Her sister was safe — for now — but that was all that mattered to the otter. Out of all the Bella Coola wolves to arrive in this strange place it was most peculiar for Pip to adjust the quickest, but it made sense. The mute Mizuno was dependent on those she encountered; it did not surprise the fisher that her sister had immediately pursued a pack.

However, convincing her little sister that they needed to find their way back home was a different story. She seemed oddly… comfortable among the Grizzly Hollow wolves, which worried the sea princess. Pip’s attachment to them might prove difficult when it came time for the Coola wolves to seek out the rest of their family and figure out how to get home. Niq’x was sill plagued by memories of her family running along the beach, a loud whirring noise filling her head as the sound of her heaving breaths consumed her…

She shook her head sharply, clearing her head as she maneuvered through the marsh. The water-logged ground squished between her toes as a grimace slipped onto her lips. She longed for the feeling of sand beneath her paws and salty breezes to ruffle her fur. The otter missed chasing waves — and gulls — with her siblings and the other yearlings of the Coola pack. This land … it was different, and she did not like it. It was puzzling that her sister had adapted so quickly — especially since she was also a fisher, who preferred the abundance of water to the overwhelming supply of foliage in Relic Lore. The water was where the otter felt most at home, which was why she had been spending so much time at the lagoon. She had also frequented the rivers that cut through the land, but it wasn’t the same. Nothing in this strange land could rival the beauty of the coast, nor would it ever replace the void in her heart.

Mud splashed against the back of her legs as she stomped through the marsh, a permanent frown sewn across her liquorice lips. Rain drops threatened to spill overhead as the moody clouds loomed overheard, darkening the skies. The weather was just as depressing as her situation. She was stuck in limbo, unsure of what to do with her current predicament. The sea princess wanted to leave these strange lands and pursue the rest of her family, but she also wanted to remain with Pip and ensure she was safe with these strange wolves. She wondered if she could persuade her sister into leaving…

This place was absolutely horrendous. How could wolves actually live here? A scowl was etched into her creamy maw as she staggered through the muddy terrain as she wore her displeasure boldly across her face. She was curious about this forest her sister was now calling ‘home’ but she desperately wanted to return to the comfort of the lagoon and rinse herself off. The mud splashed into her armpits and against her stomach, causing her face to contort in annoyance. Niq’x was positive that she was completely incapable of smiling anymore — all she seemed to do these days was frown, but for the right reasons. She had been forcibly removed from her former home and placed in this awful, disgusting place filled with land-dwellers and lunatics (like that bizarre female she had reluctantly conversed with). This place was not home, nor would it ever be. Home was the smell of salt in the air and the crunch of soft scales between her teeth; home was scaling barnacle-covered rocks and digging for mussels in tide pools.

Without warning, a furry black smudge disrupted her thoughts as it landed just inches away from her back. She flung away from the creature, her teeth bared as she was temporarily released from the mud with a loud squelch. With her creamy paws firmly placed within the mud once again she studied her attacker through narrowed brows.

It was nothing but a fuzzy preteen, who had clearly had been unaware of her presence. “Is your nose broken?” She hissed in annoyance, her expression softening as she flicked some of the mud off her paw. Perhaps all this muck had temporarily disabled the boy’s senses. just as it had done to her own. All these new scents were overwhelming and overpowering; most of them were things she was smelling for the first time. 

Her anger quickly subsided as she studied the smudge of black fur, her bi-coloured gaze narrowing in curiosity. The jumbled apology brought a lazy smile to her face and she dismissed it with a slow wave of his tail. Niq’x was still a little annoyed at his lack of observation but it was slowly diminishing. She could not be angry with him for something she would have done herself, especially since she was incredibly unfamiliar with these lands.

When he didn’t move from his position on the ground she took a cautious step forward, her black-tipped ears pinned forward as worry pulled at her face. He had asked her if she had gotten hurt, but it was him she was concerned about. Shaking her head quickly in response to say no she returned the question, her brows furrowed: “Are you hurt?” Perhaps he had sprained something in the fall or landed on his back funny and was injured? She wrinkled her nose; she was a fisher not a healer, she was not equipped to help him if the smudge required it.

A familiar scent mingled with his own: he smelt of the wolves she had encountered with Blitz and Tyne — the wolves who had welcomed Pip into her home. Excitement bubbled inside of her at the realization but she swallowed the questions that threatened to fall off her tongue. Niq’x needed to make sure that the boy was okay before bombarding him with questions. “You’re landing was almost flawless,” she added in hopes of lightening up the situation as a smile rolled across her creamy maw effortlessly.

Relief flooded her body as he answered, assuring her that he was not injured. Pleased by his answer her tail wagged softly behind her, velvet ears falling to the side as she studied his smudged appearance. He was almost full-grown, no longer possessing the soft, plushy exterior of a puppy; instead he was gangly and awkward — all legs and paws. Niq’x was almost out of that phase. Her figure was a little more defined now, but still lanky and deer-like. The sea princess almost hoped she wouldn’t fill out too much as she liked her streamline figure. It reminded her of the otters she was affectionately nicknamed after, as well as the seals and salmon that swam along the coast.

“I think you’re going to need a bath,” she laughed as he stood up, mud clinging to his body. Niq’x was also going to be requiring a bath of her own; she was not particularly fond of the muddy terrain. She had avoided cleaning herself since she had arrived as she was reluctant to let go of the lingering scents of her home. Sand was still woven into her fur and the salt clung to her skin… if she cleaned herself properly it would be nothing but a memory, and Niq’x was not ready to let go.

“That’s probably a good idea,” she added with a lazy smile. “Maybe somewhere with a little less mud.” Seriously, why was there so much mud here. Her toes curled into the sludge as she desperately wished for it to be the grainy sand she was accustom to.

The smudge wasn’t so bad — it was an honest mistaken and had already been forgotten about. She had not even noticed his scent until just before he had flung himself in her direction due to the muck that surrounded them. So, really, she was just as much at fault as he was, but she wasn’t going to admit that. The damage was done and apologies had been given; it was nothing but a figment of the past. Focusing her attention back to the golden-eyed boy she figured now was a good time to ask about her sister. “You’re from the Hollow pack, right? Have you met my sister, Pip, yet? Some of you were calling her Squeak — “ she grimaced at the name, her nose wrinkling “— because she can’t speak.” She paused, letting the words sink in as she made a face at the Squeak name a second time. What a horrible name.  Her mix-matched gaze remained glued to the smudge, her expression soft as she waited for his response. 

She was a little disappointed to hear that he had not met her sister yet, but what intrigued her more was his comment about his leaders. Okay. What did that mean? Worry began to bubble inside her stomach and make it's way into her chest, consuming her as she struggled to listen to the rest of the boy’s words. The smudge was asking about why they did not live together, which was a fair question to ask. She and the rest of the sea wolves were trying to decide their plan of action, but joining the Hollow wolves (temporarily) seemed like their best option. They needed to convince Pip to leave so they could continue to look for the rest of the Coola wolves, or start up their own pack in these strange lands — and live at the waters edge, not in trees like savages.

“We got separated,” she started with a soft frown, her brows furrowed. “We’re not from these lands — we come from the coast. We were placed here against our will and our pack got separated. I’ve been living with my brother, cousin, and packmate by the lagoon while we figure out what we’re doing.” Her frown deepened as she paused, her tail flicking in annoyance. “Pip is dependent on those she encounters because she can’t speak; joining a pack was the best option for her.” While she was unhappy with her sister’s decision to join a pack, she could not stay angry at her. “We had an undesirable run in with your leaders recently when we were following Pip’s scent. My brother is a little impulsive and doesn’t seem to understand pack borders.” She grunted at the memory of her brother’s foolish mistake and the vision of the angry leaders. Understandable and preventable, but Blootz had allowed his emotions to fuel his movements and caused the cluster#!*@ of events to occur.

“How come your leaders are just okay?” She asked, her curiosity getting the best of her as she studied the smudge with a raised brow.