[when she retreated, chakliux halted jerkily, and there he stood as the saltwisp assessed him with seafoam eyes. at the string of syllables which came next, his eyes briefly lit in surprise, but reflected a regret to shake his head. he had not heard her words before. quickly, to quell any further consternation, he hoped, the berry-eyed man put paw to his chest. chakliux he said, repeating it twice and waiting until it seemed he was understood. she had come from the sea. not the sea. she had come from some place marked by salt, that was clear. he did not need to question more. you have eating? food? he asked, though this time he did not wait for an answer nor look her way. the seawolf paced off and started to set his claws against the sand, digging where shellfish were most likely to wait for the tide. if she knew the ocean, then she would understand its bounty, and chakliux did not speak again as he gathered two or three, wondering at her accent and ordeal. brine clung to her bedraggled fur. she had been swimming, perhaps? there were no fresh prints in the sand here, save for those of her and himself, and he assumed she had found herself here alone. her tracks had already been swallowed by the ocean's lap; maybe she had sprung from its surface all the same. he half expected to find her disappeared when he looked up again.]

when she retreated, chakliux halted jerkily, and there he stood as the saltwisp assessed him with seafoam eyes. at the string of syllables which came next, his eyes briefly lit in surprise, but reflected a regret to shake his head. he had not heard her words before.
quickly, to quell any further consternation, he hoped, the berry-eyed man put paw to his chest. chakliux he said, repeating it twice and waiting until it seemed he was understood. she had come from the sea. not the sea. she had come from some place marked by salt, that was clear. he did not need to question more. you have eating? food? he asked, though this time he did not wait for an answer nor look her way.
the seawolf paced off and started to set his claws against the sand, digging where shellfish were most likely to wait for the tide. if she knew the ocean, then she would understand its bounty, and chakliux did not speak again as he gathered two or three, wondering at her accent and ordeal.
brine clung to her bedraggled fur. she had been swimming, perhaps? there were no fresh prints in the sand here, save for those of her and himself, and he assumed she had found herself here alone. her tracks had already been swallowed by the ocean's lap; maybe she had sprung from its surface all the same.
he half expected to find her disappeared when he looked up again.