary. Why would he ever feel the need to leave it? @Judas was out here somewhere. His father was here. 

I don't think I'll be going. He admitted. He didn't want @Nakano or @Kaamos going either. They were his lifelines, after all. His guardians where his parents had failed. Heda and Caracal had a fight some time ago... He murmurs, keeping his gaze from her now. Heda took most of her pups to the mainland. When they returned, the remaining of her pups were lost and Caracal had died. 

After a moment, Malakai looks back to Heph. His stance rigid, his face flat, yet within those eyes was a world of hurt and festering hate. You may rest here the night, if you'd like.

A blink and twitch along her spine at the news of Heda and Caracal then quiet yet sure words spoken suffused with a warm strength. "I'm sorry for your loss." It made sense that they would not go, especially if they were still mourning. It was not easy to set a time or distance on such a thing but she would take the news to @Rodyn so he might know that they would not come and also of Heda and Caracal and their children.

She felt the offer to stay was somewhat unexpected, at odds with the flat look of pain twisted into anger and then malice that she could see swirling in the eyes of this young wolf. But her reasons for declining the offer had nothing to do with her host and she shook her head. "Thank you for the offer, but I won't trespass on your hospitality." A tentative smile. But the light was beginning to come back to her eyes from Samani's passing and this did not dampen it.

There was little that she could do for them traveling light and with places to be, but she spoke firmly, turning her head to better show the direction of the plateau. "Moontide lies to the west of here on that plateau should Sweetharbor wish to call on our borders for trade or hunting or help or to meet."

Heph lingered a moment longer to catch her breath and watch the waves, but then she would depart, heading back to the mainland.

Malakai's ears swept back at her words, yet nodded firmly. She was sorry for his loss, though she did not know them. She would also be taking her leave now, determined to return home or maybe she had other places to visit for this hunting trip her pack was making. 

Malakai didn't ask, yet only nodded again as she explained where Moontide was, should Sweetharbor have a need of anything. It was the first time someone didn't mention what he planned to do without his parents, how might be survive. Maybe she did not realize how few and how dire Sweetharbor now really was. 

After she began her swim, Malakai returned to the Greenhills.