breath catching in his throat, water crashing over his head and salt invading his mouth. startling from his loss of thought, the sea wolf stared out at the coast from the tree he had climbed his way into, resting there when an oh-so familiar scent filled his nose with its fsint smokey allure. it couldn't be, oh by the gods, it couldn't be.

he could still smell the fire burning his nose, hear the desperate clanging of the village's bell, the twang! of the archer's bows, feel the arrows splitting skin and muscle, taste the bitter and acrid smoky blood on his tongue. he could remember his own desperate screaming and roaring as he had shifted form and fought to leap to the far away shore. he could remember the scarlet fluids blossoming upon the fresh snows, could hear his crew screaming at him and dragging him down to the deck. he knew of the dead, as given the bird by his mate's brother's mother. his mate and children were on that list, all leftover bodies too charred and disfigured to get proper count.

this scent flooding his nose, coming from the north, reminded him of all the horrible memories and the loss gaping in his chest but by the gods, it brought every single happy memory with it. all the moments they spent entangled in each other's arms, the first sail upon his galley, the laughter of their children, caught between their two fathers in the captain's quarters. it brought the memories of sunday's hands upon his shoulders at their wedding, it brought the memories of the feasts that the couple hosted for the village and shipcrews. it brought the memories of their journeys and adventures, years spent at sea, making an earning for their family. it brought the memories of his sweet smile, even if his dearest could not feel the happiness that vinicius could.

leaping from his tree and lounge in a haphazard way, the sea wolf trusted his nose to lead him to this man, to this imposter, to his ... "SUNDAY, YOU SON OF A BITCH! WHERE THE HELLS HAVE YOU BEEN YOU BASTARD!?" he cried, the sailor stumbling over his own paws as he leapt at the longer furred canine in an attempt to bowl him over and affectionately nip at his ears, tears running down his face in a silvery pattern.

pressing his snout into his beloved's fur, the former ship-captain sobbed and nuzzled sunday, covering his face in licks and tears. he couldn't believe it! it couldn't be him, shouldn't be him, but by the gods' lucky mercy it was him! "OH I SWEAR TO THE GODS!" he spat many oaths, old crude words that only the other would know, pressing himself into his fur, "I thought you were dead Sunday ... the fire ... the blood ... the damn bird! I tried to go back but we had no arms, no ammunition, absolutely nothing! Only damned textiles and salted foods for merchant sales! We were too far out to turn around and we couldn't even help! Oh Sunday, my dearest sweetest darling, you are here ... by the gods graces you are here. You must tell me everything you hear! Where are the children? Did they make it? Oh you owe me years worth of a tale. And twice that in affection!", he jabbered on, knowing his garbled words could not convey his emotions, but that his mate knew, that sunday knew how much of a grand mess he was and how delighted that they were finally reunited.

pressing his body into the warmth of the other, burying his nose deep into his fur, drinking in his long-absent scent with a quiet half-sob, "oh sunday ... sunday .. you do always come back. you always do, until you won't, but i promise you, nothing will keep us apart." he murmured, pulling back just to rest his head against sunday's shoulder, tail wagging faster than he thought possible. "its been so long ..." he murmured breathlessly, aware of the stinging tears dripping from his eyes, his jaws spread for gasping breaths as he sobbed into his pelt.

putting his paw about his, he whined happily, sniffing softly, "perideus saved me, my love. will you share my den?" at the moment, his current abode was a cozy lean to close to the beach, close to the object of his great longing. pulling back to lick the other's nose with his ears fully pricked, he grinned back at him to the point it nearly hurt, "tonight, i will make you a great meal for the hearty traveler!" he declared.

a soft laugh escaped the sailor, licking his lips in humorless unease, refusing to think of being separated again. getting to his paws, he moved closer to rest his head on his mate's shoulder with a deep sigh, seeking the comfort of the fact that he lived. "within this territory? just rene so far but i heard rumor of ramona coming here when speaking with my cousin. this territory is called the typhoon, dear." he murmured softly. "your brothers have passed away, it pains me to say. jerisidie suffered at augustin's hands in his last minutes, i've heard from lynn in visiting his grave. i have also heard tell of kade and finnloch elsewhere 'nearby' to us, my love."