Sae'lvus has mentioned that they had some belongings at the start of their misadventure that had been lost somewhere in the currents, and so Whiteout had gone back to the beach while Noodle checked them over. It was a bit of a long shot, but it stood to reason the currents that had deposited them on the beach would also leave their things.

Ember and Nightlight, freshly back from their trip to Issiq, had begged to come along to play in the ocean, and Snowfall had quietly tugged at Whiteout's leg to please let em come. Whiteout had agreed, seeing a way to get three free helpers.

She made it a game to them - whoever found Sae'lvus' things would get a treat when they got back!

And so they went down to the seashore, Whiteout content in their plans - until they saw the market set up on a small island out on the ocean. She groaned and tried to stop Ember, but the youngster was already flying out towards it, calling excitedly. Nightlight looked between the island and Whiteout with wide, begging eyes, and even Snowfall extended eir neck curiously.

As if sensing their need, a boat departed the island and trundled over, running around as an aquatic pushed it.

"Need a ride?" they asked, and bowed. "Indigo at your service."

Whiteout looked between the two whelps and caved. "If I don't go, they'll be inconsolable all day. I'm Whiteout, this is Nightlight and Snowfall. The little terror who took the initiative is Ember, I'm sorry about whatever she'll get into."

Indigo laughed and held the boat steady as Nightlight, Snowfall, and Whiteout climbed in. "Don't worry! We have a lot of those when we set up here. There's a few terrors of our own roaming that I'm sure Ember will make friends with."

Whiteout nodded relieved as the boat began to move, bobbing wildly at first in the surf, seawater and foam splashing into the air as it cut smoothly through the breaking waves. The water was surprisingly clear today, reflecting the sky and providing a window into the world below. Colorful fish darted out of the way of the boat, and Indigo paused to shoo away a curious firefish.

Snowfall and Nightlight oohed and ahhed at the coral, and then they were running around on the island and Indigo was helping them out. The two youngsters immediately were accosted by Ember telling them allllll about what was going on here, and they soon scampered off.

Whiteout started to follow, then turned to Indigo. "Forgive my curiosity - but I haven't seen you guys set up here often. Is it some sort of festival that I should be aware of…?"

Indigo shook their head warmly. "Nah. We travel a lot, and set up shop where we can." They nodded to the island around them, water ringing its sandy shores on all sides and coral reefs breaking the surf from being too harsh. "Don't want to go too far inland since we dry out, y'know, but don't want to miss out."

Whiteout nodded in thanks. "Makes sense." Before turning to go find the youngsters.

Nightlight, Ember, and Snowfall were - politely for once - accosting an aquatic Whiteout recognized as Sapient. They were showing off magic tricks, with the youngsters a rapt audience oohing and ahhing at all the correct intervals. Whiteout checked that they were content there, then glanced around.

Sapient, seeming to sense their indecision, folded their tricks up and tilted their head. "Need some recommendations?"

Whiteout blinked. "If you're willing - I'd be grateful."

The aquatic nodded, smiling slightly. "Poppy over there has the best roasted crabs you'll ever taste on this earth. If that's not your style, Nashville's got some crispy seaweed snacks. We've also got some folks trading jewelry, curiosities, and some relics we dug up from the floor."

"The floor?" Snowfall asked quietly, wide-eyed, and Sapient bent down.

"The seafloor!"

Nightlight and Ember gasped, then began badgering Sapient about what was it like down there, was it dark, what sort of monsters were there -

"One question at a time," Whiteout cut in, and Sapient shot her a grateful look. Whiteout made sure that the youngsters were talking to Sapient politely before she wandered off to look at the wares. She made a few purchases for later, and then tried some of the seaweed. It was surprisingly good - she hadn't thought the slimy looking, stinky weeds that washed up on the beaches sometimes could be anything but unnapetizing.

Knowing that Nightlight, Ember, and Snowfall would never let her forget it if she didn't bring them something too, she picked up some trinkets and roasted crabs and walked back where Sapient had moved on to telling them about close calls with wildlife.

The youngsters sat frozen, eyes wide, and Whiteout waited until the aquatic was done with the dramatic conclusion to their tale. Ember and Nightlight immediately started badgering them for more, while Snowfall eagerly snagged a crab from Whiteout.

Distracting the two with their own crabs, Whiteout thanked Sapient. "Thanks for dealing with them. Let me know if there's anything I can do in return."

Sapient nodded good naturedly. "Will do. We'll be here for a while. You're up in the mountains?"

Whiteout nodded and gave them directions, and then began to shepard the satiated youngsters back home. Nightlight and Ember nearly fell asleep in the boat, but Snowfall seemed animated and eager.

Well, at least they had had a fun day, even if they hadn't found Sae'lvus' things.