It had been one hell of a swim across the stretch of ocean. The fea panted as she pulled herself out of the ocean waters and onto the shore. It wasn't until she was halfway to this island that she realized it was farther than she expected it to be. She had seen the island from the opposite shore and thought it wasn't that far of a swim and it wasn't like she had anywhere to be or anyone to report to so she thought she would check it out. Now that she was here, she flopped down on the sand and tried to catch her breath, realizing that had probably been a bad idea. It took her several minutes, but she did finally catch her breath and didn't feel like she was going to die. That's when she finally looked up at the island around her, her jaw dropping as her emerald green eyes took in the sight around her. She scrambled to her paws and looked down at the beach, sweeping her head from side to side, looking up and down the shore line. The sand was green! Actually green! She had never seen such a thing. She looked down at her paws, which were now covered in the green sand. Her ears flattened to her head and she gave a soft wine, stepping back into the water for a moment to try and rinse off some of the sand. If there was one thing she hated, it was stuff clinging to her fur. She could deal with mud on her paws if she had to, but heaven forbid she get her head dirty. After she was satisfied that her white paws were clean of the green sand, she carefully walked up the shore to where the grass began before she took another look around. She was amazed that this green island even existed. She padded over to one of the few trees that dotted the landscape and sat under its shade, looking back out over the ocean with a content sigh. Maybe it was worth the swim after all. "Speech."

While most wolves his age were interested in spending time with their friends, with exploring about their territory, Talon was not at all a regular wolf. Rather shy and introverted, the boy instead had taken to wandering far more secluded areas -- and with only three legs, walking was not his strong suit. His mother had briefly suggested he try swimming, and while he had initially been terrified of water -- and thought he was going to drown the first time he waded into the chilly ocean depths -- he was now convinced he should've been born a fish, rather than wolf. But alas, he was canine through and through, though he looked much more like a soaked rat as he waded across the vast expanse of sea. He was not the greatest swimmer in the world, but he felt comfortable in the water, where his disability didn't seem to hinder him any less capable, unlike on land. With an eager grin he waded deeper into the water, his sights set on a small island that was barely within his vision. Time seemed to go by much more slowly than he anticipated it, though, and halfway through his journey he found himself panicking slightly. What if he couldn't make it? He would drown out here! All alone! But it was the thought of his newest friend, Kangi, that kept him going. He couldn't die without saying goodbye to her! No way. She would be so sad! With a determined look, the boy continued his journey, his face scrunched up slightly as he paddled quickly to the island. Before long, he found his three paws hitting solid ground, and he sighed with relief. Thankfully, he was safe! He shook his head, shaking water from his eyes and fur, blinking away stray droplets absently. His jaw unhinged a bit as he saw the strange sand -- which was actually green. How cool! Upon further inspection, he also saw another wolf in the distance, with white fur like his mom's. He had a gut feeling of trust towards her, figuring she looked nice, so she must be nice too. A soft bark left his lips, slightly high-pitched for a boy of his age, but not ridiculously so. Hopefully she really was nice! He could use some company today.

The silence of the emerald green island was suddenly broken by a back cutting through the air. Her ears twitched at the noise and she turned her gaze in the direction that it had come from, seeing a young wolf standing on the shore, apparently just completing the trek that she had finished several minutes ago. . Euph smiled, happy that she wasn't completely alone on this island. She was just about to call him over when she happened to glance at the wolf's legs, seeing that he indeed only had three legs. Not only had the boy crossed the stretch of ocean on his own, but he had done so with only three legs! She couldn't imagine what had driven him to do such a thing, but it intrigued her none of the less. She was a friendly wolf by nature so it wasn't often that she turned away company. She gave a welcoming bark in reply, motioning him over with her head. When the young wolf, no more than a pup really, made it over to her she spoke. "Hello there! I'm Euphrosyne, but you can call me Euph. What are you doing out here by yourself?" Her voice was gentle and inquisitive, truly wondering about this boy. She had to wonder what someone so young was doing out not only on their own, but crossing a stretch of ocean on his own to a distant isle. The trip had been hard on her as an adult, she couldn't imagine what it had been like for him, a pup with a missing leg. She motioned to the spot in the shade beside her, inviting him to sit down with her. "Speech."

Talon was innocent through and through; though he had lost his father so far, he was rather ignorant as to the evils of the world. Curiosity painted the young boy's features, and a small smile began to appear, tugging at the corners of his lips. He held his head a bit taller than he normally would, proud at his feat of crossing such a big expanse of water. Wouldn't his mother be proud! Or, she would more likely be worried that he had gone so far from home on his own. Beaming like he'd just climbed the tallest mountain, he hobbled a few steps closer, his movements fairly awkward, yet oddly fitting for the lanky youngster. "Hi!" He greeted her warmly, though somewhat bashfully . His tail wagged behind him, his joy unabashed as he approached her. "Euph! What a cool name. I'm Talon!" He panted a bit, tongue hanging from between his jaws, struggling to catch his breath, but eager to speak to her all the same. "Isn't this place cool?" Talon exclaimed, gladly following her to her area of the shade, still grinning from ear to ear. He let his silver eyes leave her, wandering over the strange sand that surrounded them.

He was a typical puppy, through and through. He seemed to be boundless with energy and it appeared that he was undaunted by any task. She had always loved puppies and how unaware of the evils in the world they were. They had no problems coming up to complete strangers like he had to her. She was glad that she had been here and not someone with ill intent toward him. As it was, she just had a little friend to spend time with here on this amazingly green island. "It's very nice to meet you, Talon, she replied, noticing that he hadn't answered her question. She wasn't too worried about it though. Puppies like him always seemed to be having too much fun to pay attention to boring questions. She looked out over the beach again at his exclamation, nodding in agreement. "It is really cool. This is the only green sand I've ever seen. Maybe it's the only green beach ever?" She smiled and looked down at him again. He was an adorable little thing. She didn't know what it was about puppies that was so cute, but they always had the ability to pull at her heartstrings. That seemed especially the case with little Tallon, the pup with the missing leg that still managed to swim across the ocean. "Where's your mom at, Tallon? Does she know where you are?" "Speech."

He was often much more of an introvert, but he figured if such a lovely lady like this one like swimming as much as he did -- or at least enough to come all the way out here -- she must be pretty cool. With a slightly dramatic sigh, he plopped onto the ground near her. The shade was certainly a welcome relief from the sun's unrelenting rays, even though he knew if he got too hot, all he had to do was hop back in the water. He briefly shook his head, batting some water out of his eyes with a single paw. "Nice to meet you too," he replied, offering her a sweet smile. Talon had to remember his manners, but it was awfully hard when he got so excited over meeting someone new. He let his silver gaze drift again, dancing over the strange green sand. It was like nothing he'd ever seen before!! Maybe it's the only green beach ever, she suggested, and he nodded readily, agreeing with her fully. "Probably," he said, a bit matter-of-factly, nodding and considering the fact with furrowed brows for a moment. He was probably a bit older than she realized, but he was rather skinny for his age, and his naivety made him seem that much younger. Perhaps if he was not quite so shy, he would've matured a bit more by now -- but he was content with taking life slowly, and carefully. "I told her I was going swimming," he said carefully. He didn't want his new friend making him go back home, but he also was fairly certain she would be less than impressed if she saw him swimming out quite so far.

Euphrosyne scoffed at Talon's answer. Sure, he had gone swimming. She doubted that his mother knew that he had swam across the ocean. The fea chuckled a little at the thought, remembering back when she and her sister had gone off on their own adventuring without their parents really knowing what they were up to. It was part of being young she supposed. She didn't scold him for running off across the large stretch of water by himself, but decided that she would make sure he got back across safely when he got ready to go. "I think it's pretty impressive, you swimming all the way out here by yourself. I thought it was pretty hard," she told him, completely truthful with her words. It really was impressive for a wolf of his size to swim all that way. Maybe not the smartest thing to try, but impressive none of the less. "Speech."

She seemed to scoff at him, and he let out a soft giggle. She reminded him a bit of his mother -- even if she didn't have children herself, she already seemed quite maternal to him. He shifted a bit on the ground, rolling to his side, though his silver gaze remained locked on her. His gaze brimmed with interest, and his face seemed painted in a permanent grin. The skinny boy looked rather silly, laying there in the grass with his tongue lolling from his mouth and looking at her, but he was about as content as a boy could be. "I like swimming," he admitted, lifting himself up a bit. His tail wagged quickly behind him, overjoyed to be speaking with this nice lady. "I can get places a lot faster by swimming than I can by walking." Maybe that was weird? He figured it was because he didn't have four legs, but it didn't seem too weird to him. "I'm pretty tired, but it's okay!" He didn't like other wolves worrying about him -- he didn't like feeling different than others.

Euph watched as the young Talon flopped onto his side and looked up at her with his tongue lolling out of his mouth and she couldn't help but chuckle and grin at the silly pup. She loved the life he had in him, this happy nature that she was seeing. Of course, she had no way of knowing how he was on a daily basis, but he seemed like a pretty cool kid to her. She envied him almost, still being so trusting of the world and having the drive to do something like swim across the ocean without knowing what would happen. Euphrosyne hadn't thought about swimming being easier for him than walking, but she could see how that would be true. She supposed him being here on this island was proof enough of it. He told her that he was tired, but okay, and Euph smiled, nodding in agreement. "I'm sure you are. You seem fine to me," she said as she reached out with her paw and gently nudged him, turning him over this way and that, a grin on her muzzle. She was just playing with him of course, she'd never actually hurt him or anything, she was just turning him from one side to the other, pretending to inspect him. "Mhmm, yep, you look fine to me!" she said with a laugh, pulling her paw away and grinning at him. Yeah, he was a pretty cool kid. "Speech."

For a long moment he lay there, as though resting. His tongue contentedly lolled from the side of his mouth, his breathing slowing from it's slightly labored panting to something more even after a few minutes. He was surprised when she leaned over, nudging him with her paw, as though examining him. He wasn't really used to being touched, but this woman reminded him of his mom with her gentle nature and white fur -- except her brown markings were much different -- and so he relaxed. "As long as I'm okay enough to make it back," he noted, somewhat seriously, as he eyed her. He rolled around as she pushed him gently, and he let loose a playful laugh. "I hadn't thought about what I'd do if I couldn't swim home! My mom would be so worried!" He shook his slender muzzle, hating the idea of Ghost worrying about him. "Have you explored this island at all?" His question came suddenly, as his attention shifted from the ocean, to the land behind them. It seemed like a typical island -- save for the strange green sand -- but he wondered what it might have in store for him.

>

Being around Talon made Syne wonder about her future. She had been wandering on her own for quite a while now and hadn't really thought about what she might want to do, but playing around with him made her think that maybe she might want her own pups. It was a strange and sudden thought for the brown-marked, white fea and it kind of took her by surprise. She hadn't even met anyone she might want to be mates with! It was a crazy thought, but one she couldn't help considering. The young wolf's voice broke through her musing and she gave him a comforting smile when he mentioned how worried his mother would be if he couldn't swim home. "No need to worry about that anymore, I'll make sure you get home safe." At his sudden switch in topics she glanced back at the forest behind them. She shook her head, turning her gaze back to him. "Nope! I haven't been here much longer than you and I sat right here as soon as I got out of the water. Would you like to explore it? I'd kinda like to see the rest of it too." She stood, shaking out her now mostly dry fur so it wasn't clumped any more, and gave him a grin. "Euph and Talon the explorers, eh?" Speech,

If only Kangi could be here to enjoy this with him! He wondered; did she like swimming as much as he did? Would she have been able to swim all the way out here? Maybe he could've carried her! His brows furrowed as he considered this, but he shook his head -- he was way too small to carry here, even if she was rather small herself! Suddenly he rolled over onto his belly, taking a long moment to bring himself upright, hovering somewhat unstably on his three legs. She offered to explore with him, and he couldn't refuse that offer; a rather sheepish grin had crossed his gentle features, tail beginning to wag joyfully behind him. "I'd love to!" He exclaimed, faltering a bit as he started away from the coastline. He would wait for her, of course. He turned his head toward her, watching with that innocent grin still plastered on his lips. "I don't think I could really be an explorer, though," he said softly, shaking his head. No ... he wasn't quite as fast or nimble as others he had met. It would be fun, but he didn't think that was a title he deserved.

>

Syne started to reach out to help the pup stand when he started to wobble on his three legs, but she stopped herself. She didn't know if he would be irritated by her help or not. She knew some wolves didn't like being helped when they had a disability of some sort and she didn't know Talon well enough to know if he was like that. Besides, she was kinda proud of the boy for being able to still get on with his life even though he was missing something as important as a leg. She watched as he stood and turned toward the center of the island, glancing back at her. His words broke her heart a little. He was probably right about that. She refused to let the sadness show in her features. She just smiled and padded up beside him, looking down at him happily. "Who says? No one said you have to be a fast explorer. Slow and steady win the race, right?" She led the way further into the island, letting the little man set the pace. She walked along beside him, taking in the scenery. Everything seemed to be as geen and lush as the sand they had walked up on. It was amazing to the brown-marked fea how an island could possibly be a solid color like this. It certainly lived up to its name, the Emerald Island. She glanced down at her new companion and smiled. He amazed her too. She was afraid he was going to get too tired to swim back though, so she offered, "Would you like for me to carry you, Talon? You can ride on my back and we can be explorers together." She grinned, her kind eyes shining. She stopped and folded her legs under her, getting down low to the ground so he could climb up onto her back. "Come on, it'll be fun! Pretend I'm a bear and you're an awesome explorer that made friends with a bear or something," she said, laughing a little at the thought of Talon riding a bear. She was trying to make it more fun for him and she waited to see what he would say about it. Speech,

Though the thoughts of adventuring were somewhat daunting for the shy boy, he was able to keep his positive outlook. He really liked this lady -- she reminded him very much of his mom, with how nice she was -- but she seemed better at giving him the space that he liked to have, while also giving him enough attention to satiate his worries. The smile remained plastered on his features, as though he was unable to shake it off, even if he tried. 'Slow and steady wins the race, right?' she offered, but he shrugged. "If you're slow, you usually are the one who loses. I never can beat my siblings when we race. But it's okay. I don't need to win all the time." It was not so much a realization, but a reiteration of something he already knew. The brief sadness at the thought flitted only briefly across his gentle features before the expression was replaced by one of eagerness and curiosity. The island was rather nice. Much nicer than where his family lived! He wondered if they would ever want to move here if he suggested it. Maybe he and Misty and Isicera could come out here -- have a place of their own to play when they didn't want to be around the others! He nearly giggled as they wandered, thoroughly enraptured by the lush vegetation and tall trees that surrounded them on all sides. It was then that she offered to carry him .. he furrowed his brows, stopping beside her and looking at her with a briefly confused expression. "If... if you don't mind," he said, his jaws clenching for a moment. It was a little weird, but he couldn't help but laugh at the picture of him riding a bear. "Okay," he said, somewhat sheepishly. It was a little silly, but he was rather skinny and wouldn't be much of a burden on her. With some hesitance, he clambered onto the woman's back, using his limbs to wrap around her and hold tight so he wouldn't fall off.

>

Euphrosyne could see that he thought the whole idea was silly, which it was, and probably thought she was strange, but she knew that if they were going to explore for a while longer it would wear on him. It was a long swim back and she didn't want him to be too tired. She waited till he had climbed on her back and wrapped his legs around her before she carefully unfolded her legs and stood. Once she was sure he was secure on her back, she continued on, going along at an easy pace. It was faster than they had been going before, but slow enough that he didn't miss anything in their exploring and he wasn't at risk of falling off. They went through the island, weaving around the trees and rocks, walking by pools of rainwater, spotting small animals in the brush and birds in the trees. He was so light that it was no problem at all for Syne to carry him around the island. She kind of liked it, actually. She didn't have to worry about him tiring or getting hurt. She knew that was probably a little overprotective, but she really did mean well. She kept her head down the whole trip so she wouldn't get in the way of his view. Soon they had crossed the whole island and had reached the opposite shore. It wasn't an extremely large island. "Look, the sands are just as green here as they are on the other side," she said, glancing back at him over her shoulder with a smile. She turned and trotted along the coast, circling back to where they had started. Her paws were getting covered in the green sand again, but she paid it no mind. Little things like that didn't seem to matter as much when she had Talon with her. Before too long they came back to the shore where they had met. Euph could see the mainland in the distance over the stretch of ocean. She slowed to a stop and slowly sank to the ground again. "Alright, get off the bear," she said, giving him a rumbling growl to pretend like she really was a bear just for fun, a smile crossing her muzzle and a laugh echoing in her chest to show she was just kidding with her new friend. "How did you like the tour?" she asked as she sat up on her haunches and looked down at him, her emerald eyes meeting his gray gaze. Speech,

The adventure was a welcome distraction from whatever worries were beginning to brew in Talon's mind. When he'd awoken this morning, his mother had been gone; neither of his sisters had been around, either. It reminded him rather painfully of his father's sudden, unexplainable departure. How long he had mourned Segar's disappearance, wondering why he hadn't wanted to stay -- wondering what had possibly happened to him. Did he not like his kids anymore? But how was such a thing possible? Talon knew he wasn't nearly as pretty as his sisters, nor was he as fast, but he knew he was kind and loving and had always clung to his father tightly, lathering his parents in affection. Only briefly did he wonder if his mother, too, was gone -- but he was probably just being foolish. The almost-yearling knew he had the tendency to worry about things far more than necessary, and internalize problems until they grew into something much larger. Maybe he was doing that now, too. Only briefly did he recall the sadness that had begun to toy with his heart when he awoke as he clambered onto Euphrosyne's back, clinging to her somewhat awkwardly. The adventure would distract him from these thoughts, certainly; and sure enough, as the woman began to wander about the island, he all but forgot about his unsettling morning. His imagination wandered slightly, and he wondered if he and his family could live on this island. Could they still be part of Seracia then? Or would they be rogues? He certainly didn't love the idea of that, since he felt protected by the constant presence of other creatures around him. It would be much scarier to live alone. The sands were just as green over here. "So cool," he noted with a laugh, grinning widely at the sight. Sadly, the journey ended quickly. A sound came from beneath her -- a mock-growl -- and once again, laughter flowed from the young boy. He truly wasn't hard to please, and found joy in the simplest of things. Carefully he slid down, hopping a few times to maintain his balance. "That was pretty fun," he admitted, tail wagging freely behind him. "Maybe you can swim back with me? Meet my mom and sisters?" Eager silver gaze watched her, somewhat expectant.

>

Euph was happy to hear that he had enjoyed their little trip around the island. She had worried that he wouldn't, but it seemed like her worries weren't needed. She stood and shook out her fur before her ears perked up at his question. It was an easy question to answer. She immediately smiled and nodded, replying, "Of course!" She had already planned on swimming back with him to make sure he got across safely, but she was more than happy to make sure he got home safely. Besides, she would love to meet his mother and complement the fea on her wonderful son. "Lets head back then, okay? I want to get you home before it gets dark. I don't want your mom thinking I kept you out late," she said with a wink. She padded over to the edge of the water and looked down at him, asking, "Ready?" before walking out into the water, keeping pace with the young wolf as they paddled out into the open water toward the mainland. Speech,

Pure joy shone in the boy's eyes; how innocent he was! His naivety was obvious, and he had little idea how endearing his youthful personality was. Despite losing his father -- he was rather clueless as to why Segar had left them -- he was relatively happy with his life, seeing little reason to feel sad or alone. He had his sisters, his best friend Kangi, and his newest friend right here with him! The grin never ceased as he stood watching her, one of his front paws trailing aimlessly through the green sand before them. He wished desperately he could bring some back to show his mom, but it seemed an impossible task. It would be gross to carry it in his mouth, and he couldn't find any other option. But alas! He shook his head, laughing softly at his silly idea. "Okay," he agreed readily, turning to face towards the ocean. The distance across was great, and he knew it would seem even longer this time. "Ready!" he exclaimed, and without further ado he hopped forward before leaping into the cold water. As though challenging her to a race -- one he would likely not win, given his small stature and lack of muscle -- he began to paddle ferociously.

>

Euph paddled along at a steady pace, never letting Talon leave her sight. She slacked her speed just for a bit to let him get in front of her so she could keep an eye on him, making sure he went no farther behind her head than her shoulder. She felt responsible for his welfare, even though she had only just met the young brute a few hours ago. She was the only adult around so she figured it was her duty to see that he made it home safely. Besides the fact that felt responsible for him, she just liked the small wolf. He had earned a place in her heart and she wanted to see to it that he was safe. They floated along in the expanse of sea water, slowly but surely making their way back to the shore. Her legs bushed her body forward, her tail streaming out behind her, and her ears back against her head. She craned her neck to keep her head above the waves. It was slow going, but they were making progress. She glanced over at him, her emerald gaze finding him with some relief. Every time she looked away from him to look toward the shore she had a probably irrational fear that she would look back and he would be done below the surface. As they reached the halfway point, she started to feel the fatigue of swimming the long distance in her legs. It hit her harder than last time since she had already made the trip once and walked all over the island. Luckily, she was able to power through it fairly easily since they were moving at a pretty steady pace. She glanced over to Talon again and called to him, "If you get too tired, tell me. Don't let yourself get worn out." Speech,

What a perfect day! It truly felt as though nothing could go wrong. But despite how content the boy felt, he found himself longing almost desperately for Kangi; wondering where she was, if she was feeling content, if she would like the interesting green sand here as much as he did. He would have to take her here some time, certainly! When he'd first arrived on the island, he'd felt rather energetic and full of life. However, as he began to swim, he felt fatigue seep into his very core, dragging down his limbs as he swam. He could certainly make it back, but he would be quite tired by the end of it all. However, he tried to mask the exhaustion by turning and grinning at his new friend as they continued to paddle in the cool water. Tongue lolled from the side of his mouth as he continued onward, limbs splayed out in the water as he pushed his skinny frame onward. Before long they had arrived at the sore, and out came a panting, heavily-breathing boy. "That wasn't too bad," he admitted gently, though he leaned into the older woman for support, finding his legs to be quite tired.