On the way home from the Forgotten Isle, something caught Audra's eye. A cluster of tide pools sparkled in the basking glow of a setting sun. Coming ashore just north of the cove, closer to the Aspen Dam, she pauses and turns her good eye to look at the nearby pools. While Audra was not one who favored the flavor of crab meat, she wondered in that moment if there would be anything else there. Or maybe she wasn't ready to go home yet. Spending the day with Sota had been enjoyable. His company was relaxing and easy while still fun and not reckless. She did not need any more danger in her life. "H-have you b-been there before?" Audra questions softly as she reaches over to nudge Sota's shoulder. "We sh-should go check i-it out," there is a smile on her lips as her tail wags gently between her legs. "C'mon," she waits no longer before turning to trot over to the tide pools. With the tide fully washed out, the pools were full and teeming with life. Everything from crabs to hermit crabs to seastars to other sea life that she had no name for. "Whoa," Audra whispers as she stands on the edge of a pool, staring down into it.

Sota was very likely one of the least reckless wolves that inhabited The Hallows. Though he loved adventure and new experiences, it was always done with a healthy amount of caution. He certainly didn't want to risk his own safety, and putting a friend of his in danger was something he'd just never do intentionally. He was more than happy to continue spending time with Audra in the way they had been though. He'd long since decided he quite liked her, but today had only cemented that feeling. Her company was delightful and he found himself reflecting on just how thankful he felt for it as they made it to shore, "I have not!" He answered, sounding interested in the prospect of exploring it though. As much as he liked to wander, he often stuck close to the castle and a change of scenery like this had a way of brightening his mood. Without hesitation he trailed after her, slowing as they reached the tide pools. There was more going on here than he expected from a distance, teeming with crabs that scuttled back and forth. All around the tide pools were washed up bits of shells and wood. It was quite the sight - and it seemed Audra thought so too. He let out a delighted laugh as he joined her, lifting a paw to prod at a crab that was just beginning to leave the water, watching as he hurried along, venturing from one tide pool to the next. "This place is pretty neat," he decided with a grin. He'd have to consider if it was worth taking another souvenir home, or maybe indulging in a snack or two before they left.

Her own giggle floats into the air as she watches Sota poke at a crab. The way it scuttles is odd and peculiar. She could not imagine having six legs and moving from left to right instead of forward. "I-I d-didn't know they c-could be small," Audra mentions as she too lifts a paw to prod at another crab that was making its way from a different pool over to the one they were at. The ones she had seen at the land bridge had been large and rather intimidating. These medium-sized ones were a tad more manageable. As the crab moves out of her way, Audra looks back at the pool they stand in front of. Within it, she sees a rather odd thing that she can't tell if its a plant or an animal. Its purplish pink tentacles almost look like fronds but they also appeared to move on their own. Her head tilts lightly as she lowers her nose closer to the surface. "D-do you know wh-at that is?" Audra asks quietly before dipping a toe in to touch it. As her paw pad makes contact, one of the little arms sticks to it and she pulls back with a squeal. "I-it attached t-to me!" She proclaimed with a laugh.

Seafood wasn't really something he indulged in often, so he viewed the little crabs as something he was simply coexisting with, rather than prey he was waiting to snack upon. He was glad his joy seemed infectious, beaming even wider at the way Audra giggled back at him. For a woman that had been through so much he was glad to see her smiling again, and he wouldn't take those moments for granted. "Me neither," he admitted, shifting to get a better look. It wasn't like he'd really spent much time at the ocean anyway, at least not during his youth. His time spent down in Auster since the Hallows had moved here had been his first true taste of ocean life. He certainly hadn't seen the next critter she came across either - if was even something he could classify as that. He made a little grimace as one of its arms attached itself to her, instinctively moving forward in case she needed help. His brows pulled tightly together in concern. "Does it hurt?" Sota asked, though he figured if it did she would've made some noise to indicate that. "I wonder if maybe it washed over here with the tides. Maybe it needs help getting back?" He mused thoughtfully. Maybe not, but it was in his nature to consider the welfare of others, both wolf and non-wolf alike.

"Not at all! It almost f-felt like..." Audra hesitates as she tries to think of a word to describe the feeling. "Honey or mud. S-something sticky," she says after a few beats of thinking. "T-try it out," she offers to Sota before dipping her own toe back in to touch the strange creature. Its tendril grasps to her once more, curling around a toe before she pulls out of the chilly water. Another laugh leaves her as she shakes the water from her paw. "It al-almost tickles," Audra admits. Looking up and around at the tide pools, she also wonders if the thing belongs here or if it was washed ashore. "I-I'm not sure. I d-don't know much about wh-what lives here," there is almost a sort of embarrassed tone to her voice as if she felt that she should know more.

Fortunately Audra said it didn't hurt or anything, describing it as something sticky. Yuck! He looked amused as he watched, nodding when she said he should try it. It didn't seem like they were really hurting or bothering the creature so he obliged, reaching out to prod it with his paw. Just as it had with her it seemed to suction to him, the feeling exactly as she described, a little sticky. He wiggled his paw but it remained there. "I'll bring it to the edge of the water, just in case," he decided finally. Using his other paw to carefully scoop the critter up, grimacing a little at how gooey it felt in his paws. Taking a few steps toward the water he placed it right near the edge, so close that if a strong wave rolled in it might begin to move it slightly. Hopefully close enough that it could escape into the water if need be. Leaving a helpless creature to suffer, however far removed from wolf it might be, didn't exactly sit well with him and he had a feeling Audra would agree. Finally pulling his paw free, he turned his attention to the glimmering shells that littered the sand between the tide pools. "Would you maybe want to bring some of these shells back? A few of these pretty ones?" Maybe bringing back souvenirs was becoming their thing, from the time they'd taken some shards of glass from the ruins on the Forgotten Island, but Sota quite liked it. His own room back in The Hallows was pretty bare-bones, but maybe he too ought to put some work into decorating it, even if just a little.

Audra admired Sota's kindness toward other creatures. Why could other wolves not be more like that? Even though he had no idea what the creature was, he was still willing to help. The world would be better if more wolves were like Sota. She smiles softly as she watches her friend take the sticky tentacled sea thing out toward the shore and away from the tide pools. Somewhat lost in her thoughts, her ears perk when he turns back and suggests they take some shells back. Her one good eye looks to the shimmering sand where a colorful array of shells lay. The already appeared smile widens as she gives him an enthusiastic nod. "Oh, that s-sounds like a g-good idea!" Audra chimes in as she is also reminded of the pretty stained glass they had taken from the forgotten isle. While her own room was probably a tad crowded with dried plants and other odds and ends from her travels, she would always find room for more! Plus, the good memories it would bring for not just her, but for Sota as well. "Which ones do you like?" She asks as she begins to take a few steps away from the tide pool she stands at to look at the different shells.

Sota didn't know if he'd done that creature any good at all, but thinking he may have helped certainly made him feel better. Not because it was an act, or he liked to simply feel good about himself, he just genuinely liked to do good, even more as he got older. He was also only growing more and more appreciative of the little things... like a day on the beach with a friend, and bringing back some mementos to help remember the day by. Maybe this was their little thing, going somewhere new and taking something small back. Sota didn't know what Audra's quarters looked like or how decorated they were, but he was glad she seemed pleased at his idea again, her approval only making his smile brighten.  "Hmmm," he mused thoughtfully, considering what he'd come across so far. He circled back to one of the tide pools he'd looked at already, noting some small broken shells, but nothing particularly stunning. He'd have to circle around  a few of the tide pools before finding anything worth investigating, pausing at one and digging at the damp sand around it to flip it upside down.  "Oh! These ones are pretty. Look," he gestured to it, hoping Audra would come look. Though at first glanced it just looked pearly white, when it was tilted you could see some iridescent colors, shimmering and shifting in the sunlight.

The companionable silence is pleasant as they inspect the different shells around the tide pools. Audra lowers her face toward the surface of the water. Reaching her paw forward, she also digs around at the sand. Gently though does she rake her toes and claws through the grains and shallow waters. Not wanting to disturb or injure any of the creatures, she watches as dust and dirt bloom and cloud the pools. Her head jerks up at the sight and her eye widens and ears perk up. A quiet gasp leaves her as the cloudy water soon clears and the creatures within settle down. Even a little hermit crab scuttles away before tucking in on itself to hide. Letting out a sigh of relief that she hadn't done any harm, she continues a few more steps along until Sota calls out to her. "Ooh," she speaks quietly, her tail wagging happily, as she pulls away from the tide pool she is at to wander over to Sota. As she comes to stand beside him, she realizes that she enjoys being his friend. They are similar and she likes his company. She's had fun adventuring with him and wishes to keep doing it. Humming softly as she looks down at the iridescent colors he's pointed out, Aura nods energetically. "Those are gorgeous," Audra murmurs as she reaches out a paw to shift the shell to watch how its colors moved and glistened in the light. "Have you found any others?" She asks as she shifts some more sand around.