Something called her here. It was the vaguest notion of warmth, but that couldn't be quite right. It was summer now and everything was warm. Maybe not warmth but... comfort? It was a memory that tickled at her brain, flitting in and out of focus: laying on this beach, digging her toes into the sand, dreaming of a different future. She had pushed past the discomfort of travelling further and further from the East. There was a call that echoed to her down the coast, but if she listened too hard to it, her stomach clenched with anxiety and fear. No, no. Best not to go back that way. Not for now.  She had the distinct impression that if she answered the call, found whatever was waiting at the end of this damned tether drawing her back towards the coast, she would fall apart completely. And she had just begun to piece everything back together! So instead she followed this feeling - this memory. Theory let out a deep sigh when her paws hit the sand, emptying her lungs entirely. She felt like she'd been holding her breath for the last mile. The sands were plush and invitingly warm on this perfect summer day. A blue, blue sky stretched on above towards the horizon line and she couldn't spot a single cloud in the sky. Summer in all of its glory. Theo padded down towards the water, grinning as it kissed her paws. She had always loved the ocean. Oh. Yes. I have always loved the ocean, she thought, bemused. Each day she remembered more, but it came in strange fragments: loving the ocean, her favorite food, the bright sound of laughter that didn't belong to her. Most faces and names and important things, those were still lost. Trying to focus on what she could remember, Theory turned her face up to the sun and closed her eyes against the warmth, licking the salty air from her lips. "I love the ocean," she whispered to herself.   "Speech"

Ajax wasn't a hard pup to find. If he wasn't chasing or sparring with his pack mates then he was in the water, splishing and splashing about. Talking to himself, telling stories of mighty sea monsters that coincidentally took on the form of his front left paw as it rose and fell beneath the surface. He roared and snarled, muttering terrified and overly dramatic little "oh nooo, dont eat meee." In short, he was having a grand old time, completely oblivious to the company that wandered ashore. Roamed the beach like she was meant to be here, like she'd finally found home. It was only the soft mumble of her voice that caught Ajax's attention, barely enough to carry over the hissing of the waves. She looked kinda...lost, like the time Ajax had awoken from a dream only to be really confused as to how he'd gotten there, like someone had plucked him up from one place and plopped him in another. A weird feeling indeed, no wonder she was so out of sorts! "Me too!" He chirped, unable to stop himself as he looked her way, all dopey grin and eyes squeezy at the corners. "S'the best!"

A small voice caught her by surprise. Theo stumbled back, her rear paws sinking in to the wet sand. "Hello there!" she responded, meeting the young fellow with a grin of her own. Another thought came flitting back: I love children. A warmth bloomed in her chest as she looked at him, soaking wet and grinning up at her. What a little scamp, what a precious little scrap of a thing. "Do you live here?" she asked, hoping he might elaborate on the matter. It was embarrassing to be the adult in the situation and simply not know exactly where she was. Of course, she was here by the ocean - but there had a fairly distinct scent marker she'd passed a while back, and suddenly she had the sinking feeling that she trespassing. If she was trespassing, why did this place look so familiar? No alarm bells had gone off at the scent of the border. She might be a tad forgetful now, but she still knew common canine courtesy. It stood to reason that she must know this place - or these wolves - and perhaps this fellow might jog her memory. "Speech"

When she stumbled back Ajax waved his fluffy fox tail high in a lazy, laid back wave. As if to say, he meant no harm! Just saying hello! To his relief she seemed to smooth out a little, seemed less out of it as she looked his way and asked if he lived here. He sure did and saw no reason not to tell her how it was, every itty bitty detail. Oversharing was not a word in his little dictionary, for sure! "Yup! With my brothers 'n sisters-oh and mum too!" Though she was too busy, too Kingly to hang out with them too much. That was okay, even if it made little Ajax feel a little blue sometimes. "She's a king you know! 'N I'm Ajax!" He bounded closer, splashing his way through the small waves as he peered up at her, all childhood innocence and bubbly energy. "You said you like the water, yeah? Wanna splish?" His offer was a bit insistent, a bit too enthused with barely concealed anticipation. But she seemed like a nice lady, even if her tail was shorter than it should be.

Okay, he had brothers and sisters and lived here with his mother. Was it a family pack? No one was nearby, even lifting her nose to the air she couldn't scent any adults within spitting distance. Was he allowed to play in the water like this alone? Theo vowed not to let him out of her sight while they stayed by the shore. The ocean was beautiful but unpredictable. Even if the weather was perfect and lovely, there might be a vicious current lurking offshore. "A king, huh? King of what?" Theory asked cheekily, hoping to eke some more info out of him, and maybe a little laugh. He was absolutely precious. "Yes! I love the water, the ocean especially. Let's splish!" she said, crouching into an exaggerated play bow as the latest wave lapped up the sand. Theory danced into the shallows of the water until it hit at her ankles and sent a spray of water directed his way. "Got you! Say, would your mother like to join us?" she asked, glancing up at where the sand crumbled back into grass. Maybe if they could coax whoever that was out, she might remember why this place felt so familiar. "Speech"

"Pirates!" It was an easy question to answer, after all what else would Mum be the King of? It got Ajax thinking, could he be the king of the sea if he really wanted? Was that how it worked? Maybe. Thrilled that the mystery leggy lady was happy to play, Ajax let out a squeal as she splished him real good. Got him wet all over with a strong thump of her front paws. Oh she was good, finally some real competition, their battle would be legendary! Wiggling his bum, he dashed forward before spinning around on his paws as he hastily dug on the spot, kicking water her way whilst giggling all the while. Her question made him falter for a moment, hind leg kicking out mid-air as he thought about it. They had splished before and Mum was pretty good at it, but they hadn't done it together since then. Like it was a one and done deal, like maybe she was too busy or had better things to do. "I dun't think so." He shook his head and did his best to play it cool. No biggie, the king was a big and important wolf! "Being a king is real busy."

Pirates. It didn't ring any bells in particular. Theory had a vague idea of what it might mean to be a pirate - living by your own rules, generally lawless, perhaps some fighting involved - but nothing triggered a deeper memory. Rats. Well, all she could do was hang around and hope something might shake loose in her head. In the mean time, she could play splish with this charming young man! Entertaining children was something she felt familiar with, even if she couldn't quite place why. Maybe just because it was pure and simple and fun. Theory crouched closer to the ground so Ajax could hit her full in the face with his splash and she sputtered dramatically, blinking back the salt water. Okay, it did kind of sting. "Aghhh! You got me!" she wailed, trying to hide her grin. The boy sheepishly admitted that they probably call his mother down to play and Theory felt her heart drop a few centimeters in her chest. He pretended not to mind much, but he was only a child. "Well, what if I called her down to the shore? She'd probably come running for a stranger, right?" In fact, Theory was surprised no one had accosted her yet. "But we don't have to be strangers. I'm Theory, nice to meet you Ajax!" "Speech"

Ajax thought about it for a moment. He knew people came and went, that the pirates weren't super territorial or the sort to get worked up over stuff that wasn't important. Would mum mind this nice lady here? He didn't think so, not when she was such a good splisher, even gave Ajax a run for his money. "Maybe. I think you're allowed on the beach, everyone is." That's just how it worked around here, seemed as natural as breathing. Had he been a little more shrewd he would have noticed that the nice lady and mum shared the same eye dotties. He sorta had dotties too, but spoldgy and smeary, made into lines. "Feary?" He blinked. That's what she'd said, right? "If you shout real loud someone will come, I think. We can shout together!"

Sparrow was, y'know, being a responsible mother or something and checking on the pups to make sure they hadn't drowned or at least if they had that their bodies were recovered before the bloat sunk in too deep. She heard Ajax talking to someone and that eased her mind a little. It was nice- she even knew the voice that answered back to him.

Oh wait shit, that was Theory.

Sparrow hadn't asked where Theory went and Sparrow had assumed she went to go get fucked quite literally since she always wanted kids. Glad to have her visiting, Sparrow bounded over and aimed to slam herself into Theory, wrap her paws around her, and give her a big sloppy kiss on her forehead like Sparrow and Tyr had always done all while shouting, "THEEEEEOOOORRRRYYYYYYYY!"

Theory was admiring the darling little boy in front of her when a complete force of nature barreled out of left field and knocked her clean over. With a tumble and a splash and a very painful knock of her head on the packed sand, Theory hit the ground. "AHGAGHHHHHHRHRGHH," she gargled, spitting salt water and sand. Maybe it was the knock on her head or the smell of salt and familiarity of family, but something finally seemed to click in her addled brain. "Spar-sp-sp-Sparrow?" Theory gulped, trying to disentangle herself from her cousin and lurch to her paws. Why was she visiting Sparrow? Shouldn't she be back at home? Home? Theory cast a stricken glance over her shoulder back towards the east. Home? Abaven? And her gut begun to roil.