Kunokine sighed as she watched her younger sibling race off through the city streets with what one might call fool hardy courage. She sighed and hugged her arms around herself. She tensed at the feeling of arms around her, but she soon caught the odor of who had snuck up behind her and smiled while easing back into Niho's arms.

"Ailani escaped you again I see."

His purr had her spine tingling in all the right places, but she knew better than to fall for her mate's sweet words. She arched up and lightly bopped him on the face as she sat herself down on a nearby bench. She huffed and leaned back, as she stroked her dome-shaped belly lovingly.

"If you must know, she had to fend off Ihu and his attempts to woo her."

Niho could only grunt and roll his eyes at mentioning the arrogant hot head that led the Tribes of the Trench. He sat down beside her and nuzzled into the hair of her Landshark shape.

"He won't ever give up, will he?"

Kunokine nuzzled her cheek against Niho's bare chest, as she thought about all that had happened lately. Originally, the Shark Tribes had no grudge against the Landshark tribe, but that was fast changing.

Ihu was inciting something furious below in the Trench, stating that he was responsibile to more people than the Warm Water Tribes. Their leader, Chief Hoowahawaha, was fortunately brother to Ihu's father, A'ai and together they were keeping the juvenile leader in check. Which wasn't easy when he made a persuasive argument.

Together the Trench and Warm Water Tribes had managed to survive the last few tides of time. Even as the Landsharks slaughtered the members of the Warm Water Tribes without a shred of mercy or hesitation, they continued to hide away and survive. Ihu, knew this and drew upon not only this, but the suffering of the seas from their self-imposed inaction. It was time to claim the oceans again, as they were the only ones who could lay any rightful claim to it. The Landsharks will be punished for their crimes against the home of the Tribes.

Just thinking over it again made Kunokine sick, she lightly ghosted a hand over her jaw where a Landshark had once been. She was all too familiar with the brutality above, but also of the goodness that few displayed. She let her hand fall into her mate's lap as she remembered the old Landshark with rough hands, that had eased the hook out of her mouth and cut her free.

Some of Ihu's words held merit, but did they really all deserve death? Niho, rubbed her shoulder gently, making her smile as she looked up into his worried face and trace the mate mark they shared along his neck. She nuzzled into his chest again as she rolled her arm over and traced her matching mark. Normally, once the female birthed her pups, the father would go off to seek another female. Niho was different, the last descendant of the King's Guard.

Long ago, the King had risen from his seat, and stated it was time to swim the Sparkle Blue. He left Niho's many greats grandfather and others like him, to stay by the throne until the day when their Lord returned, or one who was worthy of his seat. Upon that day they would enact his will, as only the King's Guard would. As the tides past, only he remained, the last of the King's Guard.

Kunokine had often encouraged him to go and seek another female to bore him more pups, but he remained by her side, ever watchful and stubborn in his devotion to her.

She appreciated it even more now.

"He knows that a union between him and Ailani would give him more voice here in the Warm Waters, as though he doesn't have enough of a voice as it is. Thankfully, Ailani is more than a match for him, our Chief didn't choose her as his successor for nothing."

Niho chuckled as he nuzzled into Kunokine's neck, making her release a soft wispy sigh. She couldn't wait for her pups to come into the sea.

"You know..."

Kunokine huffed as she fell back into the embrace of her lover again, damn the tide of year and her mate's alluring scent.

"We could always take advantage of her escape attempt and retreat to our more private chambers."

Kunokine growled in the back of her throat and turned her amber eyes to meet his own sea-foam green.

"Damn you Niho."

She huffed but without any real heat, as she let her teeth sharpen while he scooped her up into his arms.

Ailani slipped to the Current Caves and adjusted her monokini suit under her moe moe shirt. It wasn't as big as it once was, but it did its purpose of covering her top from the drooling men all around the city. She calmly walked up to the guardian on post and had just opened her mouth to ask a current away from Ihu, when the guard spoke first.

"If it is solitude you seek, may I suggest the Border Shelf?"

Ailani, felt her words catch in her throat, as she tried to think on the guardian's words.

"Is that not the domain of a certain Tribe?"

She huffed bitingly, her teeth sharpening in annoyance. The guard merely shook his head, not put off in the least by the agitated female in front of him.

"No, they do not bother policing their borders as the Landsharks have not yet breached that far below."

Ailani rocked back and forth on her heels before finally nodding.

"Show me the way guardian."

He bowed slightly to her and pointed to a cave on the far left of the others that led to an inky blackness.

"Take this cave and you will find the Shelf beyond."

She nodded as she walked up to it, turning to look over her shoulder at the guard as she approached the entrance and put a foot through the barrier at the entrance.

"Please tell Kunokine where I'm going, and only Kunokine."

The guard only gave a nod of acknowledgement as the female turned back around, and stepped the rest of the way inside. The sharp chill caught her for a moment, but as she shifted into her sharkskin the chill faded away to a dullness that she put out of her mind. Soon the currents wrapped around her shape and propelled her out into the open water.

Ailani flexed her gills fully, she always loved this part, it was like swimming faster than anyone ever could think possible. It was so exhilarating, freeing even. That's why she needed this, not the crushing weight of her responsibilities and expectations. Just a fast swim in the seas she lived. Perhaps during the warmer months, she could ask her older sister and mate to take her with them when they hunted the furry prey. She had seen Kunokine leap high out of the water to catch one and immediately wanted to try it once she was old enough to.

She felt the currents slow and soon enough the ride was over and there she was, out alone along the shelf. She flicked her tail and began to swim off when her eyes caught something. At first she thought she was imagining things, but there was no mistake here in the extra clearness of the Trench water. It was a bright white light, coming from what she assumed was a Landshark structure, and where there were structures, there were usually the ones who made them somewhere nearby.

She swam closer, keeping the light just above her if this was a trap.